My fellow Texas brothers and sisters at Spec-Ops Brand in Monahans, Texas was good enough to send me some gear to review for you guys. I was really excited to hear from them, since I have been using Spec-Ops Brand kit for a LONG time and consider it some of the best made gear in the industry. Spec-Ops Brand Gear is made and assembled right here in the U.S.A. (Texas to be exact), so you will not find any of those pesky “Made in Taiwan or Dirka-Dirka Stan” tags hid anywhere, which, personally, I think is very important in this day and age.
Anyways, enough yacking about my friends, on to the gear.
The Pack they sent me is the Recon Ruck Ultra; an interesting hybrid of both a “rucksack” and “assault pack.” Now for the record, for those of you that don’t know, a “rucksack” is a pack that is made for hauling A LOT of gear and typically has a belt for stability and can be mounted on a frame. An “Assault Pack” is simply a standard backpack with MOLLE webbing and straps to attach extra pouches or kit. The color I got was the standard Olive Drab, but they offer several more including Coyote Brown and ACU Universal Camo just to name a couple.
The Pack is constructed of super-touch 1000D Cordura Nylon. The dimensions on the pack measure in at 2285.5 cubic inches. I really like the design, it reminds me of the old school ALICE packs. The main compartment has an all around corded closure (ala’ a rucksack) and then three separate outer pockets with drain holes equipped with both a hook and loop (velcro) and buckle closure. I thought it a nice touch that the designers really thought about NOISE DISCIPLINE in the field and installed removable covers on the hook and loop closures (a feature standard on ALL Spec-Ops Brand Packs btw.)
One of the coolest features on this pack is the removable foam padding layer they added. Anyone who has humped a heavy pack all day knows the headache of not having a “barrier” between you and the gear, plus the further annoyance of being jabbed in the back every time you hit a bump. As I mentioned, this being a ruck design, the pack can be attached to a standard ruck frame if needed, but with this padding, even with a heavy load, or awkward shaped gear that can poke through, it can be hauled relatively comfortably.
Like most serious assault packs offered nowadays, the Recon Ruck Ultra also has a pocket for a hydration bladder forward of the foam padding. The only con is the designers did not carve out a place for your hydration hose to fit through in the top cover. You can still run the hose through the side, but it is a tad awkward (hint, hint Spec-Ops!)
The designers did think about adding extra mag, medical or accessory pouches on the outside (which Spec-Ops Brand sells) by adding plenty of their “Grid-Lok” Accessory gear loops on the side, bottom and top of the pack. The MTX Shoulder Harness system is extremely comfortable, and definitely designed for toting heavy loads over long distances. They designed it with the standard buckle attachment and D-Rings in the shoulder harnesses; they also added straps to clip a small radio/GPS or other gear if needed.
Overall, I would say this pack would be ideal for either a Bug-Out-Bag (BOB)/ VBOB or a 3 day Field Pack. It has all the self-contained features to be able to tote it long distances and/or durations without getting fatigued. If used as a BOB, with the addition of a few Spec-Ops Brand pouches mounted on the Grid-Lok straps, such as their Light Sheath, General Purpose Pouch and Multi-Tool Pouch, a person could keep all the “Essential” gear handy on the outside of the pack, while being able to haul all the other essentials easily.
Lastly, I will be looking at Spec-Ops Brand the T.H.E Wallet.
Now if you are like me, and are one of those guys that has always looked at a wallet as a tool, and not as an “fashion accessory”, then you are gonna love T.H.E. Wallet.
Now I got mine in Multicam color (so it will be camouflaged from my wife and kids) but Spec-Ops also has them in the standard Black, Coyote Brown or ACU Camo too.
Now when I said I saw a wallet as a tool, Spec-Ops Brand took that literally; this thing is the wallet equivalent of a multi-tool!
Here is the list of features….I will warn you, it’s a long list!
- Made out of Super Durable Cordura 1000D Nylon Fabric and 420D Nylon Pack Cloth. It is Double-Stitched and Bar Tacked at Critical Stress Points.
- Has 8 Credit Card sized slots
- Inside and Outside ID Windows in Non-Glare finish
- Zippered Pocket for spare change or keys, etc.
- Has a space to hold a full-sized passport!
- Divided cash compartment with another full length zippered compartment for added security
- Noise Discipline 101: Exclusive “Shark Bite” Closure, so no velcro, buckles or snaps!
- 3 Carrying Options: In Pocket, On Belt or Around your Neck (When you add some Paracord)
So there it is guys, A Pack and a Wallet made for the Serious Civilian Operator! Go get yours today and tell them where you heard about it too!!
Stay Alert, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!
Reblogged this on Brittius.