I’ve read different posts about starting your BOB/GHB/SHTF bag with a quality bag, but what makes a quality bag? The well-known brand name (5.11, Maxpedition, Kelty) or not so well-known (Condor, LAPG, etc.,)? The price, the fabric, storage? What’s a quality bag? Thanks in advance!
That is a very open ended question that could have many correct answers… frankly “it all depends”
“Mission drives the gear” applies. Is it 72 hour? Six weeks? Just to get home?
What is the intended purpose? What are you going to do with it? The name doesn’t necessarily make or break the deal.
All that said, a 30 year old Alice pack you picked up for $15 may be perfect. Or is it a $700 Kifaru product? Maybe you just need a gym bag?
Generically speaking a lot of the new bags will use 1000D Cordura. Quality of construction (sewing, zippers and etc.) then apply. What about ergos? Try one on, put some weight into it and walk around.
Cordura is very durable but also heavy. So maybe a non-military looking backpack is what you want… something from Osprey or Gregory come to mind. Lightweight nylons, but not a long term durable. But much more comfy.
This is one of those personal choice things you’ll have to research and decide for yourself which combo of quality. price, features and etc work best for you. There is a ton of stuff out there. Good Luck!
Sorry, let me narrow it down to a 72 hour bag. A lot of the posts will kind of leave it at a “quality bag,” and then go into what to put in the bag, but not really give a whole lot of info to the bag itself.
I would look at Kifaru. They make a great pack that will last a very long time. I have used them all over the world. Look at these that don’t scream “tactical” :
http://store.kifaru.net/mobile/urban-zippy-1500-ci2458-liters-p150.aspx
http://store.kifaru.net/mobile/late-season-3400ci5571-liters-p3.aspx
You really want something that is comfortable, capable of carrying a good load, and is make to endure abuse. That is why I can say Kifaru meets all of these and will come out on top. Down side, you get what you pay for.
I have this one. Available in black so not so “look at me”, as mentioned above.
http://www.tacticaltailor.com/extendedrangeoperatorpack.aspx
I just wish they would come out with colors like Navy blue or grey.
Stay away from cheap, made from inferiror materials, imported from Asia bags like 5.11, Blackhawk, Condor, etc. Stick with bags manufactured in the USA made from DuPont 1000 Denier (or 500 if you prefer lighter weight but there is no free lunch) Cordura nylon. Reputable US manufactures like Kifaru, Eberlestock, London Bridge Trading, Mayflower, HSGI, MSM, S.O. Tech, ATS, are good to go.
I have picked up several Eagle Ind’s. A-III packs on sale for half price over the years, be on the look out and you can find good deals on made in the USA packs.
As for imported packs, I do have several Keltys that I like. Amron will run these on sale from time to time so sign up for their newsletter and sit back and wait for a sale.
http://www.kelty.com/p-264-map-3500.aspx
http://www.amronintl.com/tactical-gear/personal-gear/backpacks.html?brand=372
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No kidding on the London Bridge Trading packs, OP if you sign up on their site they run their 3-day packs ($215) on sale several times a year, they practically give them away! I’ve picked up multiple packs and loadout bags this way and have saved a ton of money.
Forgot about Grey Ghost, I have one of their Stealth Operator packs for EDC.
double tap.
I run the USGI Patrol Pack (Backpack) made by Specialty Defense Systems. It’s beefy & has Molle loops for attaching other pouches & accessories. Surplus price is about $30. Comes in woodland camo only I believe.
For a 72-hour go-bag, I use a simple Patagonia “Black Hole” bag (durable large duffel with shoulder straps - I have a few from back in the Made-in-USA era). That bag is packed with stuff that is ready to go at a moments notice and is only gear that gets used in the event of an emergency/disaster/need-to-leave-home. I see no point in breaking the bank on a bag that sees very little use. I repack it every six months (as seasons dictate) and it otherwise lives 20’ from the front door but does not see frequent use.
For a pack I use in the mountains every few weeks, I have a $650 backpack. I’ll pay well if it’s something that will see frequent use and needs to hold up to brushing against granite, off-trail mountaineering, etc . A go-bag “for when SHTF” that is going to sit idle 99% of it’s life doesn’t merit heavy expenditure as I see it. YMMV/IMHO/Etc.
I have to strongly agree to this sentiment.
Let’s apply that view point to firearms, magazines, and ammunition. If 99% of us never us a firearm to defend ourselves, our families, and our hearth and home then why spend the money on quality firearms, components when you can save money and buy an Olympic AR and or say a Hi-Point handgun and Wolf ammo?
As stated YMMV, my advice to OP was to find a quality pack on the sale i.e. not going to break the bank however IF one needs the pack for some unforeseeable crisis your GTG and not having to deal with a pack blowing out on you or coming apart at the time you and or your family need it most.
different realm/world-view/usage/not even remotely related.
As stated YMMV, my advice to OP was to find a quality pack on the sale i.e. not going to break the bank however IF one needs the pack for some unforeseeable crisis your GTG and not having to deal with a pack blowing out on you or coming apart at the time you and or your family need it most.
Even chino-crap, which I’m not advocating, will get your gear from living room to SUV. There is absolutely no need for someone to buy a Mystery Ranch/Kifaru/Dana Designs/$900 MHW bag for something that won’t see use but once in a blue moon. If you like supporting the various outdoor gear companies, by all means, whip out that Visa card but I don’t see the point, as someone who has evac’d more situations than I’d like to recall.
(disclaimer: I’m on the pro-deal with the above listed companies and own the gear from each but don’t see the need for joe-citizen to fork out $2K on bags to store bandaids that might not ever get used)
I apply the same thought process to the items that I may have to depend upon rather its a Surefire light over a big box store clamshell special or a pair Asolos over some department store hikers.
I think we are saying the same thing here amigo. I’m not advocating anyone going into debt on a pack they hopefully will never have to use. I’m just saying that its possible to find good deals on quality kit. Some examples of my finds off the top of my head, LBT 3-Day assault pack normally $200+ I scored for $59, LBT large wheeled loadout bag normally $500+ I picked up for $99, Eagle A-III MOLLEs normally $180+ I scored for $79.
I guess it depends on your specific needs.
I spent a lot of time looking at BoB’s, the cheap, inexpensive, the mid-range and the expensive. I finally settled on the 5.11 Rush 72. I liked the support system, the wide straps, the way that they connected the strap to the bag, the fact that there were plenty of organization through the pack (they have a bunch of zippered, mesh pouches on the inside, which is great! It’s something I can comfortably trek around in the woods in, for extended amounts of time.
With that being said, they can be a bit spend ($150-$170 new). However, I waited for a few lightly used ones to pop up on Ebay and paid around $220 shipped for two bags that look damn near brand new and one included a Gerber LMFII with it.
When I went too buy a “get home bag”, I realistically thought about it. I am 2 miles from home and my wife is 2.5 miles for work and school. We rarely travel much further than that and if we do, we throw in our 72 hour bags. If anything bad were to happen and my wife or I needed to get home, it would be a pretty quick endeavor. I sacrificed some quality, due to the fact that the bag won’t realistically be used very long and if the needed arose for a better bag, they would be close. I bought the Condor Compact assault pack. I scarified quite a bit in quality (the sticking isn’t as nice, the zippers aren’t heavy duty, etc). But paying $30 shipped as opposed to $100 shipped for the 5.11 Rush 12’s, allowed me to pretty much stock it up and get the bag, for the same price of a more quality bag. I went into it knowing I will eventually upgrade and will delegate the two condor bags to camping gear once that happens.
light/good/cheap - pick any two…
to a point, what you pay for in the high end bag is better materials and construction. getting something cheap for hard use is false economy as it will wear out quicker and probably not even be as capable in the first place as a good/expensive product.
a true bugout bag, IMO, should be able to take anything you can anticipate and beyond. the term bugging out connotes leaving the safety of your home and venturing into the unknown and for that I want something that can handle anything.
on the other hand, I have a get-home bag in every vehicle. since this will be an emergency/single use type application to get me back to safety and supplies, I feel ok with a cheaper alternative here. it won’t be the lightest, it won’t last for years or handle any excessive demands because it only has to get me home with the stuff I pre-loaded into it. and if it gets stolen from my car, it’s cheap…
I use an Eberlestock pack for hunting and a recent trip abroad. I find the brand to be very well designed and tough. I’d say they are a good value dollar wise.
My unit issued me a couple sizes of Mystery Ranch, big and REALLY big. They are definitely high quality but I haven’t put them to hard use yet. First impression of them is that they are not as comfortable as my Eberlestock.
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