****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I have owned several backpacks (Gamut, Gamut Plus, Gamut 2, and the Ready Pack V2) from Vertx, and each one has been excellent. The materials used, the overall design, and the construction have consistently been top-notch. This pack is no exception, though it is quite different in many ways than the other Vertx bags I've owned.The first thing I noticed is the canvas material used for most of the pack. It is simply gorgeous. It feels soft and supple while also being tough and water-resistant. I poured a glass of water over the top, and it just shed right off. I don't know how well it would hold up in a heavy rain, but they make no claim about it being waterproof anyway. The outside zipper pulls are the best I've seen yet. They are loops of cord with a double leather toggle sewn on to make them easier to grip. There is also the standard quick grab pull on the CCW compartment that is designed to look like a luggage tag. The side pockets are massive. They easily swallow my 40 ounce Hydroflask clone, even with an extended cap. There are ports at the top of these to run a cable out or even a hose from a small bladder. There is just enough organization built-in for my needs, and there are some loop fields inside the main compartment where you can add your own organizers or pouches.Now, onto the negatives. First, I wish there was some kind of compression system to tighten the bag up when it's not full. I know that would negatively affect the look they were going for with this pack, but it is a large pack, and it would be nice to be able to compress it. The second is the flap that hides the molle panel. On other Vertx packs, this flap can be unzipped and used as a "beavertail", or gear sling as they call it. You can almost do this with this bag, but there are no secondary loops to attach the g-hooks on the side, so you're stuck with the leather loops on the handle that the straps attach to. It's not a huge deal, but it would have been easy to add a set of loops to make this more useful. The last is the straps. While not horribly uncomfortable, they feel inadequate for the size of the pack. They are a little thin, narrow, and not well-padded. I wish they had used something more like the super comfortable straps in the Gamut.Overall, I would recommend this pack if you're looking for a larger pack with great materials, a cool look, and decent organization. The CCW capabilities are also a plus for many people.9/21/22 Update: I've been carrying this awesome pack for over a month now, and the shoulder straps are much more comfortable now that they've broken in. I'm upgrading my review to 5-stars.
