This is a post that was lost during the update...
in it, I put in a few details about my trip and the packs... if the pics don't show, rightclick it and hit "show picture". Most of the time, it solves the problem.
as for better alternatives, I picked up a British Patrol Pack from Silverman's in London a little while back. it's simple, spacious and lightweight. My only complaint is that the cordura is rough on your clothes... however, it's the very nature of the fabric which makes it so much stronger than many other packs. Also, Forces makes some really nice packs and they're made in Scotland... and my all time favorite, the Alice pack. Replace the cord-lock and install sidesqueeze buckles and you're all set. It has an external frame which lets you pile tons of stuff, and it keeps some space between your back and the pack which allows your sweaty back to cool and dry off.
I was there last summer and outfitted a good camping trip with a lot of the Mag stuff. Firstly, I must say that the workmanship is first rate and I'd put it up against the best that Blackhawk and Eagle Industries can crank out. However, the equipment seemed to be designed by someone who never left his back yard.
The "Falcon pack" was the first pack I tested from them. The dimensions are relatively small, and well made, but reach-around access is impossible and when trekking through thick brush, had a tendency to pop up like a shark fin. The shoulder straps are connected to the bag in a convoluted "back and forth" pattern which added extra, albeit useless material, and if any part of the strap assembly would fail, made it pretty much useless. The Y strap on top of the pack is my most hated feature as it constanly got in the way of loading the pack, and since it ended in a V, gave no loading stability. Anything you strapped onto the pack via the top straps simply worked it's way down to where the straps meet and then tilted out of the way and onto the floor. Two seperate straps to two seperate connection points on the pack would be the better design, but we simply removed the straps and chucked them.
The zipper pulls are non existant and use a simple loop of paracord. You have no leverage to move the zippy thing, and if that wasn't enough, they kept on getting caught on stuff. We got past this by making little hangman's nooses with long turns and a very short noose.
On a good note, the back area was very well padded and fit my hydration unit very well.
As for the Condor pack, my complaints were essentially the same... the reach-around was better, and the non-detachable straps were okay (I would have preferred replaceable straps) but the issues with the zippers, and the y-straps haven't changed. The hydration pocket, however, was too large and held other items well, but my camelback kept on sliding into the horizontal position in that pocket.
The radio holder, although well made, has one specific drawback. The cord-lock that holds the retaining cord is installed backwards... this was done intentionally at the factory as I checked a whole bunch of them and they were all identical. What happens is that when you tugg on the radio, the cord loosens, and when you try to tighten the retaining cord, it locks up and won't let you. One can't argue that the design is for quick access to the radio as the cord is connected to a web strap and a side-squeeze buckle... it's a good way to lose your radio or GPS. dismantle the assembly and reverse the cord lock and you're on your way.
I don't want to sound like I'm giving the gear a "Thumbs down"... The gear is first rate in workmanship and material. It will most probably last you a lifetime under reasonable abuse. I'm trying to point out that it does have design issues.
I attribute these little issues to the fact that Taiwanese people don't camp the way westerners do. Their idea of camping is staying in a hotel near a park.
. Anyone else having a problem finding a retailer that has this stuff in stock 
