Andylaser
Administrator
I had been thinking about a new “largish” pack for some time and the possibility of 2 weeks travelling Asia towards the end of the year has given me the impetus to progress this desire. As travel modes are likely to be varied and basic, my requirements were for something comfortable, big, but not excessive and well made. The option of a day bag would be useful for….well day trip use. J
A quick search of the interwebs seemed to indicate that something around 45 litres is a good compromise between carrying capacity and the ability to actually walk somewhere without collapsing under excessive weight. Seeing as there was no need for tents, sleeping bags and cooking equipment, this seemed reasonable.
This was actually quite handy, as I had an eye on a Kifaru Marauder and Eberlestock Half Track, both of which were in this size range. I also liked the Eberlestock V69 Destroyer, but this is pushing capacity somewhat and is also quite tall. There are however some disadvantages with this approach.
Firstly, being from the USA, there is the insane shipping charges on top of what is already an expensive product. Then there is the requirement to “bend over and receive taxation” on your purchase. Finally, having already owned a Kifaru pack, there the fact they seem to possess more straps than a gimps tea party. An alternative was needed.
I had admired Tasmanian Tiger for some time, being especially attracted to the 45L Operations Pack. I decided to look further in this direction. I then discovered the similarly sized trooper pack. This is a little shorter and wider than the Ops pack. It replaces the side pockets with molle and is a panel loader rather than a top loader. I know both opening options have different advantages, but for holiday use, the panel loader seemed more useful.
Anyway, I decided to take a gamble and ordered the Trooper in the subdued khaki colour and added a few extras as well. J So, what’s it like? Well initial impressions were very favourable. Very well made, the material used 700D Cordura has an excellent feel. Quite natural feeling when compared to the very stiff material that MaxP use. Lots of nice little details are present and excellent looking padding and straps.
Details of the excellent padding and adjustable back.
I spent a pleasant half an hour fiddling with straps and the adjustable back system until I was happy with the fit. What really impressed was the comfort. The pack fitted my superbly, almost no movement and you didn’t feel like you were actually carrying anything. A definite result. J
Another half hour accessorizing and all is well. The pouches need mentioning, I was glad to see they came will pre-fixed straps to attach to the molle panels and were to the same quality as the pack. Unlike MaxP pouches with their myriad of little slots and pockets, these are more useful “large pockets” which allow a much more varied choice of items to be carried.
Anyway, let’s have some more pictures.
There are Velcro strap retainers fitted as standard and elastic ones are available as low cost accessories.
The chest strap buckle has a built in whistle.
As mentioned earlier, the pack is a panel loader and has three large pockets built into the back panel. These contain a small amount of organisation for mid sized items.[
The smaller upper pocket, which features elastic straps inside.
The middle pocket features some slip pockets and a zip pocket on the inside of the flap.
The lower pocket also features pockets, but has a zipped mesh pocket on the flap.
The outside of these pockets feature the usual array of molle and Velcro to use as required. The two upper pockets have carabineer loops for those who feel the need to carry their mugs in this fashion.
The sides feature large molle panels, a large dump pocket, compression straps and a carrying handle. I added some Grimlocks.
On one side, I fitted the large canteen pooch. I have no need to carry a canteen, but the pouch does fit a rolled up waterproof jacket nicely.
A small pocket at the lower back of the pack contains a waterproof cover for the pack. There is a detachable safety strap to prevent loss. The cover is large enough to fit the pack with pouches fitted and a coat rolled up on top.
The top of the pack features a well-padded carrying handle. Rubberised holes which will allow hydration tubes to pass through and a couple of molle strips. There are additional molle strips to the bottom of the pack as well.
A quick search of the interwebs seemed to indicate that something around 45 litres is a good compromise between carrying capacity and the ability to actually walk somewhere without collapsing under excessive weight. Seeing as there was no need for tents, sleeping bags and cooking equipment, this seemed reasonable.
This was actually quite handy, as I had an eye on a Kifaru Marauder and Eberlestock Half Track, both of which were in this size range. I also liked the Eberlestock V69 Destroyer, but this is pushing capacity somewhat and is also quite tall. There are however some disadvantages with this approach.
Firstly, being from the USA, there is the insane shipping charges on top of what is already an expensive product. Then there is the requirement to “bend over and receive taxation” on your purchase. Finally, having already owned a Kifaru pack, there the fact they seem to possess more straps than a gimps tea party. An alternative was needed.
I had admired Tasmanian Tiger for some time, being especially attracted to the 45L Operations Pack. I decided to look further in this direction. I then discovered the similarly sized trooper pack. This is a little shorter and wider than the Ops pack. It replaces the side pockets with molle and is a panel loader rather than a top loader. I know both opening options have different advantages, but for holiday use, the panel loader seemed more useful.
Anyway, I decided to take a gamble and ordered the Trooper in the subdued khaki colour and added a few extras as well. J So, what’s it like? Well initial impressions were very favourable. Very well made, the material used 700D Cordura has an excellent feel. Quite natural feeling when compared to the very stiff material that MaxP use. Lots of nice little details are present and excellent looking padding and straps.
Details of the excellent padding and adjustable back.
I spent a pleasant half an hour fiddling with straps and the adjustable back system until I was happy with the fit. What really impressed was the comfort. The pack fitted my superbly, almost no movement and you didn’t feel like you were actually carrying anything. A definite result. J
Another half hour accessorizing and all is well. The pouches need mentioning, I was glad to see they came will pre-fixed straps to attach to the molle panels and were to the same quality as the pack. Unlike MaxP pouches with their myriad of little slots and pockets, these are more useful “large pockets” which allow a much more varied choice of items to be carried.
Anyway, let’s have some more pictures.
There are Velcro strap retainers fitted as standard and elastic ones are available as low cost accessories.
The chest strap buckle has a built in whistle.
As mentioned earlier, the pack is a panel loader and has three large pockets built into the back panel. These contain a small amount of organisation for mid sized items.[
The smaller upper pocket, which features elastic straps inside.
The middle pocket features some slip pockets and a zip pocket on the inside of the flap.
The lower pocket also features pockets, but has a zipped mesh pocket on the flap.
The outside of these pockets feature the usual array of molle and Velcro to use as required. The two upper pockets have carabineer loops for those who feel the need to carry their mugs in this fashion.
The sides feature large molle panels, a large dump pocket, compression straps and a carrying handle. I added some Grimlocks.
On one side, I fitted the large canteen pooch. I have no need to carry a canteen, but the pouch does fit a rolled up waterproof jacket nicely.
A small pocket at the lower back of the pack contains a waterproof cover for the pack. There is a detachable safety strap to prevent loss. The cover is large enough to fit the pack with pouches fitted and a coat rolled up on top.
The top of the pack features a well-padded carrying handle. Rubberised holes which will allow hydration tubes to pass through and a couple of molle strips. There are additional molle strips to the bottom of the pack as well.
