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.

I never put my purse in the back. It's always either on the seat next to me or on the floor under my legs if I have a passenger.

The Thermite Versipak does look interesting, and major selling points would be its rugged construction and many pockets. I can't stand having things all in a jumble - when I need to get something, I need to get it NOW!

I'm also a fan of one-shoulder carry. I'm in the process of building a 3-Hour Office Evac Kit at the moment that's a one-strap system for quick grab and wear. One-strap carry does take some getting used to, as it shifts your center of gravity slightly and can fatigue back muscles as you compensate. Keep working with those straps.

Thanks for the excellent review!

~Sarah

Sarah,

From reading your post, I highly recommend you look into the Maxpedition Fatboy pack. It is my EDC and holds more stuff than I could possibly use, and has extra room for books, etc. I will take inventory, and try to get pictures posted to show just how versitile this pack is. The construction is beyond reproach.

It's funny this fatboy has been showing in reviews in a bunch of different forums. So with all the positive reviews, I bought one <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />, should be here next Wednesday.

Hi sweetheart. That looks cool as heck and durable too. I approve. I'll start saving up my quarters now. Maybe Santa will bring ya something...

Or maybe Lawrence the Labor Day Elf will cough one up if I can get it sooner than that.

/approve Versipack

Panz

Lawrence the Labor Day Elf? Is he the one married to the Tooth Fairy? Or is that Cornelius the Christmas Curmudgeon?

"/approve Versipack" Read: he wants one for himself. He knows my Office Disaster Kit is already ¾ complete.

He's harder on his gear than I am. However, we've had the one-strap versus backpack strap debate. I like them, he doesn't. But that's a discussion for another time and a whole other thread.

~Sarah