I often see discussions of McHale packs on this board and think that the key point about their greatest strength gets lost. They are very flexible packs that are best suited to someone who wants a backpack that can handle mountaineering, ski touring, and backpacking. Their cost is hard to justify simply as a UL backpacking tool but starts to make more sense once you bring more mountain sports into the mix.
For a bit more detail, I just posted a review of my LBP 40 over on the user gear review forums and I'm happy to discuss this viewpoint with anyone or provide more details since I've now dragged that pack around on my back or literally months.
Obviously, you can order a very lightweight and focused pack from Dan but then so much of the value from this unique backpack design is lost.
