Tactical Tailor is a well-respected maker of kit in the Ranger community and elsewhere. Part of the reason that they have gained such a reputation in the 75th Ranger Regiment is because they are headquartered in Tacoma, Washington which is also home to 2nd Battalion, 75th RGR RGT. The other reason they have gained notoriety in our community is that the gear they make is the definition of quality and also durable. They gained quite a reputation with their development of the MALICE pack series, (essentially a modified ALICE ruck,) and trust me when I say these guys know how to make bags. I was lucky enough to receive the Fight Light Urban Operator Pack to test out and chime in my 2 cents.
The first thing about this bag that I liked was that it doesn’t scream tactical. Other than some small patches of Velcro that could easily be covered and 3 rows of MOLLE on the side, this bag doesn’t stand out. I tend to shy away from all things “tactical looking” in my off time, so this bag was a good fit for me. Don’t let appearances fool you though. This bag is constructed using 500 denier Cordura nylon, which is industry standard for most assault packs. The fabric is extremely durable, something most of my “civilian” packs seem to fall short on.
On the exterior, it has bungee retention external to the bag which is great for drying out clothing or a wet weather jacket when you are on the move. The bungee retention can also be used to cinch down items in the secondary compartment. The Fight Light Urban Operator Pack has 4 zippered compartments; a main compartment, a second compartment with organizer/tie down point, a smaller external compartment and a laptop pocket. All of these are opened using a standard zipper, but the zipper pulls are made using gutted 550 cord (paracord.) Many of us in Regiment already do this on our own, because standard zipper pulls tend to break when they are used and abused. The fact that Tactical Tailor already decided to go the 550 route shows good attention to detail and that they are listening to the end-user.
When I initially opened the main compartment, I was pleased to see that they have a high visibility orange liner built into the bag. This helps enormously for finding items in limited visibility conditions and can also be used as an emergency marker if need be (think VS17 panel.) The main compartment is very large and has plenty of room for a 1-3 day loadout. The secondary compartment has an organizer that is pretty standard for most backpacks. Pen pockets, dividers etc. It does however have a reinforced tie down point for your expensive or sensitive items which is a solid feature to have. The third external compartment is just a smaller version of the second compartment without the organizer.
This brings me to the laptop pocket. Many bags allow you to access the laptop from the main compartment and from the side. The Fight Light Urban Operator Pack’s laptop pocket is segregated and can only be accessed by the zipper. I like the fact that it is segregated and think that it allows the laptop some added protection by isolating it completely. The laptop pocket is padded on both sides and can fit up to a 17” laptop which is extremely large. My MacBook Air fit in the pocket with plenty of room.
The one feature that really jumped out to me was the water bottle pouch on the side. Not only was it large enough to easily fit my Nalgene bottle, but you can zip the pouch to where it sits flush with the bag when it is not in use. I had never seen a feature like this until I received this bag, and I am a huge fan. This feature helps keep the Fight Light Urban Operator Pack streamlined and snag-free.
The other side of the bag has a bit of MOLLE, so your imagination is really the limit for what you could attach to the opposing side.
The shoulder straps are simple and not overly padded. They can be disconnected at the bottom by a fastex clip connection which could be used for an emergency doffing situation or to tie-down the bag to a vehicle, etc.
My overall impression of the bag is simplicity and attention to detail. It’s durable and well thought out but not over engineered like some of its competitors. This bag wouldn’t stand out in a college classroom and is durable enough to be utilized in a combat environment. Tactical Tailor clearly knows what they are doing when it comes to gear, and the Fight Light Urban Operator Pack makes that obvious.
Simplicity and Durability are the name of the game. If you’re in need of a new “do everything” bag, the Fight Light Urban Operator pack can be purchased through Tactical Tailor for $151.25 in the black colorway. They also make this pack in Multicam, Ranger Green, Coyote Brown, and Wolf Grey.
Author – Tim M. is an Army Ranger who has served in Afghanistan and is currently a K9 handler for ARSOF. In his free time he enjoys shooting, working out and hitting the trails with the dog.
