Maxpedition Mongo Versipack

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.

Everything about this is better than I hoped for. Heavy stitching. Solid seams. Big chunky buckles and zipper pulls. Smooth zippers. Main pocket is huge. Easily fit a 15 inch laptop and then some. Outer pockets are smaller and slimmer but have molle or elastic loops or dividers. Bottle holder is perfect diameter for a 1 liter nalgene bottle. The bottle retention strap is adjustable so you can put taller bottles in but the diameter is pretty fixed. Concealed carry pocket is nice but not very friendly towards full size autos. Especially if you have spare mags. The attachment method for the holsters and mag sleeves is velcro. Of course the maxpedition brand stuff fits in perfectly but if you don't want to spend the money for the brand name you can shop around for something. The bag has the loop part of hook and loop if that helps. I used to carry a red Rock generic backpack. This bag holds more, is more organized, and is smaller than the red Rock. I have it set up to fit a full size auto plus two mags, a decent trauma kit, and a days worth of food and drinks. If you don't want a monster bag I suggest stepping down to a maxpedition fatboy or jumbo sling bag. The quality is just as great with a more manageable size.

UPDATE - 8/5/19 Still going strong as my everyday carry bag. I cracked one of the “arms” off the main flap buckle about a year ago by banging it into a doorway, but the bag still buckles closed just fine with the single buckle arm. I am thinking of buying a new Mongo and retiring this one to be my range bag, but I think I really just want another one because they are great. I am disappointed to see that Maxpedition has seemed to sort of “stray from their roots” in recent years, offering the Versipacks in fewer colors, and also discontinuing some of their “legacy” accessory pouches. They appear to be focusing more on “urban tactical” stuff now, with less emphasis on the rugged, functional bags that made their reputation. Even so, I’m happy to see that the Jumbo and Mongo Versipacks are still around. They really are the best bags ever made, as far as I’m concerned. UPDATE - 3/28/17: I have now carried my Mongo versipack every day for over 2 years, for work and personal use, and it has held up wonderfully. The only wear to speak of is that the stitching on the grab handle has torn ever so slightly. However, I don't fault the bag for this, but rather a day when one of my kids picked it up carelessly. Despite the subtle tear, I continue to use the grab handle daily with no issues, and no further tearing under the weight of daily use. I really can't say enough good about this bag. Over the last few years, I have occasionally had the inclination to browse around the web and see if there's anything else out there I'd like to try. But after looking around and trying some things out, I continue to conclude that this is the best bag out there for me. The build quality is great, and all the features of the bag are very well thought out. If this thing were to break down tomorrow, I think I'd just buy another one. But as it stands, it seems that I should be able to get another few years out of this one. I have not weighed my daily load, but to give you and idea, I carry a 13.3" laptop in a sleeve in the main compartment. In the concealed carry compartment, I usually keep a heavy book and some cables. In the front zipper pocket, I keep a heftily-loaded Maxpedition "Mini" Pocket Organizer, a wireless mouse, and a USB accessory organizer. In the side zipper pocket, I keep a full sized Leatherman. Accessible also in one of the open side pockets is a mid-sized flashlight. In the large "flap" zipper pocket, I keep misc. items like gum, Altoids tin with bandaids, wireless hotspot, USB chargers. Finally, in the top zipper pocket, I keep a few medicines, a smaller Leatherman, and a tin with earbuds. With all of this, I expect I am somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 pounds or so. ORIGINAL REVIEW - 2/2015: I have used the Jumbo Versipack for about a year now, and wanted something slightly larger with more carrying space -- specifically to fit my 14" work laptop and 10" tablet. This thing is perfect. My longtime search for the perfect messenger bag is finally over.

I love this bag. So much so, I've purchased a second. One exclusively for work, and the other used as an EDC lite-bug out. The material is great, tough and sturdy. Enough pockets for whatever it is you want to tote (i.e. conceal) "wink-wink". It's also very versatile and NON cumbersome, meaning it's not clumsy or awkward in appearance or to carry. Like many other packs, satchels or slings, they are either too small, thin material, uncomfortable, not enough pockets or they are inconveniently placed. Not this bag. This is just the right size for pretty much all I need and use. Anything larger, it wouldn't carry well. On the left side, hold a Nalgene water bottle, thermos? The other side clamshell-like pocket can fit the Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer (Black) just perfectly, adding an additional organized system for this bag. Also, I use the cell phone pouch that's just above the clamshell pocket on the top-right side to fit a small Kaito KA200 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Black .

All I can say is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this bag. I almost bought one of the smaller Versipacks, but I'm glad I got this one. One of my major concerns was that I hadn't actually held this in my hands, I was buying off the internet. I didn't actually know how big it would be and what I could fit inside. You should always buy the bag to fit the stuff you want inside it (not the other way around). It turns out that I got lucky and this was the right size. I can fit a full size 15" Macbook Pro in (just barely, and without closing the pulls at the top)!!! My EDC goes into this bag. I have my organizers, I have my first aid kit in the top pocket, and I have my 40 oz hydroflask in the water container holder. Everything I need will fit inside. One thing that doesn't really fit (with all my other gear) inside is extra cloths (like a wind breaker). But that's something that could easily be rigged up with velcro loops and the molly straps. The quality is fantastic. The 1000 denier nylon is perfect! It's tough, fairly stiff, and pretty dirt resistant (wish my truck was!!). I'm impressed by the attention to detail and quality. Glad to see there are still companies out there that care. One other thing that I wanted to mention: I attached carabiners to the zipper pulls for the important pockets. The pulls are fine, but since they are black, as it the bag, and the zippers, and everything else, they are sometimes hard to find, especially if you're in a hurry. Adding the carabiners and having a system for which side the zippers should be on solved that problem. Also, using carabiners of different colors and sizes helps a lot. You get used to the color coding, and attache the bigger carabiners to the zips that you use most. Highly recommended.

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.

All in all this bag is fantastic! Right now I'm using it as my EDC and it's great. What I don't love about it: It's a bit bigger than what I am used to carrying with me all the time so I may get a Jumbo for EDC and use this for other purposes. It holds a ton of stuff which is great but it actually can make it pretty heavy for carrying on one shoulder when it's full. There are two different clips that could be used for keys - one up by the strap and one in one of the inner pockets; I don't really care for either location. On the outside one the keys jingle a lot and make a lot of noise and the inside one is too awkward to get to easily. It really needs a handle at the top of the bag - I think I'll go ahead and get some black webbing and sew one on. Otherwise, the bag is excellently made, had tons of storage space and pockets for organization. There is also lots of velcro for attaching accessories. I currently have the universal pistol holster, which works great to keep a full size hand gun safe and in place in the CCW pocket (I've got a Beretta PX4 and it fits perfectly). I also have the 3 slot magazine holder, which is hugely versatile for holding lots of other things as well and organizing the bag even further, and the EDC pouch which holds a ton of stuff as well. Basically, Maxpedition products are the best! They are very well thought-out and are of the highest quality. I highly recommend all of their products and if you're looking for something very versatile that is just slightly smaller than a full-size messenger bag, this is a superb choice.

This sucker is BIG in comparison to its earlier Versipack siblings in the Maxpedition product lineup. They've taken the Versipack concept first started with the Fatboy and Jumbo lines and moved it beyond the tactical and outdoor uses that the earlier designs were best suited for and created the Mongo that I ironically think works better for more common everyday carry bag uses than for backcountry purposes. Most of the pieces that made the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack such an excellent messenger/CCW bag are present and accounted for with the Mongo, but in greater size and in some cases, with notable improvements. Moreover, there have been some additions that have greatly enhanced on the earlier designs and allow Maxpedition to market this design as truly a legit all-purpose carryall. Whereas the Jumbo would be hard pressed to be able to handle any computing device larger than a Texas Instruments TI-89 calculator, the Mongo can easily swallow a netbook or iPad, and can even handle a smaller-form laptop with room to spare. Dimensionally the one direction that the Mongo clearly gains from that of the Jumbo is in its length; eyeballing the bag, it's probably 33% longer than the older design. The Mongo is taller also, gaining about an inch and a half or so in height. And overall thickness has increased as well, perhaps by as much as two inches, though don't hold me or my eyeballs to that; it really does seem to depend upon how the bag is geared up. The Mongo I received reverts back to the heavier nylon fabric used on earlier Jumbo Versipacks rather than the thinner more pliable fabric that some of later Jumbos were manufactured with. The fabric is treated with Teflon, which should add even more durability and lifespan. The construction quality is as good as it's ever been, with apparent stout stitching and heavy webbing. I say 'apparent' because I've only had my Mongo for a few days and so far don't really have enough real world use (and wear) to form a concrete opinion with. But given the perceived quality of the various parts and bits, I'd say that its a safe bet to say that the Mongo will be just as durable as any prior Versipack product. As with other Maxped products all zipper pulls are made up of durable, silent paracord. The Mongo greatly expands the size of the Jumbo's various compartments to form the basis of the new design. Starting from what is probably considered the most important compartment, the CCW pocket is greatly enlarged from the Jumbo and is now roomy enough that it should easily handle any full-sized sidearm. Access is via a double-pull zipper, and the resultant improvement in functionality can't be understated. Now you can set up the pulls so that you can use both hands to draw a gun in an emergency, whereas you couldn't do that with the Jumbo's single pull CCW compartment unless you carried the bag reverse-handed. In terms of room, my Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Pro fits comfortably within its confines, even with its pistol scope mounted over its slide. In fact the compartment is now big enough that I can actually carry two pistols in tandem, particularly handy when using the Mongo as a range bag. Another big improvement in this compartment is with the more generous use of loop lining on both sides of the pocket to better accommodate Maxped's lineup of hook-equipped accessories, such as their universal holster and spare magazine holder . On the exterior, the compartment adjacent to the CCW pocket is the classic Jumbo zippered top storage bin, only now almost twice the capacity of the original and with double pull access. Inside elastic webbing is provided on one side to keep miscellaneous stuff such as small tools like hex wrenches or supplies in place. On the opposite side is a zippered mesh pouch that provides for a separated storage capability. On the outside Maxpedition provides a generously large loop field so that additional items can be 'velcroed' to this pouch on top. Beyond this pouch and down the Mongo's main compartment's protective flap is another strip of loop material to velcro items to, and just underneath that is another zippered pouch, configured similarly to that of the Jumbo but again much larger. This compartment works well for flat objects or paperwork, such as travel documents or perhaps maps and charts. Underneath the main protective flap are other additions as well as carryovers from the Jumbo. Next to the CCW pocket is the main storage compartment, now sized such that it that can be used for larger flat objects such as the previously mentioned netbook computer, smaller laptop or tablet device like the iPad that the Jumbo never had a hope of carrying. For other uses it can handle a digital SLR camera, although it would be best if the lens was detached during storage. The main compartment in the Mongo width-wise surprisingly at first glance doesn't seem that much thicker than it is in the Jumbo despite the overall increase in the bag's thickness. But looks can be deceiving, since the compartment can swallow all sorts of larger gear like full-sized binoculars, and still provide enough room for other necessary items for use on a day hike. Try doing that with the Jumbo. The increase in size now means that the Mongo can even serve as a legitimate range bag, since there's now adequate space for accommodating eye gear and over-ears hearing protection as well as room for extra ammunition and other accessories like cleaning gear, something that the smaller Jumbo would be hard pressed if not impossible to handle. Like on the Jumbo a side pocket is retained within the main compartment, and for sealing things up the main compartment is closed by paracord sewn into a soft nylon fabric top rim with a locking slider cinch made of plastic. Next over is a new zippered pouch that didn't exist on the Jumbo. It's best suited for flatter items much like the one built into the protective flap of the bag, but there's a bit more depth to the width of this pocket so someone isn't limited to just using it for carrying flat items. It does seem to be a good spot for more valuable documents that you might not want quite so exposed as they might be when using the pouch on the protective flap. Or for one of these ...and within its own case (works and fits great). Beyond that is an open pocket for additional flat or minimal width items; one side of which is lined with more Velcro-type loop material for secure fastening. This could be an ideal location for storing hand tools for quick access, if one doesn't mind adhering a bit of sticky-back hook strips to them. On the outside of this pocket, Maxped sews on a strip of 3/4" webbing, presumably to allow for additional items to be hooked on and still have some protection from the elements since they'd be somewhat covered by the bag's main flap. The main flap itself is fastened in place by a generously sized plastic slide buckle much like it is on the Jumbo. Underneath the Mongo's main compartment--and the bag's underbelly, as it were--is sewn on another length of 3/4" webbing. You could hang additional items like a tripod, telescoping rifle legs or an added gear bag to it or just use it as a gatherer for a tightly folded tarp or other sheetlike material. To the front of the main body of the Mongo is a slit pocket and double pull zippered storage pouch just like the configuration on the Jumbo, only larger...personally my favorite spot to park my preferred flashlight . PALS/Molle webbing is sewn onto the exterior ballistic nylon of the pouch. To the rear of the main body is the water pouch, just like the one on the Jumbo. To the side of that is vertical slit pocket, to be used as storage for the buckled waist 'belt' if the bag's owner decides not to use the strap. On the shoulder strap is another addition (and deletion); at the front leg of the strap Maxpedition has deleted the PALS webbing of the Jumbo and added a padded, elastic-sided pouch as a stow point for portable electronics, such as an MP3 player or cellphone. My Zune HD fits perfectly, and I suspect that more than one of the iPhone designs will do just as well. Even my rather thick and porky T-Mobile G1 in its rubberized snap-on case fits. A sewn on buckle on webbing can be used to keep such valuables firmly in place. The rest of the shoulder strap is pretty much standard Versipack fare; the comfortable, adjustable position shoulder strap along with PALS/Molle webbing on the slip pocket of the rear strap anchor point with the rather silly and unnecessary (in my mind) HK-style snap hook all carry over from the Jumbo. Nitpicks: one deletion from the Jumbo that I will miss is the carry handle that was sewn on between the shoulder strap anchor points on later Jumbo Versipak variations. It was only a 3/4" wide strip of webbing, but it WAS a nice feature that came in handy (no pun intended) for carrying the bag by hand, as opposed to doing it via the shoulder strap. Also the zippered pouch at the front of the Mongo suffers in usability from the stiff ballistic nylon in place. The double zipper pulls--especially the one closest to my person--are a BEAR to operate when the pouch is even partially empty, simply because the hard fabric creases and folds into itself rather than keeping the pouch's full shape and this adversely impacts the zipper's ability to run the pulls smoothly. Flaws: THE one key design flaw I see with the Mongo is the design of the bottom of the main compartment; there's really not enough padding to provide adequate protection for sensitive equipment and gear; set this bag down carelessly on a hard floor or surface and an instant grimace will come to your face at the loud THUNK that just occurred. Considering the size gains that the Mongo brings to the table that makes this Versipack work for many other uses beyond just concealed carry, this seems like a major oversight on Maxpedition's part. It's certainly NOT good if your planning on using the Mongo for carrying around electronics. For me I've used a stopgap layer of foam padding to provide better cushioning and protection for my netbook or laptop, as well as for my camera gear when and if I decide to use the Mongo for that purpose. Even if you decide to use the Mongo just as a gun tote, you'd probably benefit from having added padding on the floor of that main storage compartment to keep your gear from banging around. Initially all I had on hand was some leftover 2" thick upholstery foam, which when inserted pretty much negates any height gains of the Mongo over the Jumbo. It'll do for the short term, but a trip to the upholstery store is needed to find some thinner material to recapture some of that lost clearance. The other gripe I have about the Mongo is with its price; at the time of this review it's over 50% more to step up to the Mongo from the usual RETAIL price of the Jumbo Versipack. And considering that older-style Jumbos have been discounted of late, particularly online (there are new versions of the Jumbo line coming, if not already on the market now), the price of entry really seems awfully steep. I bought a black Mongo anyways, simply because I like the Versipack concept as a whole and I really did want the ability to carry a laptop in one. But it was still a purchase that I didn't do lightly, and as other nylon colors become more widely available I seriously doubt that an OD Green version will go into my inventory of gear bags (like I did with the Jumbo). From a functional standpoint it's a bag that I heartily recommend, even though it's lacking in a couple of areas. The greater capacity opens up the Mongo to a multitude of uses that the smaller Jumbo and Fatboy just couldn't handle. All that being said, you'll have to decide if the price premium is worth the value it gives. I can say (a guarded) yes for myself, but I certainly wouldn't be bold enough to declare the same for anyone else. (UPDATE: I've noticed that there's at least one retailer here on Amazon who's dropped the price of the Mongo, to the point that makes it much more palatable on the wallet...and me a bit angry--as usual--at having been an early adopter.)

Been using jumbo for over 8 years. Now switched to mongo. Simply the best slingbag.

Top-Verarbeitung und ein gefälliger Farbton. Und das wichtigste: Ich habe eine mit Handschlaufe bekommen! Achtet in Eurem Interesse darauf: Es werden neuerdings immer wieder Versipacks ohne Handschlaufe ausgeliefert, die die Mobilität meiner Ansicht nach erheblich einschränken aber offenbar auch von Maxpedition kommen und keine Plagiate sind. Keine Ahnung warum Maxpedition an diesem 2-EUR-Artikel spart...

Il prodotto ha un costo elevato, inutile nasconderlo... però... è robustissimo, da la sensazione di essere eterno! L'ho comprato per togliermi uno sfilo ma ora non posso farne a meno, specialmente nelle lunghe pattuglie notturne, dove il cinturone diventa fastidiosissimo durante la guida, si può tranquillamente deporre la propria arma da fianco all'interno dell'enorme tasca posteriore dove si può riporre una fondina con attacco a velcro, ancor meglio se in polimero.... l'estrazione risulterà veloce e naturale... Ha tantissime tasche e si può organizzare tutto il materiale nel migliore dei modi, i fastex sono enormi e robustissimi, le cerniere resistentissime e fornite di paracord, i pads sulla bretella e sul retro della borsa aiutano a sentir meno il peso ed in caso di carichi elevati c'è la cintura per assicurare la borsa anche intorno alla vita ed alleggerire il peso che grava sulle spalle... a mio avviso un must have per tutti gli operatori di pubblica sicurezza che passano diverse ore all'esterno, a mio avviso sono soldi ben spesi.... L'unica pecca è che ad un prezzo del genere ci si aspetta un made in u.s.a. piuttosto che un made in Taiwan.... ma ad ogni modo la qualità e la robustezza non è da mettere in discussione, almeno per ora!

Sin duda una de las mejores mochilas que puedes comprar!! La calidad es exactamente lo que esperas de la marca, el espacio interior es increíble, en algún Review leí que es la bolsa de mery poppins hecha para hombres y la verdad no sé equivocan. Tes una mochila tan bien pensada que por eso tiene más de 10 años sin cambiar su diseño. PROS. 95% de las cosas que puedo decir de la mochila son cosas buenas. CONS. Es tanto el espacio del cierre dónde aparece el logotipo de la marca (donde pongo yo mi cartera y monedero) que cuando abres el compartimento principal, la carrera se va para atrás y cuando buscas la carrera piensas que la perdiste ya que se queda atrás en la parte superior de la bolsa, para que se den idea, cabe una playera XL, sin que notes que está ahí. El otro contra es que me gustaría que tuviera al menos una pequeña sección de molle al frente y no solo Velcro.

Marca de calidad Indiscutible y muy funcional. Me siento encantado con ella. Próximamente compraré más productos de la misma marca.