I became accustomed to the old model. I first purchased this exact brand/size pack in 2017. It had a much smaller front zipper pocket (that I was good with), but one that didn't require the top snaps to be undone to use. This pack, with a larger front pocket allows for no different stowaway (still 13L volume), and requires the snaps to be undone to access fully (kind of a pain, imo). I liked the old model, and when purchasing a replacement, was expecting a duplicate. That didn't happen, but I'll move on. The port for the water saddle hose to slide through the top back of pack is way too tight. I have to force the hose through. I've never had this issue with any other pack, so this is a nuisance for sure. Still going to use the pack because I've respected the brand for the past 8 years, and this new one is still functional. The only reason I upgraded is because the threading of my previous pack's main pouch zipper started to become unsewn. It made it from 2017 to 2025 before needing to be replaced. It's a quality pack for the price paid, just has a couple small flaws. I'll likely buy again. Hoping to see some improvements (see noted above).