Now, having said that, you mention that it will be his only pack. That being the case, I would suggest going for the versatility of the Guide Light MT frame with a Sawtooth 45, a Pintler. You can then switch out to whatever MR offers as a bag only option in the future. That frame can haul bigger loads in better comfort and either of those bags has larger capacity and excellent organization compared the the Pop Ups.
Yep - for a one only pack, a full size frame would be a must for me. I actually had the Pop Up 38, Pintler and Sawtooth at home today to compare. I'm keeping the Pintler and returning the others due to it being the smallest bag option on the full size frame. If I need a bigger pack, I have the bag only option for another MR bag for the Guide Lite MT frame, or my Seek Outside frame with whatever size dry bag I need.
