Maxpedition M1 and PUG Wallet
I first came across the Maxpedition company when I was searching around for a Marathon SAR watch on the Net. I eventually tracked down the website of the Countycomm organisation who are the official distributors of the SAR. While I was checking out some of the nifty gear they have I came across this funky little ‘key retention system’ called a Keyper by a crowd called Maxpedition, makers of Hard Use Gear (thanks guys, I appreciate it). The Keyper looked way cool and I resolved to do some further investigation into the Maxpedition product. What I found was pretty exciting for a gear freak like myself.
Maxpedition is not exactly a household name, but for people in the know, its definitely the number one choice if you happen to be a fan of ballistic nylon products. What that be, you ask? Ballistic nylon is another one of those items that first found favour with the military and has since become the fabric of choice for people who want their bags and carry systems to perform under extreme conditions.
Ballistic nylon is basically heavy duty woven nylon (official specs have it at 1,000 denier) that offers many benefits to the demanding user. It is light but extremely tough, water-resistant, will not rot, is washable, etc etc. It’s such good stuff that everybody in the outdoor and camping industry now uses it to make hiking bags and day packs and a bunch of other stuff.
Maxpedition obviously love the stuff because they use it to make everything in their range, and they are real artists with it to boot. However, this review concerns the M1 Waistpack and PUG wallet specifically.
M1 Waistpack
The M1 Waistpack is one of the best known items in the Maxpedition range. It obviously has its origins in the military, when soldiers used to carry several of these bags hitched to their webbing to keep ammo and other oddments. Those were made of canvas and were much more simple affairs. The Maxpedition M1 takes things quite a bit further.
Let’s look at the size first. The M1 is 15cms long by 11cms wide and approximately 8 – 10cms deep. There is a main compartment that is secured by two seriously large YKK zips that you manipulate using paracord pulls. These zips are a good example of the ‘over-engineering’ that Maxpedition practises. They’re heavy duty zippers, baby, make no mistake. Inside the compartment there is one main space with two little side pockets against each wall. Fairly straight forward.
The second compartment is a little more interesting. This one has a elasticated retention system that can be adjusted with some heavy duty elasticated cord that is secured in place by one of those little spring-loaded doodads that keep your boonie hat on your head, among other things. I suppose the idea is to create a concertina system that will allow the compartment to expand to accommodate a larger item. Personally I keep my cell phone in there, so it’s not an issue for me. The outside compartment is also secured by a flap that has both velcro and a high grade snaplock to keep it from coming loose. Once again, Maxpedition go the extra mile. There are two more little hidey-holes that I haven’t mentioned. One on the outside of the flap which is a zippered compartment, good for your coins or maybe even a condom. The other one is inside the bellows compartment, and I haven’t found anything to slip into there yet, but give me time.
Finally, the M1 features a super sturdy belt loop that will take anything up to a 3 inch belt, obviously to accommodate those who have webbing to secure their britches instead of the usual 1.5 inch leather guy. Alternatively it can be used to secure your M1 to another Maxpedition pack using their patented system which employs Malice straps. It’s not something that I’ve looked into but I’m sure some people find it right handy.
So what exactly does one use the M1 for, and why buy it in the first place? Well, I find the M1 a right handy little pack to store any number of things. Currently I have my Leatherman Wave II in there, my cellphone, my ID, some toothpicks and a spare battery for my driveway gate remote control. In the summertime I also chuck some sunscreen in there. But it’s really your call. It will take an Ipod, PDA (although Maxpedition have a wallet specifically for those things, called the RAT), sunglasses (although not the Oakley M Frame type), cigarettes and lighter, torch and any number of small personal items that you may carry around with you. I was carrying my wallet around in there for a while but not since I got the PUG wallet, which I’ll get into in a bit. Although really, it’s the ideal size to caddy a wallet, particularly if you, like me, hate keeping your wallet in your back pocket, or any other pocket for that matter.
Ultimately, the M1 is an excellent alternative to the moonbag/fannypack concept. I prefer it because it doesn’t have to go around the waist. I have a couple of moonbags and I find the constant adjustment of the strap a giant pain in the ass. The M1 simply goes onto your belt, which is already adjusted to your waist size. It’s also not nearly as dorky as the moonbag, which somehow will always be associated with the 80s, like leg-warmers and crap synth-pop bands with names like Kajagoogoo.
The M1, like all Maxpedition products, is available in basic black, Marine Green (Olive Drab, baby) and khaki. I pretty much always go with black, as I think it matches the no-nonsense approach of the company.
Problems with the M1? So far, none. The thing is built like a tank, impeccably constructed and brilliantly designed. The only quibble I have – and I’m reaching here – is that they could have done away with one of the little side pockets in the main compartment. The reason being is when you are shoving things into it while on the go, they tend to catch on the lip of the pocket, which means you have to manipulate the item to get it in there (oh, behave) and that can be annoying. I think just the one pocket would have been fine for the main compartment, as there are plenty of other little hidey holes distributed throughout the thing. Maybe it’s just me, but there you go – warts and all. I would also have to say that I think the velcro on the underside of the bellows flap is a little unneccessary, but I guess it will come in handy if you neglect to snap the lock closed, which is entirely possible when you’re on the move.
All in all though, the M1 is a winner, and at $20 or so, you really can’t fault it. So it cracks a 4.5/5 and I recommend it highly to anyone who is looking for a carry system that doesn’t scream "Michael Jackson fan" to all and sundry.
PUG Wallet
First off, I don’t know what PUG stands for, or even if it is an acronym. Maybe they were just thinking of the little dog with the flat face but anyway, don’t ask me.
Now I’m not quite sure why I bought the PUG. I have a good few wallets lying around in my desk at home, in perfectly good condition, and they all fit into the M1. But I’m a wallet freak, to be sure and I am always in search of the perfect wallet. I thought I had found it, in the form of a superb offering from the Camel people. But that one was made of leather, and in tropical climates, all leather gets killed eventually. This is why I wear Maratac Zulu watchstraps and why I prefer ballistic nylon wallets. Also, the Camel one cost the same as a good daypack, whereas the PUG one was a quarter of the price.
Anyway, the PUG intrigued me, so I included it in my latest order from the good people at Triple Aught Design. This is the ultimate Internet destination for gearheads by the way, and I highly recommend their service.
The PUG is 14cms long by 9cms wide and it is constructed out of the same heavy duty ballistic nylon. It is the fold-over variety, secured by the usual strip of velcro. Now I normally detest the stuff, but in this instance, it does work, mainly because Maxpedition have sourced the best velcro out there (yes, there are different kinds of velcro, and most of it crap). I don’t know how long it will last however, but we’ll see. I have a feeling that Maxpedition will replace it, if it does ever wear out. I’m pretty sure there products are guaranteed for life – they’re that kind of company.
The main improvements that Maxpedition have introduced to this type of wallet is first of all the heavy duty nature of the thing – this is one serious wallet, man. It has two main compartments for paper money that are really substantial. They will comfortably take currency, folded up A4 size sheets of paper (like the phone and lights bill for example) and whatever other bits of paper that always seem to accumulate in vast quantities in your wallet. The compartments are divided by a wall of netting, for some reason (maybe so your money can breathe more easily, I don’t know. Not that my money gets a chance to draw breath.).
You then get to your card compartments, of which there are two. There is enough space to take six cards, but really, the pockets are so ample you can actually fit about 12 in there, if you’re a real plastic junkie. The front one on the left is a plastic window, which would be where your driver’s licence goes. Both card holding sections are secured by little velcro tabs that do the job adequately enough (hey, I just don’t like the stuff).
There’s one other item within the wallet that I haven’t found a use for. It’s one of Maxpedition’s cool little key clips (like the one you find on the Keyper) and I guess it must be for keys. However, they would need to be fairly small keys, of the sort that opens padlocks, etc, otherwise they would bulk up your wallet considerably, and make it fairly difficult to close. As it is, the key clip adds a fair bit of bulk to the wallet and makes it a little more difficult to close, particularly when you have a big bundle of notes in there (for like, the first day of the month). It also makes it awkward to get your cash out in a hurry, so I’m not entirely sold on the idea of it.
I’m pretty sure there are people who use their key clip, and I’m gonna slap a key on it one of these days, but I generally prefer to keep all my keys together, on my belt, hanging from my groovy Marine Green Keyper.
Anyway, its not a train smash, although it did occur to me that the clip could have one other
purpose, which is to serve as a retention system to your belt. So if you’re travelling or whatever, and simply prefer to keep your wallet in a cargo pants pocket rather than on your belt, you can quickly rig up a paracord line that will keep your wallet attached to your person, just in case a pickpocket happens to choose you as his mark.
I think this is especially useful when travelling on planes, where you won’t want to have the wallet on your belt (it’s hard enough to sleep on a plane without a wallet digging into your kidneys). I’m actually going to drop Maxpedition a line and get their thoughts on this, they might have a completely different take on it. I’ll let you know.
There’s one other item on the PUG which is somewhat controversial in my eyes. Controversial because I can see the need for one, but the chaps have really gone overboard on this one. I’m talking about a change purse. Now, I always preferred wallets with change purses but I think they should be on the discreet side. The one on the Maxpedition PUG is anything but. It’s a real giant and quite frankly, I can’t see the need for something so large. It adds considerably to the bulk of the PUG and I think it’s a case of overkill. It doesn’t close properly either, if you really want to get picky, due to a design hitch. The PUG is also able to be worn on the belt, which is cool if you don’t like carrying your wallet in your pocket, and to be honest, this wallet is a little large for most pockets, unless you have cargo pockets on all your pants, which I do.
All in all the PUG is a cool design but it’s let down by that rather unneccessary change purse that’s attached to it. I feel that they could offer you the option of a change purse, or not, depending on your needs. The wallet would really rock without the change purse, and be a far slimmer design to boot. But at this time, its only available with it, so it’s your call.
It’s not as cool as the M1, and it could have been executed with a slightly more user-friendly design, so all in all, I’ll give this puppy a 3 1/2 out of 5.
Thanks for reading.
Maxpedition is not exactly a household name, but for people in the know, its definitely the number one choice if you happen to be a fan of ballistic nylon products. What that be, you ask? Ballistic nylon is another one of those items that first found favour with the military and has since become the fabric of choice for people who want their bags and carry systems to perform under extreme conditions.
Ballistic nylon is basically heavy duty woven nylon (official specs have it at 1,000 denier) that offers many benefits to the demanding user. It is light but extremely tough, water-resistant, will not rot, is washable, etc etc. It’s such good stuff that everybody in the outdoor and camping industry now uses it to make hiking bags and day packs and a bunch of other stuff.
Maxpedition obviously love the stuff because they use it to make everything in their range, and they are real artists with it to boot. However, this review concerns the M1 Waistpack and PUG wallet specifically.
M1 Waistpack
The M1 Waistpack is one of the best known items in the Maxpedition range. It obviously has its origins in the military, when soldiers used to carry several of these bags hitched to their webbing to keep ammo and other oddments. Those were made of canvas and were much more simple affairs. The Maxpedition M1 takes things quite a bit further.
Let’s look at the size first. The M1 is 15cms long by 11cms wide and approximately 8 – 10cms deep. There is a main compartment that is secured by two seriously large YKK zips that you manipulate using paracord pulls. These zips are a good example of the ‘over-engineering’ that Maxpedition practises. They’re heavy duty zippers, baby, make no mistake. Inside the compartment there is one main space with two little side pockets against each wall. Fairly straight forward.
The second compartment is a little more interesting. This one has a elasticated retention system that can be adjusted with some heavy duty elasticated cord that is secured in place by one of those little spring-loaded doodads that keep your boonie hat on your head, among other things. I suppose the idea is to create a concertina system that will allow the compartment to expand to accommodate a larger item. Personally I keep my cell phone in there, so it’s not an issue for me. The outside compartment is also secured by a flap that has both velcro and a high grade snaplock to keep it from coming loose. Once again, Maxpedition go the extra mile. There are two more little hidey-holes that I haven’t mentioned. One on the outside of the flap which is a zippered compartment, good for your coins or maybe even a condom. The other one is inside the bellows compartment, and I haven’t found anything to slip into there yet, but give me time.
Finally, the M1 features a super sturdy belt loop that will take anything up to a 3 inch belt, obviously to accommodate those who have webbing to secure their britches instead of the usual 1.5 inch leather guy. Alternatively it can be used to secure your M1 to another Maxpedition pack using their patented system which employs Malice straps. It’s not something that I’ve looked into but I’m sure some people find it right handy.
So what exactly does one use the M1 for, and why buy it in the first place? Well, I find the M1 a right handy little pack to store any number of things. Currently I have my Leatherman Wave II in there, my cellphone, my ID, some toothpicks and a spare battery for my driveway gate remote control. In the summertime I also chuck some sunscreen in there. But it’s really your call. It will take an Ipod, PDA (although Maxpedition have a wallet specifically for those things, called the RAT), sunglasses (although not the Oakley M Frame type), cigarettes and lighter, torch and any number of small personal items that you may carry around with you. I was carrying my wallet around in there for a while but not since I got the PUG wallet, which I’ll get into in a bit. Although really, it’s the ideal size to caddy a wallet, particularly if you, like me, hate keeping your wallet in your back pocket, or any other pocket for that matter.
Ultimately, the M1 is an excellent alternative to the moonbag/fannypack concept. I prefer it because it doesn’t have to go around the waist. I have a couple of moonbags and I find the constant adjustment of the strap a giant pain in the ass. The M1 simply goes onto your belt, which is already adjusted to your waist size. It’s also not nearly as dorky as the moonbag, which somehow will always be associated with the 80s, like leg-warmers and crap synth-pop bands with names like Kajagoogoo.
The M1, like all Maxpedition products, is available in basic black, Marine Green (Olive Drab, baby) and khaki. I pretty much always go with black, as I think it matches the no-nonsense approach of the company.
Problems with the M1? So far, none. The thing is built like a tank, impeccably constructed and brilliantly designed. The only quibble I have – and I’m reaching here – is that they could have done away with one of the little side pockets in the main compartment. The reason being is when you are shoving things into it while on the go, they tend to catch on the lip of the pocket, which means you have to manipulate the item to get it in there (oh, behave) and that can be annoying. I think just the one pocket would have been fine for the main compartment, as there are plenty of other little hidey holes distributed throughout the thing. Maybe it’s just me, but there you go – warts and all. I would also have to say that I think the velcro on the underside of the bellows flap is a little unneccessary, but I guess it will come in handy if you neglect to snap the lock closed, which is entirely possible when you’re on the move.
All in all though, the M1 is a winner, and at $20 or so, you really can’t fault it. So it cracks a 4.5/5 and I recommend it highly to anyone who is looking for a carry system that doesn’t scream "Michael Jackson fan" to all and sundry.
PUG Wallet
First off, I don’t know what PUG stands for, or even if it is an acronym. Maybe they were just thinking of the little dog with the flat face but anyway, don’t ask me.
Now I’m not quite sure why I bought the PUG. I have a good few wallets lying around in my desk at home, in perfectly good condition, and they all fit into the M1. But I’m a wallet freak, to be sure and I am always in search of the perfect wallet. I thought I had found it, in the form of a superb offering from the Camel people. But that one was made of leather, and in tropical climates, all leather gets killed eventually. This is why I wear Maratac Zulu watchstraps and why I prefer ballistic nylon wallets. Also, the Camel one cost the same as a good daypack, whereas the PUG one was a quarter of the price.
Anyway, the PUG intrigued me, so I included it in my latest order from the good people at Triple Aught Design. This is the ultimate Internet destination for gearheads by the way, and I highly recommend their service.
The PUG is 14cms long by 9cms wide and it is constructed out of the same heavy duty ballistic nylon. It is the fold-over variety, secured by the usual strip of velcro. Now I normally detest the stuff, but in this instance, it does work, mainly because Maxpedition have sourced the best velcro out there (yes, there are different kinds of velcro, and most of it crap). I don’t know how long it will last however, but we’ll see. I have a feeling that Maxpedition will replace it, if it does ever wear out. I’m pretty sure there products are guaranteed for life – they’re that kind of company.
The main improvements that Maxpedition have introduced to this type of wallet is first of all the heavy duty nature of the thing – this is one serious wallet, man. It has two main compartments for paper money that are really substantial. They will comfortably take currency, folded up A4 size sheets of paper (like the phone and lights bill for example) and whatever other bits of paper that always seem to accumulate in vast quantities in your wallet. The compartments are divided by a wall of netting, for some reason (maybe so your money can breathe more easily, I don’t know. Not that my money gets a chance to draw breath.).
You then get to your card compartments, of which there are two. There is enough space to take six cards, but really, the pockets are so ample you can actually fit about 12 in there, if you’re a real plastic junkie. The front one on the left is a plastic window, which would be where your driver’s licence goes. Both card holding sections are secured by little velcro tabs that do the job adequately enough (hey, I just don’t like the stuff).
There’s one other item within the wallet that I haven’t found a use for. It’s one of Maxpedition’s cool little key clips (like the one you find on the Keyper) and I guess it must be for keys. However, they would need to be fairly small keys, of the sort that opens padlocks, etc, otherwise they would bulk up your wallet considerably, and make it fairly difficult to close. As it is, the key clip adds a fair bit of bulk to the wallet and makes it a little more difficult to close, particularly when you have a big bundle of notes in there (for like, the first day of the month). It also makes it awkward to get your cash out in a hurry, so I’m not entirely sold on the idea of it.
I’m pretty sure there are people who use their key clip, and I’m gonna slap a key on it one of these days, but I generally prefer to keep all my keys together, on my belt, hanging from my groovy Marine Green Keyper.
Anyway, its not a train smash, although it did occur to me that the clip could have one other
purpose, which is to serve as a retention system to your belt. So if you’re travelling or whatever, and simply prefer to keep your wallet in a cargo pants pocket rather than on your belt, you can quickly rig up a paracord line that will keep your wallet attached to your person, just in case a pickpocket happens to choose you as his mark.
I think this is especially useful when travelling on planes, where you won’t want to have the wallet on your belt (it’s hard enough to sleep on a plane without a wallet digging into your kidneys). I’m actually going to drop Maxpedition a line and get their thoughts on this, they might have a completely different take on it. I’ll let you know.
There’s one other item on the PUG which is somewhat controversial in my eyes. Controversial because I can see the need for one, but the chaps have really gone overboard on this one. I’m talking about a change purse. Now, I always preferred wallets with change purses but I think they should be on the discreet side. The one on the Maxpedition PUG is anything but. It’s a real giant and quite frankly, I can’t see the need for something so large. It adds considerably to the bulk of the PUG and I think it’s a case of overkill. It doesn’t close properly either, if you really want to get picky, due to a design hitch. The PUG is also able to be worn on the belt, which is cool if you don’t like carrying your wallet in your pocket, and to be honest, this wallet is a little large for most pockets, unless you have cargo pockets on all your pants, which I do.
All in all the PUG is a cool design but it’s let down by that rather unneccessary change purse that’s attached to it. I feel that they could offer you the option of a change purse, or not, depending on your needs. The wallet would really rock without the change purse, and be a far slimmer design to boot. But at this time, its only available with it, so it’s your call.
It’s not as cool as the M1, and it could have been executed with a slightly more user-friendly design, so all in all, I’ll give this puppy a 3 1/2 out of 5.
Thanks for reading.
posted by Mark Crozier at 11:30 AM
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