Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II backpack

Review by Neil Ferguson  Cherokee Indian Police Department

I first came across the Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II backpack when my brother bought one and loved it. I smoked it over for a while and decided that a new daypack was in order especially after my wife tried to throw my old one out because she was embarrassed by its rattiness. While not in the same league as some of the super sexy brands, it seemed to be sturdy and well enough designed. My brother has tons of field experience and knows how to judge his gear from hard experience so I felt good enough on just that to order one.

I ordered the pack from LA Police Gear ( lapolicegear.com ) for $80 plus s/h for around $90 total. It’s available in khaki, black or olive drab. I chose the khaki because I am long tired of SWAT black and in this part of the country, OD looks too military wannabe. The tan is more neutral and blends in better overall with the typical college and tourist crowd I am around off-duty.

Maxpedition typically has a yoke strap design on most of its packs and I really like that feature. I live in Western North Carolina, an area classed as a temperate rain forest, so I always pack rain gear. The yoke strap is great to secure the rain roll tight to the pack yet keeps it within easy reach. The bungee cord on the bottom quarter holds rain pants or a poncho well enough to run with. I usually haven’t liked the bungee tie-downs on other packs but this one has an extra thick feel to it and has held up very well so far. There are also two rows of MOLLE type webbing on the outer pocket and sides to add another pouch if you absolutely had to but its not overburdened with the stuff like some gear.

According to the company, the pack is made of 1000-Denier nylon and sewn with high tensile strength composite nylon thread. Dimensions are 18” x 9.5” x 10”and it has two net pouches on the lower sides for extra water bottles. Incidentally, it will also accommodate a CamelBak-style water bladder (not included). In a lot of ways it reminds me of my CamelBak BFM on a smaller scale and is of the same high quality.

There is heavy bar tack stitching reinforcing all the stress points and the shoulder straps are backed up by adjustable back-up strapping. The shoulder straps are further secured by a sternum strap; since I often run with a pack, I really like sternum straps as a rule which, while running for whatever reason, reduces the flop and sway of other packs lacking this feature. The zippers are extra heavy and slide smoothly even when over packed, which doesn’t happen much. I like to travel as light as possible yet still need to haul my “essentials,” etc. in case I run across something or something runs across me.

Pictured is a typical daily load for a day while “oot n’ aboot.” It still leaves enough room to throw in some extras for a sudden overnighter. The interior of the two larger compartments have lots of small organizer pockets and slots for pens, notebooks, spare glasses, etc. as well as room for my blowout kit, cleaning gear, etc. The smaller pocket on the outside offers quick and easy access for my cell phone and I-pod.

The pack is well-balanced and feels great when cinched down for a run. Its stream-lined design fits well between my shoulders and is great the narrow woodland trails around here or for scooting through a crowd. Its compact lines are great in that it doesn’t take up much room in a crowded vehicle when crammed in with a bunch of kitted-out guys on high protein diets.

I have five kids still at home ranging from 16 down to 2 years old and a wife in grad school so I have to get my money’s worth in my personal gear. I am very pleased with this Maxpedition pack and would readily buy another. All in all it’s the perfect daypack for the raging he-man that I am… GRRAAAHHHH!!!