2010 MLD Prophet(s)

How dare you! ;) I thought it was going to be easy waiting the 4 weeks for mine to show up… and now this!

Beautiful packs!

I would like to see an optional UL frame on the Super Model….

Say Thom – you really don't need BOTH versions. Which one are you selling me? ;)

Nice. I know I shouldn't be lusting over these. My Ohm is already jealous.

Thom, what are your plans for the 2 packs. One for groomed trails/SUL. The other for bushwacking/UL. OR, are you just testing both and planning to sell one to the rabid dogs on BPL?

I like the weight savings of the mesh pockets, as well as the drying factor for wet gear. However, that bungee cord system will hold on to the wet stuff pretty well. I have to say these things are really sharp with that darker gridstop. Ron's hipbelts look significantly better than my ULA hipbelt. I have to fuss with it way too much. I REALLY WISH, I could play with one of these and test it out. ON second thought: Might as well try one and resell it or my Ohm to the BPL list…..where's my credit card?

I will be keeping both packs for sure.

I plan to use the Super Prophet as a winter snowshoeing pack and for trips off trail. The standard Prophet will be my main stay three season pack. Ron may tempt me to add others to the gear closet, a 2010 Revelation or…, a new pack to the MLD line.

Very nice Thom, thanks for posting the pictures. Could you possibly give me the length of one of the hip-belt wings.

I have a Prophet on order but I'm asking Ron to make the torso, and hip-belt wings per my specifications.

For my waist, I figure, I need each padded hip-belt wing to be 8-9" long.

So, I'm wondering what your hip-belt wings measure, and I'm assuming that your hip-belt is standard though, and not custom?

Thanks,
Mike

MF,
Both of these packs are standard and were not modified by me. The wings on the Prophet measure 7", this is on the size Regular.

Hope this helps.

TD

Thom,

This indeed helps a great deal, as I had both an Arc and an Exodus, but was not happy with the length of the hip-belt wings.

Looks like 9" long wings will be just about right for me.

Do you happen to have the optional external front pocket?

Thanks,
Mike

Hey Thom,

Not just one new Sexy Prophet, but a Super Prophet and a solomid…im going crazy here ;)I must have both packs too!
Thanks for taking the time to post some great pics of some MLD Gems.
Looks like i may have a brand new Conduit going to the gear swap;) if i keep looking at these pics.

A

How are you guys ordering this stuff but it's not on the website???!!!

A long time ago, in a land far – far away… there once was a thing called a telephone. Man has since abandoned such contraptions, favoring the efficient and impersonal e-mail… Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan struck up a romance using the AOL email service in the film 'You've Got Mail'. It was cute.

Thanks for the response, Party Boy.

I live where it would be expensive to call.

David,

After I placed my order for my Prophet, I saw either a post here or at Rons MLD Facebook site about the new color fabric. (I was originally unaware of the new color fabric.)
I then emailed Ron and asked as to whether or not, all new order packs would be made from the new color fabric or not.
His reply was yes, all pack orders placed now, would be made from the new color fabric, but one could still get the original color as well, if they wanted such.

I wasn't aware of the Super Prophet either until I saw it on Facebook, so I don't know how Thom got his pack before the pack was even launched at the MLD website?

Ron has been posting the new stuff at Facebook first, which you're already aware of.

Ron's got some other packs in the pipeline too, so hold on there yet.

Thanks Mike!

I am holdin'

I had talked with Ron for some time regarding the "Super" version of the Prophet and would even like to think I have had some influence, and or input, into this and other items Ron will be offering in 2010.

In reality I likely only garner my pre-release order ability do solely to the large amount of money I have paid out for MLD gear over the past few years. :)

My Prophet arrived in the mail yesterday. I ordered the pack on Nov.6th This is the fastest that I have ever received an order from MLD, so I guess its true, that they have indeed been able to decrease their order wait times. Note: (My order was moved up, as MLD was awaiting hardware components for the other packs ahead of mine, Bummer.)
Pack and all the accessories look great,as always,and the workmanship is 2nd to none.
I'm glad I got the external front pocket they are no longer going to be produced. Width on this pack is 10" which aids in giving the hip-belt a more pronounced wrap around the hips.
Best hip-belt fit, I've gotten yet from a MLD pack. Pack is just the right size for my intended usage, mainly 2-3 day weekend trips. Hip-belt pockets(2)are now the perfect size, IMHO, anyway. Shoulder strap pockets easily clip onto the daisy chains of the shoulder straps.
My Cuben Patrol will fit sideways into the front mesh pocket, along with my rain jacket and pants. Inside the external pocket, I'll place, my TP, and other incidentals, possibly even my extra clothing, gloves, warm hat,socks, base-layers etc. It will easily un-clip from the pack as well. Found out too, that this ext. front pocket can also be easily used as a top pocket. This pocket could also fit other packs with clips or bungee cords and mitten hooks. Keep making this pocket Ron!

Total weight for pack and all accessories listed above including bungee cord lacing is 20.3 oz

Its a winner for sure!

I'm interested in comparing the Prophet volume to the Jam's volume. It can be hard to do this just looking at websites, because different companies calculate volumes differently, some only give one volume that includes the front pocket but some don't etc.

So, I own a 2008 Jam2, which GoLite listed as 3100ci. They don't say if that includes the front pocket or not- I suspect that it does (seems like GoLite's style). MLD lists the Prophet's main pack volume as 2900ci with the extension collar. Thus if one includes the external pockets the Prophet may allow more volume for less weight. (Of course, I could also upsize to an Exodus, and STILL weigh less than the Jam.)

Can anyone compare these for me?

I do not own a Jam but have encountered these often on the trail. My Prophet is noticeably smaller. Having said this, I have never filled my Prophet (or Revelation/Prophet hybrid pack) to capacity. This may result in my pack appearing smaller when encountering a Jam on the trail.

td

I do have both and will try and give you actual measurements from both packs, tomorrow.
I'd agree too though that the Prophet is definitely smaller in the main pack-bag.
The MLD hip-belt pockets are larger, and I'd guess that the mesh front pocket will hold more gear than the Jam's zippered front pocket.
If you can still get Ron(MLD)to make you the detachable front pocket, then you'd gain extra volume with this option. But you would then increase the overall weight of the pack as well, so I'm not sure what the gain would be over choosing the Prophet, over the Jam2?

I owned a 2009 Jam until recently and now I've got a MLD Revelation. My understanding is that the Revelation and Prophets have the same physical dimensions. The main pocket seems about 25% smaller with the Revelation. The Revelation main pocket is at least as tall (probably a bit taller) and similarly wide, but it's not as deep (ie. square) as the Jam which is the big difference.

OK here's the measurements from each pack:

2010 Jam2

12.5" wide 5" up from the bottom, then 9" wide up to the top collar
6" deep
25" height
7" ext. collar

Zippered Front pocket
12" wide
15" height below zipper, with 3" above zippered opening

approx. weight 27.4oz

2010 MLD Prophet:

10" wide
5.5" deep
24" height
12" ext.collar

Front mesh pocket:
10" wide
12" height

approx weight with no options 14.2 oz

mf,
It is good to learn that my trail eyes had not deceived me, the Jam packs carried by hikers I encountered were of larger volume then my MLD Prophet or my Revelation/Prophet hybrid packs. This could be why I was the one always smiling. : )

td

Yes, but the Jam2 isn't really that much larger, is it? The wider bottom would be good for a larger bag or quilt, for colder trips, but the Prophets ext. collar is 5" taller too.

I have now had the chance to use both packs and I'm very pleased. The 2010 upgrades, in both design and hardware, on the Prophet are highly functional and much appreciated.

FWIW I really like the new color.

I thought I would post a pic of my 2010 Prophet next to a black Dyneema Golite pack, to show the actual shade of the Carbon Gray Dyneema in comparison to a dark black Dyneema fabric. It is the Same color as the Titanium colored Dyneema X that was sent to me by Thru-Hiker… which maybe means Thru-hiker is now shipping the same Carbon Dyneema used my MLD, but is labeled as Titanium on the T-H website?