We’ve all heard of 5:11 right?  Long known for being the one-stop shop when it comes to overt tactical gear, 5:11 hasn’t rested on their laurels: they’ve continued to push into new markets as evidenced by their discreet lines of clothing and firearms carry displayed at this years SHOT show.  Today, I’m writing about their RUSH24 backpack.

The RUSH24 is 5:11’s mid-sized tactical pack offering, sandwiched between the RUSH12 (24 liter capacity) and the RUSH72 (55 liters), the RUSH24 comes in at a generous 37 liters of space.  The 12, 24 and 72 in the RUSH series ostensibly denote what length of time during a tactical operation the pack is design to support an operator for.  The RUSH24 is certainly spacious enough for someone accustomed to packing to the Ranger standard.

Constructed from the tough 1050 denier nylon (1000d for Multicam), the choice of material  leads the charge for an enduring theme in this pack: Rugged by Design.  The grab handle is reinforced, the YKK zippers are of the “self-healing variety” and the outside surface is covered in a water-repellent coating.  Every piece is designed to keep you focused on the mission at hand, not on whether or not your gear will fail.

I’ve also noticed in my time with the RUSH24 that user comfort was a priority when drawing this one up.  This certainly isn’t a heavy “Cadillac” bag, but a couple well-placed ounces here and there have made this bag truly rise above.  Wide shoulder straps help spread the strain on your shoulder, the adjustable height sternum strap helps you adjust a critical comfort item (helpful when you’re vertically challenged), even the zippers have been given nice, big glove-friendly pull tabs.  Even when I loaded my chest rig, war belt, sidearm, water, MRE and camera equipment into the RUSH24 for a hike, the pack settled in quickly and became a hardly noticed extension of my back.

I do like the organization options here.  There are little pockets all over the perimeter of this pack.  Up top is a padded spot for eyewear, flanked by matching pockets just big enough for my Nikon rangefinder.  Up in the front pouch, there are spots for all the miscellaneous admin items one usually takes.  Pens, notepads, batteries, hunting license, GPS, cell phone and other things drop perfectly into these small-to-medium compartments.

Yes, the outside has a generous smattering of Molle webbing and velcro so you can tack on additional pouches, patches and nametapes.  The Molle is sewn on to last, and straight to boot.  That might seem a pretty basic task, but more than a few manufacturers let slip some shoddily sewn webbing.

The RUSH24 has held up very well during my time with it, showing it was truly designed to last.  5:11’s asking price of $129.99 ($169.99 for Multicam) is certainly above what many “airsoft grade” gear makers are asking for their packs, but when it comes time to rely on your kit in the field, on patrol or on the hunt, ask yourself what “Professional-grade” peace of mind is worth.

Additional gear shown provided by:

Meal Kit Supply

Blue Force Gear

Gadsden Dynamics

Nikon

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