I own (and adore) a couple Able Carry backpacks, with the Daily Plus not only being my favorite, but also on a very short list of my favorite backpacks ever. I had my eye on picking up a Max, but hadn't yet pulled the trigger - partly because I already have another travel backpack around that general size, and partly because I'm not doing quite as much one-bag travel with a backpack these days. But I'm always in the market for a new bag to spice up my EDC, and so when they announced the Max EDC, I immediately pre-ordered. My hope was that it might be able to flex nicely between EDC and short travel, but at minimum I was hoping that it might be a great EDC bag for when I want to use an Able Carry but want just a touch more space than the Daily Plus as well as the convenience of a separate laptop compartment.
As far as EDC goes, the bag is brilliant. It's not as bulky as the 26L size could suggest it might be (more on this in a moment), and looks and carries more like other larger EDCs I own, which is exactly what I was hoping for on the EDC side. The pack is beautifully constructed, with fantastic materials, and smooth chunky zippers. The quick-access and water bottle pockets are really convenient and easy to use whether doing so with the bag on-body or off. The main compartment is spacious, with great pocketing, and the walls and padding feels more substantial than other bags I own around this size - I feel like everything I put in it will be safe and secure. This goes for…