Maxpedition's Kodiak and Sitka Gearslingers Side-by-Side

Update 2/15/2009:

The folks at Wilderness Outfitters/Pathfinder Productions have posted a two-part video review of the Sitka on YouTube:  Part 1 and Part 2

Original Article 1/27/2009:

While Maxpedition can arguably be said to have made its name from its Versipack lines (say 'Maxpedition' and 'Fatboy' usually comes to mind), they've branched out in the last couple of years into a new techi-tacticool line called the Gearslingers.  The latest two entries in this line are the subject of this photo survey/review, the Sitka ($127.99 retail) and Kodiak ($151.99 retail) cross-body carry Gearslingers.  These two packs/bags are variations on a theme, so I'm going to cover them both in this one big omnibus article (I'll note any significant differences I find).  Gearslingers often have a primary feature, and for these two it's the ability to shift them around from vertical carry on your back to horizontal carry/access at your front without removing the pack--much more on that later.

This first shot shows the two backs "standing" vertically next to each other--the Kodiak in Khaki is on the left, and the Sitka in OD Green on the right. Both packs have a left side water bottle pocket, two organizer pockets (the lower of which has a flat "slit" pocket on its face), the main compartment with a variety of internal organizer pockets and at a field of "loop" material for adding attachments (like CCW holsters), a hydration/CCW compartment right behind the back wall, a single main cross-body shoulder strap with attachment webbing and an integral Keyper-like clip, a secondary stabilization strap with a whistle-buckle, a removeable Y compression strap, and two handles. (Note that in this shot I've added a Cocoon pouch to the upper secondary pocket on the Kodiak.)

According to the Maxpedition web site, the Sitka has a total capacity of 618 cubic inches and the Kodiak 1100 cubic inches, but it sure seems to me like this is a conservative figure--I don't know if it's my imagination, they way the layout changes the use of space, or some combination, but both bags seem to hold as much or more than packs of a similar physical size that nonetheless list a higher capacity.  Here are some comparison shots:

From the rear to the front, left to right you have the Sitka, the Kodiak, Falcon II backback (rear) and Lunada, Malaga, and Typhoon Gearslingers (front) (The Malaga has two additional pouches attached, a 5x7x4 Horizontal GP Pouch and a 7x5x2 Vertical GP Pouch.)

Generally speaking, I find the Kodiak similar to the Falcon II in overall dimensions--maybe a bit taller, maybe a bit wider, but perhaps not as "thick" or "deep" (which might explain the difference in given volume--the Falcon is listed at over 1500 cubic inches).  Here's a picture that better demonstrates this:

(That's Kodiak on the left, Falcon-II on the right.)

While I don't have a Pygmy Falcon, I imagine the Sitka is roughly similar to it, or is at least somewhat smaller than a Falcon II.