Load bearing check. I just walked from Mahone Bay, 12 KM with my groceries in a similar setup pack. If I had not bought a giant stick of baloney or picked up all that metal junk I found along the tracks I might still be alive to type this. You say to haul stuff get a load bearing pack. I second that.
I totally agree with your assessment and I have yet to see a load-bearing backpack from Maxpedition. In my opinion, most Maxpedition packs are made for people < 6 ft. Their smaller packs and poches etc. are good though.
i have this pack and i find that i can stuff alot into it and have no problem lugging it around.......i went on a 10 mile hike and camped for 2 nights and hiked 10 miles back and it was fully loaded and i had no troubles with it ......but love the vids Chris..you rock and keep making lots of vids
Just ordered me a BK 7. Can't wait to get it in. I figured if u were that passionate about the knife it must be good. Plus in doin research seemed to be the best option. Thanks for ur reviews. I'm knew to ur videos and find them really informative.
I was positively surprised by how good the hip support worked for me. Gonna wear this pack for the next seven days on a journey.. ..hopefully i will still be happy afterwards :)
I should've said also, I thought it was a good honest review. It'll give maxpedition something to consider and maybe rethink that pack. A better waste strap and plenty of compresion straps are the difference between pleasure and pain.
I thought the internal frame puts the weight on your hips already? I load of my Falcon II with 30 pounds and it does pull on my shoulders at first, but after a few weeks I was used to it, and no back problems in the past 2 years from using it. I was hoping to get 40 pounds of the Xantha. Do you think that is too much? I'll probably just have to test the waters myself.
Thanks for the review I was looking a a new Backpack and thinking about maxpedition but I am not impressed at all with that pack and I like maxpedition stuff. I just picked up their kodiak gearslinger as my edc bag and absolutely love it in that role. But I only carry it to and from my car were it spends most of its life as in my passenger seat filled with all the things thanks to people like you that I can't get through my day without. It that role it's perfect. However since it has a lot of my survival items in it I decided to take it on my favorte local hocking trail 7 miles up and down a down some good size hills and I can tell you the weight and lake of paper support just about killed me.
Great video as always i love how you review the items and the advices that you give about it and how you always keeping it real! You are the man , best of luck and have a nice day.. thank you.
I've never used this pack, but I did look at them, and I tend to agree with your so-so review. Overall, nothing very impressive, especially if it isn't effectively transferring the load to the hips.
I like the compression straps on the shoulders. I just got my son the Trident 20 and it doesn't have that. That's the only reason I don't like the Trident 20. It makes a huge difference. I have a Kelty 44 and I love that pack! The compresion straps are perfect! As far as carrying a heavier load I guess I'd have to try that out for myself. I usually max out any pack I take on a hike for exercise sake at least. I wish the maxpediton pack had more molle on the sides and less on the face. But I'm kinda liking this pack. You think you'll do a review of the smaller version in the future?
I was really excited about this first larger offering from MaxP. It's not your review that made me dis-interested, it's the lack of organisation. If the had added more options for sorting gear I would immediately prefer this to my Rush 72. Unfortunately as with some of their other packs the lack organisation forcing you to add extra pouches etc which just adds weight and as you said...you want to save weight loads in something like this and the 72. I also would only use this tactically or a woods pack if so inclined. It is too conspicuous as a bob...unless in black perhaps.
Do you think this backpack would make a good daypack? I've got a surge backpack from The Northface with is very similar to this one in shape and size, but I'm getting tired of the flimsy waist strap. I load it with 12 lbs tops because you can't fit much more in a pack this size I think.
I am looking for a superlight backpack. My goal is 30 lbs. I would prefer a tactical bag for convenient pouch placement of e tool and radio. Total target weight is 30 35 lb max. Would this pack be comfortable?
I like the maxpedition brand and I have a couple of their items, but I have a hard time spending that kind of money when there are cheaper just as good alternatives out there.
I'm getting a backpack for a friend, to use as her "emergency go bag". I want to get something that holds at least this much gear, and carries 20 to 30 pounds comfortably. And it needs to be capable of a longer hike, should circumstances demand it. I was kind of settled on this pack. But now I'm not sure. Any recommendations? (My personal pack is Mystery Ranch SATL. But I can't spend $470 on her bag.)
a well thought opinion. people buy tactical packs for literally camping stuff. I would rather go for Eberlestock or US military gears. btw I dont see 5.11 rush 12, 24, 72 reviews on this channel. do you personally own these gears? I wanna hear your opinion on these packs :)
I usually take my Vanquest Trident-20 around town since it carries my Macbook Pro. I take the ILBE out in the woods. Doing a video this weekend on the modifications I did to it.
its not that big, the hip straps look sufficient - its 32 litres... how big do you want them?... But yeah, agree with what you say about not trying to put too much weight in there
hey chris! keep being awesome, do you know (or anyone else) see if this would be a good hunting guide backpack? it has enough molle on the from to put my other items and gear on for survival, and the main compartment would be used for transporting trophy heads, meat and hide ect. would this xantha be a good choice? and over time would the support in the back frame be strong enoughto support up to 90 lbs or more of gear and not wreak havoc on my back or knees? and are the hip straps super good for distributing weight? thanks guys and gals :)
I don't know if you were tired or stressed about something but I think you phoned this one in. I respect your opinion and you do know more than I do but I don't think your head is in the game on this review.
Really? Why? If I had posted the first cut where I'm figuring it out as I go people would say I talk to much. It's not easy to do a fair, objective review on a pack. Not like knives. Packs are VERY subjective. Tastes, body type, individual use, etc etc all goes into it. What person A thinks will be different then person B. The problem is I didn't really care for it. But there wasn't anything particular WRONG with the pack. Other than it wasn't made for the type of use I PERSONALLY use it for. Now, I try really hard to do accurate, fair reviews that are universally applicable. But there are SO many variables when it comes to packs and individuals it's damn near impossible. I don't want to be unfair to the company when technically there is nothing wrong with it being a TACTICAL style pack. THIS is why the last video was scrapped. I spent a LONG time trying to figure it out. Notice a few commentors said they liked theirs and thought the support was good? I feel I can make a definitive call on a knife. On a pack it's difficult.
IMHO...Most "tactical" packs lack load transfer straps on the hip belt and enough height at the top of the shoulder straps to make load lifters effective. There are exceptions....Eberlestock, Kifaru etc.. For me if a pack is over about 2500 cu. in. and lacks these features (and an internal frame) I take a pass. You can get away without these features but your gear better be uber light and packed carefully.
$475 is a little too much even for a maxpedition pack.I have many other packs that are same quality and size.I love maxpedition packs but this one I do not think is the best buy for your money unfortunately.Mabee it will come down a little or Mabee I shouldve looked at more than one place.I still love maxpedition packs I just know this one is not for me.Thank you al always for a excellent thorough review.
I respect the quality of Maxpedition, but frankly, I don't expect much fresh innovation from them until the up and coming competition affects their bottom line.
this looks like a tactical version of a school backpack that my brother owns, north face big shot this pack seem to be just too large for edc and commuting, sometimes a bigger pack is not a good thing, becomes awkward or cumbersome to use in crowded areas or tight spaces like a subway train, if they made a smaller version and dropped the price i think it would be a big success
Nice video and good advise as always. For me the main thing about a pack is the back system, i.e. Load carrying abilities. None of Max bag is capable of load carrying IMHO but there is no doubt about Max's quality, it is durable and cool.
I have been using this pack for several months now and for me this pack carries weight better than most tactical packs because of the shape and design of the internal frame sheet, is built like a tank, but that's all it has going for it. It is better than your 5.11 Rush 72 and packs in that category as far as the suspension system and frame sheet goes but...... Over all I think this pack is 2.5 our of 5 stars, its not worth the 220 in my opinion for what you get. They need to make more organization pockets in the smaller of the two main pockets. Also they need to add drain holes in on the side pockets and make them bigger. There are to many adjustment points and buckles on the hip belt ( that make it harder to adjust). I can tell in your tone and the way you talk about the pack vs. other video's you have done in the past that you don't really like the pack. Military pack's (I am active duty Army stationed in Europe), do not carry weight that good for me. They are hard to get the frame sheet snug to the pack, hard to compress the load and are way to big. They do make a smaller ruck version now for us that is a lot better but only infantry units get it (that I have ever seen). My two cents is get a Kelty branded hiking pack, for me they are decently priced and have awesome organization and great suspension.
Also FYI the smaller waist size you have the better this pack will carry weight, that is another down fall of the hip belt design. If you are around a 32-34 this should carry the weight a lot better than someone with a 46 in waist.
Just ordered me a BK 7. Can't wait to get it in. I figured if u were that passionate about the knife it must be good. Plus in doin research seemed to be the best option. Thanks for ur reviews. I'm knew to ur videos and find them really informative.
I agree, so long as you don't overload them, they are great pack for their size.
Load bearing check. I just walked from Mahone Bay, 12 KM with my groceries in a similar setup pack. If I had not bought a giant stick of baloney or picked up all that metal junk I found along the tracks I might still be alive to type this. You say to haul stuff get a load bearing pack. I second that.
I totally agree with your assessment and I have yet to see a load-bearing backpack from Maxpedition. In my opinion, most Maxpedition packs are made for people < 6 ft. Their smaller packs and poches etc. are good though.
I bought this pack over a year ago and love it.
i have this pack and i find that i can stuff alot into it and have no problem lugging it around.......i went on a 10 mile hike and camped for 2 nights and hiked 10 miles back and it was fully loaded and i had no troubles with it ......but love the vids Chris..you rock and keep making lots of vids
Just ordered me a BK 7. Can't wait to get it in. I figured if u were that passionate about the knife it must be good. Plus in doin research seemed to be the best option. Thanks for ur reviews. I'm knew to ur videos and find them really informative.
Thanks for dedicating your time to help us out with gear purchases. Keep up the great work! Thanks and God Bless.
I was positively surprised by how good the hip support worked for me. Gonna wear this pack for the next seven days on a journey.. ..hopefully i will still be happy afterwards :)
Great review. And yeah the ilbe is a tank of a pack and they're very good at load bearing.
I should've said also, I thought it was a good honest review. It'll give maxpedition something to consider and maybe rethink that pack. A better waste strap and plenty of compresion straps are the difference between pleasure and pain.
Ever day I wait for your video to come out they are the best
I thought the internal frame puts the weight on your hips already?
I load of my Falcon II with 30 pounds and it does pull on my shoulders at first, but after a few weeks I was used to it, and no back problems in the past 2 years from using it.
I was hoping to get 40 pounds of the Xantha. Do you think that is too much? I'll probably just have to test the waters myself.
Thanks for the review I was looking a a new Backpack and thinking about maxpedition but I am not impressed at all with that pack and I like maxpedition stuff. I just picked up their kodiak gearslinger as my edc bag and absolutely love it in that role. But I only carry it to and from my car were it spends most of its life as in my passenger seat filled with all the things thanks to people like you that I can't get through my day without. It that role it's perfect. However since it has a lot of my survival items in it I decided to take it on my favorte local hocking trail 7 miles up and down a down some good size hills and I can tell you the weight and lake of paper support just about killed me.
Great video as always i love how you review the items and the advices that you give about it and how you always keeping it real!
You are the man , best of luck and have a nice day.. thank you.
I've never used this pack, but I did look at them, and I tend to agree with your so-so review.
Overall, nothing very impressive, especially if it isn't effectively transferring the load to the hips.
That was my biggest beef. If you want to make the compartments bigger it needs to have an equivalent amount of support.
Hey Chris great video thanks for sharing. will this thing hold a broken down M-4 and a couple days gear for a get home bag ?
I like the compression straps on the shoulders. I just got my son the Trident 20 and it doesn't have that. That's the only reason I don't like the Trident 20. It makes a huge difference. I have a Kelty 44 and I love that pack! The compresion straps are perfect! As far as carrying a heavier load I guess I'd have to try that out for myself. I usually max out any pack I take on a hike for exercise sake at least. I wish the maxpediton pack had more molle on the sides and less on the face. But I'm kinda liking this pack. You think you'll do a review of the smaller version in the future?
I was really excited about this first larger offering from MaxP. It's not your review that made me dis-interested, it's the lack of organisation. If the had added more options for sorting gear I would immediately prefer this to my Rush 72. Unfortunately as with some of their other packs the lack organisation forcing you to add extra pouches etc which just adds weight and as you said...you want to save weight loads in something like this and the 72.
I also would only use this tactically or a woods pack if so inclined. It is too conspicuous as a bob...unless in black perhaps.
Do you think this backpack would make a good daypack? I've got a surge backpack from The Northface with is very similar to this one in shape and size, but I'm getting tired of the flimsy waist strap. I load it with 12 lbs tops because you can't fit much more in a pack this size I think.
You should do a review on the cold steel pocket bushman.
I am looking for a superlight backpack. My goal is 30 lbs. I would prefer a tactical bag for convenient pouch placement of e tool and radio. Total target weight is 30 35 lb max. Would this pack be comfortable?
I like the maxpedition brand and I have a couple of their items, but I have a hard time spending that kind of money when there are cheaper just as good alternatives out there.
Good video, great honest review it's hard to find those.
I'm getting a backpack for a friend, to use as her "emergency go bag". I want to get something that holds at least this much gear, and carries 20 to 30 pounds comfortably. And it needs to be capable of a longer hike, should circumstances demand it.
I was kind of settled on this pack. But now I'm not sure. Any recommendations?
(My personal pack is Mystery Ranch SATL. But I can't spend $470 on her bag.)
a well thought opinion. people buy tactical packs for literally camping stuff. I would rather go for Eberlestock or US military gears. btw I dont see 5.11 rush 12, 24, 72 reviews on this channel. do you personally own these gears? I wanna hear your opinion on these packs :)
Not really a Maxpedition fan, but you did the bag justice. By the way where can I bye/get one of those paracord necklaces...
Www.paracordpower.com if they aren't listed just send Troy a message.
Thanks ...
Hey Chris, do you carry a pack with you everywhere you go or do you only wear one when you are in the wild?
I usually take my Vanquest Trident-20 around town since it carries my Macbook Pro. I take the ILBE out in the woods. Doing a video this weekend on the modifications I did to it.
Nice
Fantastic Honesty. Excellent review.
Not enough pockets. I require at least 150 individual pockets. Period.
+Sloth Mc i was just gonna say ;)
its not that big, the hip straps look sufficient - its 32 litres... how big do you want them?...
But yeah, agree with what you say about not trying to put too much weight in there
so true !!! you can t carry a heavy gear in thats packs . anyway I love my vulture 2 . great review !!
hey chris! keep being awesome, do you know (or anyone else) see if this would be a good hunting guide backpack? it has enough molle on the from to put my other items and gear on for survival, and the main compartment would be used for transporting trophy heads, meat and hide ect. would this xantha be a good choice? and over time would the support in the back frame be strong enoughto support up to 90 lbs or more of gear and not wreak havoc on my back or knees? and are the hip straps super good for distributing weight? thanks guys and gals :)
Nice overview atb John
Great honest review
Awesome video as usual!
so then, what would be the Jessica of back packs? or have you found that pack yet?
you should do a Jessica awards show video.
I just made a Jessica list playlist.
I love Maxpedition.. but the thing for me.. since I am a cheap ass bastard. Is the cost.
Thanks for the video
Looking good.
I don't know if you were tired or stressed about something but I think you phoned this one in. I respect your opinion and you do know more than I do but I don't think your head is in the game on this review.
Really? Why? If I had posted the first cut where I'm figuring it out as I go people would say I talk to much.
It's not easy to do a fair, objective review on a pack. Not like knives. Packs are VERY subjective. Tastes, body type, individual use, etc etc all goes into it. What person A thinks will be different then person B.
The problem is I didn't really care for it. But there wasn't anything particular WRONG with the pack. Other than it wasn't made for the type of use I PERSONALLY use it for.
Now, I try really hard to do accurate, fair reviews that are universally applicable. But there are SO many variables when it comes to packs and individuals it's damn near impossible. I don't want to be unfair to the company when technically there is nothing wrong with it being a TACTICAL style pack.
THIS is why the last video was scrapped. I spent a LONG time trying to figure it out. Notice a few commentors said they liked theirs and thought the support was good?
I feel I can make a definitive call on a knife. On a pack it's difficult.
Put 2 solar pannels at the back...
You scared me when you pointed at the camera. I drew my weapon and almost shot my I pad. I got the black one for my ninja night moves.
IMHO...Most "tactical" packs lack load transfer straps on the hip belt and enough height at the top of the shoulder straps to make load lifters effective. There are exceptions....Eberlestock, Kifaru etc.. For me if a pack is over about 2500 cu. in. and lacks these features (and an internal frame) I take a pass. You can get away without these features but your gear better be uber light and packed carefully.
$475 is a little too much even for a maxpedition pack.I have many other packs that are same quality and size.I love maxpedition packs but this one I do not think is the best buy for your money unfortunately.Mabee it will come down a little or Mabee I shouldve looked at more than one place.I still love maxpedition packs I just know this one is not for me.Thank you al always for a excellent thorough review.
231.
Huh? I gave the Amazon price: $222
Nice review
I respect the quality of Maxpedition, but frankly, I don't expect much fresh innovation from them until the up and coming competition affects their bottom line.
this looks like a tactical version of a school backpack that my brother owns, north face big shot
this pack seem to be just too large for edc and commuting, sometimes a bigger pack is not a good thing, becomes awkward or cumbersome to use in crowded areas or tight spaces like a subway train, if they made a smaller version and dropped the price i think it would be a big success
Nice video and good advise as always. For me the main thing about a pack is the back system, i.e. Load carrying abilities. None of Max bag is capable of load carrying IMHO but there is no doubt about Max's quality, it is durable and cool.
I have been using this pack for several months now and for me this pack carries weight better than most tactical packs because of the shape and design of the internal frame sheet, is built like a tank, but that's all it has going for it. It is better than your 5.11 Rush 72 and packs in that category as far as the suspension system and frame sheet goes but...... Over all I think this pack is 2.5 our of 5 stars, its not worth the 220 in my opinion for what you get. They need to make more organization pockets in the smaller of the two main pockets. Also they need to add drain holes in on the side pockets and make them bigger. There are to many adjustment points and buckles on the hip belt ( that make it harder to adjust). I can tell in your tone and the way you talk about the pack vs. other video's you have done in the past that you don't really like the pack. Military pack's (I am active duty Army stationed in Europe), do not carry weight that good for me. They are hard to get the frame sheet snug to the pack, hard to compress the load and are way to big. They do make a smaller ruck version now for us that is a lot better but only infantry units get it (that I have ever seen). My two cents is get a Kelty branded hiking pack, for me they are decently priced and have awesome organization and great suspension.
Also FYI the smaller waist size you have the better this pack will carry weight, that is another down fall of the hip belt design. If you are around a 32-34 this should carry the weight a lot better than someone with a 46 in waist.
That little dude inside your pack at 3:43 tho :P
Protein.
Burn the pack. Burn it.
Is this a good pack for hanging out in mom's basement
What happened to your hat?
Hey guys and gals, anyone got a xantha for trade?
The more you know, the less you carry.
Maxpedition promise a warranty they don't honor.
It's very big heh
Great review. And yeah the ilbe is a tank of a pack and they're very good at load bearing.
Just ordered me a BK 7. Can't wait to get it in. I figured if u were that passionate about the knife it must be good. Plus in doin research seemed to be the best option. Thanks for ur reviews. I'm knew to ur videos and find them really informative.
Find someone with a big bench/belt grinder. You'll want it after you see the drastic mods I did to Jess yesterday.
Will do. I usually mod my knives also. I also ordered a work sharp. I've been needing a good sharpener and want to keep the BK7 as sharp as possible.
Bryan Roux those two work well together.
Bryan Roux those two work well together.