Maxpedition Jumbo Versipak

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TimboKhan

TimboKhan

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Yo.

Despite being notorious in my dislike of all things "tactical", I have of late become interested in the Jumbo maxpedition versipak. It seems like it would be an easy way to tote stuff around, to include a pistol, both in urban and outdoors environments. Given that they run somewhere around $80.00, I thought I would ask for opinions of those who have used them, based around the following questions:

1. Do you have to buy the "universal holster" or is there some sort of accomodation already in place? As a followup, if there is no built in option, can you use other holsters, or is the universal holster the way to go?

2. How large of a pistol can be carried without looking obvious?

3. Do they effectively conceal a pistol, or are they more or less just a big tacticool man-purse?

4. Maxpedition stuff looks very well made. Is it?

5. Is it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time? Easy on/off? Is the jumbo pack big enough to use as a day pack for fishing trips, in conjunction with a fishing vest?

General opinions are welcome and appreciated, but I would like to get some specific answers to those questions if possible...
 
Are you SURE it isn't too 'tactical' for you?

1. The universal holster works just fine to hold the pistol in place in the pouch. Without it the gun will shift. Other holsters that have velcro backing may work but why would you when the universal holster is as cheap as it is and fit just about any pistol.

2. You could probably do a Glock 17 or Sig 226 sized pistol. I carry a Glock 19 in mine and it fits great.

3. Why are you shopping for tactical man-purses when you obviously have an issue with tactical man-purses?

4. Very well made.

5. They are comfortable to carry and easy to put on and take off. It should be big enough to use as a day pack depending on what you want to pack in there. I use mine for my main trauma medical kit in my truck. It holds everything I need for that purpose in an easy grab-n-go bag.
 
I love mine, in fact I have two, they are very well made and have plenty of places to store various items. The water bottle pouch can hold other items like a PDA. I use a Velcro holster that I got for a 511 vest, it hold my SP-101 quite nicely. I don't have the universal holster but it should do the job. As far a gun size, I just crammed a Springfield 1911 (full sized) and it does fit. I bring mine to work every day and have only gotten comments from other shooters. The women think it's great and call me a "secure" male. I guess that's a good thing in their eyes. It is certainly more bulky than a fanny pack. It's a good outside pack but I wouldn't feel right shopping with it at the Mall.
 
I don't think it's overly tactical. I carry mine with me almost every day, no matter where I'm going (it is not sufficient for than a day or two of hiking in my opinion tho). I get a lot of man-purse comments, but most ppl think it's actually pretty sharp looking (I own it in khaki). everyone's used to it by now. most have realized its usefulness.

1). you have to buy the Maxpedition holster separately. bought as is, all you have is the velcro attachment point. I do believe you can find other options for a holster other than what's available from Maxpedition.

2). it depends on what you're wearing. you can carry a full-size pistol if your shirts fit loosely. personally, I wouldn't attempt to carry a full-size pistol, 'cause I'm 5'8", 155 lbs. I think it would conceal a compact (4.25" or less) more confidently. of course, there is a methodology to carrying it, and you will find ways to conceal it without much trouble. not a deal-breaker.

3). your mileage may vary, but I don't think it's a good concealment option in an urban environment. it does a fairly decent job as long as you're not moving your pack around much, but personally, I shift my pack front to back about 20 times a day and it will flash your firearm if you don't do it just right. it also flashes when you're getting in and out of your vehicle. where I live, this isn't really a problem, but it's pertinent to the conversation. it takes a little bit of practice to get the motions down. not a deal-breaker.

4). very tough stuff. the only problem I've had is one of my zipper pulls coming untied. easily remedied, ha. a couple ppl have actually dragged it around on concrete without so much as a scuff mark.

5). it's comfortable as far as sling-bags go. I still prefer a pack with two straps. on/off isn't as easy as I'd like it to be. I have to remove any hat I'm wearing and sometimes my sunglasses when taking it off or the shoulder-strap will pull them off. without anything on my head it's not really a problem. plus, just like the front-to-back/back-to-front adjusting, there are motions to learn to deal with it. again, not a deal-breaker.

so in my opinion, it's a great choice for a small pack. after the nitpicking is done, you realize there are ways around the little characteristics that comes with carrying a small sling-bag. you should be able to adapt quickly. I would buy it again.
 
I've had a Jumbo Versipack for about a month. It is a great piece of kit. I live and work in a college area and I fit right in with all the students. I've gotten lots of comments on how "cool" it looks too. :D

1. You definitely should get the universal holster or something similar. Otherwise, the gun will shift around in the pocket and the trigger won't be covered. The draw stroke is a little slow and a little abrasive on the hand, but it isn't too bad with a little practice.

2. It fits my Browning Hi-Power and USP40c just fine.

3. Concealment is complete. No one will know unless you tell them or they are rooting around in your bag. To me, nothing about the pack shouts "gun!" To your average person it is just a stylish bag with a lot of pockets.

4. It is incredibly well made. Very tough. The quality is better than any other backpack or bag that I have ever owned.

5. It is quite comfortable. The padded shoulder strap works great. It can get a little heavy if you have a lot of stuff in it though. At first I was carrying a full 32oz Nalgene bottle, a full size pistol + spare magazine, a couple books, a leatherman, a flashlight, a camera, and some first aid supplies. All that gets heavy after about an hour of carrying. I'm getting a smaller water bottle, and depending on the situation, I'm just going to carry my pistol on my belt. I can shift the pack over to my left side and it is just as functional.
 
Timbo, I don't know if you bought one yet, but I would like to add my voice to the "I love it" crowd. I am a big guy like you, and had to ask for an extra bit of strap, which I had a local seamstress sew on for me. I'm real tall with short little legs. I have easily carried a Sig SP 2022 and a Springfield XD 45 (4" barrel) in it with no trouble at all. The extra holster is pretty much needed, but it is only a few bucks, nothing compared to the price of the bag.

I've used mine just to hold the gun and a few mags, to stuffing it for an airplane ride as my carry on bag (no gun!) with a spare set of dainty underthings, a clean shirt, a paperback book, a water bottle, and some trail mix. I have also stuffed numerous magazines into it for trips to the range. It is fairly comfortable to wear, and despite their advertising about it being made for one side or the other, if your shoulder gets tired, it rides just fine on the other side. It just isn't quite as easy to get to some of the features that way.

Good luck with it.
 
I'm waiting for condor outdoors to make their knockoff so I can buy one at a more reasonable price at cheaperthandirt
 
Despite being notorious in my dislike of all things "tactical", I have of late become interested in the Jumbo maxpedition versipak. It seems like it would be an easy way to tote stuff around, to include a pistol, both in urban and outdoors environments. Given that they run somewhere around $80.00, I thought I would ask for opinions of those who have used them, based around the following questions:

1. Do you have to buy the "universal holster" or is there some sort of accomodation already in place? As a followup, if there is no built in option, can you use other holsters, or is the universal holster the way to go?

2. How large of a pistol can be carried without looking obvious?

3. Do they effectively conceal a pistol, or are they more or less just a big tacticool man-purse?

4. Maxpedition stuff looks very well made. Is it?

5. Is it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time? Easy on/off? Is the jumbo pack big enough to use as a day pack for fishing trips, in conjunction with a fishing vest?

General opinions are welcome and appreciated, but I would like to get some specific answers to those questions if possible...
Click to expand...

I have had a Jumbo for nearly two years. I had to have my hip replaced and, for a long time, I could not carry IWB. As a result I have become quite familiar with the Jumbo and with Maxpedition products in general. I will answer each of your questions by number.

Number 1

I bought the universal holster and do not like it. There are a number of ballistic holster providers that provide a holster with velcro on one side that work a lot better. Try Uncle Mike's or Bagmaster for example.

Number 2

I have carried everything from a S&W 686 snubby to a full size 1911 in the Jumbo with no problems or printing. The gun pocket is quite generous and is located to the rear of the bag, near your body so no way it can print. A 4" revolver fit but was a tight squeeze. It is truly a concealed carry bag and not a flimsy imitation. It is the real deal for concealed carry.

Number 3

They are extraordinarily effective in concealment. I carry a Springfield XD45 which has a 4" barrel and is somewhat bulky. Also carry an extra 13 round mag with no problem. Concealment is just not a problem. Look at the Maxpedition pic and see where the gun pocket is placed. Next to your body with everything else in front of it.

Number 4

Well made like the proverbial brick outhouse. Very, very strong amd exce[tionally well crafted.

Number 5

As I said earlier I got the bag because of a hip replacement. Not only am I carrying the XD45 and the extra mag, I also had to carry a bunch of other "Stuff" related to my surgery. Plus I normally carry a small flashlight with extra batteries, a folding knife, a notebook and pen, keys, a number of jewel cases carrying memory CD's for my computers, a sandwich and a can of pop, and oher assorted and sundry junk that finds its way into the bag. The bag is phenomenal in terms of its capacity. Extra fishing stuff should be no problem.

It is easy on and easy off and quite comfortable to carry for long periods of time. A great product.
 
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Another question. Is the big pocket big enough to hold books? Like say one full size notebook and a college book?
 
Another question. Is the big pocket big enough to hold books? Like say one full size notebook and a college book?
Click to expand...

It won't hold a full size 8.5x11 spiral bound notebook, but 7x9 notebooks fit perfectly. Right now I have one 7x9 notebook and two 6x9x1.5 hard cover books in the main compartment and it is pretty full. I could squeeze another thin item in there if I really needed to though.

The Colossus might work better for college textbooks and larger notebooks.
 
I thought about it for awhile and decided to post anyway. Much like the "Hi-Power" was dragged down in my mind by the "Hi-Point", the same association comes to mind with the "Maxpedition Jumbo Versipak" ~ "Maxi-Pad Jumbo Pack". Sorry, not meaning to be rude...I just can't get past that. :eek:
 
This bag is awesome. I carry it all they long and like someone commented before it does not looks obvious. I got the CCW holster and it works great. I actually placed with a 15 degree cant and it provides a fair fast draw. The material is well crafted and durable. I like this bag so much that I become a distributor in my area!!!!!!!!!
 
you should check out www.maxpedition.com

i've had a jumbo for a year now and love it... also love the "MPB" for ccw, too. only thing i don't like about the jumbo is that black backing that seems to be shredding from rubbing on things. seems to be updated on the new products.

They have a bunch of new products. there's a "collossus" which is an even larger version of the jumbo. may be too big...

The "remora" and "manta" look interesting. The remora is smaller, not sure how different from the fatboy. the manta is a basic CCW rig w/ alice strips to "build your own bag" basically.
 
Mine came yesterday, Versipack fatboy. my full size Kimber 1911 fits snugly (almost but not quite to tight) in the rear pocket. a person handy with a sewing machine could pick up some velcro and nylon web and out do the universal holster but not for less than $9.00 if you got to buy everything. A darn well made piece of gear that I do not regret buying. I got mine from Midway USA.
 
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