Madden Equipment Scrambler

Great pack. I own several Maddens (Mountaineer, Pathfinder, Tolo, Jambo and a lumbar). None of them has so much as popped a stitch. I did step on and break a buckle once. Hey, they are not idiot proof just bullet proof.

I wanted a regular (2-5) day trip bag and saw this one on ebay for $45. Upon arrival I was once again impressed by the quality of the Madden brand. I took out the single stay, shaped it to fit my strange back, loaded it up (40-45 lbs) and headed up to Canada (in my trusty Karmann Ghia no less) for a long four day weekend. It was great. Since then I have taken it to Florida and Maryland with no problems.

The shovel pocket, oven style sleeping bag compartment door and mesh side pockets are all great features.Two small complaints both involve the top pocket. First, I wish the zipper was in the back not the front to avoid dumping my stuff out. Second, I wish it was removable and converted to a lumbar pack like the pocket on my old Rocco SE (I sold it to a friend b/c the frame was too small for me, she loves it by the way) .

I expect to have all of my Maddens for the rest of my life (barring theft or fire). Unfortunately, the company no longer exists and they are hard to come by these days (ebay occasionally has them available).

This is an excellent weekend pack. It is slightly heavy by today's standards, weighing in at about 5 lbs. But for that weight you get the bomb-proof Cordura construction and heavy-duty stitching that characterized Madden packs. Suspension is decent, but with heavier loads the slim hip-belt can be inadequate. You can substitute the thicker hip-belt from larger Madden packs if you are carrying a lot of weight.

Overall, this is a very well-made and serviceable mid-range pack. Unfortunately, Madden is out of business, and the successor company, Russi Packs, does not make an equivalent pack or honor the Madden warranty. Luckily, Madden stitching doesn't blow out too often, so if you see one cheap on E-Bay, snap it up.