I just recieved my hydration pack(minus bladder) from Peacekeepers tody.I bought this item on a whim(I have a serviciable Hydrastorm already)because my other hydration pack is in desert pattern and this one is olive(I missed out on the CADPAT,but oh well,olive never goes out of style) and just thought that I would give my first impressions on it for the record.
1.Upon opening,the first thing I noticed was the lack of protection.It came in white plstic bag devoid of any reinforcement.Also,no reciept,company literature or the nice letter everyone talks about.
2.As far as construction,nothing beats them.Who ever does the sewing does a damn good job.Also,you cant beat the materials.1000 condura nylon,fastex clips and the strapping are all quality materials.
3.Upon putting it on,I noticed that it does'nt seem to "hang"right on my back.Since its very rare for me to wear it all by itself anyways,its not a big deal.
4.The shoulder straps are huge!I can cinch them as tight as they go,take it off and put it back on with out loosening them!I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not.If I had wanted to wear it by itself this would be a problem.
5.The sternum strap is way to small,and could have been made from a elastic material.
Final thoughts-The Hydrastorm pack I own is made a bit more rugged and with more thought of ergonomics in mind.It has a better case,and feels a lot more secure on your back.The CP pack is as well constructed but does'nt feel secure and is a bit bulky.It has some design flaws I can't ignore and makes it almost uncomfortable.
That being said,It's big redeeming point is price.My hydrastorm cost 120.00 CAN when I bought it,and I was happy with it.The CP pack cost me 42.00 and I'm just as happy overall with it as I was my hydrastorm.Hopefully I can get a field test out of the way soon and see how it holds up.
Overall