Maxpedition

Garage Sale (Gear Edition)

July 14th, 2010, 20:22 hours

I have a bunch of gear piled up that’s been filling boxes for the past couple years. All items are good-as-new except as otherwise noted, most of them were just test fitted to various packs then thrown in a box. Free shipping on orders of $25+ to CONUS.

Kifaru

Kifaru Organizer/Admin Pouch (coyote brown) – BRAND NEW – $50
The Kifaru pouches are easily the nicest I have ever seen. The fabric is thick but flexible, the zippers are the smoothest I have ever used, and the stitching is top notch. Includes MALICE clips for attachment.

Kifaru LiterPlus Pouch (aka JetBoil Pouch)(coyote brown) – BRAND NEW – $40
This is the ONLY “Nalgene pouch” that will fit a JetBoil. Same build quality as above. Frankly, I don’t care if these two sell or not, I’d rather hang on to them…

Maxpedition 3.5″ Phone Holster (black) – BRAND NEW – $10/ea.
I have two of these available:

Maxpedition 4″ Flashlight Sheath (black) – $10
Slight wear shows on the MOLLE webbing from the extremely tight fit with the MALICE clip. Other than that, good as new: 4″ Flashlight Sheath

Maxpedition Mini Rollypoly (black) – $15
I don’t think we ever actually used this one: Mini Rollypoly

Maxpedition Cocoon (khaki) – $10
No sign of wear, likely also new: Cocoon

Maxpedition THREE-BY-FIVE (khaki) – BRAND NEW – $15

Maxpedition Surgical Gloves Pouch (khaki) – BRAND NEW – $5

Maxpedition Volta Battery Pouch (khaki) – BRAND NEW – $10

Maxpedition H-1 Waistpack (khaki) – $15
Modified by removing the shock-cord and a Velcro tab for unrestricted outer pocket use (the shock cord could probably be restored, but I do not have it anymore), otherwise near-new: H-1 Waistpack.

Maxpedition M-1 Waistpack (khaki) – $15
Modified by removing pocket-side Velcro so the flap would function with a SINGLE closure (the SRB), and removing paracord pull from one zipper, otherwise near-new: M-1 Waistpack.

Maxpedition Medium Tac-Tile (khaki) – BRAND NEW – $20

LA Police Gear

LAPG Map Pouch – $5

This has been modified by removing the pen pocket so the flap would stay closed (a design flaw IMO). Also, I have no idea where the clear vinyl velcro’d map protector ran off to. Neat little pouch, fairly useful. Had it on my hiking pack for about 2 years… is a good size for a small survival kit + munchies + personal items for a day hike. Small hole seen in the photo is the only damage. I will thrown in a set of Maxpedition tac-ties or MALICE clips (your choice) if I don’t find the other snap strap it came with.

5.11 Tactical

Two Casual Leather Belts (black w/white stitching, medium size) – BRAND NEW – $5 for both

5.11 Bottle Carrier (coyote tan) – $10
Has the Slick-Stick system, the easiest MOLLE-attachment I’ve ever used. Modified by removing one side of the Velcro so the flap would function with a SINGLE closure (the SRB), otherwise as-new.

5.11 Knee Pads – BRAND NEW – $5

Blackhawk! – Take ALL 3 for $10

The 40mm Frag Grenade MOLLE-incompatible MOLLE pouch – $5
New. Good luck finding a compatible MOLLE platform as the fine folks at Blackhawk don’t seem to own a tape measure…

The Universal Drop Your Flashlight Out The Bottom Sheath – $5
New, with an added patch sewn on to keep your flashlight from actually falling out of the bottom.

Triple-AR-mag Pouch with Too-Short Attachment Straps – $5
New, nice design for a change… minus the tiny little attachment straps all sitting in the middle.

Miscellaneous

Unknown MFG’s 4str4stamMOLLEbelt (coyote tan) – $15
New. Padded. Has Velcro belt tie-ins. Has odd top-access zippered pockets.

Surplus

MOLLE-II Frame Pack (woodland) – clean and in great shape – $50
Pack is complete with all pocket modules, flaps, straps, cords, padding, and belt intact. Frame is black. Bottom module will fit the tent system listed below…

USMC 2-person Tent – fair condition – $75
The standard 2-person USMC tent that no one seems to carry anymore, complete with poles and reversible light-blocking rain fly (OD green and desert tan). Total packed weight INCLUDING tent, poles, AND rain fly is just over 8 pounds… impossible to beat in a tent under $800. Some zippers are getting stubborn, but could likely be cleaned and lubed. One 1/3rd inch hole in one screen. Tent is starting to show signs of stretching at the stress points, but no rips yet. Fly and tent are missing a few attachment/stake points, a carabiner or paracord does the trick there. If you want the tent and the above-listed pack I will bundle them for $100.

MOLLE-II pack frame (black) – $5
Comes with adapted craptastic Blackhawk straps, no padding or belt, no pockets/pouches/modules.

Holsters

Generic Drop-Leg Holsters w/double Mag Pouch – $10 each
I have two of these available, both khaki-tanish with random scribble as shown. The mag pouches will attach to the holster platform or ride on the belt, or remove both and just use the drop-leg panel as a MOLLE platform. These show some cosmetic wear, but are otherwise in good shape.

Generic Belt Holster w/Mag Pouch – $5
Removable snap retention, ambidextrous design, front mag pouch. Could be new, no real signs of wear.

Tags: 5.11, 5.11 Tactical, backpack, BlackHawk, holster, LA Police Gear, LAPG, Maxpedition, MOLLE, pack, pocket, pouch, surplus
Posted in Firearms, Personal | No Comments

LOL Desert, LOL Snow

December 19th, 2008, 14:11 hours

Tags: desert, hiking, Joshua Tree, Maxpedition, snow, Yucca Valley
Posted in Trips & Travels | No Comments

Maxpedition 10×4 Bottle Holder vs. 5.11 VTAC Bottle Carrier

June 6th, 2008, 10:57 hours

Maxpedition 10x4 vs. 5.11 VTAC Botttle Carrier

I’ll admit that I am a little biased by 5.11’s SlickStick system, but I’ll set that aside for this review, focus solely on features, and go apples to apples as best I can. Both products have their strong points and weak points, depending on what you’re after.

Maxpedition 10×4 Bottle Holder

Rating: 3 / 5

Pros:
Neat concept, large accessory pocket, versatile attachment/carry options, insulated, single method of access

Cons:
Horrible zipper makes it hard to open, one-handed beverage access impossible

The Bottom Line:
If you want to keep your beverage hot or cold, carry an extra supply of beverage powder or water purification, and can tolerate the zipper-from-hell then this is a great pouch. If they fixed the zipper-related problems I would likely give this a 4.5 / 5 rating. As always, Maxpedition’s super-stiff fabric is both a blessing and a curse.

All of the following should also apply to the wine-bottle sized 12×5 Bottle Holder. This pack is elegant and thoughtful in it’s concept, though barely adequate in execution. Ample Velcro covers the top of the lid for attaching patches, as well as the front panel of the accessory pocket. As with the competition, webbing wraps all 4 sides of this pouch. Yes, I said “sides” – this one attempts to be more rectangular than others, and forces itself to have unnaturally flat sides. While this makes adding even more pockets to the unit a little easier, it can make bottle insertion a little more difficult. The webbing measures 2×2 on the front and 2×3 on either side. The back of the pouch features a snap hook for attachment that will remind you of the Keyper, and either side has D-rings for attaching a shoulder strap. The webbing on the back stops a ways short of the bottom, leaving you at 2×3 rows for attachment that is offset one-half row from the side webbing. I’m not terribly fond of Maxpedition’s choice of “khaki” for their desert color, but I can certainly think of worse and it does its job.

The inside of this pouch is well insulated and I suspect it would keep a beverage hot/cold for hours. The main pocket has room for the taller narrow-mouth Nalgene and then some (you might even be able to get a cup upside down above the bottle). The accessory pocket up front has ample room for several servings of powder or liquid flavoring, purification tablets, or perhaps even a (very) small filtration unit. This pocket also has an elastic strap at the rear to aid in gear retention, and is easily accessible through its large opening.

Here’s where Maxpedition fell short on this pouch: the zipper setup for the bottle pocket sucks. It is extremely difficult to open and close using both hands, and even more difficult to open once attached to a larger pack. It is impossible to open this pocket with one hand. As if that wasn’t enough, the zipper also has a nasty habit of catching on the surrounding nylon. It is so bad I am actually considering replacing this piece with a pocket-free, non-insulated carrier from another manufacturer and forgetting about carrying a cold beverage.

5.11 VTAC Nylon Bottle Carrier

Rating: 4.75 / 5

Pros:
Simple, single-purpose, no-nonsense design; light weight; reliable closure; SlickStick™ ROCKS!

Cons:
Velcro and an SRB closure, Velcro makes reseating the lid difficult, no alternate mounting/carry options (a good thing, depending on your needs)

The Bottom Line:
My only complaint with this pouch is the presence of the downright silly Velcro+SRB closure, particularly the Velcro part. With the Velcro, accessing the pouch is both a frustrating and noisy ordeal. Unfortunately, the design of the pouch makes it impossible to remove the Velcro yourself without destroying the lid. Aside from that, this pouch is perfect.

It doesn’t get much simpler than this no-nonsense pouch. One pocket for bottle, no insulation, no accessory pockets, no forced rectangles, and webbing all over. I find I actually prefer the rounded webbing that spans the outside of this pouch, measuring 7×2 in all (with 8 and 9 taken up by SlickStick™). The tall narrow-mouth Nalgene just sits inside with no room to move (good), and the nylon is strong but flexible just like 5.11’s other pouches. I picked up this one to hold a JetBoil setup, and will probably add on a small single-column side pouch to hold kitchen utensils. There are no alternate attachment/carry options for this pouch – perfect for pack attachment and nothing else.

If not for the flaw I mentioned, this pouch would have gotten 5 of 5: Velcro AND SRB is used to access the pocket – very bad idea. First off, Velcro inherently has all manner of noise-related problems I’ve ranted about many many times. In this particular setup, its an extra noisy step to getting at your water/gear with no benefit I’ve been able to find. It doesn’t make the pouch more stable and it doesn’t help secure the contents. While I prefer the SRB alone, I would be happy if they had just gone with either/or.

Tags: 5.11, 5.11 Tactical, bottle, bottle carrier, bottle holder, Maxpedition, MOLLE, SlickStick
Posted in Gear & Skills | Comments Off

Maxpedition Operator

February 14th, 2008, 16:10 hours

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:
Roomy, comfortable even when heavy, durable, quick access to every single pocket

Cons:
No dedicated pen slots in the organizer pocket, elastic straps in the lower front pocket should be taller or mounted lower so small items don’t fall through into the pocket, concealed carry pocket is extremely noisy to open due to velcro (but is also nearly invisible for the same reason)

The Bottom Line:
This is a great bag for the roaming geek in need of something more functional, more versatile, and far more durable. It is extremely well made, very roomy, and quite well thought out. While it may challenge your wardrobe if you’re stuck in a suit and tie every day, it blends in well with the rest of the popular “Jack Packs” out there these days.

After an exhaustive and dissatisfying search of the available consumer computer bags, and not wanting to turn to the unprofessional look of a backpack, I happened on Maxpedition’s line of Versipaks and cases. Enter the Operator, the largest of Maxpedition’s “Tactical Attache” line. Built out of thick nylon and webbing, the bag is extremely durable and rip-resistant. A rubber panel provides non-slip properties to the base and helps protect the fabric and innards from mud. A thick padded shoulder strap provides for comfortable carrying, and reinforced handles weave thru-and-around the inner structure of the bag for a confident grip. Inside and outside there are pockets and dividers everywhere, with plenty of room to hold all of your regular mobile-office gear and a fair amount of emergency supplies.

Loadout

Maxpedition claims that the padded center notebook pocket will handle a 15.4-inch notebook, but I’m convinced even a large 17-inch would fit comfortably. Currently, I use this pocket for a 13.3-inch notebook inside a Pelican 1080 HardBack, a small scanner and other miscellaneous gear. This pocket also has a Velcro-attached divider with yet more Velcro covering one entire side for attaching gear, and slim pockets on the other. In the other large pocket (rear) I’m able to comfortably fit a full-sized notepad in its innermost divider, 3×5 notepad, pens/pencil/sharpie, screen cleaner and bluetooth headphones in the outer dividers, and an extra battery, 12-disc CD case and medium-sized book in the remaining “floor” space with room to spare.

Up front the large pocket has room for a full MRE (or two if you open them up and pack them better) or lots of smaller supplies and snacks. A small division on the inside can hold smaller items, and there are two more smaller Velcro-flapped pockets on the outside, one full height and another is card-sized with a transparent ID window. Moving right of the large front pocket are two small and one medium utility pockets. The small pockets are nicely sized for a mouse, batteries, charger, flashlight, camera or other gear. The medium pocket features 4 elastic loops to hold miscellaneous gear, and has enough space left over to drop in a medium-sized USB hard drive or other small book-sized items. On either end are a bottle holder and a radio holder. The radio holder will fit the average smallish sized water bottle, but I use it for my notebook’s power adapter. The bottle holder is sized for a 1-liter Nalgene.

As a side note: intended or not the configuration of the small and medium front pockets creates a convenient feature whereby one can open a smaller pocket, then open the medium pocket and hold it’s flap open by attaching it to the Velcro of the smaller pocket above. Of course, this assumes you haven’t covered this outer Velcro with morale patches…

Room for Improvement

The elastic loops sewn into the back of the medium front pocket do a fair job at securing most items, but I would have made them either taller or mounted them lower in the pocket to prevent smaller items (such as the shown Inova X5) from slipping out into the pocket below. Another problem I’ve been having is with the smaller divider pockets in the “admin” pocket. These are large enough for a 3×5 notepad, but this has the unfortunate downside of not holding your pens/pencils/markers very securely. I have often opened my bag to find pens floating loosely all over. It would be nice to see one of these changed into a dedicated pen pocket with the appropriate divisions.

Concealed Carry

I find the 5.11 Velcro holsters are better built, more versatile, and easier on the weapon than the Maxpedition variant so I’ve gone that route. The holster is very much at home in the notebook bag, fitting perfectly with a handgun and 3 magazines. Its really only effective for carrying a backup (second) weapon as one should really have their primary weapon on-body. There is also a noise concern with the Velcro pocket closure, I find strongly discourages the use of this pocket for carry. Put simply, it is physically impossible to draw a weapon from the CCW pocket of the bag without making a terrible ruckus. I do really like how this setup fits together. It’s quick and easy to get to it with the bag on my shoulder or on the floor, and there’s zero chance of printing. As you can see, Maxpedition offers a generous amount of velcro in this pocket to allow just about any configuration you can imagine. Still, you are probably better off hiding important documents or valuables in this pocket rather than a weapon.

The Maxpedition Operator Tactical Attache retails for about $140 and is available direct through the manufacturer’s site, but a better deal can usually be found at LAPG

Tags: bag, briefcase, concealed carry, laptop, Maxpedition, notebook, Operator, tactical
Posted in Gear & Skills, Geek & Technology | 1 Comment

San Mateo Wilderness & Maxpedition Jumbo

January 6th, 2008, 22:39 hours

Hiking in the rain is great. No crowds, no heat, no bugs, no tourists. I was surprised at how many people we did run into (2 groups) but they seemed to have just the same intent and moved on just as quickly as we did.

I also got a chance to see how the Jumbo does in the rain. It drizzled for about half of our trek, and poured for the last hour. The pack stays pretty dry, the main pocket (with the storm collar) bone-dry. The pocket on top of the flap did get slightly moist – not enough to harm most electronics, but your optics might fog up. This is probably because of the velcro covering so much of this area and how well it soaks up water. The other flat pocket on the flap stays dry, as does everything else the flap covers up. My notepad even stayed dry, which sits in the thin open-top pocket right under the flap. The side pocket with the zip-closure stays very dry as well, but the small open-top pocket behind it can obviously be an issue if you carry anything vulnerable in there. I only carry my Busse and a Surefire there, so it wasn’t a problem.

On to the pics. I got to play with panoramas a bit more, the rest are in the usual place below…

Panorama 1 (106 KB) – short panorama just over the hill from the highway
Panorama 2 (102 KB) – my first attempt at a 360 (no tripod), not the cleanest