Hex Brand Regiment Patrol Pack

We’ve all had a million different packs over the years; at least I have. From a JanSport to the most expensive Kifaru, I’ve owned them all. Very rarely do they impress me anymore, but when I was approached to take a good look at the Hex Brand Regiment Patrol Backpack, I was very intrigued. The first thought that came to mind upon arrival was “commuter bag”. This pack is so padded and soft, designed to protect your laptop, tablet, sunglasses and probably even your grandma’s old china plates without breaking. Seriously- I wouldn’t worry about breaking anything in this bag from normal daily use.

The outer fabric is a faux Multicam pattern with quilt diamond puff texture that has been treated for water resistance. There are two main zippered openings spanning the entire profile of the bag. One has a Velcro retainer strap designed for your 13-17″ laptop that is fleece lined and super nice to the touch with ample padding on all ends, even the corners. The other large opening is relatively sleek, but contains two more open-ended pockets sewn into the interior. This pocket is perfect for your light jacket, papers, lunch, etc.

Sitting on the outside of these two main compartments are two smaller ones meant for items such as keys, hard drives, pencils, knives or sunglasses. The bottom zippered area has perfect organizational stitching for all the little items that frequently find themselves in the deepest, darkest corners of your bag with a detachable key ring so you can easily get in the house after a bike or motorcycle ride home.

I tried using this bag for multiple purposes over the weeks. I packed it up with a weekends worth of clothing and camera equipment to Mexico wine country and it worked well. I would say that the lateral expansion of the bag isn’t great, so stuffing items that aren’t slim into the main compartment will cause excessive bulging. So big jackets or camera bodies don’t work too well. Luckily… it’s Mexico. So all I had was a change of summer clothes, a laptop, Nikon DSLR and some flip-flops. Packing clothes just require the good ole’ Military method of a tight roll and then it works amazingly well. Other than urban environments, I wouldn’t put this on my list of a camping, trekking or daypack. Not that it can’t be used as one, but I have other options that would suit my needs better. The Regiment has become my daily EDC bag for my frequent travels to coffee shops, company meetings, or heading into San Diego for the day. It packs all the essentials, but can’t replace a bag with more lateral movement and some reduced padding.

I love the overall feel and visual of this bag. It’s my sneaky way of paying homage to my military background with the faux Multicam pattern without looking like I’m at SHOT show. There is no Velcro, no Molle loops and nowhere to attach a flashbang and det cord. And that’s why I love it. Designed in California by two musicians, Hex brand is now officially on my radar of companies to watch closely.