Maxpedition Monsoon Gearslinger

[Rob]

Overview

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/...11.htm#details

This is a single strap backpack, designed to be worn across the body. The main benefit of this is the ease of wearing; taking it on or off is very easy by putting it over your head or if you’re in a tight space – undo the buckle. Removing stuff is very easy, rotate the bag to your stomach and you can access the main compartment and most of the pockets.



The bag is a triangular design with the front flap secured by a large UTX buckle. There are 2 pockets (one mesh, in front of another nylon pocket). There is one large main compartment with zippers running up the entire length of each side. The hydration compartment can fit up to 3L but you have to squeeze the top to close the compartment due to the shape of the bag. There is a hook and loop panel in the hydration pouch if you want to attach a Velcro backed pouch or holster.



At the bottom of the bag, there are grommet-drainage holes for all the large compartments and a rubber layer for durability. There is also a waist strap (my hand is holding in the pic) for if you need the bag to hug your body more so. PALS webbing is all over this bag to expand storage.



What I like about the bag


This bag is well designed; everything is logically placed and falls into hand, loose straps are tucked away. There are lots of pockets all over the bag; bottom of the shoulder strap/waist area, mesh pouch inside, mp3 player pocket with a headphone port and so on.




Construction is good; the material feels substantial and durable, double stitching in all of the stress areas. To really appreciate this, you have to look at the construction inside the bag – the seams from the panels are just so strongly joined that you can probably carry at least 3x the bag can physically hold inside. Some have noted that the material (1000D nylon) is stiff, but I have not found it to hinder getting into the bag or pose comfort issues.



There is good padding on the back, and the wide, padded and nonslip shoulder straps are comfy under a full loaded bag. The cutting of the bag (bottom is angled up) in addition to the x-compression straps means that the weight stays close to your center of mass either partially or fully loaded. This again, helps in making the bag comfortable as well as helps your balance.

Some cons


There are some dislikes on the bag. One is that the triangular shape limits what can be put inside. In the pic you will notice that it has no problem fitting a standard size magazine, but anything more and you’re better off with a large backpack/ 3-day assault pack. The pocket behind the front flap can be difficult to access; the issue is not with the mesh pocket, but with the nylon one because of the narrow opening. It’s a large pocket, but sticking your hand in to pull stuff out can be tricky. For example, I stuffed some gloves in there and I had difficulty taking it out. I would have liked to have seen some pockets for pens in that area as well. The design of the bag is meant to go over the right shoulder. If you have a problem with that, look for another bag.


Conclusion


I have a china clone go-bag, the material feels cheap, pouches are difficult to open, it’s too small and it’s uncomfortable. For its price ($132.99 CAD + shipping from One Shot Tactical) you’re getting a lot of bag for the money. It is most evident if your upgrading from a cheap bag you bought on ebay or at zellers. I own a Maxpedition Condor 1 backpack, and in the 3 years I’ve had it, the bag hasn’t even faded (It’s my all-purpose bag; carrying textbooks, laptop, my shopping, hiking stuff, etc.). I definitely recommend the Maxpedition Monsoon Gearslinger.

[slad3d]

I also own a Monsoon from Maxpedition.
Bag looks good, superb materials but carrying capacity is limited.
for 150$ range you are better off with shika, also from maxpedition,
it carries more + you can attach molle pouches to it.
the monsoon has molle webbing attachment only on one side.