Maxpedition Falcon-II - Long and Pic Heavy!

[LUW]

When joeshredd talked about his arm swing he got me thinking, so I went over (again!) Maxeped's specs for the Falcon II and Condor II. They look pretty much equivalent, specially in size, but with one difference that I think is very important: the Falcon II is narrower then the Condor II. With that, for those who won't use a bladder then I guess the best pack would be the Falcon, because you can add side pouches for water bottles and the pack won't get too wide. I think that a Condor II with side pouches would be cumbersome to haul around specially in urban environments.

On the other hand, if you plan on using a bladder, maybe the best would be to get a Condor II. Since it's wider, I think it will better distribute weight around then the "tall and narrow" Falcon II. From the pics on Maxped it looks to be compressable, maybe you can't make a pancake out of it like you can with the Falcon II, but I think you can compress it enough when it's half empty.

I also think that the best way to carry gear in a bag or pack is to compartmentalize your gear in small bags or pouches, because it's easier to add and remove gear that won't be necessary. So I wouldn't need the pack to have many pockets to store my gear. I also intend to use the backpack with a water bladder, since I think it's easier to carry two to three liters of water close to my back, and the weight will always be close to my center of gravity.

Taking into consideration all that, I think that maybe for me a Condor II would be a better option then the Falcon II to use as a general purpose backpack or even a BOB. What do you guys think?

 

[Mistwalker]

They definitely do put out great stuff Brian :thumbup:. Especially for "everything in it's place" freaks like me. Even though I've moved more towards modular containers, I still love nifty pockets and compartments . Fonly has this pack now, would love to see what he's done with it . One of these days I'm going to do a review of my Pygmy, since it's geared towards urban survival as my EDC commute pack.

It's sort of funny, looking back on your gear chase and seeing your progression or oscillation. Just a little while ago, I was regretting selling this pack. I ended up with a Camelbak mil HAWG, but I had seriously considered buying another Falcon-II. Sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone . Even looking back at my kits and bat-belt...man, a lot has changed

Seeing as you already have a Sitka, I think you'll be pleased with a Falcon or Pygmy for the longer woods trips :thumbup: Thanks for stopping by, Brian!

Yeah, that was the main problem I had with my other packs...nowhere near enough compartmentalization and some things were always buried under other things...I had to prioritize too much. I like the Sitka much better and the single shoulder strap is great in an urban environment. I've worn it for hours each way with no complaints.

Yeah, we all go through progressions and changes, but don't it suck when you get rid of something only to see it in a different light later and end up buying it again at a higher price? I hate it when I do that

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[HikingMano]

[...]
Taking into consideration all that, I think that maybe for me a Condor II would be a better option then the Falcon II to use as a general purpose backpack or even a BOB. What do you guys think?

I had to decide between the Falcon and Condor as well. For me, the 2nd separate, slightly smaller, main compartment in the Falcon was appealing for the reasons I laid out earlier (using it as a FAK/PSK pocket only, for things that I don't take out often). But for you, it sounds like the Condor may be a better choice if you don’t intend on carrying bottles on the pack sides and if you organize gear in stand-alone pouches or containers. From the specs, the Condor should actually have a little more capacity too (28% over Falcon).

Ultimately, I think it might come down to whether you want one large main compartment, or two smaller ones, and whether or not you want to carry bottles on the sides of the pack.

[...] Yeah, we all go through progressions and changes, but don't it suck when you get rid of something only to see it in a different light later and end up buying it again at a higher price? I hate it when I do that

Yup, it does. That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to buy the Falcon-II all over again .