When I review kit, I like to test it out in the conditions it’s designed for and not just in the back yard. I guessed that the Maxpedition Sitka may not be suitable for use as what some would describe as a bushcraft rucksack, but more as a small day bag suitable for days out, wildlife, tracking or photography. So I had to wait to test it out in the most suitable and testing environment; a Shadowhawk tracking course in Devon.
Firstly, a few dimensions:
As with all Maxpedition stuff, the bag is as tough as old boots. The Cordura material is superb and bomb-proof while all the zips are YKK double zips and very sturdy. It looks pretty good as well with a front compression strap, two external pockets and loads of molle strips. This one is a foliage green colour, which is duller than OG; more like a grey green.
If you are an organised person you will love the internal compartments and I must say they are extremely handy for holding small bits and pieces like torches, multi-tools, magnifying glass, notebooks and pencils. The two external pouches hold a fair amount of this type of item.
The main compartment is quite roomy and holds a surprisingly large amount of kit; probably more than you might imagine. I managed to squeeze a crusader cup and 1 litre Nato water carrier, poncho, first aid kit, guide book, 250 gas canister and tracking stuff in it. This would make carrying some sarnies, a flask and some waterproofs a doddle.
The hydration pocket was a little disappointing. My 3 litre Camelbak fitted inside okay but it pushed out the back of Sitka, making it uncomfortable to wear. This is because there’s no gusset to the pocket. 1-2 litres would be the max.
There is a water bottle pouch on one side. This is big enough to easily take a Nalgene bottle .
The single wide strap is a novel idea. It allows the wearer to swing the pack around to the front of the body allowing all the contents of the pack to be available from the front. Because of the clever design, all the zips, pouches and pockets are easily accessible from this front position.
So, does it work? I asked some of the Shadowhawk Team what they thought. Overwhelmingly they thought the concept was good, however the single strap caused some concern. When fully loaded there was quite a bit of weight on one shoulder and even with the second thinner strap was deployed on the opposite side of the body, the weight wasn’t distributed very well.
I wore the pack for an arduous 4 days almost none stop. Some of the kit I wanted to include like overnight kit I couldn’t because it made the pack too heavy and uncomfortable. For tracking it was great. I was able to bend down and access the bag without taking it off. Genius! I tried my photographic kit in it as well. With a bit of custom padding inside (bubble-wrap) this makes a very good DSLR bag.
In conclusion then, I think this is a great bag, but you have to be careful how you use it. You should be mindful of not overloading the bag or it will be very uncomfortable. For wildlife observation, tracking, days out with sandwiches, a flask, a poncho and a few small tools the bag is absolutely ideal.
You can get them (and other Maxpedition kit) at very competitive prices from www.lakelandbushcraft.co.uk.
For a “moving picture” review of the Sitka, please visit my YouTube channel.
Pablo (www.woodlife.co.uk)
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Hey,
The single strap bothers me a lot about the Sitka. In my youth I often lugged around an old and heavy laptop in a single strapped backpack. My right shoulder is now knackered, even regular backpacks cause pain when worn for more than 20-30 minutes.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Pablo,
As always I enjoy reading your blog. I’ve been thinking of getting some maxpedition gear but the cost in the UK puts me off. For day trips I use a karrimor spike 20 which I must’ve had for around 10 years. Although it has 2 straps I can easily slip one of them, then rotate the bag round to my front to access the rear compartment, just like a one strap bag. Of course I can’t get into the main compartment, but the sort of small items I might need at the drop of a hat will fit in the bit I can access or in my pockets. Do you think you’ll keep using it? Also everytime I see an-across-the-chest single strap I expect a quiver of arrows or a broadsword to be round the back. That said I’m sure I can find an excuse to add one to my collection. Cheers.
I’m going to keep this loaded with tracking stuff and use it for tracking trips, photography use and day trips. I like the bag but you shouldn’t overload it or there may be problems.
Hi Pablo,
Thanks for your review. I bought this pack for light field trips while birding and day hikes. I don’t think Maxpedition intended this model for multiday use; the Kodiak might be a better choice. The main reason I purchased it was the abilty to swing it around front and access my notebooks, field guides, etc. instead of constantly taking a regular day pack on and off (and I am not a fan of wasit packs). I did find the extra strap to be useless–especially when the water bottle is full. It drags the pack around too much, so I don’t even use it anymore. Like all of Maxpedition’s gear, it is a bit over-engineered; I haven’t found a use for most of the pockets because I just to seem to need to carry that much gear beyond the essentials. If you’re going on a long haul, don’t overload it.
Hi,
Great review about the Sitka!
Just wondering how you found it as a photography bag? Are you able to secure the dslr, lenses etc okay? I’m worried that the main compartment would not have the straps to keep all the peripherals secure, and also that they would be hard to get to.
Bob,
It’s not a brilliant DSLR bag as you can’t secure the camera or lenses without modification. If you didn’t mind the camera and lenses being loose in the main compartment then it would be ok. There’s plenty of inernal pockets for bit and pieces.