I have two different packs and rotate them depending on my needs at the time. The first is a medium ALICE pack w/frame & straps. The second is the Fieldline Alpha OPS Internal Frame Pack (same as a 511 Rush 72 without the sticker shock).
The Fieldline would offer more in the way of organization as it has five different compartments. I know you mentioned you don’t like external features, but on this it works fairly well as two of the compartments are on the sides so it helps to distribute the load. It actually has six compartments now that I think about it, the upper one that is felt lined for things like glasses and phones. It has a hydration badder compartment and the water line can be attached to the strap so you can drink on the go. It has a handle on top so you can carry it easily as well. Additionally it has a soft frame and shoulder/waist straps so it’s been pretty comfortable on longer hikes/bike trips. One of the features that it has that I also like is a webbed area that can hold stuff between the outer and inner compartment (for stuff like a tarp and such).
It has held up well and I’ve used it multiple times on our SEP gatherings (primitive/remote camping trips to test various pieces of gear).
The ALICE pack, well what can I say, it works and it’s rugged and can be customized quite extensively. Lots of videos on YT for both of them
I knew Dave would have understood just what I was talking about! The setup of that Alpha Ops is just how I intended the pack I am looking for.
Unfortunately I found a couple of not great reviews on that, plus 600D ain’t my thing (I have come to love thicker 1000D). I will be hunting for a deal on the 5.11 one, but with no rush (pun intended!) because as a first thing I want to try to downsize the contents a bit and see if the old trusty Condor II can still manage the job.
When it comes to my bug out bag, I prefer the most nondescript, non-tactical looking, non-expensive, non-professional bag that is good enough to use for the purpose.
I don’t want people to know that inside my bag are great goodies, the less that I and my exterior reveal a man who prefers the best of EDC, and survival related gear and equipment, then the better.
I agree with you Brad! Low key for the win. I’ll check some standard rucksack from Decathlon too.
I always bought black packs and bags over camo, khaki or od green stuff because it looked less military, but molle and pouches give away the subject in any colour.
Here’s my thoughts; looking at Ebay just a moment ago and the cheapest 511 Rush 72 that I’m seeing on the ‘Buy Now’ is around $140. They’re some cheaper ones up for bid but most have a lot of bidders so who knows what the final price would be? I haven’t shopped around much for them so perhaps there is a cheaper source? But just going on the $140 price for a new one, well, I figure I could get 3 of the Alpha Ops and still have change left over. Prior to purchasing I looked at reviews and YT vids, overall it was encouraging. My biggest concern was the zippers, but so far they’re doing fine on both my pack and my son’s pack. Will I still be saying that 5 years from now? We’ll see, but so far so good.
One of the things I’ve looked into was where stuff is made. For example, I have several Maxpedition products and I also have several knock-offs. The knock-offs are a third or fourth of the price and all have been holding up well. From what I’ve read, Maxpedition is actually made in Indonesia while my knock-offs are made in China. So not that far removed from each other and if Maxpedition is a 10, I would give the knock-offs a 9. I don’t know where the Rush is made, might be worth checking on. Also the caveat that I can’t attest to the quality control of the Alpha Ops beyond the two I’m using and what I’ve seen online.
Just tossing that out there. The Rush might very well be worth 3-4 times what you can get the Alpha for…but is it? I don’t have the Rush so I can’t compare them side-by-side.
Even black stuff draws too much attention. What you want to look like is cheap and hardly worth a second glance. The ONLY time I want to be noticed is if my butt needs rescuing, and the BOB/GHB’s all have things to handle that. If you look like you’ve got something worth having then somebody will come along wanting it. Even if you’re a black-belt with an arsenal in hand, you are asking for trouble so you will get trouble. While you’re fighting off the attackers I will drift through un-approached looking like a thrown-together average Joe who might have a candy bar or two and some water in that tattered surplus daypack. Under the disguise isn’t the best equipment, just known and tested stuff I can do well with. I’m not out to impress anyone, I’m just going to get by regardless of the circumstances 8)
Okay guys, I received the four suspension clips in my link above. I don’t have a P7 so I don’t know how the size compares. The generic version is 1 5/8 inches long. Seems to be working just fine. I put it on my keychain with my SAK (Tinker), Fenix E05, Acebeam L10 and peanut lighter. I’ll also put it on my work keychain but forsee no issues as it is even lighter.
in my BOB bag the lights that stay there are my Lumintop BLF SD10 with custom carriers for it to run on AA, AAA, C, D and 18650 cells, and a charged set of NiMH cells and a 18650 in it ready to go. Also i have a Thrunite Ti2 with extra NiMH AAA cells, a Trustfire Mini-01 with extra CR123 cells, and a LED AA miniMag.
I was in a discussion today regarding ferro rods. Specifically the Lighting Force fire-starter. Here’s my quote:
Amazon has this at almost $70. I just can’t bring myself to order a $70 ferro rod unless it shoots out sparks of gold. The most expensive ferro rod I’ve purchased was $17 and too be honest, I should have waited because a few weeks later I found the exact same thing for less than half the price (and now there is a green one a couple of bucks cheaper than that).
So far, between the $17 version and the $8.75 version I’ve purchased four of these. They have been field tested and were excellent. They have a thick piece of ferro, throw a shower of sparks and have the little tinder compartment.
That link also contains information on the DIY fire-starter wafers I make that imo are a must have in the field or even an EDC as they are so small, light and inexpensive to make. And they work!
Another link to various ferro rods, several of which I’ve gotten but haven’t posted a review of yet:
My bottom line is that a $5 ferro rod blank and some of my DIY fire-starter wafers are the next best thing to a Bic lighter. And too be honest, the DIY wafers are just an insurance policy. With a properly made tinder bundle and kindling just the ferro rod is sufficient be it $5 (or less) or $70.
This thread has generated an incredible amount of views, posts and good info. I really appreciate it. A LOT of people have gone to the link in the OP to take a look at the information, and again, I really appreciate that.
Here is an update: The forum that is linked in the OP started experiencing a lot of issues, not my forum specifically but the host as a whole (which is affecting from what I understand thousands of forums). One of my members (and a fellow BLF member ) has stepped up and helped me move to a much better forum that is on a better server, dedicated domain and a LOT more options. Plus since I’m paying for it there are NO ads!
If it’s of any interest, here is something I tossed on the SEP board with mods you can do to the MX991/U (anglehead army) flashlight. No, doesn’t make it a blow torch or anything. But from a camping/hiking/GHB/BOB perspective it was some pretty neat ideas.
Thank you sir. Racer here on BLF really stepped up and helped me out when I started having server issues on the old SEP board. This new one is way nicer, both what you see and what goes on behind the scenes. And the new server is much more reliable. Just makes for a nicer experience for everyone.
