Vertx EDC Gamut Plus Bag

I purchased this bag on Feb 18th 2015. Great bag...except the carrying handle has frayed loose and the shoulder straps are beginning to. That makes my $200 rucksack a $200 sling bag or just a big black sack eventually. Too soon to have parts falling off this bag already & no I didn't climb Everest with it. Just carried it on 4 trips abroad as my computer/essentials bag.Warranty on site says they only warranty for 60 days...I guess my next purchase is an Osprey. They warranty for life & I have actually used the warranty on my $400 luggage.

I am writing this because I could not find a review that gave me the information I was looking for on these two bags. I purchased both the Plus and the reg Gamut. I was looking for a EDC bag that could hold my CCW along with things I would need for the day. My problem was one of this things going into the bag is an AR pistol with a LAW stock adapter. This is my experience. The GAmut was just too small. I could put both pistols into the bag just fine but then there really was no room for even my lunch after that. The Plus on the other hand fits everything nicely. Even with the AR pistol and my CCW I have room for all the other daily items I need. The down side to the Plus is that it's larger than a standard bag, but in my opinion not noticeable to where it would stand out. I asked my GF if it looked out of place for daily carry and she agreed that it was a large bag, but not noticeably so. The other real problem with the smaller of the two bags is that the "water bottle" pockets on the sides will barely fit even a 20oz bottle. The fit is very, very tight, and if you have anything in the pockets behind those bottle holders there is pretty much no way to carry a drink in them. The Plus water bottle pockets will comfortably hold a 32oz nalgene type bottle even with the pocket behind it having stuff in it. Both bags are excellently made and the usability is by far the best Ive seen, and I own a lot of different bags.....Pictures are of the Plus only. I'm 5'10" 200 lbs

Love the design of this bag but I'm unsure of its sturdiness. The grab handle on top is showing some movement where stitched to the main pack. I emailed Vertx to ask about warranty but they never replied (it was 2 weeks ago) this is worrying and would prevent me from purchasing this pack or further Vertx products in the future, I believe a company should stand by its products. A shame as the design is great.

The Smoke Grey is significantly darker in normal lighting than this image implies. I guess they used some really bright lights because it looks a washed-out version of my bag's color. I love everything about this backpack. The interior is spacious and easily accessible with the full-length zippers. Using it fully open is great for packing, while the bucket-style usage is great for everyday use. The slot in the back panel allows it to slip over telescoping luggage handles while traveling. The zippered mesh pockets on the interior are great for charging cables, and the laptop sleeve fits my dinosaur MacBook Pro (2010 version) with it's protective case still on. Sometimes I'll even slip my computer into the back CC panel if I'm in public so that it would prevent a thief from simply reaching into my partially open bag and slipping it out the obvious sleeve. (I go to the library and leave it open, leaning against my chair). I keep a 800ml Klean Kanteen on one side with no problem, and use the other bottle pocket for random items. I will go hiking on occasion, and the hide-away waist-straps are perfect for keeping the weight of the bag come to your body for jumping and crawling up a mountain. The ability for the front panel to unzip and then be secured with the integrated hooks is ideal for exceptional occasions where you need massive storage capacity. I believe I fit two big boxes of lightbulbs into the sling panel and it handled it just fine. The only weird thing about this bag is that the interior pen pockets are horizontal. But it only bothers me because I am a fountain pen user. Otherwise, I could not be happier. It is definitely worth the money. I've had it about 9 months and though I toss it around it has held up without a scratch. And though it isn't waterproof, it definitely resists water. About 50-60% will bead off. I don't know if this effect will last, but it still works now. This bag is my all-rounder. Travel, work, and play can all be handled easily with this bag.

This bag was a little bit bigger than I had expected. I originally intended to use it just to carry my laptop and a few items, but the Gamut Plus is cavernous! I was able to fit a Macbook Pro, North Face Gore-tex jacket, first-aid kit, Leatherman multi-tool, flashlight, and some other random computer accessories (i,e., cables, mice, power adapters) with tons of room to spare; I was still able to fit an entire 6-pack of beer alongside my usual stuff. Overall, it was a great pack with one problem. The shoulder straps would squeak with every step, and the fact that the source of the squeak was close to my ear slowly drove me nuts. I attempted to contact Vertx customer support to see if they could offer any help, but I did not get any response, so I ended up returning it. I'm not sure if it was just a lemon, but since I didn't get any response from the manufacturer, I decided not to try my luck any further.

I have a ton of bags, bags upon bags, bag du jour, bag for trips, etc. etc. They vary over time and for the purpose. I bought three Vertx bags, two were satchels and this daypack. They're all great. I ended filling this one up so much I put the stuff in another type of bag so I could figure out what I had in it. As a daypack, it's great as you can easily get to everything. I think it's well thought out. What I don't like is the stops which get in the way of the zippers opening up the whole bag. You have to hold your fingers over them to allow the zippers to pull completely open or closed. If I could cut them off I would (they're fabric with snaps). This bag is a keeper, but you can load it up so much you'll need to go to another bag to figure out what all you have in it.