Very versatile pack - Eberlestock Bandit Pack

The Bandit is the most versatile pack I own now and my wife can attest that I've owned too many backpacks; it's only 13-14 liters in base form (the beavertail strap can be cinched somewhat for slightly less) so unlike other EDC bags, you don't look goofy wearing it over a shoulder for a neighborhood walk or jog, into a store, restaurant, etc just as you might wear a sling where a larger 25-30L bag might look and feel awkward. The real win in my opinion is the scalability of this bag. Few bags can serve *well* as both a small diaper bag you can bring anywhere or something small enough to jog or climb with, be carry-on allowed as a personal item for even the strictest airline carriers, yet also expand for much higher weight and volume with attachments and have a harness capable of supporting this comfortably, which is uncommon in bags of this size. For example, for kicks and as a test of the beefy suspension and back channel padding, I put a 25 pound dumbbell inside this pack and was amazed at how comfortable it still was.

I was interested in the Eberlestock Switchblade as well, but am happy I went with the Bandit for these reasons. Also, I abuse the empty hydration section as a CCW location and if I leave the top corner of the bag slightly unzipped just enough to get a finger it, the top of the bag pulls open for very fast access.

Another big win for this bag is that with the 10mm webbing, it doesn't look overly tactical, yet you have all the same advantages of a webbing-ridden bag. Attachment points on the top, bottom, beavertail and sides mean that you can massively increase volume with sleeping pads under or over, a jacket or helmet in the beavertail, horizontally mounted dry bags, etc and the Bandit can perform like a far larger bag, and since these are external attachments, access is faster than my trekking-specific packs I used to use. And since the Bandit has a beefy, overbuilt harness for its size, it's perfectly capable of carrying heavy loads and even is compatible with a hip belt. You can see examples in review photos of how creative people have been in loading the bag up.

For those who have complained about space, the dimensions and volume have always been listed. One common complaint is that it's too narrow for even a small laptop inside, though a laptop, protected in a soft bag or not, fits perfectly in the beavertail section of the bag which also has the unintended benefit of being a false bottom for when you put the bag down.

The top admin section is just fine and I store my wallet, car and house keys and other frequently-accessed misc items and the fact that the zipper faces you rather than outward adds some security from pickpockets. Being able to use the zipper loops with a single finger (or gloves) is something I didn't care for at first yet now I swear by them and they really make frequent access fast and convenient.

I'm a big MR fan as well, but have found the clamshell opening style of Eberlestock bags to be just as convenient or maybe even preferable and the zippers are smooth and easy which is another another contributor to why this backpack is such a pleasure to use as my main EDC bag now.