- Joined
- Feb 28, 2006
- Messages
- 4,012
To elaborate on that bag then: It is somewhat of a miracle I've got one. It seems there are different revisions of that bag but I would have pegged them all in the same bucket. Design wise it isn't so far away from the old Diawa fishing luggage, something that has never had any appeal to me. If I hadn't have seen one belonging to someone else it would have just been dumped on the growing heap of irrelevances. Certainly the lone image at the place I got mine wouldn't have helped sell it to me. That page isn't there now for some reason but have a peek at the larger version. I think that looks cheap and nasty and hardly showcases its strengths. Hell, if they wanted to not sell any rather than just that and the clearly overstuffed collar they should have gone the whole hog and bungeed a sleeping bag underneath wrapped up in a bin liner, and suspended an old pair of pants and a mug from it like an old tinker. Yeah, without a peek at Matey's one I wouldn't have gone near this, hence the miracle. Well that and that I am allergic to the presenter of Total Fishing. As I said in the pics thread, this was a punt. I had half an eye out for a beater something medium sized for crawling in and out of holes and whatnot, and especially for something that I wouldn't care too much about giving repeated salt water hammering, but the idea wasn't well formed. There was zero point throwing money at it 'cos I'd soon loop back to where I started using an Alpha class pack as a beater. I had half a mind to look for something pegged between the classic Munro and Highlander Forces series [the ones that cadets that can't afford Sabers frequently use], but the idea was little more than one of the many satellites that follows one around saying me too, pay attention to me too. My affair with Macpac runs deep enough to shrug that off as noise pollution, still it's probably a good idea... Anyway, enough of the frame babble. This is what I like and this is what I think sux: Branding
Yuk. I don't mind to some extent if it is used just to tell one item from another, but if you want me to be a mobile advert them you pay me. You sponsor me. In some way you compensate me. It's not that the logo is done badly, it's embroidered well enough, but it is too big and too bold. That's got to go. After the first few times I rub its face in the dirt I'm sure the white will knock off and it wont be so bad but I'm plotting up on sewing a patch over it. I would have already if I had found something tasteful. So far all I've found is cheesy stuff or kiddie skull headbanger stuff. I've got solving this pegged under urgent! Side pocket cut -
This is my other beef, and like the first it is also cosmetic. This is more a problem of association than anything else. I can see no practical reason why such angular pockets would be less useful than something with nice flowing lines. In fact, in terms of leaving me with bits of dead useless space it could well afford me advantages over something with a graceful cut, but still I have the association nag. Walk past any decent market and there's a plethora of cheap and nasty £10 bags with angles cut like that. Without that association; no mind fart, no stalling, no problem. Side pocket goodness -
The single large pocket on one side is 14 long so I can get a fairly substantial camp knife in there. The two pockets on the other side are serendipitous too. The top one is a perfect fit for my 10*42 bins. Equally lucky is the container my FAK is in fits perfectly in the lower pocket. Better still, because it is a fishing bag designed to protects your reels and whatnot the pockets are actually lightly padded. Obviously that adds a bit of weight but will take some of the sting out of an insult to my bins, lantern, or whatever other optics or electronics. For what I want this bag for that's a good swap. From the front -
It's not worth dwelling on the front pocket folded down out of sight. It is sufficient to note that it too is padded. I can get a computer in there, and stuff. Wicked, what can I say, I like cognitive systems. That water bottle is there just for photo scale, and it was handy as weight when it was full to disclose any groans the pack may produce. For clarity; that top bit is a spindrift collar not a bit of stuff sack or something poking out. Pukka. The back system -
It's a simple adjustable Velco folding back on itself over a webbing ladder job. Ideally it would be better. I've got Velcro covered in wet and slime before and the integrity of the bond failed pretty fast. I like Velcro and it is useful to me, I'm just cautious where I have it. Given the PIA if that bond failed I would like something else there, but on balance I'm certain the odds are well stacked in my favour. And whilst I'm bitchin' about that I'm also minded to remember that many packs from reputable makers use the same methods as this on packs that cost a lot more. And for the win I think of the legion of trendy tough tactical packs that don't even attempt so solve this. They have straps just sewn to the top like a school lunch bag. I'm going to call it a blessing then. Size wise the adjustment may defeat you if you are at an odd standard deviation. The rungs you can see that have been used are how it shipped to me. It's current position is its limit. I'm a tad over 6' and about 15 stone and that maxed it. Cluster of likes -
There is no lid pocket as such. There's a zipped pocket at the top the little pack poncho folds out from and that's it. I'm in two minds about that. On one hand it is a nice touch, especially with that side opening doorway introducing a moisture weakness. On the other hand I've never missed them before, one I bought separately from a pack I used twice, and I always bag the contents anyway. Also I can get a lightweight windproof / waterproof jacket in that space. As space will never be an issue with this pack 'cos I'd just kick up to a heavy hitter if I'm hauling that kind of load the poncho stays, for now. Whatever, I am empowered because I have the choice. Cool.
Given that fishing tends to be a relatively static event compared to hiking it is great to find there are separate top strap [and bottom on the hip belt] tensioners. Damn, that's like a proper rucksack . Far more common is those weedy just sewn to side little waist band things that whilst adding a modicum of stability are totally ineffectual at sharing the weight off your shoulders. Superior. And on a humble fishing pack not a hiking pack is a real testament to the designer giving a care. Look at that neoprene cover on the haul loop too. I've never had one of those before and I've never missed one. I usually wear gloves. I was quite surprised when I lifted this pack full of doodads including 10 litres of water and it didn't feel like I anticipated. I know that's a trivial thing really but small things like that make me think the designer had a bit of insight and cared rather than the impression they often give of what can we get away with using these morons. Completing these pleasantries is a little pocket on the hip belt. I suppose that could be for a fishing Lama to keep his lotus blossom snacks but I think the cognoscenti will know that to be a skunk pouch.
I'm unconvinced about the virtues of those skids on the base for my use. They work great when the pack looks like that but it is in an unnatural shape. It is flat across the bottom because I have the dirty great water bottle in there. Ideal for fishermen that have something flat like a tackle box in it, but when I pack in an accustomed manner the bag deforms as one would expect and the usefulness of those skids becomes marginalised. In conclusion I'd say I'm extremely happy with it. It's not the heaviest weight nylon I've seen but it is ideal for what I want. It's not the kinda scrawny thing thing that will come apart at the first few brambles or rocks. It's tough enough. If I wanted to racetrack round a trail I would definitely pick something very different, but this is going to make for a great beach and undergrowth beater. Just for fun below are two vogue offerings. I've enjoyed a few Snugpak bits over the years, clothing and sleeping bags, but look at this pack. Its 20 litres bigger yet as a carrying system is crude in comparison. And remember I paid £20 for this one. Then there is this Maxpedition. It's pretty much the same size but costs *7 more. I can't see any evidence of where that comes into the back system or anything really. I've got yards of that nylon webbing and a sewing machine. Mebe there are fleeces to be taken with Red Scorpion 7 Molle. Mebe there's no mebe about it.
Why not one on each arm?