Spring has finally arrived in Western Pennsylvania and the time has come to dust off the hiking gear that has sat idle all winter and load up Blackhawk’s latest Ultralight 3 Day Assault Pack to head to the trails to test out the goods.

I have a backpack fetish and the chance to review a Blackhawk Industries product is like Christmas, a birthday, and tax refund day all rolled into one.  I am a traditionalist in that I have used military surplus gear exclusively through many years of hiking.  However a few years ago I bought a CamelBak day pack with a standard hydration system.  That pack fills a great niche but what I have been looking for is lightweight backpack that could hold enough gear for an overnight trip while offering all the utility of the military style gear that I own.  This is the first Blackhawk backpack I have ever handled and compared to several military and civilian packs in my collection of hiking and camping gear this is a special treat.  I have used Blackhawk’s Ultralight 3 Day Assault Pack for about a month hauling my laptop, books and papers back and forth to work as well as getting in some woods time during a day hiking trip. The Assault Pack is constructed of lightweight and durable rip-stop nylon that weights just over 2.5 lbs.  There is S.T.R.I.K.E. Webbing covering the entire pack which allows for optional use of A.L.I.C.E clips, MOLLE gear and Blackhawk’s Speed clips to attach additional pouches and gear to the pack.

Read more – WoodsMonkey

(Featured image courtesy of woodsmonkey.com)