You have EVERY right to be worried!
There are few inanimate objects I have more disdain for than the RMEF bag. My apologies if I sound harsh.
If you plan on hiking out with quarters on your back more than 1/4 of a mile, there are some tools that you cannot afford to compromise on. I think most backcountry hunters would put pack, sleeping bag, and boots in any "top 5" critical items list. Time and time again, guys come out west, get a bull down, and then realize the world of hurt they got themselves into. A bad pack can be the difference between hard work, and a miserable struggle bus. I had a family member bring the RMEF pack on a 5 day hunt and I ended up hauling a bunch of his stuff IN and OUT. He is not invited to come back with that bag. Personally, I wouldn't use it as day pack or a dirty laundry bag. In fact, I'm perfectly happy with the strength to weight ratio of GLAD bags for refuse and find the pricing more appealing as well.
Reasons I absolutely object to this bag:
The pack is advertised at 6.5 lbs with only 2,600 cu in. (3,100 cu in if you include the rifle scabbard). I find the published volume and weight suspect. Even if the specs are honest, the weight to volume ratio is unacceptable.
As you pointed out, the meat goes on the wrong side of the pack. Fortunately I haven't had to deal with this in real life.
They layout reminds me of the "Spider web on LSD" we all saw in our elementary school "say no to drugs" campaign. In the field, it is one of the most cumbersome layouts.
The lumbar pad isn't. Load it up HEAVY, and you'll know what I mean. The pack falls down off the waist belt and does not stay on top of the iliac crest where it should.
There are no load lifters. There is some kind of strap where load lifters belong, that attach to the frame below your shoulders. They are like "load-puller-downers." Not quite sure how this is supposed to work, but it doesn't.
If you plan on using it to carry a bow on it, prepare for 2/3 of your bow to stick above your head and be about 1.5 feet back. If you plan on carrying a rifle, your head will run into the stock. If it had a proper load lifter setup, it would be even harder. You can sort of get away with it by low-riding the bag and letting it lean back.
I would highly recommend replacing the bag with just about anything. I carried a lot of game out with a Kelty Red Cloud 110 until it just about gave out. I then used a Kuiu for several years until discovering the Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80. On the cheap, you could have as much or better success with any number of backpacking bags. Load shelfs are nice, but I've been doing it long before load shelfs were endemic to hunting packs. Put quarters in a game bag and then inside along the frame close to my body. Stuff the rest of your gear in a contractor bag away from your body. When you get home, hose out your pack and hang to dry.
There is a reason, almost everybody goes to Outdoorsman's, Stone Glacier, Kuiu, Mystery Ranch, Exo, etc. A good pack is a game changer.
