I've had a SMD Starlight for several years. Its been on several multi-day trips. The optional stays do a good job of transferring weight to the padded hipbelt. Excellent volume, nice comfort, great pack for me to about 35 lbs.

I recently bought a SMD Swift with the unpadded wing belt with pockets. I carried 24 lbs. on a 9 mile 3800ft. elevation gain day hike and found the Swift very comfortable. I hiked long stretches with the belt unhooked. With a Ridgerest pad in the pocket as a frame it transferred weight quite well. It does have an optional stay option similar to the Starlight which I didn't get.

I have also carried the Swift on an overnight trip 15 miles 2800 ft. elevation gain. On the overnight I was sort of planning on snow so I packed a 3.75 season load which came to 32 lbs. According to my back and shoulders the Swift starts getting cranky at anything over 30 lbs. Since the waist belt is minimal transferring weight to it is kind of a waste. IMHO if you can keep your weight under 30 lbs. the Swift is a sweet pack. As far as the mesh pockets I have never had a problem with snagging on underbrush or losing gear.

The SMD packs are very well made but they are not designed to be bomb-proof. If you take care of the gear it will last for many years. Hope this helps.