The Mountainsmith Descent sling bag

I recently bought a Mountainsmith Descent sling bag to replace my older beltbag.  My old beltbag is well-made (still working like new after over 20 years), but the waistbelt is difficult to adjust when I change layers, and I thought a sling would be easier to use.  My main use for a smaller bag like this is casual urban outings where I don't want to carry more than 1-2 lenses, I'm not hiking far, or I'm just close to the car.  For hikes, I still use a nice backpack.

I looked at other beltbags and slings, but ended up with Mountainsmith as it came recommended from a friend, had the space I wanted, and was on sale for a good price.

So here are my impressions of the Descent:

The exterior grey color is nice, discrete, and professional-looking.  The interior color is yellow, which makes finding dark objects in the bottom pretty easy.

It is well-made, with very thick padding.  If anything, it has a little too much padding around the camera compartment.  As it is brand new, the padding and zipper is a bit stiff.  I expect this will break in over time.  I can't see any reason why the bag won't last for years.

It's fairly comfortable as slings go, but I wouldn't want to overload it.  I am not the world's biggest fan of slings.  In general, I prefer backpacks for the even distribution of weight.  However, for lighter loads, casual use, and quick access, it seems pretty nice.  

It has a secondary strap to keep it from shifting/sliding while slung on your back.  Grips on 3 sides help you move it front to back.

The Descent is big enough to hold my Canon 100-400 mounted (hood reversed) on a Canon 5D3.  This is a big advantage for me over the beltbags I know about, which generally won't fit the 100-400 mounted.  While the Descent can carry 3 wide (77/82mm filter sizes) lenses including the 100-400, with any of them mounted, I think it is more comfortable for 2 big DSLR lenses plus accessories.  Again, I don't plan to load it up with quite that much at once, but having options is something I appreciate.  It has a little extra room which I can use for filters and other accessories.

For reference, Mountainsmith says the interior is 14.25" x 10.75" x 5". The exterior is 15" x 11.5" x 5.75".

The design makes it possible to change lenses in the bag while slung around to my chest.  It is still easier for me to set a bag down to do lens changes, but I imagine I'll get faster with the sling style over time.

The Descent came with a hidden bottom pouch and a rain fly.  That will be handy if I'm caught in a downpour.

The front organizer pocket seems a bit thin.  I hope it stretches out just a little.  In theory, it will hold a medium tablet, pencils, and other thin items like a phone.

Overall I like it.  I'll stick with a bigger backpack for hikes of course, but this will serve me well otherwise.