Long Range Bugout Bag Backpack, ACU Camouflage

"My full name is Jeremy Glenwinkel.

I did work for Northern Management, a government contractor that performed contracts in Alaska and Hawaii for the Coast Guard, Military, USFS, AF&G, and various other state and federal contracts. Often in remote and difficult areas.

Weather was brutal to say the least and the terrain was unforgiving most of the time. If you want gear tested, take it to Alaska for a few months and see how it holds up.

Let's see. When Tom first sent me this bag for a trial run in the Alaskan bush country, I was looking for something considerably bigger in size. I agreed to give it a test run anyway and he sent the bag over for me to take into the outback and abuse it.

When I opened the bag up, I wasn't expecting what I got. This backpack has been well thought out and designed. The material is a heavy weight canvas type of material that looks and feels tough. All the seams are double and triple stitched. There are handles everywhere, and you can carry the bag as a tote, backpack, or shoulder bag.

The first thing I did when I received the bag was to saturate it in a heavy duty waterproofing compound. Where I work it rains an average of 100 inches a year. It is always wet, so good waterproof gear is a must.

I loaded the bag with my usual bush gear which consisted of a set of a heavy rain suit, military poncho, an extra jacket, several other articles of clothing including cold weather gear, ammo, maps, bug spray, emergency food, water purifier, a few assorted knives, some sharpeners, lots of 550 cord, Nalgene bottles and metal canteen cup, and a first aid kit for starters. There are other items like extra gloves, flashlights, batteries, and hand warmers and misc. other odds and ends.

The bag has a pouch designed for a water bladder. I used my Camelback 100oz bladder and it fit perfectly, allowing easy and convenient water storage and accessibility.

When I am in the bush, I always keep a shotgun handy for bears. Whether working or playing, I never leave home without it. I carry a 12 gauge Mossberg 500a Entry with a pistol grip, overall length roughly 29 inches. It mounts nicely to the bag on the sides using the cinch/compression straps. When I am not in the bush, I can keep my shotgun secured nicely with my bag and out of the way.

The shoulder straps are wide and comfortable, even with lots of weight in the bag. There is a chest strap to keep the shoulder straps in place where you want them and prevents the bag from shifting around too much.

This bag has quite a few pockets and compartments; almost too many. It is easy to stuff this thing full of whatever you want. The only downside to all these compartments is that it gets hard to close the compartments when they are filled. Also, some compartments, when filled, interfere with other pockets. That is not a big deal though and only tells me that I should use smaller gear or take less with me. It is easy to get carried away with this bag.

I use this bag everyday to carry my gear and protective clothing. It is great for keeping everything together. I would recommend this bag to anyone."

Long Range Bugout Bag Backpack, ACU Camouflage San-7016-ACUReg. price: $179.95Camping Sale price: $148.50