When the guys over at SOFREP decided to launch the mini crate club I was excited. Here’s how it works. I selected the club I wanted to join (mini crate in this case), picked my payment method, and now I sit back and receive a piece of gear each month. In total SOFREP has four different clubs: Premium Crate (this one is currently sold out), Mini Crate, Kids Crate, and Book Crate. For more info on each crate club click here.

So, like everyone else that joined the mini crate club I waited with eager anticipation. Then we received this letter.

The first project is a “Go Bag” (Google if you don’t know) designed by yours truly. I’m a minimalist at heart, so this one will be lean and mean. The items will ship monthly, and over the next 10 months we’ll build up your kit for you. Because the foundation of a good “Go Bag”, is the container system, and that is typically expensive, we are asking you to buy your own bag.

I personally recommend the Patagonia Black Hole 25 and have purchased this for myself over the weekend. I’m a fan of multi-functionality. This bag is rugged, has a lifetime guarantee (not that you need it with quality product; think Tommy Boy here…), and is pretty much as waterproof as you need it.

For those who want to rough it? One of the items can serve as your container as well, you’ll have to wait and see.

What’s the first item? Well, it’s a surprise…

Please don’t forget to share your kit on our Facebook page. We plan on having some giveaways for this too.

Thank you,

​Brandon

If you don’t know who Brandon is, he is a former Navy Seal, NY Times best-selling author, and CEO of Force 12 Media. So a pretty good person to be helping us create a go bag. Some people may be asking what a go bag is. In short, it is a completely prepared bag that you have set up for a certain situation/event. When said situation/event occurs you can simply grab this bag and go. In an emergency situation seconds matter and being prepared ahead of time can make all the difference in the world. The purpose/goal of a go bag is only limited by the imagination and budget of the creator.

The mini crate club is $19.99 monthly, or $15.99 per month if pre-paid for 12 months. Due to the inexpensive cost of the mini crate, it really wasn’t possible that SOFREP provide the actual bag itself. I actually preferred this because I am pretty picky when it comes to my EDC packs, day packs, and overnight packs. No offense to the Navy Seal, but a Ranger knows the pack he wants to use.

So the first item in our go bag to arrive was a Dry Sack made by SealLine. This is a perfect first choice when creating a go bag. A dry sack allows you to keep all your gear dry, regardless of the actual pack you choose. All you have to do is stuff your gear in the dry sack, and place the dry sack inside your pack and you are ready to go.

This dry sack is a little different from ones I have used in the past. Instead of a round design (like your sleeping bag stuff sack), it was more like a rectangle. I was surprised, it seems like this design makes jamming gear in a little easier. Also, there was no internal stitching on the bag. SealLine uses a process they call welded instead (stitching is typically where my old dry sacks failed).

Closing the bag is a simple process. After you have everything you want inside you pinch the top seam together and then roll it down (provided instructions say it must be a minimum of three rolls). Once you have it rolled down, you simply snap the fastex and you are done. Although this type of closure will keep your gear dry, you should be aware that a “roll down” type bag is not 100% waterproof. Could you drop your bag in some water and have your gear stay dry? Yes. However, you couldn’t submerge this bag for a prolonged period of time and expect your gear to be dry.

This dry sack has a 15L capacity (915 cu. in.) and should be compatible with most EDC packs. I plan on using my Red Rock EDC pack as my go bag, but the selection is up to the user. Overall I am happy with the first item because it isn’t contingent on the overall concept to be useful for me. I can start using the dry sack immediately, and I plan on doing so.

I plan on reviewing each item as they arrive at my door, and hope to do a thorough review once the go bag is totally built. If you are already in the mini crate club don’t forget to share your pics on SOFREPs Facebook page. Not in the club? It’s not too late, you can look at joining here.

If you have any questions about this item, or the mini crate club feel free to leave a message in the comment section, or message me via the Comms Check.

This article courtesy of The Loadout Room.