Daypack Replacement: Modern Possibles Bag?

XMP

XMP

Joined
Feb 9, 2007
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Yesterday I went on a nice 8 mile day hike. No matter how short of a hike or where I go I carry a day pack. I far prefer a day pack to a waist/fanny pack, but I have found that 80% of the time I end up with the pack only slung over one shoulder. (I do, however, alternate shoulders to prevent fatigue and low back muscle imbalances).

For that reason I've increasingly come to the conclusion that a shoulder bag, along the lines of the possibles bag that Mountain Men carried, would be the ideal way for me to carry what I bring with me on a day hike. (I think Ron Hood carries something like this in his videos, from what little I have seen) Unfortunately, I can't find something that is exactly what I want.

Ideally, it would have room for a fleece or jacket, gloves, hat, first aid kit, psk, and trail food. On the outside it would have at least one (if not two) nalgene water bottle holders, and a way to attach a few other things (most important is a medium-large fixed blade knife).

The Maxpedition jumbo versipack is the closest thing to what I'm thinking about. But I'm not sure it is quite big enough, and it is intended specifically for either left or right side carry, but not both. Their tactical operator attache looks bigger, but seems more urban in its intention and since it is padded I wonder whether it would hang naturally for wilderness carrry.

So does anyone have any suggestions? Does anyone carry their gear in this fashion?
 
So, are you looking for something like a rectangular bike messenger's bag? I have seen some pretty decentbike messenger bags in my Internet travels. I suppose the Maxpedition Gearslinger is too big and favors one shoulder one, right?

I have a jumbo Versipack. It's fine for small loads. I found it uncomfortable when overloaded one a day hike. I much prefer a daypack backpack, too, but prefer to keep the load on both shoulders all the time. pack is secure, hands are free, and I can balance better that way.
 
I used to, but I got tired of having it over one arm, and switched to a Backpack. The one I have is from Targus, its well made, has lots of padding and holds a BK7 in the front ;)
 
When I was looking for a fanny pack for steelheading 2 days ago, I saw a decent size shoulder bag with hydration pouch. Looks about the right size for your needs, might want to check out your local stores (fishing, hunting, hiking etc), they might just have what you need.
 
I've actually been searching for that perfect modern possibles bag for a couple of years. My wife got me a shoulder bag from www.manbag.com but even that is not right for woodswalking (it's great for work, though). I've been working on a concept for something I've come to call a banana bandolier that's vaguely shaped like a lopsided banana. There's no strap because one end of the bag just clips to the other end, maximizing storage. Because of the lopsidedness, it doesn't hang at waist level but diagonally across the back. It probably sounds goofy (and once I've put one together, it'll probably look goofy, too) but I saw alot of Thai villagers using a bag sort of like this and then saw something similar in Guatemala. Does anybody understand what the hell I'm babbling about?
 
I have a couple of thoughts. First how about military surplus? I picked up a gas mask bag that has a devider that is just the right size for a water bottle. I use it for rock hounding and it works pretty good. I also made a bag out of leather a few years ago. That might work for ya.
 
i have been trying to figure out this same problem. i love the functionality and the accesability that you get with a single shoulder bag, but i don't like that it is difficult to carry large loads.

my solution is to increase my skill set and lighten my load. i am down to basically food, water and a med kit (along with a couple of knives and other oddes and ends in my pockets etc)

when it rains i just get wet. i will be home in a couple of hours anyways. or if it is extrememly wet i carry a silnylon poncho tarp. i have been considering adding a mini hatchet/small tomahawk.

keep things light and small and few and you will have no problem using almost any bag that you have access to. after that, it is pretty much asthetics.

oh and i carry less water with a small dropper of bleach so i can purify water as i hike. i just drain my water when i see a stream ahead and i grab some more. at any given time i have no more than about a liter.

naturally your needs may be different depending on your area and habits. i live in the northeast US where there are alot of streams. if you lived in the desert you would need to carry more water.

on my first day hike i carried a heavy canvas shoulder bag that was built for looks and hard wear-ability than light weight. i carried a gallon of water, a heavy pvc raincoat, a tiny fanny pack with things like a med kit. the shoulder bag was way too heavy. by the end of the eight mile hike it felt like it weighed at least twenty pounds...but i don't think that it actually did. i had a bruise on my shoulder for a couple of days after the hike. single shoulder bags are not built to handle heavy loads, but to handle light loads to allow you comfort and mobility. it is a reminder to leave the heavy extras at home.

i have since tried putting together a bare essentials bag made from denim, but it failed. too floppy.

i think that someday i would like to make something with heavy duty canvas and maybe leather, or just one or the other.
 
I have a Mountainsmith shoulder bag that I picked up at a thrift store. It had a waist strap, two bottle holders and lots of space. It must be about two feet wide and tall with two compartments inside and a zippered area on the front where they intended a CD player to go I imagine. I have used it for an overnight bag on airlines before and it can hold quite a bit of stuff.

However it doesn't look like they make it anymore but some stores might still have it.

Chad
 
The simultaneous evolution of thoughts is an amazing thing. I am writing a series of articles on Maxpedition Gear for my website. The Maxpedition Versipacks always struck me as exactly that - a modern day Possibles Bag.
 
If you find a good size lumbar pack, they often have a shoulder strap. It does what you want. Just fold up the waist straps and use the shoulder strap.
 
Don Rearic said:
The simultaneous evolution of thoughts is an amazing thing. I am writing a series of articles on Maxpedition Gear for my website. The Maxpedition Versipacks always struck me as exactly that - a modern day Possibles Bag.
Click to expand...

Please post a link when you do. Also, if you could specifically address two things: capacity (what typical dayhiking stuff would it hold) and how does it work bilaterally (does the right handed one work on the left well or is it totally awkward).

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, I am looking into many of them. A messenger bag with MOLLE attachments and a bottle holder would be ideal. I just don't think there is such a thing. Maybe I'll have to breakout my Jedediah Smith Mountain Man skills and make one out of leather, as someone suggested:D .

BTW does anyone know what Ron Hood uses? (I've only seen still photos of him with some sort of leather shoulder bag).
 
I went through several shoulder/messenger bags for commuting and this is what I found:

  • Open top bags-- those with flaps but no zipper-- are easy to access, but less secure and small items can get lost.
  • Big bags with one compartment become black holes that my stuff would dissapear into.
  • Bags that are large enough to hold a fleece or rain jacket become too heavy to haul for a distance. They work fine for a few blocks to the bus stop, but leave you off balance for too long if hiking.
  • Small bags are great organizers and perfect for a PSK, but leave little room for much food or water and no room at all for clothing. The Eagle Creek Vagabond is a good small essentials bag.
  • Timbuk2 bags are bomb-proof if you want to go with the messenger style.
  • The Israeli Paratrooper bag makes a good man-purse. I found an authentic one in a thrift store, but I don't know where to get the real thing now. There are some Chinese knock-offs that go for about $20. The design is good, but still the open-top/flap style. The smaller Timbuk2 bags are pretty much the same thing for a medium-sized bag with a flap.
  • The Lands End canvas attache is a great shoulder bag, with lots of internal organization and zips shut. It is bomb proof and reasonable cost. I've used them for tool bags. Still no external water bottle pockets. They are a perfect carry-on/ovenight travel bag. Their Business Attache is basically the same animal in nylon.
  • Domke makes camera bags, messenger bags, and satchels in canvas and ballistic nylon. They are used by working journalists all over the world. The camera bags might look too bulky, but they wrap around your hip when full of gear and aren't as fat as they look in use and make excellent BOB's. The F804 Super Satchel and F803 Camera Satchel are probably more what you had in mind.
  • The Patagonia Half Mass Bag is the best blend I've seen in keeping items secure, modern materials and two outside pockets to keep water bottles away from electronics inside the bag.

I recommend a good hydration pack with some cargo carrying capacity. As you found, you can carry a backpack on one shoulder or both. For best ergonomics and sheer weight carrying ability, backpacks win over shoulder bags. Shoulder bags are excellent for travel and you don't wipe your luggage across the faces of people jammed behind you as a backpack will.

Check these out:

  • Ultimate Direction Zoom
  • Salomon Raid Revo 30 pack. Check out the Raid Revo 20 and 15 models too. These are the lightest hydration packs I've seen. The 30 is 26oz and the 15 gets down to just 8oz.
  • Camelback Havoc. This style is my personal preference for a day-hiking and minimalist BOB. You get water storage, zippered, secure cargo space, and a flap on the back for stuffing some extra clothing, stowing wet rain grear, climbing rope, snow shovel, etc. IMHO, the models with a flap allow for a smaller lighter pack that can haul more if you need to. Add a waterproof silnylon stuff sack to use in the outer flap and you can use that extra space in any weather. I use a discontinued Platypus Mega that is very close to this Camelbak design. There are dozens of different makes and models, so you can find the capacity and price that suits you. I like Platypus bladders for their weight, simplicity and cost. Camelbak is the 800 pound gorilla in this market.
 
Check out the Kathmandu Cosmopolis. It's a 20 litre capacity shoulder bag and the quality and attention to detail make it one of the best.
 
I'll stick with a daypack. With my camera, lens, wool sweater, rain poncho, water, and Ten Essentials I've yet to find any other bag style that's comfortable and large enough. Also, I wouldn't want to hike very far without sternum and waist straps. In Minnesota though you probably don't have to worry about mid-summer hail storms and plunging temperatures at 10,000 elevation... :)

For running errands around town or having a bag for quick car-hopping trips, I really like my nylon Field Bag from Duluth Trading Company. Seems like it's no longer available, but it's vaguely similar to the Vagabond bag mentioned above.

-Bob
 
I forgot to mention the Patagonia Lightweight Travel Courier. It is an ultralight and minimalist shoulder bag. It is self-stowing and just 7oz. It is made from silnylon, so I wouldn't put it on the bomb-proof list. 1400 cubic inches/23 liter capacity, so about the same size as a smallish day pack. Perfect for essentials, snack and a fleece.
 
Big bags with one compartment become black holes that my stuff would dissapear into.
Click to expand...

You could sew velcro or even molle staps on the inside of any of the large shoulder bag then put the 5.11 style cases (that have the velcro backing) or molle pouches in there. You could avoid the "one big bag problem" but not have a bag that looks tactical to the sheeple.
 
Hey Guys..

I use a Maxpedition "Fatboy",, want a Fatboy Jumbo and I also use a Marmot "Walk About" lumbar pack..

Awesome gear bags for day hikes..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
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