Maxpedition at SHOT Show 2009

SHOT Show is, to the hunting/gun/outdoor rec communities what CES is to techies.  While I can't go (drat budget cuts that eliminate extra travel--I was supposed to be down in Orlando for my day job for two weeks!), I was offered a chance to get a "virtual tour" of Maxpedition's booth this year, and I'll be sharing the pictures here. This article will be set up as running coverage--I'll add to it throughout the show (probably in the evening on Thursday and Friday, but possibly throughout the day on Saturday), so check back often--the new stuff will be at the top of the article.

While I intend to update this page with product-specific links as they appear on Maxpedition's site, for now I'll just give a couple of general pages; you can expect announcements to appear on these when (and if, in the case of the prototypes) the new products are released:

Maxpedition Home Page 

Maxpedition "New Arrivals"

Further Post-Show Information [15 February 2009]

This has been up a couple of weeks, but for those of you reading this after the fact I wanted to make sure to add this info, namely MilspecMonkey's videos from the Maxpedition booth at the show:

Video 1:  "New Duffels and Active Shooter Bag"
Video 2:  "Messenger and General Purpose Bags"
Video 3:  "A new Patrol Bag design and the latest Gearslingers"
Video 4:  "FIGHT Med Pouch, Tac Ties, and the latest colors"

He's also posted a gallery of still shots from the show.


[24 January 2009] 

Got some answers to questions folks have been asking after looking at the pictures from the 22nd:

"1)  All the new prototypes shown will be finalized and placed in our Summer 2009 catalog.  Delivery will be in the June/July timeframe.

2)  There are many more items also in the works not yet shown....we've been busy in that regard.

3)  Prototype large versipacks are still being finalized, there will be come changes in the final versions that's why we didn't want to do high rez images.  Also, I don't want "knock-offs" to appear before we come out with our original designs.

3)  The actual royal blue we will be slightly darker but not by much.  I'm also considering doing a dark blue with black trim on certain models as well, that looks really good.

4)  Laptop cases have been heavily requested by our clients, and they will be fully explored by Maxpedition in 2009.  The three [streamlined] cases are just the first step.  Expect in the very near future to see a full spectrum of products ranging from even simpler padded laptop sleeves all the way up to full-on laptop backpacks

5)  Maxpedition is also working on several specialized lifestyle items to benefit diabetic and/or wheelchair bound US combat veterans who are already adapting our standard products for their uses."

After the Show--The Monster Roundup [ 22 January 2009]

I had intended to post information remotely, but the Maxpedition folks were too busy to get a daily feed to me (on Day 1 alone--normally the slow day--they had more traffic than they did for all of SHOT Show 2008).  To make up for that, though, they sent me a slew of shots after the show wrapped.

The Booth

The 10-foot diameter attention getter:

West side entrance (the booth was 500 sq. feet):

East-side entrance:

"Large Products" wall:

Close-up of the "Large Products" wall:

Small accessories section:

Booth interior (note the Blue color--more on that below):

"New Products" wall featuring new colors for the Jumbo and Fatboy (I'm told the Black-Foliage and Black-Khaki combinations were "very popular"):

More new products, including active shooter bags, messenger bags, and laptop cases (more on all of these below):

New small items/accessories/attachments (again, more details below):

People

Shots of the crowd:

And here's the Milspecmonkey crew (that's the prime simian himself there in the middle carrying the OD Green Colossus).  They were at the show filiming video, and I'm sure will have something up on YouTube sometime soon (see www.milspecmonkey.com for his coverage from the show):

New Colors

Here are some shots showing some color comparisons.  First is the Jumbo in Black, Black-Khaki, and Black:

Next is the Jumbo in Foliage Green, the Black-Foliage combo, and straight Black:

Here is the Operator in Khaki, Khaki-Foliage combo, and Foliage Green:

Here's a front view of the Falcon II backpack in Royal Blue-Foliage and Khaki-Foliage:

and the same combos from the side:

And here are the Jumbo and Falcon-II in Royal Blue/Foliage (from front and then side):

Collaboration with Extreme Gear Labs

Maxpedition's first collaborative products with Extreme Gear Labs, the FUGLY and HAFFAFUG Modular Admin Panels and the F.I.G.H.T. Medical Pouch, were smaller, focused items, but these new items are aiming at a more general audience.  These products are all going into production right now, and aren't yet in the company's catalog.

First off are a first for Maxpedition, two messenger bags (small on top, large on bottom):

Next are two new Active Shooter Bags, one with magazine pockets on the front, one with MOLLE webbing:

Finally, they're working on a group of "hook and loop" (read: velcro) inserts designed to go into these bags (or, I assume, any other case with an internal loop field as long as there's space).  Attachments include more magazine holders, MOLLE panels, water bottle pockets, admin panel, utlity pockets, and an ID holder (wouldn't you know, I was just looking for a hook-backed admin panel for use in my Kodiak Gearslinger):

New Product Prototypes

Lastly are a bunch of new product prototypes.  I'm told that final production models may differ slightly, but that we should see most of these, perhaps even for the Summer 2009 catalog (June/July timeframe).

First is the monster Überduffel:

Here's the Überduffel (left) as compared to the Doppelduffel (center) and the Fliegerduffel (right):

Here are a set of new "streamlined" laptop cases (down the center of the picture): 17 inch on top, 15.4 inch in the middle, and 14 inch on the bottom:

Maxpedition has made a category for themselves with their Versipacks, and they presented some new, larger concept models:

Fully-padded utility pouches in a variety of configurations:

The same from the side; note the "reverse zips" which I'm told we'll see a lot more of from now on:

Tear-away folding map cases mated with a strobe/GPS/compass holster in a new combo:

The above with the tops open:

With the map case "torn away":

And with the map case unfolded:

And, to wrap it up, a MOLLE-compatible round case (designed for a dip/chew container, but also fits bubble gum tape, Altoids tin, round compass, iPod ear-buds, etc.):

From the side:

Day 1: January 15 

Just a couple of "teasers" from Day 1.  First, a comparison shot of the new LoadOut Duffel models, the Sovereign (top), the Imperial (middle), and the Baron (bottom):

The "'new color' display"; note two previously unseen color combos, Black-Khaki and Royal Blue-Foliage: