Maxpedition Jumbo, Typhoon coming next week

[Deanster]

Hi all -

I just spoke to Tim at Maxpedition, and Jumbo Fatboys in black, khaki and green should be shipping to dealers early next week, along with Typhoon Gearslingers in Black.

Monsoon, Falcon II, Vulture II, etc are not in yet, and don't have a definite timeline.

You might want to check with your preferred dealer.

For those of you for whom your preferred dealer is me, we'll have black and khaki Jumbos and black Typhoons by the middle of next week. Let me know via e-mail if you'd like me to set one aside for you.

Unfortunately, I'm heading for Oktoberfest in Munich on Monday, and it looks like I won't have my personal Jumbo in time... I'm sad - it would be PERFECT for EDC on a week-long trip like that. I guess my regular Fatboy will have to do... sigh.

[John N]

I pre-ordered a Jumbo from Tad Gear and I got a shipment notice yesterday. Looking at the UPS tracking number, it should arrive tomorrow. I can't wait!

-john

[Malpaso]

Anyone know when the Jumbo S will be available?

[Splusmer]

Maxpedition's Tim Tang posted over in TacticalForums that the S-Type will be out "next month" (he posted that today).

[geek]

Grrr... gnash... chomp...

I want a Monsoon, though!

[bwaites]

Who is the best MaxPedition online dealer?

Bill

[Malpaso]

Who is the best MaxPedition online dealer?

Bill

LAPoliceGear seems to have good prices.

[Splusmer]

Anyone get their Typhoon yet? I'm still awaiting mine, and am very curious about the internal features of the pockets/main compartment.

[diggdug13]

I've ordered all my Maxpedition gear through Maxpedition, great customer service and they ship to APO's.

and yep I got a jumbo in Kahki on the way... wooo hooo

doug

[mateen]

I just received a Pygmy Falcon ordered through Maxpedition - everything went very smoothly and I got it in two days. Can't complain. I've also had good service from TADgear on some Maxpedition pouches.

[bwaites]

LA PoliceGear hasn't answered my emails about whether they have the Jumbo in stock.


Bill

[Splusmer]

My Typhoon hasn't reached me yet

Anyone else gotten their hands on one? I tried visiting http://www.tacticalforums.com/ , where Maxpedition's Tim Tang often posts info, but I've not been able to get in there for several days (they seem to be down? I keep getting a message about not being authorized to view the pages).

[Malpaso]

LA PoliceGear hasn't answered my emails about whether they have the Jumbo in stock.


Bill

I got this about the "S"

In regards to your email, we do not have an ETA for the Maxpedition Jumbo S. When we do, we will contact you immediately. I apologize for any inconvenience. Your patience is greatly appreciated at La Police Gear.

[Splusmer]

I'm reposting this from what I just posted over at the Tactical Forums--I don't have it in me to type up a new version of the same thing!

*************

Whoo-hoo! Got my Typhoon in tonight. The lower "U" pocket has an organizer similar to that pictured for the black Falcon-II and Condor-II backpacks--instead of being all-black (and thus hard to see), it's got some khaki fabric for pockets. Against the outer part of the main pocket is a mesh pocket, and the inner part of the main pocket has a full-width pocket (in tan) with two half-width pockets attached to the front of that (my largish Garmin iQue 3600 fits in one, and my scientific calculator *just* fits in another). There are no pen "pockets" here, but that's okay by me. There is an internal clip ("keyper") which I'll probably use for a Swiss Army knife or something).

The smaller upper "U" pocket is just a plain empty pocket. The "electronic pocket" on the right side (as you look at the "front"--err, back--of the bag) would fit a large cell phone, although the zipper makes it inconvenient for quick access. I've put my Kestrel weather meter in there--fits perfectly. Above that is a sheath, very very, *very* sturdy--too narrow for a phone, but good for a knife or mag-lite.

And now... the mysterious main compartment is finally unveiled! It's mostly an empty compartment except that at the top of the front portion is a full-width zippered pocket (again in the tan material) that goes about 1/3rd the length of the compartment down. It is fronted by an open mesh pocket. This main compartment is easily big enough for 8.5x11 papers, magazines, even (probably) three ring binders, plus some books and stuff. The top of the compartment has the velcro pass-through for the water tube from the concealed carry/hydration bladder pocket (it's a massive piece of velcro work--I don't think it would leak much when closed, even in a heavy rain). The top portion of the Y compression strap does tend to flop down into the main compartment when it's open, but this is only a small irritation.

The concealed carry/hydration bladder pocket has a zipper that runs from about 2/3rds across the top down the right hand side. It doesn't open quite wide enough to make it easy to put in something the size of a magazine, but you could store books or such in here, no problem (although that would mean they're against your back). There are two generous vertical strips of "loop" velcro--not so much as to be in the way or to snag stuff, but plenty for their hook 'n' loop add-ons.


The main strap is nice and wide and well padded. I've just tried it on, but it seems to fit okay, although I've never used cross-body bags before. You can sling it over just one shoulder, but because of the design it only feels "right" on the left shoulder, not the right; it'll be interesting to see if Maxpedition makes an "S-Type" Typhoon (which may be better for right-handers!).

On me the waist belt barely fit across my belly--I'm too long-trunked to make this a real waist belt. It would be nice when biking, though, to keep the bag even tighter against my back. One nice feature on both shoulder strap and waist belt is a sliding loop to keep the "tail" of excess belt/strap material from flopping about.

I love MOLLE attachments, and the Typhoon sure supports them! I've got my M5 attached on the lower-left side, a cheap cell phone holder scavanged from another bag (I use it for my sun glass clip-ons) above that, and two of the (clones of the?) Spec-Ops brand pocket organizers on the shoulder strap. I'd like to replace/move one of these and put a holster for my scanner in their place, but I don't have a holster yet, nor do I have the MALICE clips necessary to try attaching my Proteus to the front of the lower "U" pocket (it does look like the Proteus would fit just perfectly across the back, although this might make the whole thing too awkward in carry).

One thing in my bag that I'm not sure is a feature or a flaw... if you look at the pictures of the back of the bag, you see a little D-ring dangling from a strap just below the bottom row of MOLLE/PALS webbing. The webbing strap this is on actually--in the pictures--runs all the way up behind the webbing and the Maxpedition logo (it forms part of the lower section of the Y compression strap). In my bag, though, this strap tail is flopping loose, and the D-ring is too wide to fit through the webbing points. This leaves it flapping lose--aain, a minor irritation, and maybe it's meant to be looped up and attached through the little snap/loop thingy just above the top part of the Y-strap (if not, what is that little snap and loop for?).

Just for kicks and grins, I tried hanging my Devil Dog from the lower compression straps. It worked, but looked goofy, of course, and loaded I suspect it would put too much stress on the straps.

Oh, cool! Just discovered two little bonus pockets I don't think we've heard about. One is at the lower end of the "vertical" portion of the shoulder strap--pretty tight, but you could put an ID card or some money in there. The second is in the "waist" part of the shoulder belt--it's just perfect for a wallet (albeit not overstuffed like mine). It closes with a snap loop over the top to hold the contents in.

Whew! That's a lot to cover. I'll try to get some pictures up, but probably not until Wednesday when my wife can help take some pictures. I'll take it to work tomorrow and see how it works. I'll be happy to answer any questions!

[diggdug13]

I just received my Jumbo fatboy yesterday and they really did listen to every single recommendation. the bag is twice the size of the fatboy the inside is great same little hidden pockets all over. the top zipper compartment is perfect for a first aid kit or cell phone. all round great bag, and I highly recommend it to anyone. the khaki one is awsome.

Doug

[Deanster]

I just got back from my trip, and was mightily pleased to see that our dealer order from Maxpedition had arrived while I was gone.

I've grabbed a black Typhoon for myself and took a good look at the Jumbo fatboy - I'll try to post some pics and initial reviews in the next couple days, though I've got a review of a Wenger rolling office and a watch already backed up....

The Typhoon is... very different from expectations. It looks like it'll be a very good bag for me, as I don't want to carry a full-on backpack like my Falcon, but the Fatboy and DevilDog's inability to handle paper-sized items has created some problems for me. The Typhoon is right in between these two in size, and looks like a winner. I'm a bit dissapointed that Maxpedition selected the lighter-weight zippers for this bag - they don't seem nearly as robust as the big ones on the Falcon. The Y-strap seems a bit overkill for a little bag like this - for the moment I've taken both the Y-strap and the waist strap off - I'll probably fiddle with 'em.

Splusmer - the D-ring on the vertical portion of the Y-strap doesn't seem to fit through the velcro-covered portion of the lower attachments, but it DOES fit in the one below that. Not quite sure why, but it's probably due to the added thickness of the fabric at this point. Run the flappy part under the logo, over the velcro section, then under the next one, and it lies very nicely.

I've only had a few minutes to fiddle with it, but it looks good - I'll need a bit to figure out how well my stuff fits in it.

The Jumbo looks outstanding for those who wanted a bigger Fatboy - great size and shape, the nalgene-bottle pouch is well-designed, etc. Doesn't look like it's quite right for my personal needs, but I imagine it will be a huge winner for a whole lot of people. I predict it'll be Maxpedition's most popular product.

[Splusmer]

You know, Deanster, I think something was bothering me about the zippers, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Now when I look at even my M5 I see that it has the heavier zippers. Just tried shoving my D-ring through, though, and while I can get it behind the logo, I'm still having trouble getting it through anything else--will have to try playing around with it.

[Splusmer]

Another thing I forgot to mention... I tried putting my partly-loaded Spec-Ops Brand PackRat in the hydration/concealed-carry pocket, but it really didn't work--I couldn't get the pocket zipped shut, and it was too bulky anyway. The S.O.B. pocket organizer would fit, but it would be too small (I've got two strapped on the outside anyway), but I think there's an intermediate-sized organizer from SOB that would fit just fine.

[Splusmer]

I guess we can't upload images with the new forum software, but the FAQ/Rules still say we're not supposed to hot-link to images on other sites, so I'll just post the link to my home page and let you find your way there--I finally put up some interior pocket pics and so forth (still need to post some with me wearing the Typhoon):

http://home.comcast.net/~splusmer (see the Gear Bags section).

[Solstice]

Nice pics Splusmer, thanks for posting the link! I too have the grab and go gearbag bug (I need to auction off some of the ones that didn't make the cut.) I always like to check out new items. The Maxpedition stuff seems like a bit of overkill for me though. I really prefer a simple, sleek design that is then built very tough. How does that Eddie Bauer sling hold up for you?

[John N]

the FAQ/Rules still say we're not supposed to hot-link to images on other sites, so I'll just post the link to my home page and let you find your way there--

It is fine for you to link to pictures you host. As I understand it, the rule is that you can't link pictures from some other site.

The idea is that their bandwith is used out of context, without permission and it eats up their bandwidth which has a cost.

If you link to your own pictures it is with your permission and it eats up your own bandwidth which is your problem.

BTW, thanks for posting the pictures.

-john

[Splusmer]

I really prefer a simple, sleek design that is then built very tough. How does that Eddie Bauer sling hold up for you?

The bag is simple and sleek, and perhaps the most "grabable" I have (it slings really nicely), but its construction isn't super tough (although I've not used it long enough to determine one way or the other). I stopped using it because it was a too small for me (*really* tight for anything 8.5"x11").

[m209]

The typhoon is too small but I love the design. I wish it was a regular backpack and larger in size.



http://nbox00.tripod.com

[Splusmer]

A regular backpack, larger size Typhoon would be basically a Falcon-II (except the Falcon-II doesn't have the integral pocket/holster on the side, so you'd have to add those via MOLLE attachments, and a Falcon-II adds an extra main compartment; otherwise it and the Typhoon are virtually identical).

Given what John N pointed out, here are the pictures I mentioned above (hosted on my own page):


The Maxpedition Devil Dog on the left, the Typhoon on the right (note that in all these pictures I've removed the Typhoon's Y compression strap and waist belt). I've added a Maxpedition M5 Waist Pack to the Typhoon's lower-left side, two small miscellanous holsters elsewhere, and two Spec-Ops Brand-style pocket organizers. I love MOLLE!


The Back of the Typhoon.


A "hidden pocket" on the lower portion of the shoulder strap.


Another "hidden pocket," this time on the upper portion of the shoulder strap.


The bottom of the Typhoon showing it's lower compression straps (I might try adding a Cocoon pouch here).


The hydration/concealed carry pocket (good for flat books, too). The circle highlights the pass-through to the main compartment, where you route the hydration tube up the top.


And here's the hydration tube port out of the main compartment.


The lower "U" pocket, with organizer pockets (sorry, my black calculator in case hides some details).


The upper "U" pocket, perfect for a Sony Playstation Portable!


The interior of the main compartment, including an enclosed zippered pocket and an open mesh pocket.


The right-side pocket and flashlight holster.


The contents of the bag and attachments spread out--note that there's still more room for stuff, and once I get an M1 Waist Pack and MALICE clips to add my Proteus I'll have even more space while still being pretty compact!

[Splusmer]

Okay, some pics of me actually wearing the bag.

Note that I'm 6'1" when I take a deep breath and I'm somewhere between 250 and 260 pounds (*sigh*). I'm still fiddling with the sling length--I think I need to tighten it up so the bag will ride a bit higher and snugger.



Seen from my front. See how high the add-on pocket is riding? There's actually another row of PALS webbing even higher up the shoulder strap, which is why I think I don't have the strap length right.



Here's how it sits when seen from the back.



And from the side...




I'll often just grab the main strap and sling it over my right shoulder as I walk out to my truck; obviously, this is pretty awkward! I think if I'd sling it over my left it would sit better, but it's just hard for a right-hander like me to do that.

[Deanster]

thanks for all the pics - good stuff. (I hadn't heard back from you on our e-mail exchange earlier in the week - I'll mail again to check in)

I'll second a couple of your points. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the shape and size of the Typhoon. It's exactly right for paper, some gear, and all the other things I carry around. I even like the single strap - as long as I don't have the bag overloaded, it's pretty comfortable and stable in most situations. I've added an M1 pouch on the strap attachment point right above the bag, and it fits like a charm there.

However, the bag is set up with the strap going from upper right to lower left, and that's where my problems begin. I've discovered that all my 'bag handling' habits are oriented to my right side - I pick bags up with my right hand, I tend to sling them over my right shoulder first.

When I take any bag in and out of the car, it sits on the passenger seat or in the back seat, in both cases where I pick up and put down with my right hand, and the bag goes in the car before me, and comes out behind me, all very natural and simple right handed, with the bag staying on my right, whether it's a backpack, Fatboy, Devildog, BOB, or whatever.

The Typhoon, on the other hand (pun intended) begs to be handled with the left hand. It rides very nicely on the left shoulder if you don't want to put it all the way cross-body. The preferred method of putting the bag on is to hold it in your left hand, and use the right to guide the strap over your head, or even just use your left hand only.

The only way to put the bag on with right hand only is to have it oriented just so, and make a somewhat awkward cross-body motion to sling it. It really doesn't ride at all correctly when slung over the right shoulder - it's flapping out away from your body, swinging out to the side.

After a week of EDCing the bag, I've started to put it down on my left side exclusively, and pick it up with my left hand, and it's perfect. A side benefit is that my right 'strong' hand is free for other things.

The only thing that I haven't a clue how to fix is getting in and out of the car - unless I move to the UK or Japan, the bag HAS to sit on my right-hand side, and it makes sense to put it on the passenger seat before I sit, and to pull it out behind me when I leave, all of which are right-hand activities. It's quite awkward passing the Typhoon from Left, where it wants to be, across my body to the right every time I want to sit down in the car, and back across to the left when I get out.

I'll admit to being a bit befuddled - it's the PERFECT bag for my EDC needs, if I can just figure out how to work with its amazing tendency to favor the sinister (left).

[Splusmer]

Deanster, you nailed it *exactly* --that's the same issue I have, and you put it into perfect words for me. All, you can see from that last shot I posted the problem Deanster's refering to--I sling the bag just on my right shoulder much of the time (quick dashes, not long carries), and it hangs funny. I'll try to get another picture up with it slung on the left shoulder; it sits almost as well as if I have it slung cross-wise like it's designed for. I've said it before--I'd love an "S-type"/leftie version of the bag, with it going from top-left to lower right, as then it would sit great if I did a one-shoulder sling on the right side.

(An aside for Deansert: I had gotten your e-mail but was thinking you were going to write more; I'll respond now.)

[CNTSTPDRMN]

Got my Fatboy Jumbo (black) today from Tadgear, they were kind enough to have Maxpedition drop ship it! I'm very pleased, had my other Fatboy for about 1.5 years and gave it to my co-worker today, I really like the water bottle holder--- there is tons of room in this thing!! lots of pockets, the quality is there, though I think there are some lighter weight materials used on parts of it (the drawstring pouch inside seems to be a thinner material, compared to my original , time will tell how it will hold up, the main compartment's fastener has a "open/Lock" switch on it, which is kind of cool, I like the key holder inside the secondary zipper compartment--- this bag looks even more useful than the original, I think it will do just fine--- nit picks aside, thanks Maxpedition, great design work!