The market is saturated with day packs. With so many to choose from it can at times be difficult for a company to stand out with a product. Cannae comes to the scene with the Legion Elite Day Pack which stands out in several unique ways that I found particularly useful. Even though this pack has some very specific traits and characteristics that categorizes it as a “military/law enforcement” bag. I found that those very features lent themselves very well to hiking and general day usage.
The build quality and stitching on the Cannae daypack is superb. It’s constructed of Cordura nylon and is very tough. I’ve taken this bag all over and in every environment, you can imagine (arctic, tropics, temperate) and it has held up without a single problem. The material used is abrasion resistant and isn’t overused to the point that the bag is unnecessarily heavy (2.9 lbs empty). Cannae chose to use YKK zippers which I am a huge fan of as they are particularly reliable. There are multiple sizing straps all over the pack to cinch the pack down as necessary to ensure that the contents will not bump and jingle around. The bottom of the pack features a drainage hole in case water gets into the pack.
The padding for your back isn’t overdone. The ridges help to promote airflow during hot rucks and I found them to be very effective. There a small bit of kidney padding around the waist belt which puts it right between a daypack and a full-fledged ruck (sans frame) for stabilization. These elements together kept the pack incredibly stable on my back during long ventures. The shoulder straps follow a similar vein in that they aren’t overdone – they are comfortable and incorporate webbing to help route wires, cables, or drinking tubes. Behind the padding of your back, there is a hydration pouch which fit my source 2L hydration bag perfectly. It features two strips of Velcro which can form a loop to hold your hydration bag upright to ensure that it doesn’t fall to the bottom of the pouch in a blob.
The main pack area can zipper to the very bottom from both sides so that you can get to stuff at the bottom of your pack. The Cannae Legion Elite daypack has more than enough room (21 Liters) to fit what you need for a 1 to 2-day operation. Near the top of the pack, there is a small pouch which fits an individual first aid kit perfectly. My particular pack also featured a helmet carry slot which can double as a general compression pouch. Now here is one problem I found with the pack. If you have the bag packed full to the brim your bump or ballistic helmet will not fit in the helmet carry on the exterior of the pack. There needs to be a bit of space in the pack or else the helmet will not stay in.
On the side of the pack, there is a simple kangaroo pouch on the left side and a larger pouch on the right (which can easily fit 4 M4 magazines). Both sides also feature MOLLE webbing. The compartments and pouches are well thought out and in places that make sense. And while I’ve experimented with adding pouches on I’ve found that Cannae essentially got it right the first time. The balance of the pack is perfect for most needs.
The bag carries extremely well and feels solid during long treks owing to its well thought out padding and stabilization. It has survived some very tough training and adventures. The Cannae Legion Elite daypack is quickly becoming one of my favorite day packs. It doesn’t look overtly tactical, but it can easily be configured as such. I find that it’s a nice blend of both worlds. The materials, stitching and thought that went into the compartments of the bag make it stand out from the competition. If you are considering purchasing a high-quality daypack, you would be well served to take a hard look a the Cannae Legion Elite.
