“Evatac free backpack” must have been one of the most searched terms in outdoorsmen circles when Evatac first announced that they were running a limited-time promo during which they’d give away a free backpack that they claimed was worth around $80.
But as those of us not born yesterday know, there is no such thing as a free lunch. There’s always some kind of catch. Something that we’re either being directly lied to about or being slightly misinformed on.
Unfortunately, the Evatac backpack is one of those.
The Evatac Free Backpack Isn’t Actually Free, But You Don’t Have to Pay for It Either
The supposedly free Evatac Assault Backpack isn’t a scam but isn’t completely free either. Honestly, just knowing that it’s not a complete scam makes this bag seem a bit better than it is and you’ll see why in a quick second.
But first, why is this bag not actually free? As many potential buyers have pointed out, the bag comes with a lot of word trickery that tries to tell you it’s free while offering to send you the bag at a higher shipping cost than the market rate. For most people, this turned out to be a little over $20.
If you don’t pay attention to the text on your screen, the checkout process also automatically has you opt-in for a VIP program with Evatac.
Evatac sounds pretty shady if this is what we’re going off of, but it turns out the company is based in Colorado and appears to be otherwise legit.
So How Good (or Bad) Is Evatac’s Free Assault Backpack?
The Evatac Assault Backpack claims to be worth around $80 so let’s see whether it’s actually worth that much.
Features
Right now, the backpack goes under the names “Strike 25” and “Strike 35” on their website, depending on the size that you get. The 25 is a 25L backpack and the 35 is a 35L one. Whichever one you get, you’re getting the same features which include segmented compartments, adjustable straps, and waterproof pockets.
- Adjustable Chest and Waist Straps
- 1000d Reinforced Construction
- 15 Segmented Compartments
- Secure Back-Panel Compartment
- Small Laptop or Table Section
- Waterproof Pockets
- Bonus USA Patch included
Organization
Say what you will about the Evatac Assault Backpack but it doesn’t lack storage options. It has a total of four major compartments, one of which is large enough to fit a pair of trainers. The bag also has a dedicated pocket for laptops and tablets as well as several smaller pockets for loose change, earphones, and other small items you might have on you.
The laptop/tablet compartment faces the spot where your clothes go so you won’t have to worry about your gadgets breaking in transit. It’s an admittedly clever way to protect your device without adding too much bulk to the bag itself.
But if you’ve seen the photos of this bag, you may have noticed that it’s suspiciously shiny.
Quality
Shine isn’t always an indicator of quality, especially when it comes to backpacks made of waterproof material, but it’s not uncommon to see bags made of weak synthetic material that’s a little shinier than more expensive ones.
As suspected, the Evatac Assault Backpack is made of very thin polyester fabric and doesn’t seem to have much by way of padding or linings. The bag’s straps are made to look padded, but have no thickness to them. This bag will dig into your shoulders if you fill it. That is, if you can.
The Evatac Assault Backpack feels nothing like a reinforced bag. Like the shoulder straps, it’s more like it was made to look reinforced than have any meaningful reinforcement. Similarly, the plastic sliders and buckles also feel too thin for bearing any significant amount of weight.
Comfort
With barely padded straps and little to no real support, this isn’t going to be a comfortable bag for carrying heavy loads or even moderate ones if you’re going to carry it for an extended period of time. Granted, the bag doesn’t feel too warm on your back, but other than that, there are honestly more comfortable casual backpacks that could do the job just as well as the Evatac bag.
Should You Still Get It?
Given all the negative things that have been said about the Evatac bag, you should definitely still get it if Evatac has a free backpack promo again. It wouldn’t be a bad backup bag and you can use it for less demanding tasks like a drink and snacks bag for when you go on a day hike.
One creative YouTuber said he’ll use it as a book bag so that’s one idea for you.
If you can get it at around $20 for just shipping (remember to uncheck the VIP membership) and have a need for a large bag for light items, the Evatac Assault is the bag for the job.
Final Thoughts
In all honesty, there are knock-off Kankens and Jansport bags on Amazon with much better build quality. For just a few more dollars, you can easily find a cheaply made bag that will be sturdier than this one. There are even cheap tactical bags that won’t be as good as the big name brand ones but will still be better than this one.
However, if you can get it for close to nothing like some people did, you can still consider grabbing one as a backup bag for day hiking.
