I’m pretty low tech when it comes to my equipment. I like a used ruck sack for camping with sleeping bag/blanket lashed on the outside. I have been known to carry a satchel when necessary and until some scumbag stuck gum under the seat I had it under I used to tote a lot of gear in a re-purposed laptop bag.

Not that I’m cheap, you understand, but I’m of an age when I remember Army Navy stores being a place to get affordable good quality gear and I have never really been able to bring myself to start shelling out three digits for a “man purse” I’m using for a woods ramble. That being said, many people have told me that Maxpedition bags are simply the bag maker for the survivalist. Tough and durable, the big seller for all their bags (in my view) is the ability to upgrade them with various extra pouches, allowing you to customize a bag for any use you need.

Now, if this sounds a lot like what you can do with MOLLE gear or the old Alice clips and a web belt you’d be right, but Maxpedition’s variety of gear surpasses even the most trusted tactical outfitter brand and frankly most of the MOLLE gear you get nowadays will be made in China and “milspec” only to the most minimal of standards. Maxpedition bags might be pricier (though they are reasonable as far as tactical gear goes) but everyone I’ve heard of who owns any says it’s built to last and tough enough for whatever life throws at you.

One accessory in particular that people will like are their line of RollyPoly dump pouches. These pouches are compact units that are out of the way until you need them, then you can open them up to provide generous extra storage. I’ve always though a pouch like this would be useful while foraging.

Kev from SurvivalistBoards has a review of the Mega RollyPolly (available on sale from Amazon) which shows the pros and cons of the unit. Overall it looks like a good buy: