5.11 Tactical RUSH 24 Backpack
I bought this as a “go-bag” to keep in my trunk in the event of an emergency. If I have to rush to the hospital because a loved one has been admitted, I will have a change of clothing, toiletries, contact information, snacks, reading material, entertainment to keep the kids busy, and various chargers – all things that would make being away from home unexpectedly for a couple of days go a lot smoother.
The 5.11 Tactical RUSH 24 has been the best backpack I’ve ever owned. It makes the day pack that I was issued in the Marines look like something from Dora the Explorer. The 5.11 pack is large, incredibly durable, and has well-designed internal organization. The price is very reasonable for a bag that is going to hold up for years, even with heavy use. For this reason, these bags are popular with outdoorsmen, law enforcement, and those who travel frequently.
I brought this bag to Spain on my high school’s most recent exchange trip. It worked great as a carry-on, allowing me to take my full size laptop, several books, hygiene kit, pillow for the plane ride, and many snacks with some room to spare. This will be my carry-on bag going forward whenever I fly because of how organized it keeps everything. There are compartments inside of compartments inside of compartments. This is my kind of bag.
The RUSH pack comes in three sizes: 12, 24, and 72. The 12 is similar in size to a school backpack. It would be too small for what I need it to do. The 72 is huge. It’s too large to use as a carry-on when you fly and just too bulky. If you need a bag that big, go with the next step up and buy a framed pack. The 24 is large, but won’t look out of place anywhere you would normally carry a backpack. Even though it’s not a lightweight pack, it is comfortable to carry thanks to the generous padding in the shoulder straps and the padding on the back.
5.11 does a good job of ensuring that all of their products play well together. The RUSH 24 is set up to accommodate a wide assortment of Molle gear including accessory pouches, individual first aid kits, magazine pouches, radio holsters, and more. A word of warning – it would be easy to make even the RUSH 24 massive and unbalanced by adding too much to the outside of the bag. Personally, I haven’t had to add anything to mine, as there isn’t anything that I need to carry that the interior compartments can’t accommodate.
Be aware that the organizational pouches expand internally, so don’t expect to fill these all up and stuff the main compartment at the same time. I wouldn’t be concerned about overloading the bag weight-wise, but it will become too bulky.
At the time I wrote this review, this bag was available in the following colors: black, dark navy, double tap (dark gray), flat dark earth, olive drab, and sandstone. I originally purchased the sandstone bag, but it had a greenish tint to it in person that I didn’t care for. I returned it and got the flat dark earth which is similar to the “coyote brown” color that a lot of tactical clothing comes in. I prefer the lighter colors, as it makes items in individual compartments easier to find.
