Have worn my MAV with packs small, medium, and "is he packing a midget", the wearing isn't a big deal. Now, with the depth of the pockets I've got on my MAV, getting the waist belt open is sometimes a bit tricky, but not too major.

And whatever you do, keep the chest rig CLOSED when you are taking off your pack. If the pack wants to take the chest rig off for you, you end up a bit tangled. You'll only make that mistake one time though.

Initial fit testing, I can get the Ribz up high enough not to interfere with my belt, so that works. There is a lot of storage room in these; I didnt get a big chance to play with it too much yet, but I did put my survival kit in it & drove around for an hour with it. My initial observations is that this can hold quite a bit of gear. However, as it is against the ribs, I would suggest soft kit only-I have some of my gear in a small mess tin, and it was uncomfortable while driving. Easy enough fix.
Another minor annoyance was the upper cross strap (sort of like part of ah H style harness). This crept up a couple of times, and irritated my neck. I found two solutions; first, ensure it is low enough to avoid creep. Two, wear collared shirts-it gives something for it to catch on before your neck.
I will be on vaca starting next weekend, so I dont think I will have a chance to give it a run with a pack for the next couple weeks. I did put my 3 day pack on with it, and, I cannot buckle my sternum strap, but that was the only interference. And, this I just have to fiddle with. The one thing I dont like at all is that the material makes crinkly noises-its durable, for sure, and could prove to be warm, but it is louder than my other gear-not an issue once its on, but taking it on & off, it is quite loud. This is purely superficial though-I dont like loud noises in the woods, including any I make .

Oldsoldier, I have been told that it quiets down with wear. But I cannot vouch for that as mine isn't worn down yet.

One of my friends on another forum wears his diving in lieu of a weight belt. He just puts rocks in it and off he goes. He really likes it. And that's where I got my first glimpse.

I'm surprised that more people haven't mentioned that. Watching the video that Aloha linked, it was quite obvious to me that the material made a significant amount of noise - it kinda sounded like someone squeezing a bag of Doritos.

I really like the concept, but there's just no way I would ever see myself wearing one unless it was available in a softer/quieter material.

Jim

I do plan on putting more mileage on it, I just dont have the time in the next couple weeks. If it quiets down, it will be fine; if it doesnt, this may be left at home-its a great concept, I just cannot deal with the noise. Time & sweat should break down the material some, and we will see what it sounds like come spring. I hope to put some mileage on it when I return from WA, to see how it feels longer term-a couple days or so.

Bill

One way to accelerate the wear-in effect & quiet the fabric is to run it in the dryer on low or medium heat with a damp towel thrown in too. Doing this a few times flexes the fabric much like wearing it does and helps cut down on the noise. This trick also works with stiff fabric items like Maxpedition bags to soften them up.

I am going to give that a go when I return after Thanksgiving-never heard of that, but if it works, perfect!

Came home yesterday and found a USPS package waiting for me. Came pretty quick. Thanks Ray.

Initial Observations
I did a test fitting and found plenty of straps left over. I'm 5"8' and 170lbs and I had the lateral velcro straps all the way in. This could fit some pretty big guys. I didn't load it, so the shoulder straps will be fine tuned later.

I also noticed that the Velco hook side faces out the back between the two halves. I'll have to get some velcro loop to prevent snagging on cloth seats.

The material is pretty light and seems to be well coated with polyurethane? for waterproofing. Yes, it sounds crinkly. I may try Glock-A-Roo's dryer suggestion.

The 4 zippers have nylon strip pulls flat sewn to the metal pulls. I prefer cutting off the metal pulls and using cord, but I can see how the nylon strips avoid being caught on stuff.

The Top pockets have vertical pockets sewn inside. A couple of pen/sharpie/light loops would be nice, but tight fitting clips should keep things in place.

It didn't look that big, but after putting it on, I found it covers pretty much my torso.

Will be going car camping this weekend, so we'll see how it works while I'm driving. Will try to remember to take pics.

Got mine today. 10 days from ordering to recieving, nice!