MYSTERY RANCH  Blitz 35 Pack

Why is the color of the buckle I received black, but the color of the product picture is gray?

This bag is well constructed, thoughtfully laid out and looks great. There is a lot about this design I love and I really want to make it work. However… the mechanism to cinch the lumbar strap is flawed (at least for my body type). I am 6’1ish with a 36-38” waist - nobody ever accused me of being skinny, but I’m not completely round. When I get this bag properly seated on my hips, every breath loses a the strap. As such, I constantly have to tighten the straps which is really annoying. I have 150-200 miles on the bag with only 30-40 pounds and haven’t found a solution yet. I’m tempted to modify the bag to try and solve this, but I may end up just returning it instead. Really disappointing.

Bought this pack online. Picked the l/xl size due to torso length/height. The hip belt that comes with it is comically large. I’m a 30” waist and have enough room to easily shove both arms in between straps and waist. These are clearly made for overweight people. It will cost $33 to get a small sized waist belt to swap out, at which point the large is not returnable and will likely end up sitting in a closet for eternity. Seems ridiculous that there’s no option for having a large bag with a small waist belt. The design of the belt has unnecessary extra strap material that causes the issue. I could sew it a bit to make it work, but for $330 I would expect something better and actually usable out of the box.

I got this pack in green to use while on duty with the National Guard. I'm an office worker who does go to the field from time to time. This pack offers a lot of space for clothes and necessary gear, while including a padded compartment for my computer. So far, I've been pleased with the make. I look forward to using it in the field for an extended period to see how it holds up. I am giving this 4 stars only because I have not given the pack that extended test. No complaints at this time.

I could not be happier with this pack! It fits all the gear I have and more if needed plus with all the pals webbing it can be modular for any situation. Durable, comfortable and although a bit pricey it feels like a well thought out design.

Great pack, lots of room and plenty areas inside the pack for organization or storing water. Construction is real robust. This is my new everyday pack.

It's convenient to refer to the Blitz 35 as a "bag," but I experience it more as a kind of microcosmos. It has a logic and symmetry that sit neatly at the intersection of form and function. In the words of great industrial designer Luigi Colani, "If it looks good, it works good," and this wilderness wondermachine does both. Its aesthetic splendor belies its utilitarianism. It evokes an intentionality that flies in the face of evolutionary theory. No blind watchmaker can claim credit for this creature: only a Higher Power could yield the Blitz 35. I wouldn't say that the B35 and I are using "language" yet per se, but we are definitely developing an understanding. The Blitz has its corners of the house, and I have mine. But we overlap. There's no dirty roommate here—everyone pulls their share in this partnership. Sometimes I wonder why I own anything else. So does the Blitz. I've never had a bag before that I enjoyed thinking about how to use as much as actually using it. I sometimes find myself flipping lids around, running zippers back and forth, studying hardware, fantasizing about strap applications. It's almost as if the B35 were intended as a thought experiment as much as a real-world tool. It's the only pack I've ever sported around empty, like glasses with no prescription, just for the vibe. If I slept with my B35 occasionally, I wouldn't tell you. How many things do you own that make you ask, did anyone actually put any real thought into this thing? Did they even test it? Why didn't they consider this? Why not go the extra micron and add or improve that? The B35 makes you wonder how they ever managed to finish and release this product. The concept of "Progress, Not Perfection" becomes meaningless in the context of the B35—it's both, in real time. I practice the following consumer rule: buy low or high, but never the middle. When you get something cheap, it almost doesn't matter whether it works; the rewards start immediately, and everything after the first couple of uses is gravy. On the other hand, it's sometimes worth investing in the good stuff. It's the junk in the middle that gets you in trouble—trying to seem high-quality by cramming in too many features while cutting corners, and ultimately letting you down, the mediocre middle makes you wish you'd either spent more the first time, or simply been content with the cheap thing and not wasted your money on the inadequate. The Blitz 35 is a testament to this principle. Forget sticker shock. When you own a Blitz 35, you become part of an elite cadre of über-consumers who understand the vote of currency and are willing to invest in the inevitable trajectory of our species. I owe more than I can articulate to my friend who initiated me into the Inner Sanctum of the Blitz 35 by telling me about it in Olympic Mountains last year. He actually had his with him on the trip, and even let me examine it (not something I recommend for the B35 owner who isn't prepared to defend their booty). This friend is short and round, and I am tall and straight (6'3" / 175lbs). He was unable to close the belt on his S/M, and I found the belt on my L/XL too bountiful...so yes, we are swapping belts. Through the Blitz 35, we have become Belt Brothers. No. I don't work for Mystery Ranch. I'm not sure they actually exist, and if they do, I'm convinced they're evidence of panspermia. Stop wondering. Stop questioning. Throw off the bonds of uncertainty, and equip yourself with a Blitz 35, for the love of Nature. Before it is too late. PROS: • The Blitz 35 gives you super powers. • The Blitz 35 will attract mates. • The Blitz 35 sends a signal that you are not to be trifled with. • The Blitz 35 holds things. CONS: • You can't own all of them.