I use a maxpedition Last Resort for my every day work bag and it works great for my use--I work out of my car a lot. The place the Last Resort doesn't work great is those once in a while times when I need to strap the bag to me and move on foot a lot. So I'm thinking use the Last Resort as a car bag and then have a 2nd bag to transfer stuff to when I'll be on foot. My question is what everyone's experiences are with methods of carry. I'm looking at either a: 1. Remora (bag across my chest/stomach) 2. Sabercat/Proteus for low back carry (I'm unsure as of now what size to get, proteus or sabercat) Can everyone comment on experiences with these two types of carry and negatives/positives and personal observations that you've gained? thanks much
well, i guess it really depends on what/how much you carry. I have the malaga, which is the big brother to the remora/lunada. Just depends on how much you're carrying. i love the malaga, haven't tried the smaller versions yet. almost think that anything smaller would be problematic. also, there's the versipack series: Jumbo, fatboy, colossus, etc. I love my jumbo... trekked all over Ireland with one. differences b/w the 2: Jumbo/versipack lets you have quick access to what you're carrying while moving/walking. For the malaga, i find i have to take the bag off. The malaga has a lot more pouches/molle attachments/flexibility. malaga also fits/hugs your body much nicer. good strap system for keeping bag on you while running/riding/etc. jumbo hangs much lower and not as close to your body... messes w/ the center of gravity. wouldn't want to go climbing with a jumbo on. lastly, don't forget about the pygmy falcon II. great little backpack. blends in much better than other 2 bags (not as "tacti-cool")
I use a combination of the Sabercat and Proteus - I fasten them together using the SRBs and wear the Proteus on my front and the Sabercat on my back, or just the Proteus or Sabercat. It all depends on what I am doing and how much I need to carry. I would warn against carrying too much weight in a bag that hangs across your neck. Apart from the obvious problems you may encounter with spine and neck muscle strain you will tend to walk in a circle because the weight will always be to one side and this will put pressure on your knees when you don't need any more. Proteus/Sabercat combinations are comfortable even in very hot weather (I walked across Spain last summer). These were the only two bags I carried as I am a dedicated lightweight traveller (not backpacker, as I regularly sleep in hotels, B&, etc.). I find the compression straps are handy for a bedroll, 1 man tent, ski poles, etc. Hope my ramblings help. Jim.
