MaxpeditionMongo Versipack

I originally ordered a Maxpedition Fatboy, but once I received it I quickly realized that it wasn't going to suit my needs. The Mongo is perfect though. It contains a TON of room internally, and has plenty of options for storing every thing you might need on most journeys.Maxpedition quality cannot be beaten. I already owned their Kodiak gearslinger, and love it. When I needed a smaller shoulder bag I didn't look at any other manufacturers, I went straight to them.The water bottle pocket on the Mongo is perfectly sized for a 32oz Nalgene bottle. The Phone holster holds an iPhone 5 in an Otterbox Commuter snuggly and securely. The small zippered side pocket is perfect for snacks and even small electronics. The zippered lid compartment is great for headphones, ink pens, flashlights, and other odds and ends you want to keep close to hand. The flat against-your-body pocket, which is ideally suited for concealed carry, also serves as an awesome, secure place for travel documents, passports, etc (what I used it for). The main compartment was large enough for a pair of paperback books, a (compact) change of clothes, two compact cameras in cases, an iPad Mini (a fullsize iPad and even an 11" Macbook Air fits easily. a 13" Air or Macbook Pro was too big), and a mess of extra cables, chargers, and more snacks. There is yet another flat pocket under the flap just outside the main compartment, and then a zippered accessory compartment with a key hook and a divider pocket. The flap itself also has a flat compartment big enough for airline tickets, a handkerchief, etc.There is also a waist strap to keep the pack from flapping around too much if you were hiking, moving quickly through a crowded airport, etc. It uses a simple quick release buckle at one end and is permanently attached at the other. One final detail that made me happy and made my wife roll her eyes: they included a pocket specifically to wrap and tuck the waist strap into when not in use. My Kodiak has similar details, and its those sorts of things that will make me look to Maxpedition first when I need similar items in the future.

I am a traveling systems engineer in the manufacturing industry, so I need a bag that is small enough to carry everywhere, but large enough to fit everything I need. That is usually a tough compromise, either I get a bag that is fits everything but is way to cumbersome to carry comfortably or is too small to fit everything but is light and comfortable to carry all day.This bag fit the bill perfectly. It is comfortable and easy to carry around and get in and out of my vehicle multiple times a day it is big enough to fit everything I need. It fits all of my tools, cables, hard drives, a Dell Latitude 6540 15" laptop plus a tablet with room to spare. Previously I was carrying a Maxpedition medium size attache laptop bag but it was too big. This is just the right balance between maneuverability and functionality.If you are looking to put a laptop in this bag I would not recommend anything over a 15 inch laptop. My work laptop fits just right in the main pocket but is right at the edge where another 3/4" longer and it would make it tight.Also, this version that is now being sold DOES have a carry handle on the top per customer requests. It is not featured in the picture but does have it. The buckle is also plenty long enough to completely stuff the bag full and still buckle. I know people have complained about the length of the buckle strap with full packs, but I had no issues. Im not sure if this was addressed by Maxpedition as well or not.All in all this is a great bag and should serve my needs. It is a great bag for a laptop if it is 15 inches or under.

I have a bit of a bag collection. I have every possible kind of bag from leather purses to countless tactical bags I use every day instead of carrying a purse. I have had my first maxpedition versipack for more then 8 years and I still carry it sometimes. When I saw that they made this bag I was so excited because it is so much larger than even the larger of the small versipacks. It has everything the smaller version has and more. It is compact enough to not be in the way when empty and when you need the room it really can handle almost anything you can stuff into it. On the daily I use the conceal carry pocket to keep my sidearm, two spare magazines and two pocket knives. This is all kept in place and easy to get to because of the Velcro wall on the back of the carry pocket. The water bottle pocket is big enough to carry a 64 oz water bottle. The retention strap is amazing to keep the bag nice and tight to my body when I long board with it and when I don’t, it tucks away. The front pocket also has Velcro so you can use it for any number of things including a carry pocket. The main pocket is large enough I used it to carry my laptop and book to attend school when I didn’t want to drag out a whole bag just for one class.This is truly a one is all you need kind of bag. If you are traveling or just for every day it is so endlessly adaptable that since I bought it nearly a year ago I have not touched any of my other bags. The last thing I will say is that having owned my first maxpedition bag more than Fifteen years and having more than 7 since then, I can tell you with out a doubt these things are built to last. I still have everyone I have ever bought.