danodec
04-21-2008, 08:38 PM
I recently picked up a Kelty MAP 3500 after debating for a while whether or not to upgrade my existing pack. The “MAP” stands for Military Assault Pack and this design fits into the category of “3-day assault packs,” defined by its ability to carry enough gear to sustain for 3 days in the field.
To describe it for ya, the name of the game with this pack is Adjustability. The pack has 2 main compartments. The large compartment is made of 3 pouches--one pouch for a reservoir (i.e. CamelBak), a 2nd pouch with elastic and an adjustable strap, and the main pouch area. The smaller compartment has standard stuff—a clip for keys, a zippered pouch, slots for pens, etc. But it also has a fleece pouch for goggles/sunglasses, which is a cool feature. On the outside there are a ton of adjustments one can make—shoulders, waist, chest, and side straps to cinch the bag tight on itself are the major ones. You can adjust the height of the chest strap so that the chest strap comes across at a comfortable level, you can adjust the length of the shoulder straps by way of Velcro, I really don’t know what you can’t adjust on the Kelty. There are 2 deep net pouches on the side that accept Nalgene-size bottles right up to the cap or those 32-oz Gatorade bottles nicely. And these pouches are adjustable for tightness. At the waist strap is a thick comfortable belt. It is also removable, which is good cos when you don’t need it you can get rid of the rather large waist belt. There are plenty of locations to attach stuff—some molle on the outside, 4 straps underneath and just about anywhere on the pack you are able to hang a Christmas ornament or a carabineer.
The pack is bigger than I thought it would be. Noticeably bigger than a standard school book bag. It’s made of some sturdy stuff, I don’t foresee this pack ripping easily (although as I write this I notice the stitching around the fleece pouch came undone in one spot). It has a pair of vertical metal beams in it to maintain the pack’s shape and take some of the load. If for some reason you don’t want the beams you can remove them easily.
Overall I am happy with the MAP 3500. It’s plenty big for me to take on TDY for a few days or on a weekend vacation packed with clothes and a toothbrush. I wore the pack for a recent “rucksack beatdown” WOD with a 25# plate in the large compartment. At first I didn’t cinch the pack down on itself and the weight shifted uncomfortably. Once I cinched the straps down tight the weight hardly moved. With all the adjustments the pack was held pretty firmly on my back. The shoulder straps were slightly uncomfortable at first but they kinda found their groove and didn’t bother me. The weight bounced around minimally while running but that was expected and it really was not uncomfortable or distracting. The back, waist belt and shoulder straps of the pack are suitably padded. While doing pushups the weight stayed centered on my back and did not threaten to tilt to one side. With burpees the waist belt kept the pack from flying up and nailing me in the back of my head 50 times. I quickly learned to appreciate that feature.
I’d recommend this pack to someone looking for a decent all-around pack with good size, a cool look and inexpensive cost. There are plenty of manufacturers of 3-day Assault Packs (Tactical Assault Gear (TAG), Blackhawk, TAD Gear, CamelBak, Tactical Tailor) and some of them are solid pieces, but many are priced much higher than the Kelty unit. For an idea of what some of these packs are like, check out this link http://www.ar15.com/lite/topic.html?b=6&f=10&t=186483&page=1
To describe it for ya, the name of the game with this pack is Adjustability. The pack has 2 main compartments. The large compartment is made of 3 pouches--one pouch for a reservoir (i.e. CamelBak), a 2nd pouch with elastic and an adjustable strap, and the main pouch area. The smaller compartment has standard stuff—a clip for keys, a zippered pouch, slots for pens, etc. But it also has a fleece pouch for goggles/sunglasses, which is a cool feature. On the outside there are a ton of adjustments one can make—shoulders, waist, chest, and side straps to cinch the bag tight on itself are the major ones. You can adjust the height of the chest strap so that the chest strap comes across at a comfortable level, you can adjust the length of the shoulder straps by way of Velcro, I really don’t know what you can’t adjust on the Kelty. There are 2 deep net pouches on the side that accept Nalgene-size bottles right up to the cap or those 32-oz Gatorade bottles nicely. And these pouches are adjustable for tightness. At the waist strap is a thick comfortable belt. It is also removable, which is good cos when you don’t need it you can get rid of the rather large waist belt. There are plenty of locations to attach stuff—some molle on the outside, 4 straps underneath and just about anywhere on the pack you are able to hang a Christmas ornament or a carabineer.
The pack is bigger than I thought it would be. Noticeably bigger than a standard school book bag. It’s made of some sturdy stuff, I don’t foresee this pack ripping easily (although as I write this I notice the stitching around the fleece pouch came undone in one spot). It has a pair of vertical metal beams in it to maintain the pack’s shape and take some of the load. If for some reason you don’t want the beams you can remove them easily.
Overall I am happy with the MAP 3500. It’s plenty big for me to take on TDY for a few days or on a weekend vacation packed with clothes and a toothbrush. I wore the pack for a recent “rucksack beatdown” WOD with a 25# plate in the large compartment. At first I didn’t cinch the pack down on itself and the weight shifted uncomfortably. Once I cinched the straps down tight the weight hardly moved. With all the adjustments the pack was held pretty firmly on my back. The shoulder straps were slightly uncomfortable at first but they kinda found their groove and didn’t bother me. The weight bounced around minimally while running but that was expected and it really was not uncomfortable or distracting. The back, waist belt and shoulder straps of the pack are suitably padded. While doing pushups the weight stayed centered on my back and did not threaten to tilt to one side. With burpees the waist belt kept the pack from flying up and nailing me in the back of my head 50 times. I quickly learned to appreciate that feature.
I’d recommend this pack to someone looking for a decent all-around pack with good size, a cool look and inexpensive cost. There are plenty of manufacturers of 3-day Assault Packs (Tactical Assault Gear (TAG), Blackhawk, TAD Gear, CamelBak, Tactical Tailor) and some of them are solid pieces, but many are priced much higher than the Kelty unit. For an idea of what some of these packs are like, check out this link http://www.ar15.com/lite/topic.html?b=6&f=10&t=186483&page=1