Maxpedition gear slingers

[Glass]

I've been looking for a couple packs for various tasks. I fugured I would like multiple packs for flexibility - I don't have to unpack everything in a pack to repack it for some thing else. Tasks in mind are:

1) A pack for work to haul notebook and sundry crap around that was more useful than say a laptop bag/backpack or walmart backpack.
2) A pack for going to the range. Pistol shooting so, pistol, mags, ammo, cleaning kit, protection and all the damn paperwork you have to carry with a gun.
3) A pack for hunting. Carry ammo, cleaning kit, protection, comms, GPS, knives, gloves etc

I like sturdy. I have old heavy cordura styled over nighter/small duffel. Can pack a weeks worth in it - no food or survial kit. Probably 3 days if packed for survival. Lasted many years in good nick. Did not survive US baggage handling very well though. Looks rough now but this is my bench mark for tough.

There are some good pack makers out there. I have had some good back packs but there is no/little organisation to them.

I see maxpedition do these things called gear slingers in fanny pack and back pack styles. Imagine a single (diagonal strap backpack). Youtube tells me these are good in the Mid Size - Sitka. Nothing on bigger size - Kodiak.

I ordered a Sitka from Aussie distributor. It arrived quick.

Impressions are, it is as described and from YT reviews. It is a very sturdy material and very well constructed. There are a multitude of pouches for various sized things. There is a need for a bit more organisation. Some purpose made places for pens, notepads and maps would cap this pack off just right.

I guess there is room to purchase some smaller pouches and organisers from Maxpedition to fill this pack out. Obviously you don't have to buy name brand accessories and I have plenty of pouches and bags that cinch up nicely for this job.

I found that this model was about 1/2" too short to handle a notebook.

I do think it would be ideal as a range bag or light hunting pack. It would comfortably fit my pistol (still in it's case), several hundred rounds, mags, cleaning kit and safety gear.

I sent it back to get the next size up. If I had the money I would have kept it and ordered a 2nd bigger one.

I got the bigger one. It was way bigger. Much bigger than it looks on the net. It is the same layout but bigger pouches and pockets. It takes the notebook, just. Plenty of room for all the sundry stuff.

Gearslingers have a single strap for your shoulder. The idea is that it is carried like a satchel. You put the strap on your shoulder and the strap goes diagonally across your front to secure at the opposite bottom corner. The benefit is you can swing the pack from your back to your chest and access it without taking it off. Good for access in crowed places like trains.

Anyway plenty of YT's on that if you want.

Pros:
Heavy duty exterior material. This is nice and thick. The bag has shape because of the thickness of the material
The straps are heavy duty. In fact the straps are well over engineered for the size of the pack
Plenty of pouches and some pockets
Place for hydration bladder (personal choice)
Place for water bottle
Place for CC, big hook n loop pad to attach a ccw flat holster
Plenty of molle webbing all over
Holds a lot of stuff. Probably holds more stuff than you should carry in this type of pack
Easy to rotate, sling pack to the front for access. Designed for access on it's side or 3/4 rotation instead of top down access
Has a stability strap which kind of helps
Has a whistle built into one of the molle clasps
Has a small dog clip for keys on the outside. I didn't see one on the inside but I have seen packs with them.

Cons
Holds a lot of stuff. Probably holds more stuff than you should carry in this type of pack
Designed for some one bigger than me. I would recommend this to people 6' +. They could load it up and it would sit better. The next smaller pack would be ideal for people < 6'
This pack tends to slouch off my back if I put it on with the strap close to the neck. It's the single strap BUT I find it less a problem if you put the strap right out on the end of the shoulder. If the strap is more horizontal than vertical as it crosses the body it does not slouch off the back.
You need to specify which shoulder you want to hang it from. It's left or right handed.
Expensive in Australia. It is double the US price for this pack.

If you are using this for EDC you need to think about the handing of the strap to make sure you get the right handing. If you are right or left handed it will make a difference to accessing your firearm and other gear. You need to think hard about it and go through the motions of slinging the pack in your head. I find the handing confusing but I chose the shoulder that I don't shoot from when hunting, for the shoulder strap. That way I can shoulder the rifle without hitting the shoulder strap and I could 1 hand the rifle and access the pack with the other hand.

I would probably choose the other handing for an EDC or range pack. I intended to get 2 - 3 of these plus a regular backpack.

I find that slinging this onto the other shoulder and carrying it as if I was single shouldering a 2 strap back pack works really well.

It took 3 -4 months to get this pack, after returning smaller one, this one had to come ex US. I had it sitting for the last 2-3 months. Not sure if I wanted to start using it or maybe palm it off. Gave in and loaded it up. It swallowed all the junk I have and the thing still looks empty. I had to keep checking to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's all in there.

Summary.
It's really well built and that makes it a good buy. At US prices I think it's a bargin. At AUS prices it's a rip.
It holds lots of stuff and encourages you to carry too much.
Its big. I will buy the next size down and maybe 2 of them
I don't know what the weather proofing is like. I'd say average at best and you should dry sack anything at risk.
I want a 3 day pack. I will be looking closely at the Falcon II
The shoulder carrying arrangement is a bit odd and many people struggle with it but I think it can be overcome
I don't know if it is any better than any other brand but it has lasting potential
I thought about keeping the smaller one and getting a smaller notebook. Seemed like an expensive way to sort myself out.

I also bought a few hook n loop straps and a smart phone pouch/holster. The holster is very good. Nice and secure. Clips nearly everywhere on the pack or you can slip it onto your belt.

[Glass]

ok well we are months down the track now. I did not start using the slinger immediately but have probably been using it at least 6 months.

I think it is an excellent bag if it fits your purpose. I use it to haul my work kit. I have lightened the load by about 1.5kgs. Possibly a bit more. I stopped carrying one piece of gear, not needed anyway and swapped another to a lighter version.

This makes the bag more more user friendly. I do not sling the bag as designed. I simply sling it over one shoulder like you would single strapping a regular back pack.

Construction is very good. I forgive the weight this involves. It's worth it.

No further cons to add to the original list. edit. The main strap lengthens/slips over the period of about a week and needs tightening again. No biggie but it would be better if it was more locked in place.

When i can afford it I will purchase another of the smaller one for range trips.

Looking for a 72hr BoB but I don't think these guys have anything that works. Looking at Carrymore sic and that guy who makes Rifle stocks as well. His packs look excellent. Especially the ones integrating rifle sleeves and detachable drag bags.

[Glass]

Another update. I'm still using this pack to haul my daily work gear. I haul about 40Kgs of gear with me each day and something like 6 - 10Kgs goes in the pack depending on how many devices I'm carrying. The rest is crated. I'm on the look out for a trolley pack. A pelican case or similar would be ideal.

This pack can hold a lot of stuff. A lot of people wonder how I can haul something so heavy around with me but once it's slung it's pretty comfortable. It could probably hold another 50% more gear in capacity but I think the straps are maxed out with out over stressing them. I don't think it's particularly heavy myself.

Condition. The bag is still in tip top condition. All the zippers work and are solid. The material shows no sign of wear yet. It doesn't get thrown about but spends a fair bit of time on the floor or leaning up against something while I'm working, crawling about.

Pockets. There's plenty of pockets and pouches. The inside dividers are useful once you find your feet with this bag. There are some great elasticized retainers in the pockets so you can tuck things away and they hold in place no matter. I thought the dividers looked like they could get holes punched in them but they have proved fairly tough.

Mechanics. This is a sling-ger type pack. The idea is you sling it diagonally across your body from left shoulder to right hip or vice versa. It seems odd and to be honest the positioning of the pack takes a bit of fiddling to get it seated right so it doesn't slide off your shoulder or slide down your back pulling the front of the strap towards your throat. With a bit of messing you can find the right balance between length of strap and weight in the pack. Then you're good to go.

I still sling it on one shoulder as if I was carrying a normal 2 strap pack with just the one strap over my shoulder. So not across my torso. Most of the time.

Travelling. I recently went on a trip and took it as my carry on and as my day pack. It worked a treat. I did actually sling it properly when moving around the terminals and found it very handy to be able to swing it around from my back to my front so I could access documents etc. It also meant I could sit down, swing the pack around the front and have it sitting on my lap. No need to keep an eye on your bags.

I also found it great when using the subways and moving around very busy places as I was able to swing it in front of my body, keeping it out of other peoples way and keeping an eye on it. I've been pick pocketed a few times in some very bustling places where people bump into each other a lot.

I was able to carry absolutely everything I needed for the day and them some, which was handy. I'd would definitely recommend Maxpedition gear for build quality. I think this pack is a bit off the wall but it grows on you. I would like a 3 - 7 day regular pack but these guys don't make one big enough. If they did it would get a serious look in.