CONDOR CONVOY RUCKSACK - (CONFIG)


In back in 2015 we went to Australia for a 3 week tour so I bought the Condor 3 Day Assault pack rucksack to use as luggage.

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I was really impressed with its design features, functionality and value for money and it worked out great for our trip. I was bit annoyed that I couldn't use it more often due to its size. I tried it with my usual day hike kit but NO! for me it was too big. On return from OZ I did a little research, to see if I could get something similar but day hike size. "COULD NOT BELIEVE MY LUCK" : ) Condor do exactly that! in the shape of the Convoy Outdoor Pack,
almost identical to the 3 day assault but 22 instead of 50 litres. "Bloody perfect".

[CONDOR CONVOY RUCKSACK WITH T.AD. TRANSPORT TAIL]

There are plenty of videos and reviews for this rucksack online so I won't go off on one here but what I will say is, I'm really happy with its fit. I am 6ft ish and this pack sits just right with plenty of shoulder strap for the sternum not to strangle me and yet the waist belt actually sits on my waist and not half way up my stomach. Despite the competitive price tag I feel that a lot of care and attention to detail went into this rucksack and I for one really appreciate that.
But for me - few things are perfect
everything needs a nip and a tuck
everything needs a MOD.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CONVOY?
So what's wrong with the Convoy and what needs to be changed? This is just a personal preference and making the rucksack right for my needs. To be honest it was fine as it was, I just like a project.

PROJECT 1 - HEAVY UTILITY
By way of means to attach heavier items such as Coats, Bashs and Bivi bags.

[25mm HEAVY UTILITY FOR LARGER EQUIPMENT TO BE STRAPPED]
This would be easy as the Convoy has webbing loops underneath the main compartment to attach strapping. I found this on Cadet Direct 25mm with quick release ladder-lock buckles and Multicam compatible. As they where about a meter in length I needed to get some ITW Web Dominators from Tactical-Kit to tidy things up.

PROJECT  2 - FIRST AID / AUXILIARY
[Condor Side Kick Pouch] exterior with quick release MOLLE.

[CONDOR SIDE KICK ADMIN POUCH MODS COMPLETE]
Over the years I have developed my own version of the survival kit. Basically it started off as a first aid kit, then I added shelter, fire lighting, water purifying and carry and also everyday generally useful items like a pen,  note book, duck tape, zip ties you get the picture. These are stashed in a Condor Sidekick pouch which is attached vie MOLLE to the very front of the rucksack, for easy access for anyone who might need to use it.

PARTS LIST:
  • Condor Side Kick admin pouch
  • x2 6.5" [160mm] MOLLE straps
  • 550 Paracord [desert multicam]

[CONDOR SIDE KICK ADMIN POUCH - MOLLE QUICK RELEASE DETAIL]
Occasionally I will take this kit with me as a stand-alone, so I have come up with a quick release system, which is simply joining 2 MOLLE ties with a paracord cobra weave to make a handle. 2 functions:
  1. It keeps the MOLLE ties together, less likely to lose
  2. It makes it possible to extract x2 MOLLE ties at once, "BAM"quick realise.
Again, there are plenty of great videos etc that can tell you all about the Condor Side Kick but briefly as with all Condor kit I have experienced, it is well made, well designed has a good capacity and is  little padded which I have found to be very useful, especially if you fall on it.

PROJECT 3 - PARACORD CARRY HANDLE

[550 PARCORD CARRY HANDLE DETAIL]
The Convoy has 3 handles, one on the top of the rucksack and at the sides. For me this was one of the reasons I chose it as this meant I could carry it like Brief / Laptop case. While traveling in Australia I found the top handle a uncomfortable after time, airport lines for instance! So I have rapped this most used handle in 10ft of 550 Multicam paracord. This stiffens up the handle, makes it more chunky, much more comfortable and a great place to stash 10ft of 550 GSA Compliant Desert Camouflage paracord. I got this from The Bush Craft Store.

PROJECT  4 - COMPRESSION SYSTEM / LIGHT-MID UTILITY CARRY
By way of means for casual attachment of items i.e. Jumper, Jackets and gloves and  better compression for the rucksack.

THE PROJECT DECOMPLIED

I have a rucksack that I use for snowboarding, a Berghaus Vice 23. It features their "award winning limpet system". Apart from its primary purpose of pulling the rucksack to your body so content doesn't swing around when running etc, I also use it for carrying temporary items, jumpers and jackets etc.

[T.A.D. TRANSPORT TAIL, MOD COMPLETE AND READY TO BUCKLE UP]

I thought if I could arrange something similar this would be more useful, user friendly and easier to access pockets than perhaps a shock-cord solution, which was my first thoughts. In my plinking around the Internet I found a company called Triple Aught Design [TAD] that make just such an item [Transport Tail - MOLLE variant] and with some modification would retro fit my rucksack very well.

PARTS LIST:
  • Triple Aught Design Transport tail [MOLLE variant.]
  • x4 Ghille Tex Military Side Release Buckles 25mm
  • x4 ITW Tri-glide 25mm Coyote Brown
  • x2 ITW Tri-glide 40mm Coyote Brown [Really tough to find] 

[T.A.D TRANSPORT TAIL MODS IN DETAIL]

This was an easy MOD. I needed to source some sidelocks that matched the existing as the ones on the Condor Convoy were a different pat. Next I needed some 1" [25mm] ladder locks buckles to attach and enable adjustment.

[L - ITW WEB DOMINATOR HOLDS THE TRANSPORT TAIL IN PLACE WHEN COMPRESSION STRAPS ARE UNCLIPPED]
[R - TRANSPORT TAIL UNCLIPPED AND ROLLED DOWN FOR ACCESS TO THE MAIN RUCKSACK COMPARTMENT]

Once the mods were made, it was a simple case of attaching the TAD Transport Tail to the compression straps on the Convoy. Done, done, done and done!

[BUCKLE SAND COMPRESSION STRAPS DETAIL]

I'm really very pleased with this mod as it works so well. For me a mod has to look like it was part of the original design of the rucksack and this is a great example of that and making my rucksack more useful and so, enhancing my hikes. All very good.

PROJECT  5 - INTERNAL MOLLE PLATFORM
Keeping items in required space and position even when one or more items are removed.

[511 COVRT INTEGRAL TO THE CONVOY RUCKSACK]

There is nothing I find more annoying than not being able to find an item in the main compartment of my rucksack. Clamshell designs help a great deal but if you don't want to unzip the whole rucksack on the side of a trail as if you're in a hotel room, warm  safe and dry, you're probably going to be unzipping one side or top and fishing around for kit that isn't where it should be, because its fallen to the bottom of the rucksack because you've taken out your water proofs! so this mods keeps everything where I want it. I played with the idea of individual MOLLE pouches but felt this solution was more elegant.

PARTS LIST:
  • 511 COVRT MOLLE insert 511 [small]
  • 4mm Shock cord
  • Coyote cord locks
  • Snaps (Press studs)

[CONDOR CONVOY WITH ADDITION OF THE 511 COVRT. KIT STRAPPED IN PLACE]

GOALS FOR THIS MOD:
  1. To know where an item is, with-in the space.
  2. Making it more efficient to locate, retrieve and use.
  3. Most importantly the quick deployment of wet weather gear.

[511 COVRT SHOCK CORD IN ADDITION]

For this mod the 511 COVRT MOLLE insert [small] does nearly all the work, because it is very well designed, considered and manufactured. Again the attention to detail is impressive.

[511 COVRT, SHOCK CORD AND CORD LOCK DETAIL]

Mods here where the addition of the 4mm shock cord to attach items. The coyote cord locks for adjustment. and the most fiddly the addition of x3 snaps [press studs on the back to attach the COVRT to the inside of the rucksack to keep it in place. As always, sourcing shock cord and cord locks in coyote brown to match other features and make it an integral part of the overall rucksack was key.

CONDOR CONVOY  RUCKSACK YOMP NOTES MODS COMPLETE


IN CONCLUSION:
These mods were pretty easy to make, required no sewing and used components easily purchased on the Internet. They're relatively inexpensive giving me exactly the the rucksack I want.

ABOUT THE LINKS WITH-IN THIS POST.

I've included links to GEAR featured so you can find out more or even purchase. In some cases items have been upgraded or discontinued so I have linked to equivalents, I hope that's OK.

GEAR LIST:

Condor - 3 Day Assault pack
Condor - Convoy Outdoor Pack
PLCE Strap Utility, IRR, Multi-Terrain
ITW - Web Dominators
Condor - Side Kick Admin pouch
Triple Aught Design -Transport Tail - MOLLE variant]
511 COVRT MOLLE insert [small]

SUPPLIERS
Amazon.com
Military1st
Triple Aught Design
Bush Craft Store
Cadet Direct
Tactical Kit

CtA [Call to Action]
Leave a comment. Tell me about your rucksack. Have you made any modes to it? Thanks very much for taking the time. Enjoy the rest of the site.

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