Another day, another bag… This time it’s from GORUCK and it’s the limited edition GORUCK x Huckberry Slick GR2 in 40L. Essentially, this the USA made GR2 without the molle on the front – giving the bag a cleaner aesthetic.
I actually prefer having the molle, but I do think this is the best LARGE travel pack on the market. I’ve had one for almost a decade now and it has seen some shit… still good as new.
The Remote Equipment Alpha 31 is a legendary backpack that seemingly only gets released every couple of years. They sell out quick… and then they are gone until they are pretty much handmade again. I’ve never messed with one of these, but just about everyone in the game shouts their virtues…
Anyway, word on the street has it that Remote Equipment will be releasing V2 of the Alpha 31 on March 1. If you want one, wake up early, and be prepared to press your refresh button until available.
So my brother’s birthday is coming up and I wanted to do something a little different. He’s not much of a bag man and I figured I might be able to change that by setting him up with something simple, but very functional. Here are the basics of the kit that I put together:
GORUCK 26L GR1 in 1000D. For all intents and purposes, this is the best general backpack ever made. It’s built like a tank in the USA using incredibly durable materials and features a single large compartment for simplicity. I modified it by changing the zipper pulls to yellow and adding a logo patch from my brother’s business.
AER Dopp Kit. Dopp kits are a pretty personal thing, but the AER is my favorite. I really like the ballistic nylon construction and the size/organization ratio is perfect for my needs. I removed the AER zipper pulls and replaced them with GORUCK style Paracord and heat shrink pulls.
GORUCK Mini Wire Dopp. My brother doesn’t have much tech – just a cell phone charger and a cable. As such, I figured the Mini would be perfect for him.
Maxpedition Pocket Organizer. I’m not much for Maxpedition, but every load out needs a tool pouch for pens, pencils, notebooks, knives, etc… This one is cheap and proven. Again, I added GORUCK style zipper pulls for the win.
And that’s it… A simple setup that will last a lifetime of traveling.
There is something so satisfying about a well thought out and implemented load out… and this one is incredible. Start with a GR1 Heritage, add a leather pouch by Saddleback, and a few tech covers from Nomad, and cap it all off with what might be the best tech pouch on the market – the Evergoods Cap2.
The traditional materials of leather and canvas might add weight, but it’s hard to argue against the aesthetic of it all. Just beautifully done.
The use case is pretty simple. I needed a “road” sling that would work both as a gear hauler when walking around the island and as a camera protector while on the beach and shooting in harsh locations. I looked at, tested, and trialed over 20 different offerings on the market, but could never find the right bag. One would be great for hauling EDC items, but be too small for carrying my camera. Another would be fantastic as a camera hauler, but far too large for anything else.
Then, Code of Bell came calling. They sent over their X-Pod and I found my sling. When compressed, it’s damned near perfect at keeping my pockets empty and when extended, it spacious enough to carry both my Leica SL2-S and an extra lens or two if I need them. Better yet, I’ve found the bag to be very water resistant and tight enough to keep the sand out as well.
The X-Pod isn’t ground breaking at any one function, but it’s damned good at just about everything. It’s special because of its versatility… and that’s why this is now officially the best gear sling The Gear Journal has been able to source.
Outside of bag nerdia, the name Dan Matsuda is not going to ring many bells. Inside the regular old bag enthusiast world he probably isn’t all that well known either. But, if you are a real bag nerd… someone that spends far too much time setting up a backpack, organizing it, and obsessing over the details – well then, Dan Matsuda is probably your homeboy.
Anyway, Dan makes pouches out of his little shop every week using exotic and/or modern materials. And then, on Friday at around 2pm central or so he lists them for sale on his site. Typically, by 2:05pm they are all sold out.
I recently got my own Matsuda pouch and I am here to tell you – the underground hype? It’s all for good reason. Sincerely.
Alpaka has been killing it lately… They’ve introduced a number of new products and all of them have seemingly been a hit. In fact, they just dropped the Hub Pouch – a simple pocket organizer made out of X50 X-Pac.
Square carabiners are actually far more practical for hanging and attaching things than traditional round carabiners. The thing is though, finding well made square examples is difficult. I’ve been looking for some to use as an attachment point for a homemade camera cube for months and have found nothing but trash in my search.
Recently, however, I was turned onto Yakoda Supply’s carabiners. My search is finally over. They are the right size, the right weight, they lock, and they are made like someone gave a shit. Perfect.
