Blue Force Gear has made a respectable name for themselves in the realm of tactical gear. Their Dapper system which employs velcro is quite popular and they began producing accessories for it, but took their time making the packs designed to use it. That seems to be time well spent as I look at the Blue Force Gear Jedburgh backpack. The pack itself is a traditional daypack, lightweight, not bigger than average backpack. What sets it apart is its overall construction, and it’s Dapper integrated system.
Looking over the traditional trouble areas of the pack reveals a very well built pack. For example, the bottom of a backpack is often it’s the weakest point. This is where anything in the packs that can sag will sag. The bottom of a pack is also in contact with the ground more often. These combined factors make a blowout at the bottom of a bag quite possible. Blue Force Gear has heavily reinforced the bottom of the pack. This isn’t apparent at first glance, but you feel the difference in your hands. The bottom of the pack feels like it has a rubberized or elastic material of some kind built into it. A strict solid material is more likely to break than one can give and bend just slightly to accommodate the weight.
The straps are the most important part of the pack from a comfort perspective. The Blue Force Gear’s straps are approximately two inches wide and a quarter inch thick. The straps are heavily reinforced with a dense padding to make them comfortable. The straps are adjustable enough the pack could be worn while using a plate carrier. The back of the pack is rigid and reinforced to prevent anything inside the pack from impacting your back if you are running, climbing, or moving dynamically in any way.
One thing you notice throughout the entire pack is the stitching. It is everywhere. Everything is reinforced with more and more stitching. The pack is definitely made with hard work in mind, and yet it remains light and comfortable.
The Dapper system is internal system derived from an extremely high-quality velcro. The inside of the main pack features two full Dapper panels for easy mounting and organization of gear. The small pouch in the front has one Dapper pad as well. Personally, something like this would’ve been a Godsend for our Corpsman’s medical gear in country, or for my squad’s boom bag. The boom bag as we called it was filled with 40mm grenades smoke bombs, flares, belts of machine gun ammo, and a variety of goodies we were able to take before Gunny noticed they were gone. The only problem was when you needed something critical you were forced to dig through the pack until you could find it.
This system would allow you to organize the pack through various different pouches. The zippers travel near the full length of the bag, allowing to fully open and be laid out for easy access to just about anything. The outside of the pack features small sections of PALS/MOLLE webbing to expand the pack, and a large section of velcro to place an identity badge or small pouch.
On the civilian side, you are looking at a strong get home bag contender. With the Dapper pouches, you can install a holster, magazine pouches, shotgun shell holders, and a knife sheath. There is plenty of room for an organized IFAK, some water, snacks, and a good flashlight. It would also be an excellent daypack for everyday carry or some lightweight backpacking. I plan to take this pack out in a wide variety of roles, including an urban day bag, out for a hike or two, and I want to organize it into an effective get home bag for use in my vehicle. I’m also going to place it under a heavy weight stress test and see if I can get it to cry, uncle.
