Tactical Backpack

Tactical backpacks built around webbing, straps and a carried load

A tactical backpack is defined by what is bolted to the outside as much as by the volume inside. Rows of stitched webbing across the front and sides accept pouches, compression straps pull an underfilled sack back into shape, and the capacities in this range stretch from around 50 litres up to 90 and 100 litre expedition sizes. The result is a pack that can be reconfigured rather than replaced when what needs carrying changes.

What does the webbing on the front actually do?

Each row of webbing is stitched down at short intervals, creating a grid of loops that a pouch can be woven through. Adding a pouch there moves weight away from the body, which is fine for something light and awkward and poor for anything heavy. What it costs is bulk and snagging: a fully dressed pack catches on branches and doorframes, which is why a plainer backpacking rucksacks design is easier to live with on a footpath.

Which size does what?

Volume decides the trip. Around 50 litres holds a weekend with a sleeping bag and cooking kit, and still fits through a car door without a fight. Seventy litres and upwards is expedition territory, where clothing for changing weather and several days of food have to go inside. At the top end, a 90 or 100 litre sack is closer to a kit bag with straps, which is why some designs in that class double as a military bags style holdall with a zip along the front.

Which parts should you inspect first?

• Shoulder strap anchor points: where the strap meets the body of the pack is the first place a heavy load tears, so look for bar tacking rather than a single line of stitch.
• Hip belt structure: padded and stiffened, or it folds under load and passes the weight straight back to the shoulders.
• Zip size and pull: a heavy toothed zip with a cord pull is the one that still works with cold hands or gloves.
• Internal frame or stays: removable aluminium stays let the back be shaped to a torso and taken out when the pack is packed light.

How should the load sit on the body?

Most of the weight belongs on the hips, not the shoulders. The hip belt is fastened first and tightened on the top of the pelvis, then the shoulder straps are drawn down until they follow the shoulder without carrying the load, and the top tensioners pull the pack in towards the back. Heavy items go close to the spine and level with the shoulder blades, since a load slumped low and away from the back pulls the walker backwards on every step, which is what makes a badly packed military backpack feel far heavier than it is.

Is a tactical pack waterproof?

Treat it as water resistant. A coated fabric and a storm flap shed a shower, but seams and zips let water in during sustained rain. Dry bags or a liner inside the main compartment solve it properly. A traditional bergen backpack with side pouches handles the same problem by keeping wet kit separate from dry kit rather than by sealing everything in one space.