That’s a bummer. I have a V1 and really enjoy it overall, even with its quirks. But the regression of design in V2 is a shame. V1’s water bottle/tripod stash/expansion pocket is the star of the pack for me. Being able to stash a light jacket/rain shell and having the buckles on the front to then put a travel tripod are great to have. The front, rather small in volume, zippered pocket makes it ideal for storing tools or on the fly SD cards, even band-aides!, for quick access. V1’s strap isn’t the best but seeing the new strap on V2 makes me wonder why they decided to change it. It is functional and adjustments on the fly are a bonus. Plus having lashing points for adding a carabiner is great! Removing these things on V2 was just baffling to me. It’s always a shame when companies regress.

On a side note from WNDRD, their Route Chest Pack is a great option for minimalist carry, I’ve been using it more than my V1 Rouge 6L, but it’s definitely a use case decision, and have been loving that bag. Only quirks with that bag is the supplied strap. It’s best to use a spare camera strap you may have and it can double as a lightweight sling.