The Gun Counter

It recently came to my attention that my LAPG bugout bag, while great for holding my get home/work stuff, is not well suited to being carried for any but the shortest of distances. In the event I need to walk somewhere having a pack rather than merely a bag with a shoulder strap would be most useful. Additionally I could use it as a sort of light day pack. So I have begun to look for some sort of pack that is relatively compact, will stow well in a vehicle, and can be carried for at least moderate distances without issue. So far I have discovered two manufactures that make what I want, Hazard 4 and Maxpedition.

Rignt now I am leaning heavily towards the Hazard 4 bags, but I am not sure if I should get the Rocket or Plan B (both cost nearly the same from LAPG). The big difference between the two is that the Rocket has some pouches on the side that are perfect for Nalgene while the Plan B has PALS webbing along the side. Both bags can also be outfitted with a 3 liter reservoir. Right now I carry two 1L Nalgene bottles in my GHB and would like to maintain at least that level of water in my new bag. If I get the Plan B I will have to add pouches (at about $20 each) to carry bottles or ditch the bottles and use just a reservoir. However I have concerns over the durability of a reservoir in a car trunk during an Arizona summer and the bottles are obviously more generally useful and easier to refill so right now I am leaning towards the Rocket. Essentially I have to decide if the additional flexibility of the Plan B is worth $40.

So any recommendations on these or other sling packs? I did briefly consider a messenger bag but decided that one would not give me allot of advantages over my existing bag.

Those look like nice bags, as a side note, when the Plan B was being demoed I was actually there behind the camera man at the Shot Show. The guy demoing it was a cool guy and IIRC former AF. He wanted a bag that fit in a vehicle and you could easily dismount with. Thanks for reminding me, I'm going to order one. I was really impressed with the quality of it.

I suppose it depends on how much stuff you really want to carry around and if stealth is important to you. The Plan B is a great bag, but it screams tactical. You may want to look to a sneaky bag backpack for your needs.

Turns out that I've got a CamelBak bladder that I forgot about that would go perfectly with one of these. Now I'm even more torn between the Rocket and Plan B. CC why do you want the Plan B over the Rocket?

I've got a Maxpedition Sitka that I use on just about a daily basis. It holds a bunch of EDC gear, and can hold a pistol and some ammo if I so desire. Its best role is for CCW on a motorcycle, or in the summertime when I don't want to deal with a sweaty weapon. Both of those packs look much larger than the Sitka. Be advised, that no matter how comfortable they claim a single strap pack can be, it will get heavy after long periods of time. I used my Sitka to CCW at Colonial Williamsburg with a 5" steel 1911 with two spare mags, and it got heavy at the end of an 8 hour walk/tour. I would worry about loading those packs up with lots of gear and water and toting them around. I do like how slim they are, along with the design. It might not be so bad if you can switch it to your other shoulder (can't with the Sitka). Just be forewarned.

The Sitka is my top choice in Maxpeditions line, and since a local store carries Maxpedition stuff I could play with them to figure out which one is better. As for size the Hazard 4 packs are a bit longer than the Sitka but not as wide. The plan B is 19.75" long and 8.75" wide with the Rocket being very similar but with pouches. Here are some pics you can use to compare.

The Plan B is smaller and therefor you don't put too much crap in it. If you want a backpack with a ton of stuff, get a backpack. For a grab and go, the Plan B is the bee's knees. Plus I played with it, and I liked the designer and the pack. He was thinking of vehicle operations specifically. Guys who ride around all day (like the Wiz) but need gear to haul around and emergency ammo in case of a forced dismount. It fits in between seats and in vehicles.

So, if you are just looking for something to carry a lot, don;t get one strap, that's just dumb (see reason above, my case was made for me)

CombatController wrote:Plus I played with it, and I liked the designer and the pack. He was thinking of vehicle operations specifically. Guys who ride around all day (like the Wiz) but need gear to haul around and emergency ammo in case of a forced dismount. It fits in between seats and in vehicles.

This is what the pack would primarily be used for. Despise their size our trucks don't have allot of space inside, especially up front. Now I suppose it's a question of how much water I want. 5L plus all my other stuff is going to be a bit heavy.

Did you consider CountyComm's SATCOM bags?

http://www.countycomm.com/satcom.htm

Less frills, but about half the price. They also have a larger variant, which I have stuffed with survival gear behind the backseat of my truck.

JAG2955 wrote:Did you consider CountyComm's SATCOM bags?

http://www.countycomm.com/satcom.htm

Less frills, but about half the price. They also have a larger variant, which I have stuffed with survival gear behind the backseat of my truck.

I did consider the County Com bags, as well as a similar bag that has 3 pockets along the back but I decided that the additional features (more space, better shoulder straps, etc.) offered by the Hazard 4 bags are worth the price. I do think the County Com bags quite nice and if I ever have a need I'll be sure to get one. Also I think LAPG can read my mind since they sent me a link to this today but I think both the Hazard 4 and Maxpedition are better.

CombatController wrote:I suppose it depends on how much stuff you really want to carry around and if stealth is important to you. The Plan B is a great bag, but it screams tactical. You may want to look to a sneaky bag backpack for your needs.

I don't think the Plan B would look too tactical if it were in black vice the coyote.