The Photography Balance Pockets make it really easy to keep the camera at the ready - it's very easy to grab the DSLR out of the pocket, even with a 70-300 lens attached. When it comes to changing lenses, its like having an extra pair of hands. The load balance was amazing - totally different to my normal experience. Last weekend I packed my normal day-hike winter safety gear, food, 1.5 L of water, then loaded the pockets with my DSLR, 3 lenses, binoculars, GPS, plus a second point-and-shoot camera. The load just never seemed to be an issue.
The elastic pockets worked well for stowing filters. I found the dry sacs spacious enough to make for easy use. This is a good feature as most inexpensive DSLR's and lenses aren't weather or dust sealed.