{"id":7339,"date":"2015-08-18T07:00:48","date_gmt":"2015-08-18T12:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hcstx.org\/?p=7339"},"modified":"2015-08-18T07:00:48","modified_gmt":"2015-08-18T12:00:48","slug":"gear-review-spec-ops-brand-recon-ruck-ultra-pack-t-h-e-wallet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/2015\/08\/18\/gear-review-spec-ops-brand-recon-ruck-ultra-pack-t-h-e-wallet\/","title":{"rendered":"Gear Review: Spec-Ops Brand Recon Ruck Ultra Pack & T.H.E. Wallet"},"content":{"rendered":"

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My fellow Texas brothers and sisters at Spec-Ops Brand <\/a><\/strong>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<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

Anyways, enough yacking about my friends, on to the gear.<\/p>\n

The Pack they sent me is the Recon Ruck Ultra<\/a><\/strong>; \u00a0an 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 \u00a0has 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/strong><\/em> in the field and installed removable covers on the hook and loop closures (a feature standard on ALL Spec-Ops Brand Packs btw.)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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!)<\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0The MTX<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\"Front<\/a>
Front View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Rear<\/a>
Rear View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\"Main<\/a>
Main Compartment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Removable<\/a>
Removable Padding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\"3<\/a>
3 Outer Pockets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Lastly, I will be looking at Spec-Ops Brand the T.H.E Wallet.<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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!<\/p>\n

Here is the list of features….I will warn you, it’s a long list!<\/p>\n