I wanted a fold-up bag to take with us when we go on a cruise. There are not a lot of fold-ups out there, and most of them left a lot to be desired. This is probably an exception to most bags of this type.

The bag does look a bit military, but after spending my time in the military, I have no desire to play G.I. Joe. However, the bag fulfills a purpose, which is why I purchased it.

This bag is well made, which is unusual in the roll-up category, as most bags of this type are pretty cheap. But you pay a premium price for the quality - but that is normal in life. Hefty YKK zippers are used on this bag, as well as double-stitching throughout. And there are 7 different compartments in the bag.

It folds up into a round package, about 4.5" Dia x 6" or so. In the folded state, you could attach it to a belt or backpack, but I have found that packing it flat in my luggage works better. It lays flat in the front compartment of my suitcase. There is no padding in a backpack of this type, but the good news is when packed flat, it takes up no more room than a t-shirt.

Fully opened and laid out flat, its about 17" high x 14" or so. It reminds me more of a tote bag in style than a bona-fide backpack, as its only about 1" or so deep when laid out flat.

What is unusual about this bag is it has room for a 70oz water bladder (a 100oz bladder won't fit). While it might be argued that having to pack a water bladder in your suitcase might defeat the idea of a roll-up, it can nevertheless work for this purpose. There are even elastic strips on the harness to hold the tube of the bladder.

The main compartment has a divider to separate the bladder from the other items, and there is a drain hole at the bottom on each side of the divider. The main compartment will easily hold two beach towels and the bladder.  There are also two separate compartments on the front of the bag that are large enough to hold sunscreen, sunglasses, a hard-cover book, and a few other items.

Another unusual feature for a roll-up backpack is that it has a sternum strap, and even a whistle built-into the buckle.

The top load flap is rather unusual. The top cover is only about 1/3rd of the bag's width, and the straps cover the rest of the opening. While this is not a waterproof enclosure, you won't likely be going to the beach when it's raining anyway.

One word to the wise however, if you are taking this bag on a cruise, that in some countries it's illegal to wear camouflage pattern clothing. Unlike many of Maxpedition products, this item is not available in camouflage, but it is available in khaki and OD Green. However, to be safe, I always buy items I am taking abroad in black.

All in all, its the perfect bag to take to the pool, the beach, or on your excursion.

Post Cruise Update:
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After taking the backpack on our first cruise, we had one of the sternum straps fall off. They are intended to be removable I suppose, so you need to check them from time-to-time to make sure the straps do not work their way out of the buckles. If you want to permanently affix the sternum straps, you can double the ends of the webbing over and sew them, which will prevent the webbing from working its way out of the buckles.

Also we carried a cold 32 oz bottle of water that we bought on board the ship on our way out for an excursion. Without having any insulation in the backpack, the bottle soon sweated due to the mid-80 deg temperature and humidity so that my back soon got wet. If you carry chilled water, you might want either an insulated bottle or an insulated sleeve if you purchase bottled water.

But I don't really fault the backpack as it's not supposed to be insulated, which makes it fold up into a small package.

We did find a rather useful feature of the top load flap. At the pool or beach, we could attach the backpack to the top rung of a recliner with the flap. This keeps the backpack off the ground or wet deck, and with the front pockets easily accessible, it's great for loading an iPod or two, kindle, and in a separate pocket, necessities such as suntan lotion.

The backpack will hold two beach towels. However, trying to insert 2 wet towels into the backpack can be a challenge. If the towels are dry, they go in easier; but wet, they tend to have some resistance.