Purchased this as a way to carry just a little more gear when going on motorcycle camping trips, and also as a day pack for hiking on said camping trips. The bag is sturdily built, the zippers appear to be tough, and the stitching looks good. I like its size, it's not too big but it can store quite a large amount of stuff. That's the good stuff. There are a couple of drawbacks that I'll address below.
First off, it smells like rubber. Really really strongly. It'll go away eventually, just a matter of letting it air out, not really a big deal.
Second, (as other reviewers have said) there's no built in way to secure the bladder. There's a pretty simple fix though. There's a pair of holes in the top flap of the bladder, you can run a couple of lines (I used parachute cord) from these holes, out the top (where the water line goes) and off to the left and right where there are a couple of loops. I attached them there and with a little creative tying was able to suspend the bladder, fully filled, with no problem. A slight annoyance, with a pretty easy solution.
The third thing is probably the one that's the worst. As other reviewers have said, several of the straps are not doubled over at the ends and therefore can be pulled out with no effort at all. That's exactly what happened the first time I took this out in the sticks. One of the lap belts caught on something and pulled clear out of the adjuster without me noticing until I was back at the motorcycle. I was a little disappointed, mostly because I hadn't taken the time to remedy the problem. HOWEVER! When I got home I had an email from the seller asking me if I had received the pack, and if I was pleased with it. I emailed him back and told him that I was pleased with the pack, but that due to the design flaw I had lost one of the lap belt straps (the female side). The same day I had an email back saying that there was a new strap in the mail. That strap arrived today! As a solution I have taken the straps that aren't folded over and done just that. I took a little superglue and a few binder clips and doubled them all over using the binder clips to clamp them in place until the glue dries.
Overall I'm pleased. The backpack is just what I wanted, and the customer service from Monkey Paks was absolutely perfect.
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Great Pack- For $40!
Great pack for $40! Its the perfect size for an overnight or 2-3 day trip into the woods or as a Bug-Out bag. I'm 6'2" 240 and its a little snug (clearly designed for smaller folk) I can adjust it to fit me, but it rides a little low. In the pictures I've got a spare set of clothes (jeans, t-shirt, skivvies, socks) a first aid kit, survival kit, rain poncho, glow sticks, tinderkit, 50' of paracord and a full hydration bladder. It is a "cheap" bag, the straps are thin and won't survive extended use, but you can remove all the straps and use it as a range bag or handle carry if they wear out. It would have been nice if the seller listed the SIZE of the pack, (I'm guessing its between 20L and 30L) the measurements are 18"x9"x8". The hydration bladder that comes with it is very flimsy and there is no way to suspend it in the bag, so your water ends up at the bottom of the pack. All that being said, I was looking for a backpack that I could carry food and mess with for short hiking trips (2-3 days) and this will foot the bill nicely. It will also go along with me on hunting trips- its the perfect size for my gut kit and extra ammo. If you're not willing to drop the money on a 5.11 pack and aren't looking to beat the **** out of it everyday, this pack will work for you.
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2015
- Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2015
