Yes, I have read that somewhere.
In fact, I have one.
It will hold full size 1911s at a flatter angle than I would like, but it will hold them along with a spare mag or two, Magellan Crossover GPS, cell phone, a few granola bars, and its onboard supply of water (25oz). So it really does hold quite a bit in addition to a gun and ammo.
I like mine just fine for hiking, but find it is too big to ride in my lap while driving and definitely looks out of place in the city. The whole water supply hose business does hide the notion that it would be a pack designed for carrying a gun well enough, but the oversized aspect looks wrong for daily carry.
The gun compartment is accessed via a pull handle sewn into the pack. The compartment is kept closed by a velcro strip and two snaps. This is NOT a good pack for making a quiet draw. In fact, it can take a goodly amount of force to separate the velcro and pull the snaps. That results in a very loud velcro ripping sound. The problem is that the pull is from the center and so you are actually trying to separate the velcro at its strongest point.
I went hiking in west Texas with my wife and kids. I had a second source of water in a Camelbak HAWG where I carried to large bladders of water. The kids found the Goblin's hose and water supply convenient and they could come up behind me, grab the hose, and drink while we hiked. They thought it was wonderfully convenient.
25 oz of water isn't a lot in the grand scheme, but it is enough for shorter hikes no longer in duration than a couple of hours (for one person). Otherwise, it is just a supplemental reserve carry.
The Goblin is far from perfect for concealed carry mostly because of the size and yank needed to open it, but it isn't a bad short hike pack.
