this is the pack that our own Lace had a role in designing  I've owned numerous Osprey packs and have always been impressed w/ the quality and innovativeness with their products, this pack is no exception.

This is a small pack, listed at only 1.5 liters, but I find it that it packs more than it's volume belies.  I really like the bladder setup (1.5 liters), it has a quick disconnect that allows a quick, no fuss removal (and reinstall) of the bladder.  It also has some angled baffles that cut no on slosh and help the bladder keep it's shape.  In addition, their magnetic bite valve holder that provides a solid connect to the top sternum strap really works well (I have several other Osprey packs w/ this feature and it rocks!).

the front of the pack has a very nice adjustable bungee setup that easily holds a rain jacket, windshirt or other layer (pic'd here w/ a rain jacket and windshirt)

the front of the pack (rear?) has a harness setup w/ two adj stretch sternum straps- they adjust both in length, but you can also move them up and down for the perfect fit

there are two stretch pockets on the right side that are perfectly sized for a couple of bars and a couple of shot bloks, on the left side there is a decent sized stretch pocket to hold additional food (or sunscreen, or numerous other items)- I use mine for my camera and it makes it handy to get out/in.  This is also the "digi-flip" pocket, by undoing the fastex buckle above the pocket folds down allowing you to access your smart phone- as I don't have  a smart phone I use it for my map(s)

there is a small zippered slash pocket on the top that holds additional food, sunscreen and my small waterproof ditty bag that holds a small knife, fire kit, headlamp, first aid kit, water purification tabs and some TP

like I said the small size belies what can be comfortably carried, in addition to the items in the slash pocket and the two jackets w/ the bungee setup, the main compartment easily holds an emergency blanket, beanie, gloves, buff and a few emergency stashes of food

all the bells and whistles don't make a running pack unless it's comfortable and jostle free- this is bar none the most comfortable pack I've run w/- the adjustments of the two sternum straps, the harness adjustment and these little stretch "wings" makes for a custom like fit- after several 20-ish mile runs I can say that I all but forget I have the pack on!

Thanks for the review Warden...looks like a nice pack.

Does anyone know if the rev 6 has the same features (but enough storage for a pair of shoes).  I'm in the market... I think this would be a touch too small for my intended purposes.

I love, love, love my Osprey Talon 22.  Osprey definitely knows their shit.  I was also thinking along the lines of James and wondering about the Rev 6.  (You know, cause I'm doing so much running right now that I need a new pack.  )  What's the difference in the S/M vs M/L size?  Is it length of the pack or the sternum area?  What would you recommend for those of us who are more well endowed than the average person?

yeah it's a slick little feature, close to 9" to play with- that didn't come out quite right

You can't beat the price on those, and it is better than what you get with some much more expensive packs.

I love my Rev 1.5, and Osprey's customer service is excellent.  DW's reservoir was leaking after 3 uses.  It was a problem at one of the heat welds, and we sent a picture and filled out a questionnaire online, and had a new reservoir in the mail in 3 days.  My only compaint is the silly phone holder.  My large Samsung phone won't fit unless I take it out of it's case, so I'd rather have a more flexible pocket for easier access to gels.

That entire pocket comes off. It has the clasp on top and Velcro on the bottom. I advised Osprey to make a variety of pockets for the pack so you can customize it to suit your needs. Also, you could have multiple gel pockets that can preloaded and stashed in drop bags or kept by your crew for a quick change at aid stations.

Am I just being an idiot?  Where does the bladder attach to the pack other than the big white thingy across the pack like in Warden's first pic?  Cause the small amount of jogging I did tonight with it on made it feel like the bladder was bouncing way too much.

Hmmmm.  Seems pretty silly that that little gray loop up there doesn't have velcro like my UD pack does. For some reason I haven't figured out yet there's this black string around the bladder opening...I took that off and am going to tie the bladder to the gray loop thingy tomorrow.

I only took it out for an hour's hike (and a couple minute of jogging), but here is my first impressions.

Pros:

- Lots of room.  (James, you could fit a pair of shoes.)

- Ability to have a bladder AND two bottles that are not on your chest.  I love those side pockets.

- Bladder itself seems nice and easy to drink from.

- The long zippy pocket is the perfect spot for a flashlight.

- Simple little details like the magnetic valve, tow loop, and nice zipper grips.

Cons:

- Maybe it's just me, but the bladder feels very unstable back there.

- I don't like the shape of the front pockets.  They're long and narrow.  My UD Wink has big, square, easy to get stuff pockets.  I could fit honey stinger waffles in there.  No go with these pockets.

- No way to take photos from your phone without removing it from the digi-flip

- The digi-flip seems like it could chafe on your arm if you were sleeveless or had shorter sleeves like many women's tops tend to have.

- Where's the integrated whistle that most Osprey packs tend to have?

- What's the longevity on the stretchy chest straps?  Will they eventually lose their elasticity?

It rides nice, but I am still used to my UD pack, which actually rides higher than this pack.  If I could combine some features of this pack with my UD pack, I might have the perfect pack.  I will get good use out of this pack though...it will carry a lot more than my UD without having to carry my bigger Talon 22, which is totally ill suited to run with.  This will definitely fill a niche for me.