Shoulder bag recommendation?

comoha

comoha

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2006
Messages
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I am looking for a good shoulder bag for woods walking and to bring in the boat with my knives, phone,fire materials, first aid kit, etc.
OK, let's call it a man-purse. Lugging a backpack/daypack around really doesn't cut it because I seldom wear it. I just carry it as a bag.
A shoulder bag would be ideal.
Anyway, I would like to tap into folks opinions about what works best.
Thanks in advance.
 
I use an old "salt-n-pepper" Swiss gas mask bag. It has an adjustable strap, interior pockets and button closure. I sewed in additional pockets arounf the inside front for a bit more organzation. It also has a rear button strap that I sometimes use to keep it from swinging and banging when I am bushwhacking wile hunting. It is light and holds everything I need for a day out without being so large that I am tempted to keep packing in stuff just because I can.

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It is certainly no "Max-Ninja-Death-Assault" bag, but for South of $20.00 it gets the job done. I bought the first one at a local surplus store. When it wore out, I found the like-new replacement on that auction site.
 
I really like the flyweight line by North Face. A bit pricey, but incredibly light and very strong (made of high quality ripstop silnyl). Here are the two that I've got. The green one is the "map bag" (170g). The black one is the "shoulder bag" (155g).


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I've had a bunch of small field bags for toting cameras, binoculars and assorted outdoor gear. I like that they provide better accessability to gear than a daypack, are cooler when it is hot and more comfortable to wear when dressed for the cold. They also force me to be more of a minimalist, which is something that I struggle with. I like the organizational and load carrying features of the Maxpedition Fatboy, Jumbo and Colossus bags that I have but I don't particularly care for the aesthetics and thus am more drawn to the waxed canvas & leather materials like my Filson and Barbour field bags feature. One bag I have mostly been using lately on short hikes with my dog is a LL Bean Continental Field Bag which provides a nice compromise of a more traditional looking waxed canvas & leather exterior with nylon organizational pockets inside. It also has a exterior pouch with a cinch cord that is suitable for a small water bottle.
 
Want to go in style? Duluth or Frost River make a version of this bag. It's a shooters haversack and will hold a nalgene

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Surplus? Finnish Gas Mask Bag. Much bigger but does hold a water bottle.
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I have a Finnish gas mask bag as well. Good bag. Good value. I also have a Swiss shoulder bag I bought over 30 years ago and it is also a good bag. Don;t know if you can still find one of those or not. Just a basic haversack.

I bought a new Red Rock(I can't be for sure of the brand right now) shoulder bag with the one strap. It is OK but I never really warmed up to it. It is the one sold by Sportsman's Warehouse. Seems well constructed and has too many pockets to count, but I just haven't used it like I thought I would when I just had to have it. lol!
 
The surplus store I used to frequent also had assorted canvas "medic" bags and such like. Granted some are petty poorly made, but if you take a close look, you'll get a good handle on what is quality. I think sealine makes a shoulder bag as well if you are looking for water-proofness.
I've been really liking my maxped remora. I've added a small roly-poly for when I need to carry a larger waterbottle, but for the most part I just bungie a .5l platybag on the top or side. One thing I've found with shoulder bags, is it helps to keep them light, and switch shoulders periodically if you are carrying for a long time. Its very easy to get a lot of weight into the larger maxpeds. I managed to pack 7kg into my jumbo (couldn't carry it for long though, arm kept going numb!)

Those Duluth packs look very nice though. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to one of them.
 
I second the Finnish gas mask bag (got one for $5 at a gun show) or also a US military surplus map bag.
 
comoha said:
I am looking for a good shoulder bag for woods walking and to bring in the boat with my knives, phone,fire materials, first aid kit, etc.
OK, let's call it a man-purse. Lugging a backpack/daypack around really doesn't cut it because I seldom wear it. I just carry it as a bag.
A shoulder bag would be ideal.
Anyway, I would like to tap into folks opinions about what works best.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You can charge your portable electronics while on the go with this medium sized sling..
Powerbag Sling by ful
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I've been using this for about 3 months now and really like it.
 
I used to have a Maxpedition Versipack Jumbo that I really liked for woods walking, but then my wife started using it for a purse and won't give it back. I don't want it back, now that it turned into a purse, anyways.

Lately I've been wearing my Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon, because it's way more comfortable with two straps and definately isn't a purse. Also, being such a small pack, there's no temptation to overload it (doesnt' fit much more than lunch and a softshell or sweatshirt in the main section).
 
I like my Maxpedition Remora but I used one just like Codgers for years and they are hard to beat for pure value!

Bill
 
lmalterna said:
I like my Maxpedition Remora but I used one just like Codgers for years and they are hard to beat for pure value!

Bill
Click to expand...

Indeed! And I like the button closures because they are secure and silent. No "rip" of velcro or "pop" of snaps or "ziiiiip" of zippers. I added a shape cut piece of closed cell foam to the inside bottom of mine to stiffen the shape. The inside rear pocket hold a curved Coghlans hip flask perfectly. And the interior drawstring pouch holds snacks or small items like shooting "possibles" when I am muzzleloading. The pocket I added to the interior front works like a subdivided shirt pocket. It holds a pen or pencil, small map, hunting license and sometime various small calls. All of this still leaves the main compartment free to hold whatever. I someties add a pin-on ball compass to the top so I only have to glance down to read it for general directions on cloudy days. The shoulder strap is length adjustable so that I can carry it high or low depending on the situation. They don't come waterproof, but silicone spray works on them.

I am sure that many of the bags mentioned above would beat it for "cool factor", durability and possibly versitility. But not in bang-for-buck. They do make great loaners too for teaching a kid or friend to hunt or hike.
 
:)
I used to use a LBE for hiking/woodsbumming and this bag as a "possibles" bag during hunting or lunch box when working the farm. I got along just fine.... now I spend alot more money for "neat" stuff and organization! LOL! Not because I have to though.

These milsurp "messenger" style bags are really hard to beat for value and versatility.

Bill
 
Yeah, the "bling factor" is involved for sure. Back when I was working in the Patent firms, I did one for Bill Dance and as a part of my job I sat in on attorney/client conferences. I asked Bill if his new lure caught more fish. He laughed and said, no. Lures are not designed to catch fish. They are designed to catch fishermen. Fish have no money. ;)
 
I carry a utg tactical messenger bag It is a generic maxpedtion jumbo It isn't quite as heavily made as the original but is heavy enough to last I drag it every where for over 3 years now. Less than 30 bucks free shipping from the river
Roy
 
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