Eberlestock-Switchblade

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Eberlestock new rig initial thoughts.

So I just got in my new backpack setup from Eberlestock.

What I got:

The Switchblade backpack in Mountain camo

The MultiPack Accessory Pouch in Mountain camo

The Padded Hip belt

and two of the Hook up Kits

My first thought once I got it all out of the packaging (no this is not a joke this is literally my first thought): OOOOOOOO it's the really nice smooth feeling fabric. While this may not be important to some or a lot of people, it is important in our household. Nice feeling fabric is awesome and will make us want to use the pack even more.

After my initial ooooo shiny of feeling the nice fabric, I moved on to inspecting each item before assembling my rig. Each piece came free of damage or any apparent blemishes in the construction of items. Which of course made me happy to find.

Now a disclaimer on why I say I need to assemble my rig, no the Switchblade backpack itself doesn't require any sort of assembly. For my personal needs of what it will be used for I wanted a few extra items to go with it.

My main thought behind what I got is that I tend to pack a little heavier for trips and or go hiking so I wanted the Hip Belt, the Switchblade doesn't come with one but it is designed to be used with their line of Hip belts.

The MultiPack can attach to the hip belt like a fanny pack, this should come in very useful for going through airports (wallet, passport, book, etc.) and or hiking or anything else where you want some items close at hand without having to remove the backpack.

The Switchblade also has attachment points that the Hook up Kits can make use of to attach extra items to the outside of the pack and or can be utilized if you get one of Eberlestock's hard frames to attach the Switchblade to.

So after inspecting each item both from making sure no damage and also the OOOO SHINY of my new gear this is my first impression. The bag is well put together and very well thought out, I can see why it didn't come with the hip belt because honestly, it isn't a giant pack but the ability for it to be attached to it is awesome and very useful for me, also the attach point is actually a pass-through low down on the pack, so it doesn't interfere at all with the padding of the pack itself but adds the belt, also since it is a pass-through that belt will not be coming off of its own accord.

The padding on the belt looks great and is of the same quality and thickness as the padding on the pack itself so they will work together great. The molle on the belt along with the molle on the MultiPack is awesome and they attached great. The back of the Multipack has a couple of straps that I was able to use through the molle and seems to have a very firm connection, this will be tested in the months to come as this pack will be traveling with me to other countries. I got the hook-up kits to be able to attach a rolled jacket to the outside of the pack so as to not take up room inside the pack.

So all items do fit together wonderfully, I haven't done much with it besides put it together and test a couple of key items I was interested in, the fit and feel is great on just trying it on empty, also another large plus is a 40-ounce Hydroflask does in fact fit in the side pockets on the outside of the pack (this was important to me because I prefer to travel with my hydro for water).

One somewhat downside, the organization pockets in the back advertised for Laptop transport, they are awesome, but mainly only if you do not have a 17" laptop. I have a couple of laptops, one for work and one for play. My work one is a small one and will fit in there perfectly even inside its neoprene protective sleeve. My 17" laptop will actually fit in there, technically, but only if it does not have the neoprene sleeve on, which let’s be honest isn't great, as the sleeves themselves aren't actually padded.

They are pretty much multi-use sleeves that can be used to transport a laptop, or a water bladder, or files, a folded up rifle really whatever you want, so they are great. Just most likely will not be able to take my play computer on trips with me in this pack. That is ok though, this rig was not purchased with only one use in mind, this is to be my travel, hiking, hunting, daily carry sort of bag, and my first impression is that it will fill all these roles acceptably if not outstandingly. There will be more reviews to come as it is tested for each of these things.

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