Camelbak Urban Assault Review
October 21st, 2009 | Cordon & Review | Posted by Phil Ewing
CamelBak’s “Urban Assault” backpack is a medium-sized bag designed for tactically minded city-dwellers who want to carry a lot of gear, a laptop, and water on their missions in the urban jungle.
If you don’t wear a tie to work every day — or you do, and you don’t mind looking like a college kid — this backpack can work as a great daily briefcase, especially if you’re commuting by train or bus. Pockets, sleeves and admin pouches secure loose papers, folders, pens and just about anything else, plus the dedicated laptop case is ideal for the expeditionary office drone. At 1850 cubic inches, it’s also large enough for a few gadgets or gym clothes.
If you’re getting ready to ship out to the sandbox, or looking for something to take on a hike across Death Valley, this may not be your first choice. The Urban Assault isn’t designed to accept CamelBak’s trademark suck-tube water pouches hydration bladder, instead setting aside two side pockets for its flip-up tube, Better Bottle water bottles.
Let’s take a closer look at the bag to see if it’s got what you’re looking for.
Assault Pack – Cordon & Review – Part I -The Big Ones
April 29th, 2009 | Cordon & Review | Posted by Rob Curtis
- Camelbak BFM 500, $200, 5.2 lbs, 3142 Cubes
- Eberlestock Half-Track, $229, 6.6 lbs, 3080 Cubes
- Tactical Tailor 3-Day Assault Plus, $218, 3.75 lbs, 2850 Cubes
- TAD Gear FastPack PS, $320, 5.2 lbs, 2800 Cubes
- Granite Gear Special Mission Patrol, $250 (street), 5.6 lbs, 2800 Cubes
- Gerber Grasp 150, $350 MSPR, 6.7 lbs, 2760 Cubes
Assault Pack Cordon & Review – The Primer
April 27th, 2009 | Cordon & Review | Posted by Rob Curtis
Assault packs have come a long way from the ubiquitous A-III style 3-Day Assault Pack. Military lore would tell you the A-III style was first designed in the 1980’s for use by naval welders to carry their tools in and out of the bowels of half-built ships in southern Virginia. Operators of the day saw the bag, recognized its utility and adopted it.
Advances in material and design have lead to a crop of new packs that will more than take care of you for a day or two in the field. These new designs offer advances in integrated hydration systems, ergonomic design, and highly engineered fabrics and frame materials. We chose 17 packs that represent some of these advances, threw them in a pick-up truck and drove a few hours to an undisclosed military installation so we could get feedback straight from the line.
Hit the jump for the GearScout primer on assault packs.