Off topic didnt wanna hijack bugout thread

Currawong said:
That mariposa looks ten times better than the topo pack for any kind of serious hiking. Mariposa has excellent hip straps and shoulder straps; topo has almost no hip strap to speak of. Mariposa has internal frame and sit pad back which you can remove to sit on when having a rest. Also has bigger capacity. Topo bag looks like an inner city book bag to me.
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Yeah, it looks solid.
 
I learned that in packs, like blades, guns, footwear, you get what you pay for.

I have 2 packs I use. Incognito, Arx’Teryx Kate in gray. Blend well as it has not tactical features on the outside. Inside is covered with Velcro to put pouches and even a short rifle/pistol.

My long term bag is a Mystery Ranch Blackjack. I’m not gonna lie, it cost me more than some of my Busse blades, but it is the best most comfortable pack I’ve ever bought or been issued. It’s in Muliticam to go with my MC gear. I plan on getting a brown one to go with my car kit. Very comfortable and carries weight very well. I can also fit a lot of gear. Outside pocket carries 6 PMags and the split pouches makes a good prone base for your rifle. I’m working on a carrier for my bolt gun for it.

Marine Corps tough mt me never to buy cheap steel, cheap boots, or cheap gear that your life may depend on. Always buy the best you can afford or save up for

Mystery Ranch, Hill People, Arc’Teryx, Osprey, Kifaru all make awesome packs
 
I have a Vertx Gamut bag, that I really like. I was looking for the least tactical looking bag I could find and it is black and all the Molle webbing is concealed behind a flap, last time I took it out hiking I mounted my esee 6 and a estwing hatchet with ease. It does have an internal frame. It was quite comfortable for my 20 mile hike. I was loaded down with rain gear a change of clothes some Mre's and snacks. My Kataydyn water purifier and I had my Camelback attached to it.I paid almost 200.00 for it off Amazon.
 
I've always stuck with regular, non-tactical backpacks for day hikes and my get-home/edc bag. Generally Patagonia or North Face bags I find on sale. Quality bags, blend in, etc... My main Patagonia backpack that holds my laptop, Maxped EDC, and all the various stuff I tote around to work and back these days has actually been in service for nearly 20yrs now. :eek:
 
1553764524910504153733.jpg these are my two that i own now the multicam was my missus army pack which she gifted me .its cheap compared to the rush .but i used it travelling up n down to cork on the bike and found it very comfortable .the rush i wanted to love it shopped around for a long time and got it for 100 euros .the retailed at the time 135 to 175.i hate the shoulder straps they feel cheap.unlike the rocket pak and the maxpeds ive owned which had webbing running along the cetres of shouldrr straps just seems like a way stronger setup i dont even use the molle anyways .i have been looking at osprey .vertx .vanquest im a sucker for organisation.i like to gauge toughness and durability before i buy and to be honest i thought the rush would fit that but it just doesnt do it for me .the grayman style bags are great for urban settings .
I also am a camo head i wear german army flecktarns constantly amongst others i just found the army pants more durable while motorcycling .
And doing outdoors stuff.the vanquest trident has the storage options i like .but i dont know much about them they look like nice packs with hip belts .for me i need to know its tough as nails like a busse of a backpack .
Maybe thats an idea lol .kifaru and few others seems overpriced to me as do the maxped agrs i hate laser cut molle it disgusts me just no .the maxped were all tiny when i ordered them a yrs back i didnt have a clue .got a couple sold most packs ive gottem kept one the eldest lad here has it a noatak gearlinger crap with any weight in it its a glorified lunch bag .but the xantha and zafar which are discontinued looked great
 
It doesn't seem like it should be complicated, but it is. Everyone has a different idea of what a "Get Home" bag vs. a "Bug Out" bag vs. and INCH bag. So, that's one problem. This is related to comfort, durability, capacity and cost.

The question of weight/capacity. Some packs are more comfortable when carrying weight greater than say 25-35 pounds. Good comfortable packs that can carry WEIGHT are expensive and need to be more custom sized. A lot of these have frames internal or external. Consider capacity. You don't have to fill the pack up either, so a general BOB in the 60 liter or larger size can carry most of the stuff needed for "get out of town" headed for a stocked location. But if you use restraint you can get a little larger pack and not fill it. Some packs are better for handling varying loads than others.

I'm currently interested in Mystery Ranch hunting packs that use a frame that allows you to vary the load. Makes it sort of modular. My thinking is that I keep a BOB of standard survival stuff, but the frame allows me to strap on a duffel with extra food, cold weather gear, ammo or what ever for any changes in mission. Keeps me from buying multiple packs.

Here is a Mystery ranch with the pack extended for load behind it. MR makes several of these. There are other brands that make something similar as well.
MR Mule Pack.jpg

Standard backpacking packs can be made to be light weight rather than durable. So, there is a trade off because standard backpacking packs can be cheaper, but the light weight material leads to the possibility of failure at the wrong time. If you don't plan to use the pack except for emergency this can be a good solution.

Speaking of cost; Another reason I like the modular approach is that it is expensive to keep a BOB that is never used except to practice. Having a frame pack that is made for adding load will give me some flexibility. I can keep the core survival stuff in the main bag for BO, camping use, hiking, etc., but add a larger duffel strap on for longer term.

I've been using a London Bridge Trading company 3 Day Assault Pack for my BOB. It is VERY tough, but it is just doesn't have the capacity. Even with molle attachments it carries what I consider only the essentials for an emergency pack, with little food. That's why I'm about to take the leap to MR.
 
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ScottsBad said:
It doesn't seem like it should be complicated, but it is. Everyone has a different idea of what a "Get Home" bag vs. a "Bug Out" bag vs. and INCH bag. So, that's one problem. This is related to comfort, durability, capacity and cost.

The question of weight/capacity. Some packs are more comfortable when carrying weight greater than say 25-35 pounds. Good comfortable packs that can carry WEIGHT are expensive and need to be more custom sized. A lot of these have frames internal or external. Consider capacity. You don't have to fill the pack up either, so a general BOB in the 60 liter or larger size can carry most of the stuff needed for "get out of town" headed for a stocked location. But if you use restraint you can get a little larger pack and not fill it. Some packs are better for handling varying loads than others.

I'm currently interested in Mystery Ranch hunting packs that use a frame that allows you to vary the load. Makes it sort of modular. My thinking is that I keep a BOB of standard survival stuff, but the frame allows me to strap on a duffel with extra food, cold weather gear, ammo or what ever for any changes in mission. Keeps me from buying multiple packs.

Here is a Mystery ranch with the pack extended for load behind it. MR makes several of these. There are other brands that make something similar as well.
View attachment 1101291

Standard backpacking packs can be made to be light weight rather than durable. So, there is a trade off because standard backpacking packs can be cheaper, but the light weight material leads to the possibility of failure at the wrong time. If you don't plan to use the pack except for emergency this can be a good solution.

Speaking of cost; Another reason I like the modular approach is that it is expensive to keep a BOB that is never used except to practice. Having a frame pack that is made for adding load will give me some flexibility. I can keep the core survival stuff in the main bag for BO, camping use, hiking, etc., but add a larger duffel strap on for longer term.

I've been using a London Bridge Trading company 3 Day Assault Pack for my BOB. It is VERY tough, but it is just doesn't have the capacity. Even with molle attachments it carries what I consider only the essentials for an emergency pack, with little food. That's why I'm about to take the leap to MR.
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I wish the London Bridge stuff wasn't so darn expensive. A buddy of mine scored a three day "jumpable" pack for dirt cheap and that is the most perfect pack (for me) that I have ever tried on.
 
clampdaddy said:
I wish the London Bridge stuff wasn't so darn expensive. A buddy of mine scored a three day "jumpable" pack for dirt cheap and that is the most perfect pack (for me) that I have ever tried on.
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Yeah, I have the same problem. Excellent stuff. The 3 Day Assault packs go on sale (about $130) so we have 5 of them and I've added some of their accessories. A big molle horizontal pouch on each, an internal frame sheet, and I bought some of their excellent dump pouches. But I just buy stuff when its on sale. They've had sales on their other packs, but I wasn't ready to buy.

The 3 Day assault pack is excellent build quality and pretty comfortable, but just not quite large enough. Also it starts to get uncomfortable when you get around #35 lbs., but it depends, at that point, how well it fits you. Since there are no gross adjustments it fits average men well, but not small women or much larger or smaller men. Fine if you are not hiking long distances for days or if its mainly acting as a container or organizer. Super tough though.
 
GHB is a HPG Tara with Tuff Possum add on pouch. Have bigger packs for longer trips ranging from 3-7 days.
 
Does anyone have any of the TAD Axioms? I'm just evaluating more casual looking packs. I'd like to be able to keep a firearm and Busse in it at all times.
 
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