A friend of mine came by with the Fatboy, and the quality of that beast convinced me to replace my "Uncle Mike's" fanny pack with the Thermite Versipack from Maxpedition.
Thought I'd share my first impressions of it with you.
What's in it:
Rear full length pocket:
Wallet, with Swiss card & fresnel lens, among other stuff
Other Wallet
16" Asp w/tac light retention clip
OC...'keychain' size
Side pockets: cellphone to the left, MS2000 Doublefly to the right.
Top pocket: Inova 24/7
Inner pouch:
PSK...being revised, so contents constantly changins
Mini Maglight
Krill 360 Extreme Green
Red led lightstick...the one from Brigade Q
Alpen 10x monocular
Outer Inner pouch, not zipped:
Medicine case
2x3 signal mirror
Listerine pocket packs, cinnamon & hot as heck
Outer Inner pouch, zippered:
Gerber multilock
Lighter
Lip Balm
Nyquil nose 'make sniffles go away thingy' inhaler
Pens
Separate sheath on belt: "Rescue 1" knife; other pouch, CPR mask, latex gloves, & dust mask.
(On the job, it can hold a .40 Beretta Centurion plus spare ammo, 21" Asp, OC, cuffs, radio, memo book, & ID.)
I'm pretty sure that's it...and yes, it does way a bit too much.
Anywho...
The Thermite is a convertible fanny pack / shoulder sling bag. Worn around the waist, it also features a detachable thigh strap for those, "I've gotta move fast and don't want it to bounce around" days. It it more of a vertical than horizontal fanny pack, so it rides low, like a tactical holster. It doesn't need the thigh strap for normal wear (IMHO), as it rides close to the body and doesn't tend to bounce. However, forget wearing it while driving. I found it was uncomfortable on the left, giving my left arm no comfortable place to rest, and in the way of the gear shift when worn on the right. My wife thoughtfully told me to put my 'purse' in the back, just like she does when she drives. That's fine...but God forbid there's an accident when I can't reach my "purse" to cut myself out!
Shoulder slung, it's easier to wear while in transport. After adjusting the length of the Thermite's webbing, it fits comfortably on the side or front of the chest, although you may have to play with your seatbelt a bit. On the move, I haven't yet found a shoulder slung length that feels comfortable to me, but I'm used to wearing equipment either 'fanny pack' or LBE style, so the single sling over the shoulder just may take a bit of getting used to.
The Thermite is well designed & made. *Very* rugged...I can't see this thing pulling itself apart or ripping anywhere in the future. Other than the outer pouches, you can't tell what's being carried. Pointy bits on gear doesn't poke through, and when you cinch the pack tight, doesn't rattle around.
If I left something painfully obvious out, don't hesitate to ask any questions.