Luggage Bags and Packs
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Indeed. I have both the 32l and civvy kit bags. The build quality is solid as you would expect. I would go for the civvy kit bag as it's massive plus perfect for a weekend…. But it is a big bugger
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The Denham Store in Amsterdam had a couple of bags by Butts and Shoulders, a new Dutch luggage brand.
I had a look at the Traveller's Bag, which is a raw leather IATA carry-on compliant holdall. I liked it, but I wasn't keen on the pair on wheels.
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New Tanner Goods bag. Was tossing up for ages on a new rucksack as there is so many good ones out there. Decided to go with this waxed canvas one. Really stoked with it.
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Perfect @Hereforthebeer
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Recently came into possession of a Mystery Ranch Asap pack. At the request of @veloaudio here are my initial thoughts (hope they're helpful old chap)
I have a real thing for bags, but unfortunately only those of the mil-spec variety (which tend to be hideously expensive). I've been lusting after a mystery ranch 3 day assault pack for years, ever since the limited Japan only releases they did back in the day, which prompted me to do research into the brand. After many years of procrastinating I went for the asap pack as I already have a Triple Aught Design (TAD) EDC Fastpack, which is a similar size to the MR Assault Pack.
I could literally bore the fuck out of people talking about load distribution, what a fucking legend Dana Gleeson is etc. but will try to keep it brief.
Build construction
The bags are handmade in Boseman, Montana and the quality really really shows. The construction is flawless and the everything about the pack is seamlessly integrated and perfectly executed (think iron heart quality).Everything about the design is well thought out. My understanding is that Mystery Ranch typically use 500 denier cordura in order to achieve a lighter weight ratio. I think this works well as the bag is reasonably light and is comfortable to wear for the whole day. By way of example, my TAD gear Fastpack weighs a bloody tonne with nothing in it, to the point where I couldn't use it for a while when I had a prolapsed disc in my back.
The straps are sturdy, will built and comfortable. Sadly though, the bag does incorporate an air mesh back panel (I have air mesh) and this is one area where I feel that the TAD gear pack is better.
Zips
Waterproof YkK zippers throughout, black para cord Zipper pulls. These open cleanly and I like the fact that these are waterproof.
In order to maximise protection of your gear against water. The main vertical zip overlaps the zips to the lids in the interior in order to ensure that water doesn't get into the pack.
Capacity
The Asap has approximately 18l capacity. Unlike the larger 3 day assault pack it has no external pockets but has rows of Molle webbing on the exterior.The bag consists of a main compartment and a zip up pocket at the top. The interior of the pack is also directly accessible through a zip on the lid. There are two pockets formed into the interior of the external face of the bag.
The bag features a clamshell design that means the bag can be fully opened using the Tri-zip arrangement. This is useful if you need to access items at the bottom of the bag.
This model is only 18 litres. It's perfect for a daypack. I packed the following into it and there was probably further room for another few tshirts and whatever you wanted to put in the top pocket but that's about it. The clam shell design does mean that there is a bit of 'give' though if you needed to ram some stuff in there.
- IH jeans, size 36.
-IHSH-95, size XL.
-IH tshirt, size L.
To illustrate the size of the pack, I have photographed it next to my Tad pack (30ish litres) and Goruck shadow ruck (20l)
Accessories
The asap pack itself can be used as an accessory and can be tethered to other mystery ranch packs using the loops on the chassis.Multiple pouches can be added to the exterior using the Molle webbing.
Mystery ranch also do something called the Spade Lock system. I purchased the spade lock with detachable pouches. Basically this consists of a large Velcro panel that you insert vertically into the pack and remains fixed in place. It then has two detachable pouches that fasten to the Velcro panel and remain firmly in place within the bag. I'm really impressed with how this works and am tempted to get their laptop case which uses the same system.
Once again the build quality of the spade lock/pouches is second to none. I love the fact that you can see the stages at which the construction of the pouches was signed off too.
It does come with a waist strap. This isn't very heavy duty at all and is something in unlikely to use. Thankfully the bag incorporates two handy side pockets that you can store the strap in when not in use.
Frame/yoke
You can customise the yoke of the backpack to cater for your height. I'm about 5'8" and went for a medium, which was the appropriate size for my height. More information on sizing your pack is available at the Mystery Ranch site.The construction of the frame means that the bag structure is reasonably rigid and curves slightly in order to transfer the load to the lower back. This works very well and is incredibly comfortable (as stated above I suffered from a prolapsed disc and as such if a bag doesn't distribute loads well, I really feel it).
Ordering times
It took me a bloody eternity to get this bag (over a year). Some of it was due to the fact that they now won't ship to the UK (you have to buy from tactical-kit.co.uk due to a distribution deal) and when my mate ordered it on my behalf for delivery to the USA (it worked out a lot cheaper), the lead in time was 5 weeks from the date of the order due to a backlog. Therefore if you need the bag quickly, it might be worth contacting MR before purchase.Conclusion
Was it worth the wait? Most definitely. The quality is exceptional and it is insanely comfortable to wear. Also, even though it uses 500denier nylon - rather than the minimum 1000 denier that I'm used to - it's still as tough as nails.If you're looking for a daypack or you can pack light and are only going away for a night then this would be a good choice. However if you need to take a few changes of clothes I would get a bigger pack. Given the quality of this I'm tempted to now get the MR 3 day assault pack in the future as its over 30 litres capacity will make it more practical for the longer haul!
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- IH jeans, size 36.
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@Cutlasshound , nice write-up! I'm sold. How thick are the spade lock pouches? I'm curious how much interior space they take up. I'm also planning on getting the Stick It, outside pouch/pocket. I've sent an inquiry to MR asking about the lead time for ordering.
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I am unlikely ever to buy anything other than this again. Built like a tank, loads of sizes and styles and virtually waterproof. Plus it is reasonably priced. All my adult life I have travelled extensively, given the way airlines treat it, all luggage will fail at some point, may as well have it be relatively cheap to replace.
We use Briggs and Riley luggage for this reason. Jody still spends 12 weeks a year on the road for work, not including vacations. Recently, Southwest Airlines crushed her large bag to the point where the tube aluminum frame was bent in half (all the contents were soft, so no damage there), plus the zipper and fabric were ripped, and Briggs and Riley repaired the luggage completely for free, no questions asked
As for backpacks, I've been humping around a Vertx Gamut EDC for the last eight months. Great bag. I've previously had TAD Gear bags for over ten years, and they're fantastic. Durable as hell, well thought out design, but nothing screams "that guy has a gun" like MOLLE all over your bag, plus the fabric itself is heavy, which I'm not a fan of for a pack (ounces=pounds, pounds=pain). The Vertx trades the robustness of the TAD Pack for a lighter weight material that's easier to lug around, but is still plenty durable. It's a really well thought out design as well.
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We use Briggs and Riley luggage for this reason. Jody still spends 12 weeks a year on the road for work, not including vacations. Recently, Southwest Airlines crushed her large bag to the point where the tube aluminum frame was bent in half (all the contents were soft, so no damage there), plus the zipper and fabric were ripped, and Briggs and Riley repaired the luggage completely for free, no questions asked
Yup, I 'do' B&R as well for the same reasons. When doing research their lifetime repairs really held up world wide!
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A couple of years ago, Southwest crushed one of our suitcases. As compensation, they gave us a travel voucher sufficient for a free trip and a surprisingly decent duffel bag. Decent enough that we still use it when we travel. I occasionally joke to Julie that I wish they'd destroy another suitcase, so we could get a matching set (and another free trip).
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how crush are you talking? crushed suitcase vs free travel and duffle bag. now that's not only a good deal. it's good customer compensation
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It got caught in the machinery somewhere in the bowels of the airport and one of the wheels was ripped off. When that happened, it took off the zipper and part of the cheap plastic internal framing, which meant it couldn't roll, the lid wouldn't shut fully and even if it did, there was a hole in the bottom leaking clothes.
Oh, and when I say a travel voucher worth a free flight, I think it was a max value of only $125-150 or so- flights on Southwest can get really cheap. They gave us the duffel bag for our stuff, and then the option of reimbursement for the suitcase or the voucher. Since we only paid about $50 for the suitcase, the voucher was the easy call. If we had a quality piece of luggage, it would have been different.
But yeah, the overall message of that story is that Southwest has always been great to us.
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I have a Tumi bag that I use for long trips (such as the one I'm on now). It's super nice, but I do have a couple of gripes.
The first one (and this is probably unique to this model) is that the release for the telescoping tow handle is on the body of the suitcase instead of in the handle. Awful ergonomics on that piece. The base plate of this handle has somehow cracked, which shouldn't have happened. Great built-in suit hanger though. Otherwise the ergonomics and features are kind of "meh" next to B&R, but again, I'm just talking about one model here.
The other annoyance is that the warranty isn't quite what it should be anymore at the price point. Because of this, I haven't filed a claim to fix a few minor issues with it.
they over engineer the crap out of their gear.