I have and love a Sitka, but it didn't support much weight...think I'm just getting old, one shoulder couldn't put up with it. I also adore my Chrome Metropolis bag, made before the company was sold, the quality is stunning and it's aged far better than even my newer Timbuk2 messenger bag (which is still no slouch). I have moved on (back, actually) to backpacks and currently rotate between Chrome, Mission Workshop, and TAD Litespeed packs. My Sitka still does some duty when I don't need to lug a 15" laptop or tote packages or groceries...great as a camera bag or urban walkaround day bag. My Chrome messenger bag now carries my rashguard, wetsuit, shoes, and other stuff for kayak rolling drills in the pool; the truck tarp material keeps water in OR out, handy, that!
I buy my messenger bags from Crumpler which is an australian company quite similar to Timbuk2 (although my obsession with bags means I definitely want a Timbuk2 bag too!!. They make brilliant bags!
You are making me look at the monsoon in a different light, I might have to dig mine out and give it another try. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Well, it's not just you. I think the single strap is great for access and convenience, but falls short anytime there is a substantial load. If you really fill a single strap bag up and have to actually carry it all day, as opposed to merely having with you all day, then I would consider other options just as Catherine did.
I didn't have that much in it. I survived a strangulation in 1991 and since then I can't stand a lot near my neck or throat. I can't wear scarfs or turtle necks. Not a big deal when I lived in Florida. Here in Edmonton, I wish I could. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I still have my old plainjane black timbuk2 messenger bag I got for free when I purchased my Dell laptop years ago. I rotate this out with my Fatboy when I'm needing to haul my 15" MacBook Pro and the iPad around. Simply the best messenger bag I ever owned. I hope to get a newer one in custom colors sometime soon.
So...uh...what is wrong with Timbuk2? First it is Maxpedition and it's morph into "MaxPud" now this. You can't hate everyone ya know.
You know Maxpedition isn't manufactured in the USA, right? It's all made in Taiwan. I believe the Sitka, Malaga, Monsoon, and Kodiak are all too large to be single strap packs unless you significantly under load them. For instance, I'm sure Shia Lebeouf wasn't carrying a full load out in his Sitka while "battling" killer robots in the last Transformers movie. If he did, then he probably billed the studio a sizable sum for physical therapy during production and post-production.
I owned a Malaga and unless you stuffed it with rifle ammunition, it was perfectly okay. If you had it stuffed with every day carry gear or survival gear, it would be perfectly okay unless your idea of every day carry gear or survival gear is bricks and broken chunks of concrete. Any of Maxpedition's sins aside, it's very tiring to see a company get slammed with misinformation because the company is not popular. I almost wish that the powers that be would censor the word "Maxpedition" as they do other words because the baseless slamming is really old. The first generation single straps packs they made might have been tough, but they were not solid in terms of being able to run with them, etc. The additional secondary strap makes them incredibly viable for anyone looking for that kind of pack.
I don't know, DBR, YMMV, of course, but I think a fully loaded single strap bags are less than ideal if you are truly on foot for extended amounts of time. There is a huge difference between traveling X-country over varied terrain and commuting to work on the train. I have two Jumbos that I really like, as well as other assorted MaxP stuff. I'm no fanboy, but I do really like the products despite some of the negative CS stories I heard. The owner may (or may not) be a tool... that's a whole other issue in and of itself. I have three Timbuk2 bags and a few more messenger style bags from various manufactures. Sling bags have their place. I just don't think complaints about the shortcomings of single strap bags equates to a MaxP or TB2 beat down. I don't know. Maybe I missed you point.
I think they look good, I was actually eyeballing one for my daughter for school but it's hard to tell if a loose leaf binder fits along with books
I don't think Maxpedition is slammed with misinformation on this forum. Actually, I think for the most part, the feedback is pretty balanced. For instance, if you trace my posts, you'll find that I've been critical of the ergos on their backpacks and their larger Gearslinger bags. And when I've been critical, I've provided specific points on why I feel they fall short. Not "baseless" by a long shot. On the flip side, I've praised their Versipacks (especially the outstanding Jumbo EDC) and their smaller Gearslingers like the Remora and Lunada. And their pouches - unmatched at the price point bar none. Isn't there a middle ground? Or do you have to be a fan boy to not be tagged as a hater?
I think it is "baseless" to make the statement that the mentioned packs have to be underloaded to be viable - unless you're loading them up with extremely heavy items like I mentioned - ammunition, etc. Again, for every day carry gear or survival gear, you can stuff them to the gills and with the secondary strap, they are secure. Not just on foot in the city. I don't really think I qualify as a "fan boy." But to say that there is not a definite hater element on EDC Forums when it comes to Maxpedition would be demonstrably false. If you have been fair to Maxpedition in the past, that's great. But the hater element is there, even if you are not a part of it.
Well, DBR, since we are both "east coast" boys maybe we should meet up somewhere. You can carry my Jumbo (all EDC gear, I assure you. NO bricks) and I'll carry yours on a 5 mile hike. When we get back into town we can get some nachos and Coronas. I'm sure we can hash all this out, assuming, of course, I can still hoist the beer with that kink in my neck. In the end, you may just be a lot tougher than me.
Really I believe that you aren't goint to have a single strap bag that is ideal for long distances with any real weight. Yes some are better than others but any way you slice it the load is being carried on one shoulder instead of spread over both. This pushes your spine out of alignment and also affects your balance and stride. The same or even a greater load spread over both shoulders just compresses your spine, which is what it is better designed to handle. In my opinion this is the trade off for the convienienc of being able to sling it around to the front for access or when riding on a bus or subway. For me the tradeoff is worth it. If I am going hiking, I carry my Falcon two. Much more comfortable for an afternoon hike. Where sling bags excell is short trips where you have to get into the bag often and if you don't carry much. To take it one step farther, I used to backpack when I was younger. 90% of the weight was carried on my hips. The shoulder straps were just to stabilize the load and keep it against your back....but I'd never want to go throught the hassle of strapping on and buckling up a full hiking pack for the 45 second walk out of a wal-mart to my car in the lot. I like my Sitka. In a week I seldom carry it for more than fifteen minutes at a stretch, most times it is probably less than two. I also keep it pretty lightly loaded. It's nice to have the extra carrying capacity for the relatively few times I need it. As some people have mentioned different bags carry differently for different people. (we're all different sizes and have different preferences...I can't stand straps that rub against my neck.) I think it's a great pack and well worth the money. It was designed well. But it is what it is: A pack that is meant for short distances carrying a realtively lightweight load that you need to access frequently. please be aware that lightweight need not be small or compact. As EDCers, we often want to carry lots of little heavy things like flashlights, multitools, knives, etc. Many 'regular' people may want a bag to carry a few larger things that are more bulky but not necessarily heavy. (A Sitka would make a decent gym bag for carrying a pair of sweats, also would have been a good diaper bag when my son was a baby.) If you want to find a good bag first decide what you want to carry, figure out how far you will be carrying it regularly, and be aware of the trade offs. Then pick a bag that meets that criteria. Grizz
I think the proof is here and even more so here and if you want to get more into the EDC/tactical realm... even here. Pages upon pages of packs designed to be lightweight as possible and yet carry a significant load out. How many single strap packs on those pages? I will save you some clicks - none.
