Armor Pro Ballistic Backpack, (#3)

2014-10-15T20:00:00

I used this bag for 2 primary purposes - travel with my scuba gear (both on airlines and by car) and travel without my scuba gear (airlines only). In 3.5 years, the bag has been on approximately 8 flights and 5 car trips. About 1 year in, one of the plastic clips broke that hold the backpack straps to the bag. I was able to use a caribener to "fix" it. After 3 years, the fabric in the top corner seperated from the zipper fabric. I paid to have it sewed back together. On the next trip, the bottom corner seperated in the same way. In addition, one of the front pockets began fraying. Each of these areas was 4-8" long. Lastly, the nylon/rubber/plastic coating on the inside of the bag has been peeling since day one and has basically no use. On the plus side, the bag is the perfect size to get on the airlines wihtout paing an oversize bag fee (59.5 linear inches). I like the 2 front pouches as one stores my logbook and the other smaller items. The inside is roomy enough to handle a 7mm wetsuit, a 2XL jacket BCD, regs in an Akona pouch, scuba skin, mask, snorkle, save a dive kit, booties, hat, gloves, and a bunch of other stuff. The side pockets are great for storing my fins. One design flaw is the lack of a waist strap. If carrying this long distances or for a long time (think waiting in a line at the airport) it gets very heavy and annoying. I had a strap added by a local boat shop, but it's not the same - it only party way helps. I realy want to like this bag, but being it only lasted 3.5 years and less than 20 uses, I can't recomend this bag. (As a side note, my bag is an import - made in China. I mention this as they also have a version made in the USA.)

erkmancurtis

2012-07-07T20:00:00

This is a SOLID gear bag. I have taken several trips to Asia and around the US, to quarries, rocky coastlines, sandy coral lined beaches with my dive gear in tow stuffed in this bag. The wheels and handle have taken a beating and have held up through city streets and airports. I cannot say enough good things about this product......

Bazooka J.

2011-11-14T19:00:00

Found it a little hard to carry with other check bags.

ItTollsForThee

2011-03-15T20:00:00

In a nutshell: * Bad bag for air travel * Good back for non-air travel Generally it's a good bag. Things that I like: * Good size. Fits all your essentially gear + some of personal stuff. * Side inserts for fins. Fins act as side walls and provide ample protection for the gear inside. * Good padding all around provides additional protection. * Opens up nicely providing easy access to the gear inside. * Very durable. Good quality stitching, nice fat zippers. * Fairly light. 7 lb. beats 15lb suitcase for sure. But heavier then I would want for air travel. There are only two things that I really don't like and they kill everything for me: * All belt ends hang loose and there is nowhere to hide them (short of using stupid rubber bends) * There is a special pocket on the back where you are supposed to stow away back straps. The only problem is YOU CANNOT UNBUCKLE THEM!!!!! The swivel clip at the end of the back strep is too small and doesn't open. I have no clue how they attached it in the first place. If I cannot hide or unbuckle loose belts I cannot use the bag for travel. Airport security will give me hell.

MICHAEL P.

2008-02-18T19:00:00

I have taken this pack on a Caribbean dive trip and will tell you that if it had wheels and a few LESS straps then it would be perfect. I guess all the straps and buckles help hold everything together in a backpack shape, but there are a lot of buckles to undo to get to your gear. Just a peeve though. I believe A wheeled backpack would be the perfect combo over this backpack only version. Rolls on hard ground and packs on your back for beach entry, etc. Pretty well made considering it's an import. Not up to the old Durabag standards, yet close. Spend a little more and get a wheeled pack. Like wheeled luggage they are just great back savers.

Brooke d.

2007-04-24T20:00:00

As a duffel lover, this bag is what big duffels should be, it should be carry-able as a bag or a knapsack and the 2 handles are included. Made of the same material as the XL duffel I reviewed earlier, this bag has far more room and pockets that are more easily accessed. It too uses the same plastic zipper pulls that could break with hard use. The shoulder straps are too big for me, and I have to makeshift tie downs, ideally it should be adjustable to its full length, not just what is allowed by the design. The shoulder straps need a chest strap, as the bag is quite large.

Saturation