Got some useful info from another forum, copying and pasting the contents below.
PTC*
For some info on the most recent updates to the Villain see here
http://www.petesy.co.uk/the-real-villain-part-two-omm-villain-msc-4510-2009-with-mike-parsons/For some background on where it all came from see here
http://www.petesy.co.uk/the-real-villai ... e-parsons/
The orange Villain has much the same main body, the same size and shape, but there are a lot of other differences.
The lid has a different (and I think better, more secure) pocket entry.
The harness is much less padded, both shoulder straps and hip-fins. Still comfy though, just keep loads under 10kg!
The bottle pockets are very slightly higher placed.
The ice axe/ pole attachment points are different.
You can't fit an MSC, the external cord arrangement is all you've got without getting the sewing machine out. It's still usuable, but worth replacing the cord with bungee as it has no stretch to it.
It's lighter!
It's orange!
I've used all the different Villains extensively and it really is a fantastic pack, still my #1 choice for overnighters all year round. The MSC makes the recent versions (we're on No3 now) much more flexible, but the old version is just as good, but different.
