Military asault packs

It is common to find reflective material on smaller packs that are marketed to mountain bikers, cyclists, etc. Not many packs marketed exclusively for hikers have reflective materials. For every hiker out there that wants a high visibility safety colored pack, there are probably twice as many that want a more subdued pack. Many packs will have different color options available to please both crowds, with neither pack featuring reflective material because it is not compatible with both designs.

 

I still have the one I used in college to cart books around. It has never seen as much weight as it did before I recieved my diploma.

 

Taliv, as someone who has to hump one of those packs, I would disagree. While the current Molle packs are miles ahead of the old Alice packs, they are still lacking when compared against commercially available packs. I think the Marines' ILBE packs look promising, but I don't have any hands on experience with them. Maybe I am not cool enough to get issued the really nice stuff, but I will stand behind all of my comments regarding the issued-to-everyone-in-the-army packs.

Specific problems I see with the Molle large ruck:
- Narrow range of size adjustment. It's too short for taller soldiers to wear properly.
- The hip belt is thinly padded, and the pad is too short to cover the hip bones adequately.
- Huge voluminous bag, handles loads poorly if they are too big for the assault bag, but too small to fill the ruck.

And with the assault bag:
- It's way heavy for a day pack.
- The plastic frame sheets in them rarely fit, and the foam pad sheets break down over time.
- The bag is too small, and if you try to extend the capacity by attaching the butt pack, it just flops around off the back.
- The pockets aren't designed to organize all of the small things that routinely get put in a day pack.

There is a new medium ruck that splits the difference between the large ruck and assault bag, but I haven't had a chance to wring mine out yet.

FWIW, I have been using a Camelbak Motherlode in place of the assault bag for the past couple years.

 

I bought the Condor molle backpack and is a very good bag for the money, and holds plenty of stuff. Straps are comfortable. Zippers are good and plenty of pockets. For the money it is hard to beat. I think I gave around $99.00 for mind. The Maxpedition bags will be more expensive, but they are good bags also.

 

I have used a 5.11 Rush 72 for several years now. The first year I drug it around the desert, lots of rough handling, and its a champ. Heavy, yes. Pricey, oh yeah. I find it comfortable to hike with, and itp carries a heavy load well. Designed for a water bladder if you want to use one. I like the two outside pockets on the sides, which will hold one liter nalgenes. The internal frame is based around two sturdy aluminum staves and a sheet of fairly rigid plastic. The suspension is great if you are carrying heavy stuff like water, ammo, a radio, etc.

 

So, as you can see there are many options
find what works for you, I find that a simple book bag is more than enough for a light day trip and I tend to prefer LIGHT backpacking packs, the tend to be well set up for your stuff.

 

Unfortunately, I haven't had the pleasure. I do have a Dana Designs pack from about the time Mr. Gleason started Mystery Ranch. It's a bombproof pack, but after looking at what is available from MR today, his current stuff is a little more sophisticated.

 

Another vote for the 5.11 Rush Series. I have a Rush 24 that is holding up very well.


http://www.opticsplanet.com/s/5%252E11+rush/

5.11 also makes a line of packs called "Covrt" (yes, spelled like that):


http://www.opticsplanet.com/5-11-tactical-covrt-18-backpack.html

The Covrt line is made just as beefy as the Rush series, but looks less out of place in an urban environment. It won't match your cammies, but if you want to look like just another college kid or tourist, it works very well. Hide in plain sight and all that.

Mark H.

 

+1 on the COVRT 18!

Here is a review I did on mine a few months ago. The pack is still holding strong!

http://blog.tacticalstore.com/2012/08/covrt-18-backpack.html

Chase B.

 

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/FALCON-II-BACKPACK-12p110.htm

Cheaper here:
http://www.amazon.com/Maxpedition-0513K-Falcon-Ii-Backpack-Khaki/dp/B001DRJGKY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350440712&sr=8-1&keywords=falcon+II+backpack

I've been using this for over a year for everything from schoolbooks to 11 mile hikes in the mountains/desert in June (2-3 gallons of water + other gear).

Holds a 3 liter camelback, plus 3 field stripped MREs and minor gear without even using the main compartment. Molle everywhere. I added 2 of these (1 on each side) for carrying 2 extra litres of water in Nalgene bottles, plus a few basic first aid items (QuickClot in one, mini-survival kit in other).

http://www.combatsportsupply.com/condoroutdoormolleh20waterbottlepouch.aspx

Holds up well to high weight and reinforced bottom with gromets for drainage. VERY comfortable, wicks away sweat, good belt strap, quality zippers, etc...

Worth every penny.

 

Second! ^

I've got it's sibling, the pygmy falcon II.

 

I have used a 5.11 Rush 24 for probably two years now, and it remains about all I could want in a pack.

Excellent build quality, ample room. I am a big dude and it carries comfortably as well. What really puts it over the top for me is the organization. Excellent and thus far durable zippable webbing inside the main pack, sufficient molls attachment points, enough outer pockets to be handy but not in the way. Also, it's water bladder ready.

I have used it as a travel bag, a hunting ruck, a GP bag and as a "tactical" bag, and it has yet to annoy me. I like it so much I want another, in fact! The 24 is really too big for a daily bag, but I have used it for that too.

The only other bag that gets consistent use from me is a new army mole in woodland that a buddy sold me dirt cheap. I don't hate it, but it doesn't hold enough gear to my way of thinking. Because it holds less than my rush 24, it is basically my daily bag and in that regard it works just fine,

 

I doubt any vet' would have used a Condor bag, it's not as strong as a pack should be and most wouldn't rely on such a bag where it counts.

Buy the equivelant model from Maxpedition - it's better built, reinforced, double stitched, etc. and has a great warranty. If you can afford better, step up to Camelbak's military line for a nice US made backpack for under $200.

Respectfully, I disagree.

"Operator Gear" is over built so that it won't rip open and fail when needed, spilling all of your other important gear on the ground. I have a Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon that's been heavily used (every hike) for the last 4 years and hardly has a loose stitch.

Light dayhiker gear is just that, light gear made to last at least a day.

There are military grade packs that don't scream "army bag". My favorite is Camelbak's Linchpin. It has no molle webbing, but is made from Cordura nylon and is incredibly functional.