Note: I would like to introduce a new guest writer to The Loadout Room, Marcus Hull. Marcus served in C Co., 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Since leaving the service, he has sought out adventures from skydiving to scuba diving. Since leaving the military, Marcus has served as a LEO, paramedic, and volunteer firefighter. Today he spends most of his free time traveling the world, camping, hunting, and fishing with his two children and their dog, Ranger.
As the name suggests, the Badlands Superday Pack is just the right size for a one-day adventure. Although originally released several years ago, I continue to be impressed by this lightweight and extremely capable pack. The six exterior pockets give you a combined capacity of approximately 1950 cubic inches, while also carrying a full 100-ounce Camelbak bladder.
The quality of the materials is the first thing you will notice as you unzip the heavy-duty silenced zippers. I have opened a pocket while staring down a deer without making a sound. Additionally, each zipper has a stow pocket to keep the noise down and the zipper more water resistant (when closed).
Although the Badlands Superday Pack was only designed for a day-long excursion, I would have no problem living out of this pack for several days. It was designed for maximum weight bearing while remaining comfortable. The shoulder straps are nice and wide, and have been covered on the skin side with a cooling material. This feature aids in moisture removal, and once the pack is removed, the material maximizes evaporation. The entire back-contact portion of the pack and the waistband are covered in the same material. The waistband is also ample and tough enough to transfer the weight to your hips for extended walks with an overweight load. These features were quite helpful in 2013, on my Aoudad Hunt on the Texas/Mexico border.
You might think that 6 pockets is just not enough, especially when one of the pockets is just used to house the rifle pocket, but I didn’t find this to be a problem. Every pocket is designed with bilateral mesh gussets to prevent the pocket from accidentally dumping all of its contents. The three main pockets reveal a variety of smaller interior pockets, each with its own type of closure. This is a great way to keep smaller items from getting lost in cavernous pockets. Badlands designed the waistband pockets to be accessible while you are moving, and they are big enough to accommodate rangefinders, GPS units, or anything else that can fit in the palm of your hand.
The final two winning factors on this bag are its price and its warranty. Of course, price is important, but when you see and feel the quality, you will find that your budget is not as important. This is especially true when considering that the warranty covers a lifetime of repairs or replacement. To really understand the terms of this exceptional warranty, be sure to check the source. I am already looking at the new line of equipment that Badlands has, and I’m interested to hear what you have to say when you receive yours.
MSRP: $199.95
(Featured image courtesy of badlandspacks.com)
