It seems every day I post on every social media site out there about people’s EDC but what they never talk about is their bags. Personally, I take a bag with me everywhere I go so its important for me to have a wide array of packs in my gear room. Everything from large rucks to small messenger bags like the one I keep in my truck with my medical kit. Sometimes however, I don’t need to carry around a full size ruck, or even a normal sized day pack so I turn to my SOG Ranger 12.
The SOG Ranger 12 is a 12L pack that is the perfect size for quick away from your home, day hikes, or those times where you don’t want to put only a handful of items in a fullsize day pack that leaves the rest of the pack loose and flaccid. The overall outer dimensions are 19.3’ x 9” x 6.3” and it weighs only 28.3 oz. The main area is full-sized and has a built-in padded tablet pocket against the back. On the portion that opens up with the zipper on the inside has a zip pocket with a lanyard inside that is perfect for your keys or thumb drives.
The most noticeable part about this bag is top pocket that is a rigid shell that offers protection for your small electronics and sun glasses. It has an adjustable soft pocket that secures with Velcro that I use to keep my eyepro from getting crushed. The inside of this compartment has 3 1 inch elastic pockets for accessories and 1 larger 2 inch pockets. It’s a good idea but the smaller pockets aren’t as usable as I would like. I’d prefer only one small pocket and maybe two larger pockets to allow for more big items to be stored in them. The outside of the shell has a nicely integrated 2″ x 4″ field of Velcro for your patches.
The very bottom pocket measures approximately 10″ x 7″ and has a panel of laser cut Hypalon molle attached. On either side of the molle panel are two sewn loops perfect for carabiners or S-biners. The inside of the flap has a zippered net to store whatever you want. Opposite of the flap, the inside of the compartment, has two large organizational pockets that run the width of the pocket and a third at the bottom that is divided into 3 smaller pockets.
The shoulder straps are fully adjustable, padded, and have built-in Velcro strap keepers. It also has a D-ring on each shoulder, an adjustable (vertically and horizontally) chest strap, and a clip to hold your hydration bladder hose. There is a thin waist strap at the bottom that can be tucked away into its pocket when not in use and it also has elastic keepers on it. The final pocket, which rests against your back, is made for your hydration bladder. The SOG Ranger has a Velcro tab at the top to hang the bladder on as well as an elastic hole to run the hose through.
The SOG Ranger pack really takes design to another level, especially with the rigid pocket for your delicate items. It’s very comfortable and perfect for everyday use if you don’t need to carry an abnormal amount of daily items. The pack is available in grey and black with an MSRP of 139.99 directly from SOG. If you need a reduced capacity day pack, I highly recommend this one.
Author – Wes Nanny is currently a sgt in the Marine Corps until January at which point I will be ending my career with the Marine Corps to join the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. I did 8 years as a grunt being a team leader and squad leader. I deployed to sangin, Afghanistan in 2010-2011 with 3rd battalion 5th Marine Regiment. After that I stayed with that unit and went on the 15th and 31st MEU’s. Iv attended numerous schools like CLS, TCCC, Assault climbers course, combat hunter trainer course, HRST masters course, infantry squad leaders course, raid leaders course and some others I cant think of. In my spare time when im not with my family I like to climb, shoot, and hike. I stay very current on firearms and fear of all sorts. I also did some side work with custom kydex for the last two years.
