Travis Olander 01.01.24
Bug-out bags. “SHTF” packs. Assault packs. Go bags. Whatever you call ’em, these small-ish not-quite-a-ruck sacks are arguably the most popular of all the tactical bags. They’re great for hunting and shooting and packing for weekend trips and short travel. Plenty of folks like to pack and store a 72-hour bag just in case the zombies come. But, like all things popular, the market for 3-day bags is flooded. Let’s cut through the noise and look at some of the best options in the category.
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What’s in a “Good” 72-Hour Pack?
Assault packs aren’t just like any old hiking bag or commuter backpack. They serve a specific purpose: provide enough capacity for three days’ worth of travel, with kit, in a “SHTF” scenario, packaged into a rugged and compact profile. A cummerbund is a bonus, but not a necessity. We’re focusing on bags with capacities of 30- to 50-ish liters, which limits the weight you’ll be carrying. An assault pack should be able to stow a sleeping bag on its exterior – ideally on the top or bottom, to keep good centers of gravity – leaving the interior storage reserved for all your other stuff.
A 3-day bag should also be capable of handling wet weather conditions and physical abuse. That means it won’t let your gear get soaked in a light rain or snow, and it won’t fry or tear easily from rough handling. Ultralight hiking packs made from delicate fabrics aren’t well suited for this. Cordura and other water-resistant ripstop fabrics work best, here. Can you spend $600 on a space-age bag made by retired SOF, intended for overseas operations? Sure, but you’re probably wasting your money. The best 3-day bag shouldn’t cost more than $250. There are plenty of quality bags that cost half as much. Let’s take a look.
5.11 Tactical RUSH72 2.0 Backpack (Best Overall)
Specs
- Capacity: 55 liters / 3,342 cubic inches
- Material: 1050D Cordura
- Attachments: MOLLE / PALS Webbing
- Available Colors: Black, Ranger Green, Dark Gray, Tan
- Dimensions (Main Compartment): 23″H x 13.5″W x 8.5″D
- Dimensions (Left/Right Pocket): 16.5″H x 6″W x 1.75″D
- Dimensions (Front Pocket): 15.5″H x 11.5″W x 2″D
- Price: $175 – $275
Main Features
- Contoured yoke for neck comfort
- Wide, padded cummerbund
- Aluminum stay bar for rigidity
- Rear hydration compartment
- Also comes with CCL pocket
- “Shove-it” gusset pocket for helmet or gear
What’s to like?
Not surprisingly, 5.11 Tactical’s RUSH Bag is my personal top pick for any 72-hour bag. This is a quality do-it-all backpack that manages to make 55 liters of capacity – about the limit of what’s reasonable for any go bag – look properly small. How the RUSH 72 carries complements the deception: it’s one of the most comfortable packs you can buy, with an awesome back panel sporting loads of padding, and some of the best shoulder straps in the category. The cummerbund has excellent padding, but it remains small enough that when not in use, it tucks neatly behind the lumbar without getting in the way.
Storage inside is thought out quite well, the main compartment’s big , wide, and fairly deep, with just enough smaller zipper mesh pouches to organize things without taking up needless space. My favorite feature on the RUSH 72 is the large compartment atop the main shell, which acts as a standalone bag cinched to the rest of the pack via four adjustable straps. It’s in between this compartment and the pack that you can easily stuff a small sleeping bag, temporarily stow a jacket, or even cram a helmet in there.
Coupled with its frankly excessive amounts of MOLLE webbing, the RUSH 72 can easily be converted into a full rucksack for week-long excursions. Inversely, you can make the RUSH 72 even smaller – just remove the extra compartment, and you’ve got one of the physically smallest packs in the lineup. This modularity, coupled with 5.11’s overall build quality – 1050D Cordura, which is naturally water-resistant and highly abrasion-resistant – makes the RUSH 72 a no-brainer for the #1 pick. It’s in the name.
What’s not to like?
Price is the only drawback the RUSH 72 suffers. It’s a perfect 72-hour bag, but it’ll put a dent in your wallet – especially if you want Multicam for cool points. That’ll set you back $250, while solid colors cost $175 to $185. These prices put the RUSH at the limit of what’s considered budget-friendly.
BLACKHAWK 3-Day Assault (Best “Incognito” Pack)
Specifications
- Capacity: 33 liters / 2,000 cubic inches
- Material: 210D and 330D Nylon
- Attachments: Bottom Storage Loops
- Available Colors: Black, Coyote Tan
- Dimensions (Main Compartment): 20″H x 13″W x 6″D
- Dimensions (Top Pocket): 14.5″H x 12.5″W x 2.5″D
- Price: $135
Main Features
- Padded cummerbund
- Semi-rigid, padded backside
- Rear hydration compartment
- (4) internal compression straps
- (5) tie-down loops for securing gear
- Holds up to 100-oz. water bladder
What’s to like?
The BLACKHAWK 3-Day Bag is the most civilian-looking go bags available. It’s bare bones, subdued nylon exterior is completely void of any webbing. With no tactical accoutrements to point out, the BLACKHAWK is great for those who want a 72-hour bag that looks like right in an office or strapped to your back for the morning urban commute. But the BLACKHAWK is, indeed, a proper go bag. Its thick, padded backside acts like a soft frame, and the large main compartment features plenty of decidedly tactical tie-downs for stowing heavy kit, with room for a 100-ounce water bladder. The bottom of the bag also hosts two reinforced loop mounts, which are perfect for lashing on a rolled sleeping bag or auxiliary storage.
And it comes with a decent cummerbund. The padding on the waist straps isn’t as cushy as those found on the RUSH, but it gets the job done and takes excess weight off your shoulders for long hikes and rough outdoor stints. The BLACKHAWK’s 210D and 330D nylon provides good abrasion resistance, though it’s not quite as waterproof as other options on the list. But, thanks to its relatively monolithic shell, waterproofing the BLACKHAWK with spray-on waterproofing is an easy task.
What’s not to like?
The BLACKHAWK’s incognito visage means it lacks the capacity for adding extra compartments and pouches. The nylon’s lower denier rating also means it won’t stand up to long-term abuse as well as an overtly tactical assault pack made from higher denier ripstop. This lighter weight fabric, coupled with the lack of a yoke system and smaller cummerbund – and the 30-liter capacity – means the BLACKHAWK is limited when it comes to loading up with serious weight.
3V Gear Paratus 3-Day Operator’s Backpack (Best for Sleeping Storage)
- Capacity: 40 liters / 2,420 cubic inches
- Material: 600D PVC
- Attachments: MOLLE Webbing, (2) side pouches, (1) deployment pack
- Available Colors: Black, Coyote Tan
- Dimensions (Main Compartment): 20″H x 12″W x 5.5″D
- Dimensions (Top Compartment): 13″H x 12″W x 3″D
- Dimensions (Side Pouches): 5″H x 2.5″W x 8″D
- Price: $90
Main Features
- molded EVA backside
- Removable side pouches
- Removable deployment pack
- Water hydration bladder pouch
- Modular design
- Basic cummerbund
What’s to like?
The modular Paratus 3-Day Operator’s Backpack leans wholly into a militaristic design, providing what amounts to a small but proper rucksack that looks a fair bit like the MOLLE II rucksack of current issue. This is good. The military does a great job designing packs that accommodate what most civilian packs suck at accommodating: Tents and sleeping bags.
The Paratus 3-Day mimics the former, providing enough capacity in the bottom of the main compartment for a sleeping bag when rolled and tucked, with enough room in the deployment pack for stowing a 1- or 2-person tent, complete with rainfly and folded tent poles. The side pouches are great for separating kit by type – keep lights and comms in one, and cooking equipment in the other – but they’re easily removed thanks to their YKK Annex Clips.
The Paratus also does a great job at doing something most bags of this design try to avoid: It’s compact even with its add-on pouches, and it can be made even smaller. Remove the pouches and deployment pack, and you wind up with about 25 liters of capacity. Coming in at just under $100, the Paratus 3-Day provides good storage and a functional modular design while remaining quite budget-friendly.
What’s not to like?
The Paratus 3-Day’s shoulder straps could use more padding, and the cummerbund is simply inadequate with a heavy load. The waiststraps have no padding to speak of, which is disappointing. This can be remedied by purchasing some hook-and-loop pads, but as the bag ships, you’ll suffer those straps digging into your hips. Quality control can lead to some wonky stitching, too. If you spring for the Paratus, it’ll pay to spend a moment inspecting all the webbing and load-bearing stitches to make sure nothing’s fraying or coming loose.
5.11 Tactical AMP24 (Best One-Compartment Bag)
Specs
- Capacity: 32 liters / 1,950 cubic inches
- Material: 500D Cordura
- Attachments: 9×9 HEXGRID
- Available Colors: Black, Ranger Green, Dark Gray, Tan
- Dimensions (Main Compartment): 20″ H x 11″ L x 8″ D
- Price: $160
Main Features
- Single compartment “clamshell” design
- CCL pocket with loop panel for holster
- HEXGRID provides multi-angle attachment
- (4) side pockets + (1) bottom stash pocket
- Laminated with TAC-LAM for water resistance
- Holds up to a 15″ laptop with internal storage
What’s to like?
You’re probably tired of seeing 5.11 gear everywhere, but their AMP24 is a worthy contender for those who want a modern attachment that’s a bit more subdued. The AMP24 provides the option for stacking on extra MOLLE pouches and compartments without looking like an obvious “tacticool” bag dotted with rows and rows of webbing. With just over 30 liters of capacity, the AMP24 provides enough storage for 3 days’ worth of travel, while the “HEXGRID” works with all existent attachment straps you’ll find on the market. Don’t want any webbing at all? The HEXGRID is removable, making the AMP24 a “slick” bag that truly blends in.
What’s not to like?
The AMP24 has no cummerbund, so you’ll be carrying all the bag’s weight atop your shoulders. While I personally like the single, large compartment, others might want a bag with a bit more interior compartmentalization.
Mystery Ranch 2-Day Assault (Best Side-Loading Bag)
Specs
- Capacity: 27 liters / 1,650 cubic inches
- Material: 500D Cordura
- Attachments: MOLLE/PALS
- Available Colors: Black, Tan, Green, Gray, Blue, Woodland Camo
- Dimensions (Main Compartment): 21″ H x 12″ W x 11.25″ D
- Price: $220
Main Features
- Tri-fold clamshell compartment
- Integrated lightweight frame
- Adjustable yoke for comfort
- Integrated, padded cummerbund
- Two interior mesh pockets
- Exterior compression straps
- Padded laptop sleeve (15”)
What’s to like?
There are almost no tactical backpacks on the market that check all the boxes like Mystery Ranch: Integrated frame, removable cummerbund, compression straps, tech compartments, hydration pouches, and over 1,500 cubic inches of capacity while remaining relatively skinny, with a tucked-in center of gravity that doesn’t put strain on the neck, shoulders, or lumbar. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find any other assault pack that provides everything listed above at a price that’s still competitive with most go bags. The 2-Day prices in at around $220, making it cheaper than the RUSH 72 in Multicam.
What’s not to like?
The Mystery Ranch’s cummerbund is thin and lacks padding. So, like the Paratus, you’ll be left purchasing some wrap-around padding of your own if you want more comfort in the waist. The gear you put inside is your 72-hour pack is even more important. Check out our top picks for camp stoves. Want some options for ultralight hiking packs instead? Here’s our round-up of the best ones.
