Jdog – With the minimalist philosophy it seems there is always that balance between function and convenience. What is an absolute necessity and what is just nice to have, of course all subject to personal preference and hunting style. Pocket organization has seemed to fall into this category when designing, what features are to be added at the cost of ounces. While most of my designs definitely fall into the minimalist category, the Sky packs offer a few more options for accessible pockets and cubic inches as you have mentioned. The lid is 500 cubic of quick access and there are 4 pockets accessible by opening the one center zip. These I designed to be areas for those necessities while on the trail so you don’t have to dig through the pack. I try to stay with a sleek profile without the external pockets to hang up on brush and gather moisture/snow, which I have found a nuisance in alders and late season weather. This being said, I am always open to customer ideas and preferences as that is how many of the features of the new Sky bags came about. There is always room for improvement and advancing designs to meet customer's needs.
Thanks
Kurt
