Lately my actual patrol pack fell out of favor because of numerous flaws I began to have with it. I then began looking for a replacement.
I first set my sights on the Mystery Ranch because having tried a buddy’s SATL, I knew that Mystery Ranch had all the right design features I was looking for. What killed it for me was the price tag. At 400CAD, I could not afford this pack.
I then had a look at another buddy Eberlestock Dragonfly. Being a sniper, he needed a pack in which he could carry his precision rifle while carrying his carbine on patrol. Although the Dragonfly wasn’t something well suited for me, it gave me an opportunity to analyze the construction of the pack and other features. I visited a local army store that stocked Eberlestock and I found the G1 Little Brother.
The main features I was looking for in these packs for were the following:
- Weight
- No more than 2000 cubic inch
- Antenna-hydration tube ports
- Integrated radio wrap
- Easily foldable to be placed inside a rucksack for longer patrol
- Shoulder straps designed for maximizing comfort
The G1 Little Brother is exactly what I was looking for with all the right features. The pack is 1800 cubic inches and weighs only 4lb. The pack is made of a very lightweight cordura nylon lined with Eberlestock with their in-house polyurethane. Compared to other companies who lined their packs with PVC type material, Eberlestock fabric remains supple even in cold weather. The polyurethane lined fabric also remains waterproof for the longrun because it will not “crack” when folded again and again. The fabric is also ripstop to withstand the harsh conditions of military use.
Eberlestock is famous for their rifle carrying backpacks (like the Dragonfly I got to play a little with). The G1 is no exception, but because this pack is “minimalist” it doesn’t feature an integral scabbard. They added an expansion sleeve with MOLLE webbing so you can add their A4SS weapon carrier.
Being assigned to the signaller position whitin an infantry section, I carry the PRC522 (PRC117F sized radio). What I really hated from my last pack was that there was nothing to attach the radio inside the main compartment. Problem solved with the G1 as Eberlestock installed a radio rack designed for 117 class radios. The rack is made from 1in webbing sewn to the back panel with a rubberized 1000D mesh that keeps the radio tight in place. There are 3 port openings on top lid for antenna and comms accessories. An interesting feature is that the top lid is zippered along the entire edge making the opening very wide when you need to access the control panel of the radio for frequency changes and to change crypto. The main compartment can also be accessed from the front with a zippered panel than runs the entire front of the pack.
Now off to what really made me like this pack from the get go. The comfort, and boy is this pack comfortable. First off you can customize the harness as Eberlestock is offering its harness in 3 sizes and it can be easily swapped with the wrap around Velcro sleeve. What makes the pack so comfortable compared to everything I had prior to this pack is that it is contoured and fits the back perfectly. Unlike so many other packs that feature full back panel padding, Eberlestock is making theirs with added padding on each side of the spine which also maximizes ventilation being made of mesh material. The lower back is supported by a mesh lumbar pad. Although there is no hip belt as is, you can add their HBSS belt as an extra. The shoulder straps are well contoured to the shoulders and upper body as well. Just like the back padding, the shoulder straps are made with mesh material with various attachment point to hook up hydration tube or comms equipment. The straps also have load lifters on top to transfer the load from the shoulder and avoid shoulder fatigue.
The pack comes with a lifetime warranty just like all the Eberlestock products. With a pricetag of $189.00 it is a very well priced pack that will fit all the gear you need for hunting down the bad guys.
Available on Amazon in Eberlestock Dry Earth, Coyote Brown and Military green (Foliage).
