Anyone ever use smaller Blackhawk/Camelbak packs?

[retrospeaks]

since i'm a noob, i've currently been working with this setup:

http://www.activerideshop.com/images/De ... -79263.jpg

yes, it's more of a bag designed for fashion before anything else, but i've been lugging laptops, clothes, water, and a FAK in it for well over 6 months with no problem. since my work is only about 1.5 miles from my home, for a GHB it's adequate space wise, and even thought there's no double stitching on the pack, it holds up pretty well. it's also got a hidden compartment in the back to stow away other items in a relatively easy to reach space.

well, my only gripe thus far is the lack of compartment for a hydration port so i end up lugging water bottles around. there's a compartment for hydration OR a laptop, but the way it's constructed seems better suited for a laptop because there's no ports in the bag to snake the tube through.

i was looking at a few blackhawk/camelbak smaller daypacks with hydration compartments and liked what i saw. anyone have any experience with any of these products in terms of construction and comfort?

the main packs i was taking a look at was either the Blackhawk Predator, or the Camelbak HAWG to keep in the car with stowable water in case i need to ditch my vehicle.

any other recommendations/advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

[steve2071]

I've had the Camelbak HAWG in DCU pattern for a while now and it's been all over the world with me as well as many quarters of school. One of the best things I can say about it, is that it will take pretty much anything you can dish out. It's a tough little backpack - which brings me to the drawbacks. It is little. I have a hard time fitting too many things in there besides a few books and MAYBE a laptop. It's primarily designed to carry small stuff and its utility value is nowhere near a 3-day assault pack from the other major brands. Sure, you can expand a little by adding pouches to the MOLLE, but it's not much and now you have a fuckload of things hanging off the front of your backpack.

I'd say go with a RAID pack from ATS Tactical. I have one too and that thing is made of pure win.

http://www.atstacticalgear.com/cgi/comm ... ey=ST-1063


ETA: The Blackhawk Predator seems to be a smaller copy of the HAWG so I would assume they suffer from the same problems.

[Erik]

I have a Blackhawk 3-Day Assault for my BOB. But that might be called a "medium" bag.

[retrospeaks]

thanks for the input guys.

forgot to say that i'm currently waiting on my eagle a-iii to get to me, and that will be my main bag, which is comparable in size to the blackhawk i believe, just with molle.

the smaller hydration packs i intend on being my ghb, or backup for someone else i'd leave in my car or office.

good to hear about blackhawk's hydration pack quality, as a lot of people have had issues with their other gear.

[TC]

I have a Camelbak MULE and I would say that while it is fine for things like bike rides or cross-country running, it is inadequate for something like a GHB. The cargo capacity is just too small to get all of the important stuff into it.

[SilentVectorX]

I have a HAWG that's a couple years old, and I've really put it through the ringer. Airports, deployments, obstacle courses, loaded with weights, etc. Literally dragged and kicked the whole way through. Never busted a buckle, blew out a seam, or even tore the webbing. It's small pack, which is good when you don't want to make a big impression with a bulky pack that snags on everything. I don't like copies, so I'd avoid the Blackhawk.

I also recommend RAIDs over regular 3-day packs. Every military joe carries a 3-day now, but you know someone's a gearwhore when they have a RAID.

[retrospeaks]

silent-

cant afford raid packs at this point, as i just purchased an eagle 3 day. besides construction, is there any fundamental difference between the two? or are they pretty much diff names for a multi day pack with molle strapped to it?

i think the idea for me is finding an easier way to store short term water supplies, while at the same time keeping the essentials on me in case i need to move in a hurry. i was thinking of including the following:

-mre/mh/clif bars
-bugout survival tin with emergency blankets
-multitool
-eod prybar
-firearm + mags
-paracord

currently, i'd be theoretically running my eagle for a full on BOB, with a camelbak/blackhawk as a ghb or car bag, and a tactical tailor mav with a hydration kit to do patrolling. maybe i'm overthinking as a gear whore though. shrug.

[SilentVectorX]

The Eagle is a GREAT pack, make no mistake. I just like talking about RAIDs. Yes, what you see is what you get; the main compartment is a little bigger, and it's covered in MOLLE, which makes in incredibly versatile. The Coyote Brown ones are on sale for $100 - I paid about $115 for my HAWG when I bought it years ago - both are/were well worth the price IMO.

Sounds like you are on the right track with your gear though. A while back in a "what would your anti-zombie rescue gear be?" (as if you had to rush to the rescue of a trapped loved one post-outbreak), GanaEMT and I posted nearly identical loadouts. Skateboard helmet to keep from getting accidently knocked out in an urban setting, multicam plate carrier with ammo and combat IFAK, and a small assault pack with about two days of food, water, maybe some extra ammo, and obviously a small survival kit.

The HAWG would fit this role well if you pack smart.

-mre/mh/clif bars A couple of each and a 2400 or 3600cal Mainstay pack
-bugout survival tin with emergency blankets with the HAWG you should be able to carry a *little* more gear
-multitool Should be in your pocket everyday anyway, but a spare is a good idea too
-eod prybar GEARWHORE! I want one too.
-firearm + mags
-paracord

I always liked Squirrely's idea of keeping a replacement of all EDC items in your go-bag, might be something you wish to consider.

[autolex]

My B.O.B. is a Camelbak Hellion

I bought it here ($49!)

it's not the most practical as a BOB but it gets the job done. I carry my Garmin GPS60CSx in the waist strap pocket.

(the pack was designed for skiers/snowboarders/bikers, but it has several places to cram stuff in, and has a 3L insulated-tube Bladder)

[retrospeaks]

Silent-

i may just buy that RAID for 100 for an INCH bag if i get some funds down the line. right now it's just a matter of me chipping away at my existing list, which includes upgrades for some firearms. and i'm sure you know how expensive that can get. sigh.

wish i was around for the thread you speak of. ideally, i'd have prolly 2 types of rigs depending on the situation at hand. maybe an overkill, but i'd love to hear your input as you are better suited to speak on it than i am.

1. High Profile- a situation where the "good guys" aren't coming for me, and I don't have to worry about keeping a low profile.
1st line - molle belt w/suspenders, 6004 dropleg, 4 pistol mags, multitool pouch, flashlight + headlamp, knife, SAW pouch for survival kit, buttpack for extra food + water + clothing
2nd line - Tactical Tailor 2 piece mav with X harness and hydration bladder, 6 AK mags, 2 pistol mags, IFAK, and perhaps a pouch for shot shells
3rd line - Eagle A-III or RAID pack, most likely modeled similarly to others in this board who are in urban areas.

2. Low Profile - governmental checkpoints on the way towards a designated "safe" location, more human contact
1st line - Camelbak/Blackhawk hydration pack and the materials listed in my prior post
2nd line - Tactical Tailor mini mav, underneath a sweater or jacket of some sort, minimal configuration with just mag pouches
3rd line - same deal, just with an IFAK on the outer molle areas, low profile bag to keep long guns

the first loadout would depend on whether i was battling a foreign enemy of some sorts due to an invasion/terrorist attack, or just the undead. if the first, then definitely some sort of plate carrier underneath the harness, which would make for a tight fit and make me slower, but protection + space for extra mags if i am anticipating heavy enemy contact. of course, i'd ditch the plate carrier if fighting off zombies, as i'm assuming they won't be shooting at me, and i'd be more mobile.

good call on the skateboard helmet. i've seen a few that already have premade slots for NV. got a link to em? could make for an interesting addition to any BOB i can think of.

on a sidenote, what are your thoughts of the buttpack on a molle belt for my first line? a few military buds told me to NEVER put a FAK in there, as if i'm injured they'd have to roll me over to get to it, but rather stuff it with clothes and some food + extra water, stuff that i wouldn't need in a terrible hurry.

autolex-

thanks for the link. i'll definitely be looking into that pack as well. and the price can't be beat!

[sheddi]

since i'm a noob, i've currently been working with this setup:
http://www.activerideshop.com/images/De ... -79263.jpg
...
well, my only gripe thus far is the lack of compartment for a hydration port so i end up lugging water bottles around.
...
any other recommendations/advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

Another option would be to keep your current pack and add a hydration bladder to the outside (eg. a Camelbak Unbottle or one of the generic MOLLE hydration sleeves - I'm assuming the MOLLE-esque webbing on the pack is functional).

[DerK1]

I have a medium-sized blackhawk bag, but i definately wouldnt count it as a BOB. i have a much larger military bag (i forget which king) that i use, along with a nice MOLLE vest

[SilentVectorX]

Retro -

Overall, those setups sound pretty good. My thoughts on first-line gear go like this: Sometimes I use an issue MOLLE belt with HSGI HSLD Suspenders for first line gear, other times I wear a Rescue Belt with the same gear and suspenders - IMO its more comfortable and secure. Sounds like you've got the right idea on the buttpack, though I always have some E&E stuff in there too (think of it as a last-ditch survival kit in it's own right).

Another thing to think about is the stuff in your pockets. I carry a man-purse worth of crap in my pockets. In survival school I moved all my pocketed and EDC crap onto a thigh mounted MOLLE platform/knife sheath. I even slept with that thing on.

As far as the helmet, the military buys a lot of Pro-Tec ACE helmets, so look for those or ACE II's. The Classic Skate doesn't vent as well or look as cool, heh.

[acropolis5]

I use a Camelbak Snoblast as my EDC pack. In fact, I usually don't even carry the hydration bladder. I don't like them. However the Snoblast is medium-small, ~800cu. in., expandable to ~1000cu. in., very low profile and acceptable in almost any venue, good shoulder/sterum straps, stowable waist belt, stowable compression straps that can be used "molle" style to add extra ouside pouches and a bottom lash patch. Mine is gray-black in color. Campmoor and others had them on sale recently. I'm very pleased with it.

[retrospeaks]

well, looks like i'll be going with the camelbak HAWG. just stumbled across this post and it looks like it could fit a good amount of junk in there:

http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopi ... 14&t=37010

silent-

thanks for the advice. in terms of EDC stuff on my person, i keep it super light, just a wallet, phone, and keys in my pockets. everything else goes in the bag. when i'm on the go i plan to keep everything in my bag though, or on my 1st line somewhere, perhaps the SAW pouch.

looks like the camelbak rules all in terms of hydration. makes sense since they're the originators.

[steve2071]

As far as helmets go, I believe the ones you are looking for are the A-Alpha Helmets from PT Helmets. For a skate helmet, they seem to be pretty outstanding. They have a really nice suspension system and they're jump-tested. From what I hear, they are really good bump helmets when a ballistic helmet is not wanted/needed. I just ordered one for myself pre-drilled for night vision with a 1913 rail on the left side. Then you can throw on a PASGT NOD plate, a rhino mount, and a J-arm, and you'll be set to mount a PVS-whatever on that puppy.

http://www.pthelmets.com/products.asp?cat=14&pg=1

[bigmedicine]

Retro,
I will second the voices supporting the RAID pack, it is as well thought out as 3 day pack can be. Add to the mix PALS webbing covering damn near every available surface and SHAZAAM, you can tailor your exterior to however you feel that week.

For your consideration;
- Considering dumping the SAW pouch, logic being that the more pouches you have, the more inclined you will be to full them with stuff. Your 1st line is survival gear, extra clothing will bulk-ify that line considerably. Extra food is just that, extra.