Looking for an EDC/survival bag. Need some opinions.

N

not_a_virus.exe

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Feb 25, 2014
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Something that I can carry on me all the time as a general EDC bag, but has the kind of functionality where I can live out of it for a few days at the same time if ever I got stranded in the middle of the woods over some freak accident.

I would like to to look as covert as possible so people don't freak out over seeing a large tactical backpack thrice my size in public and assume I'm about to shoot up a bank.

Right now there's two bags I'm interested in. The Molle Tactical Sling from Condor
 and The RUSH 24 from 5.11

Of the three, I'm really eyeing up the sling from Condor because it looks exactly like something that someone could wear in the city and is very easy to take on and off. If I was on a bus, it would be a simple matter of swinging it around to the front side so I could sit down. Very easy to maneuver. The problem is that if I'm carrying a bunch of survival supplies and am stranded in the woods or if there's ever a zombie apocalypse and I'm lugging around 40+ lbs of gear, I can see this doing severe damage to the shoulder it's resting on because the weight isn't being distributed evenly on my body.

Which brings me to the 5.11. This would be my next choice because of the sheer amount of space and pockets it provides. I can see a use for every pocket and pouch on this pack and in a survival situation, would be really handy to have on you. Then again, donning and doffing the bag would not be as easy and fluid as it would with the sling and I would have to end up taking off the entire bag as opposed to swinging it to my front.

There's a couple of other bags I'm looking at like the Spec Ops Tactical Assault pack from Spec Ops and The Xray from Kifaru as I hear that for sheer quality, both are about as premium as you can possibly get, but they're less practical for every day carry and geared more towards police/hunters or don't have as many carry options. I like them mainly because they're made in the USA and I wish the two bags I'm looking are were also.

I try to buy products that were made either in the USA, Canada, or Scandinavia as I find they put a lot more quality into their products than stuff that was outsourced to China or Vietnam, but you can't win'em all.

So I would love to hear some opinions from you guys.
 
2 straps will keep your pack securely on your back while doing vigorous activities, but you do have to take it off to access the contents.Removal is quick & easy with just a shrug rearward though.
You can also carry a 2 strap pack with one strap slung over either shoulder, switching off to relieve the stress & still have the security of 2 straps when needed.
Check out the Rush 12.
I use one for Commuting EDC & day trips to the mountains.
Not too big for EDC like the 24 IMO and it'll stay on your back while your are scrambling around or just bending over.

9" knife for comparison.
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I've crammed that thing until I had to fight to get it zipped up & it has held up fine.:thumbup:
 
I durrently carry a tan Maxpedition Lunada for days that I am in the office. Nice one shoulder bag. When I can carry a little more, I carry a Blackhawk 3 day Assault bag.

The backpack is more comfortable, but it gets more looks that my shoulder bag. If I were doing it again, I would look at perhaps a different Maxpedition or Condor bag. I will say that a tan bag does not get noticed like a tactical black one. Look around and see all that are available and give one a try. Good luck!
 
I was carrying a Maxpedition rush 24 for a while but it was too big for what EDC. So I switched over to the Maxpedition Sabercat and I love this bag. Its a handle carry or waist carry or shoulder carry, not a backpack. Its the perfect size for ally my edc stuff and my lunch everyday.
 
My main EDC bag has been a Maxped Remora for the past year or so, and before that it was a fatboy jumbo. One thing I found with shoulder bags is that for EDC its really easy for the weight to start to creep up on you. for shorter loadings, then the bigger ones are okay, especially if you need to pack a coat. I had the black/brown for the jumbo, and foliage for the remora, and they are often mistaken for camera bags. But the weight is a major factor. I prefer a backpack for work days when I need to pack water, lunch, spare clothes and such. One other thing to consider is how long you will be carrying the bag. I find that the remora when fully loaded is a bit much for a full day of carry. In that case a backpack is better, and I've even used the remora as a sub-load in a bigger backpack. For a short urban transit commute, its fine though. in that case I prefer it, since I can pull the bag in front for security and general politeness.

Realistically, I think you need to look at two bags. one urban and one bush. depending on your urban EDC loading, I only really carry comfort stuff, with a few little extras. If you were planning a full urban disaster kit to carry all day, then you'd need a big bag for comfort carry. Its a never ending struggle, I still don't have a perfect bag.
 
Covert?
The stuff you showed looks military

Buy a day pack from REI

Look at the Kelty Redwing 43, they have some very good colors for outdoors, and retain the civilian look
 
I have a Maxpedition Kodiak S-type (for lefties) and it's worth checking out as well. I carry it every day, even to the office.

The non-S-type is designed for right-handed people.
 
Check out Jandd's line of large lumbar packs, particularly the large Hermon Munster, which can be used with a military harness and the larger Emek, which can be converted to a day pack.
http://www.jandd.com/search_results...L&txtFromSearch=fromSearch&iLevel=2&subcat=20

Jandd supplies stuff to police departments and is very, very rugged stuff but still has the look and feel of standard backpacking gear. It won't turn heads at all. I've been hammering on their Zoor rucksack for nearly 15 years and have 20 years of wear and tear on some of their cycling bags. Bullet proof and all made in the US.

There is no way I can live with a single bag. Just can't. I have 2 backpacks for backcountry travel, a fanny pack for summer day hikes and XC skiing, a commuter style backpack for work (computer, lunch, jacket) and a smaller sling pack for urban/suburban EDC.

I handle preparedness by relying on smaller organizer pouches that I can move from pack to pack. I have a large one for backcountry travel and a much smaller one for work/suburban EDC. I always keep my backcountry fanny pack and backcountry 10 essentials pouch in it in my car, so I can just grab and go for short outings and it doubles as a car safety kit. On longer trips, I just drop the essentials bag into one of my larger packs and I know I have the basics covered.

I use the same approach for suburban EDC. I just move my smaller EDC essentials bag back and forth between my work commuter day pack and my smaller sling pack.

For suburban/urban EDC, I have to admit that "I still haven't found what I'm looking for". I spent many years using a day pack and like you, got frustrated accessing things when on a bus or train. I spent many more years using messenger bags but ultimately got frustrated with how clunky the folder over flaps were. They really prevent easy access. A sling pack is great for fast access but in crowded places, it's a problem just like a back pack is - it hit things and people. I'm giving serious thought to moving to a convertible fanny pack with top zipper access, a grab handle and a shoulder strap.

If you can relax your made in the US criteria, you might want to check out the Mountainsmith Lumbar packs too.

For now though, I'm sticking with a sling pack.
 
neeman said:
Covert?
The stuff you showed looks military
Click to expand...

This was my first thought too. If you want to "blend in" and not look tactical, a traditional backpack is the way to go. Like neeman said, a good quality backpack from rei (outlet) or other place would suit you fine. One thing about a traditional backpack, they *usually* don't have the multiple pockets and organization a 5.11, Condor, etc type backpack usually do.

You are correct. For short trips, back and forth to work and home, a sling bag is ok but if you ever took one a good, long hike and loaded it down, it can get uncomfortable. I prefer and suggest a backpack to folks. You can always sling it over one shoulder and if you get sore, sling it over the other shoulder. If the shtf, use both straps to even out the weight.

I wont recommend anything since I'm confused about military vs traditional type packs.
 
Another idea if you want a lot of sorting functionality would be a lowepro bag. Easy to set up internal dividers and pouches. One warning though is that everyone knows that lowepro bags have cameras in them, so that means you can't set it down and assume it will be safe. But bad guys know lots of the bags, and the uses for them, so any specialist bag is going to be a bit of a target.
 
I am seriously liking that 5.11 Rush 12 pack myself. I don't backpack anymore, just canoe and canoe camp and all my gear goes into Sealine Baja drybags, but I use an inexpensive OR daypack in one to keep gear organized in the drybag and in camp. IMHO, more organization is a good thing. As far as looking "military", a few civy patches or a blue raincover pretty well takes care of that. I would not find the molle very useful myself, but the rest seems well thought out. Yep, I was interested enough to look up some youtube reviews (with the sound off) and general market prices.
 
I've been schlepping around a Camelbak pack for the past few years and have yet to find anything I like better. And I've looked HARD for a better "blend in" bag. The pack is now called the Fourteener 24. It's been my airline travel backpack, day hike pack, fishing pack, bike commuting pack - everything. I've loaded it up for a get-home pack before when heading out in inclement weather and it's plenty big if you choose your equipment wisely. It's held up exceptionally well and is a great all-around size.
 
Stay away from the single-strap bags. Like others have said, with any kind of weight in them they get uncomfortable pretty fast. My bag is from Diamondback Tactical. A little expensive, but this thing is bombproof and made in the USA. Had it for over 5 years now and still going strong, barely showing signs of wear and that's with some solid outdoors time. I also use this as my hunting/woods pack so when its in "urban" mode the gun and knife go inside the pack. I guess it may appear a bit too tactical for some but at least its not camo and honestly I'm more concerned about being prepared than from what others may think.

Daypack4_zpsd534e5e2.jpg


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The contents may vary depending on what I'm doing (during deer season its loaded with hunting supplies) but these are the things that are ALWAYS in it:

bagstuff1_zpsd66e773c.jpg
 
I have a 5.11 Rush 72 bag that I carried for years. It went through it's fair share of outdoor abuse and it still looks relatively new. I can certainly vouch for their durability, internal pocket layout, and overall build quality. A few months ago, I bought a Drago Tracker backpack to get a smaller EDC bag that was more "commuter" friendly. I absolutely love this bag. It is half the price of the 5.11 or maxped equivalent bag. After a few months of rough commuter treatment (getting thrown into the car, stuffed into hospital lockers, tossed into a corner across concrete floors, etc), it hasn't shown any wear. Sure, the build quality is a little less; however, I cannot argue with the bang for buck. Do yourself a favor and. at the minimum, take a look at one. I found mine at the local Academy Sports store. I honestly wouldn't have considered it if I hadn't seen it and person and thought "This is a hell of a bag for 49.99!"
 
I have and use many different packs. I don't know what all you plan to put in it for EDC & with you all the time, but a small daypack can carry almost all my stuff for a week long trip EXCEPT - heavy duty shelter/sleeping, excessive amounts of clothes, large quantities of food.

Tactical Tailor Removable Operator - I got mine in foliage for half price. Made in USA, heavy duty material, slim profile, plenty comfortable, not overly military looking.

Osprey 24/7 packs and their Daylite pack - well-made, comfortable, great warranty, good materials, non-military.

The North Face day packs which have the polyethylene "frame" sewn in the back - Recon, Borealis, HotShot, etc. - the "plastic frame" makes carry very nice.

These are just ideas that I found to work well for me. I've also bought "frames" to put in some daypacks and made some from kydex, but they didn't work quite as well as the TNF ones.
 
Osprey makes some really nice bags that can handle a decent load without being too bulky or clumsy.

However the fact that you're talking about "casual swing out of the way on the bus" bags at the same time as "carry 40 SHTF lbs" tells me you need to rethink your needs.

The things that make a bag able to carry a heavy load without destroying themselves or your body are the same things that make them not great for EDC.

Get a nice messenger bag or plain old daypack for now and then get something heavy duty for trekking or a BOB.

For nicer EDC bags, I hear great things about Tom Bihn's backpacks and messengers. Crumpler makes a sturdy stylish bag. Timbuktus are good. I like Filsons a lot for old school style. Many people love Saddleback Leather but I think they're a little bulky. I have a TAD Litespeed that goes on dayhikes with water for me and the dogs, a fixed blade knife and a shell or puffy. It works fine but to be honest it's a little too "tactical" for EDC for me and not really big enough for anything more than a day hike. And then of course you've got all the Jansport and North Face bags you can find anywhere.

For heavy duty trekking I've got a few Kifarus. I like the fact that you can clip one bag to another (I wore my Marauder on the back of my ZXR around the airport when I went to Nepal - could barely walk but that was because I had about 80 lbs of camera equipment and other gear on me, the bags held up fine). I also really like some of Mystery Ranch's designs and would like to try one next, along with the Arcteryx Khard someone linked above.
 
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