I recently acquired a Maxpedition Monsoon and love it. I have been using it as my EDC for about a week and like the way it wears. I keep it loaded full of stuff I use regularly with a bit of emergency stuff added to it. I ran from the office to my house (about 2.5 miles) over a steep foothill, and with the waist strap fastened, it was quite comfortable too. I don't plan on making it my regualr running pack, but it will do in a pinch like when I feel like getting an extra run in and it is all I have with me.

Excuse the down and dirty pics.



Oakley sunglasses holder, flashlight, pouch for audio recorder and umbrella.


Some light sticks and a stain pen. In the back pocket I have some papers and other randomness.


I forgot to put the gym gear shorts and such in this morning since they were in the laundry, but you can see the rest of the goodies like 1lb beef jerky, 2lb dried fruits and nuts (I make my own mix), space blanket bivy, small first aid, etc etc.


The strap has a Condor phone pouch and the side pocket holds passport and other important things.


I plan to get a larger Maxpedition General Purpose pouch to replace the outer audio recorder pouch and a Volta battery case for the outside of the waist band pocket. I also plan to pack a Glock in the hydration/CCW slot. I carry a leatherman in my pocket here in Germany so there isn't any fixed blades on the pack for legal reasons.

Quick description of my pack is all that I think is justified here, since there are many other reviews online with more details if you are interested, so I'll ended this with; Great pack for day/urban hikes.