Another great feature was the waist straps that folded up and stowed away when I used it as carry-on luggage when flying. It had a padded pocket at the top that could carry sunglasses or a cell phone. The inside was roomy with plenty of mesh pockets that come in handy finding smaller items.
For rucking or hiking, it comes with a large hydration carrier with a hanger that will accommodate a large bladder. The top of the ruck has ports on either side for hydration hoses and a heavy-duty grab handle.
The one time the airline made me check it because some guy just HAD TO carry a trunk that belonged on the Titanic, it never made it to the baggage carousel. Someone either in JFK or Dakar got themselves a helluva nice backpack. Not to mention a pair of the stretch fabric 5.11s, my favorite running shoes and other stuff including my favorite Patriots hat.
GORUCK Rucker
I haven’t owned one of these, but I got to try one out and am sold…this is a great ruck and is a perfect day ruck or for the weekend bugout back. These babies are tough and built to last…no wonder the company is owned and operated by Special Forces vets. They’re constructed out of 1000 denier CORDURA, which is heavy duty and holds up well.
They put on their website that the stress points are sewn to withstand 400 pounds and I believe it. The ruck just has an extremely well-made quality to it. This too can accommodate a good size water bladder with a hanger at the top. It has a pouch that they advertise for their ruck plates which fit in snugly and take up little room.
It is rainproof and the day I test drove it, it showered hard for a few minutes. The water beaded up perfectly and everything stayed bone dry inside. A neat feature is the YKK silent zipper pulls made from 550 cord that are glove friendly when rucking in the colder months…something we can appreciate here in New England.
Extra padded straps and handle, MOLLE Attachments and the fact that it opens nice and flat make this a very attractive, tough customer.
The only drawback is that it is a bit price at $195. And that is without the padded MOLLE Hip belt, and the MOLLE Sternum strap, which for rucking or hiking, I’d add. That being said, the next ruck I buy will be this one or the GR Bullet.
BLACKHAWK! S.T.R.I.K.E. Predator Hydration Pack
Another favorite bug-out bag, hiking bag that grew feet, this one was my own fault. Don’t go to Wal-Mart and leave it in the back seat with the car unlocked…even for a 5-minute shopping trip.
This is an outstanding, comfortable, versatile ruck. It has enough room (830 cubic inches) to cram enough stuff in there for a day hike. Like all Blackhawk products, it is rugged, well-constructed and had several nice features.
It has a nice molded back channel that gives plenty of ventilation with either a shirt or with a light jacket in the fall months. I loved the contoured shoulder straps, that along with the sternum strap makes this a very comfortable fit.
The hydration system works easily although they didn’t come with filters, so clean water has to be introduced. The ruck has a heavy duty reinforced drag handle, YKK zippers with silent glove friendly pulls, and a ton of MOLLE straps for lashing down any extra gear in a tactical situation.
The only drawback for this ruck that I remember is that it didn’t open all the way. But for a smaller day-type ruck it was a small issue.
SPEC-OPS Assault Pack
I’ve had this one for the past 13 years and it has taken a beating and keeps on ticking. At the time I got this, I was working as a contractor on a training job and one of my friends just bought it in ACU and then was heading home and gave it to me.
It is heavy duty, very well constructed and very comfortable. It is made from the same 1000 denier CORDURA that lasts, wears well and is water resistant. The ruck unzips and opens flat with a high visibility yellow lining that makes it easier to find items.
It has two large outside pockets that are easily accessible and a large main compartment that is roomy for plenty of storage for a weekend hike or as a weekend bag to travel in. The ruck has a comfortable shoulder harness with a sternum strap and padded waist belt. SPEC-OPS also has those heavy-duty buckles that secure the pockets.
There is a ton of MOLLE loops for lashing extra gear. Dual ports on the top of the ruck allow for hydration tubes as well as a heavy-duty carrying strap. Compression straps make everything tight when carrying it on a plane or rucking through the woods.
Thanks for the question Jeff and if anyone else has anymore, feel free to email me [email protected] or at my Twitter account @SteveB7SFG
Photo courtesy of DOD
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