If you’re looking for a list of the 9 best tactical backpacks made in the USA, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’m going to highlight some of the best tactical backpacks currently available on the market. I’ll include a selection of bags in all sizes, from EDC, all the way to heavy sustainment bags. Keep reading for all the details, including where you purchase them for reasonable prices.
The first thing you should be asking yourself is why should you listen to me? I can tell you that I have quite a lot of experience with many different types of tactical backpacks. In the Marine Corps, I carried large military style packs, covered in molle (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment) webbing. I’ve also carried smaller assault packs, and 2-3 day bags.
I’ve also tested a lot of bags from manufacturers like Vertx, Mystery Ranch, and more. In short, I’ve used some of the best military packs, and some of the worst (looking at you FILBE assault pack). I hope to use that experience to recommend the best quality gear, that will last a long time. Here’s a quick overview of this list.
9 Best Tactical Backpacks Made in the USA: Overview
- Military grade doesn’t always equal good
- Lighter, cheaper, bags often come with durability drawbacks
- MILSPEC and Military Rucks are generally bomb proof, but heavy
- It’s better to choose one bag for one purpose rather than try to get a do it all bag
One of the easiest ways to tell if someone’s used tactical backpacks a lot is their obsession with weight. If you have to carry everything you need on your back, then you’ll naturally try to lighten the load. Weight is always a key consideration for all tactical gear. You’ll see why in the next section.
Tactical Gear: Light is Right
Research by then Marine Captain Courtney Thompson, highlighted that a simple trend exists in combat. Adding weight slows personnel down. Even adding additional armor caused casualties when the weight was too great for Soldiers and Marines to move quickly.
She did some very sophisticated computer simulations where a simulated Marine Rifle Squad (13 person), was attacked by four insurgents with AK-47 rifles. She found that adding as little as 15 more pounds to combat personnel resulted in one more casualty on average.
Her thesis was super long, and very interesting. I encourage you to read it if you’re a nerd like me. However, her research highlights that increasing ballistic protection was of little utility if it came at the expense of added weight.
This brings us to our next point about total load compared to bodyweight. If you review the 2019 version of my ultralight weight article, you’ll see that most sources agree that a fighting load should total no more than 30% of combatant’s bodyweight. This means that using very light weight gear, each assaulter would need to weigh about 175lbs or more.
I find this figure oddly familiar as the folks of at Mountain Tactical Institute have an excellent article that covers the best body weight, by height, for tactical athletes. In the article, for an average sized guy, they recommend right around 170 pounds. This makes the calculation almost exactly spot on.
Obviously, larger athletes are generally stronger athletes and will have an easier time moving loads that are smaller, relative to their body weight. If you happen to be a tactical athlete and want to improve your strength to weight ratio, then check out some of my most popular strength programs here. I bet you’ll like them.
Before we get to the list of the best tactical backpacks made in the USA, let’s talk about some of the important qualities for a great tactical backpack.
Best Tactical Backpack Qualities
By now it should be clear that we need to prioritize weight when considering tactical gear. I know many of you reading this article aren’t likely to do any raids on high value targets, however, some of you are. Even if you’re an accountant named Dave, there is no benefit to carrying a bag that’s heavier and larger than you really need.
In my years of carrying tactical bags, I’ve found there are a few qualities that I consistently looks for. After weight is considered, the next most important factor is the suspension system. If you plan on carrying really heavy loads, then you need comfortable shoulder straps, sternum straps, and waist straps. Ideally you want to spread the weight of the bag across the shoulders and hips. This will drastically increase comfort.
If you’re looking for a smaller EDC/CCW bag, then you needn’t be as concerned about the straps, and over all weight. Instead, you need to focus on the separation of the gear you’ll be carrying. You don’t want your first aid kit knocking into your handgun, while you’re walking around!
Lastly, I always look for a company that stands by their product with a good warranty. However, some companies offer great warranties on crappy items, hoping that they can sell enough product, to offset the cost of replacing shoddy bags. A lifetime guarantee is nice, but you need to look at actual reviews to see if the bag is a quality piece of gear.
Now that we’ve covered some of the specifics we should be looking for in our list of the 9 Best Tactical Backpacks Made in the USA, let’s get to the bags. Also, don’t forget to join the email list below.
Join the Email List
If you like fitness, shooting, and quality gear reviews, then click here to join the Tier Three Team. It’s totally free, and over seven thousand members get the latest articles sent directly to their inbox.
9 Best Tactical Backpacks Made in the USA
In this section I’m going to break these bags into three different groups. The first group will be small everyday carry bags, some of which will feature concealed carry pockets. The next section will be small to medium sized bags.
In the last section, I’ll cover large assault packs, and sustainment bags. These will allow you to carry everything you need for several days, as long you have the right gear to go in it! Without further ado, here’s the first group.
Small Everyday Carry (EDC) Tactical Backpacks
These bags are great for every day carry, as well as concealed carry. They’re between 15 liters, and 20 liters in size. Several of them have special features to make carrying a pistol a breeze.
They generally feature less overall storage, with only a few stash areas for small items. I’ve also included one bag that can be attached to your body armor via MOLLE, as well as carried with traditional shoulder straps.
Mystery Ranch Rip Ruck 15
The Mystery Ranch Rip Ruck 15 is great compact bag. It’s the smallest bag in a line of EDC style bags from Mystery Ranch. The Rip Ruck 24 CCW is a slightly larger variant of this bag with a few dedicated pockets for concealing smaller items like magazines or flashlights. However, I think the 15 is a great size for most folks. It has incredibly easy access to the main compartment. Check out this video for the Rip Ruck Line of bags.
I have a lot of personal experience with Mystery Ranch, and more specifically their harness systems. I find that they make extremely durable bags, with very comfortable straps. They also have quality stitching, which will last for years.
The Rip Ruck series of bags have an awesome magnetic closure system, as well as waterproof zippers on top. These are great features that make their bags solid choices for every day carry. As of this writing, the Rip Ruck 15 can be purchased for less than $200. Next, let’s move to a more dedicated CCW bag.
Vertx Ready Bag 2.0
The Vertx Ready Bag 2.0 is an awesome bag (Amazon Affiliate Link) with over 900 positive reviews on Amazon. It’s been out for several years, and Vertx has actually released the 3.0 version of this bag, with a slightly better harness system. Otherwise, there really isn’t much of a difference between them.
I carry a Vertx Gamut Overland as my day to to day bag, and it has a lot of similar features that this bag has, including side pockets for water bottles. Many Vertx bags are aimed at concealed carry. As such they have a dedicate large pull tab, and separate velcro area to carry anything from a pistol to a short barreled rifle.
They make quality bags. I’ve had zero trouble from my Vertx bag, in the 2 years I’ve carried it. The nice thing about these bags is the accessories you can add to the interior velcro fields. It makes for much better organization.
These bags also come in many different colors, that don’t scream I’m carrying a gun. As of this writing, you can purchase this bag for less than $140. This is one of the best value backpacks in our list of the best tactical backpacks made in the USA. Next we’ll talk about a plate carrier mounted backpack.
Haley Strategic FlatPack 2.0
The Haley Strategic FlatPack 2.0 is a great option if you need a small assault pack that can be directly mounted to body armor, as well as used as a conventional tactical backpack. This is the smaller version in the FlatPack Line. If you need a larger bag, you can get the next size up from Haley. Most users will find the 2.0 fits nicely on a plate carrier. It can be expanded to accommodate larger radios, and other bulky items. It can also be compressed to lay flat on the carrier.
This bag comes in regular non-tactical colors, or multicam varieties. One of the coolest features of this bag is its ability to attach to the Haley Chest rig. This makes a great patrol setup for hot weather environments. Just like several other bags in this list, you can purchase a discreet armor plate you can place in the back, if that’s your thing.
If you need a well designed, multi-role edc bag, then this is your best bet. It is made in the USA from US materials and is commonly issued to law enforcement tactical teams, as well as some military Tier 1 Units, like Delta and Devgru. Next we’ll move on to our medium sized bags, in our list of the best tactical backpacks made in the USA.
Medium Sized Tactical Backpacks and Assault Packs
These bags are most commonly used for those that need to carry a little more equipment on a day to day basis. They’re 20-30 liters in overall capacity, and are the type of bag that you’ll see for 1-3 day military operations. They will carry a little more equipment, and they have better suspension systems, that distribute the load more evenly. Let’s get to the first bag.
Arc’Teryx LEAF Assault Pack 30
The Arc’Teryx LEAF Assault Pack 30 isn’t cheap but it’s probably one of the best backpacks you can buy, with 30 liters of storage. Their LEAF line of equipment is marketed towards military and law enforcement tactical users. As such, they don’t skimp on high end materials. The LEAF 30 tips the scales at a scant 3.7 pounds empty. This is key if you plan on doing any long distance movements with it.
You’ll find that this 2-day assault pack is built to separate gear, and is incredibly customizable. This bag is meant to be used with LBX or similar velcro pouches that keep different gear separated. If you don’t have these separators, it’s basically an empty sack on the interior.
This bag would work well for users who have a lot of equipment that needs separation and protection. You could use it for a range bag, or to carry electronics that shouldn’t be jumbled together. As of this writing, it retails for right around $400. I know, I’m crying inside too. Now let’s talk about a similar sized bag for a little less money.
Vertx Gamut Overland
The Vertx Gamut Overland has been my EDC bag for the last several years, for good reason. It has a lot of amazing features. Most importantly its very flexible. It has an exterior beaver tail, which I find I use a lot for gym gear that gets sweaty, that I want to keep separated from my other items. This bag is also large enough to carry a 10.5 inch gun, with a foldable stock and suppressor, in the main compartment. Allegedly.
The only negative thing about this bag is that it doesn’t really stand up on its own if you set it down. My last bag would stay upright, which was very handy. It’s a small gripe, but you do have to lean it up against something to keep it upright. It has a waist strap and sternum strap for longer distance carrying.
It has several different compartments for small items, both in the sides, and in the top compartment. You can also add velcro zipper pouches for more organization, in the spacious main compartment.
It can easily handle heavy loads, but I find I carry 10-20 pounds around most of the time. I also keep the waist belt tucked away, as I’m not rucking with this bag. It features a great EDC compartment, that sits against your back. This is great for pistols and flat guns, but you’ll find that if you have an AR15 with a foldable stock that it’s a bit too wide to sit comfortably in this compartment.
As of this writing, you can purchase this backpack on sale for less than $180. I think I paid around $240 for mine. This is a pretty good deal. Now, let’s talk about a great EDC bag thats aimed at day hikers.
Mystery Ranch Coulee 40
The Mystery Ranch Coulee 40 is a technical day pack, aimed at hikers. This is the clear winner if you need to carry a decent amount of gear for long distances. Even though this is a 40 liter bag, it only weighs 3.8 pounds, and it features water repellant Robic Nylon, and durable YKK zippers.
It comes in a 25 liter size as well, but I think it’s best in 40l. Having an excellent harness system seems like a waste with a smaller bag. It’s important to note that this isn’t aimed at CCW, and while you could clearly fit any number of firearms inside, there are no dedicated partitions for it. I should also point out that the larger bag does have side compression straps to minimize bulk.
I like that this bag looks like a normal backpack, and doesn’t scream self taught NAVY SEAL! I could see this being a great EDC bag, especially for those that need to carry different outfits for the gym or otherwise. Those exterior stash pockets are handy.
As of this writing you can get the bag the cheapest at Optics Planet, for around $170. Now we’ll move to the largest bags in our list of the best tactical backpacks made in the USA.
Large Assault Packs, and Rucks
If you need to carry some serious weight, for long distances, then these are the bags for you. You’ll notice that Mystery Ranch bags are super common in the large bag market, because they have such a good harness system. In fact, they are the United States Special Operations Command provider for rucks. If it’s good enough for Rangers, Raiders, and SEALs then it’ll probably work for us.
These bags also feature a lot of additional storage space because of the molle attachments on the exterior of the bags. This is a must have for military use, as you need to be able to configure the bag depending on each mission. You never know when you’ll have to strap a mortar tube on your backpack right?
Mystery Ranch Blackjack 50
The Mystery Ranch Blackjack 50 is currently on sale for more than $500 off, as it normally retails for $900. I don’t know how long this will last, but it’s a screaming deal. These Blackjack bags are incredibly durable, and light, given the strength of the materials they’re made off. It’s sized midway between a large assault pack, and sustainment pack.
The Blackjack 50 is a 50 liter bag that tips the scales at 7.3 pounds empty. These bags are clearly marketed towards military use, and as such, they’re your best bet if you need to carry large heavy items in the backcountry. It has dedicated tube routing systems for radio antenae, or things, like hydration system hoses.
Because they’re military issued they will be overbuilt, and incredibly durable. This bag is designed to be used with the heavy duty hip belt, otherwise you’ll be hating life.
I can clearly remember the dumb things we used to do with our Rucks, and I can’t believe they survived. I once saw over a 100 rucks piled into a mountain. Needless to say, most tactical packs aren’t built to survive tons of pressure, but military rucks can! As of this writing you can get the Blackjack 50 for $330. Now we’ll talk about its big brother in the next section.
Mystery Ranch Blackjack 100
The Mystery Ranch Blackjack 100 is built for United States Special Operations Forces, who need to carry all the gear with them. This 100 liter pack is very big, and would be best for cold environments, where much of your gear is bulky. My normal hiking, and camping back is only 65 liters. This will carry everything I need for a week or more, in moderate temperatures.
I like that this bag has a separate sleeping bag compartment. There’s nothing more annoying than having to unpack the full bag to get to your sleeping bag when your cold, hungry, and tired! This is one of the best military backpacks you can purchase. You can pick this bag up for a littler under $500, as of this writing. Now let’s move onto our last bag.
Osprey Rook 65
The Osprey Rook 65 is an awesome bag for long hikes. It can also be used for extended backcountry operations, and is less suited for everyday use. I should mention that technically the company Osprey is headquartered in the US, but I’m not sure if the bag is made here or overseas.
I’ve included it in this list because I’ve used it for over a year, and I think it’s the best value for money in a bag this size. It’s 65 liters, and weighs 3.52 pounds. That’s the same as our 30 liter bags! It also has a great strong mesh back panel that keeps your back from turning into a swamp when hiking.
I routinely carry 40-60 pound loads in this bag. It handles them very well, and I’ve found this bag to be incredibly comfortable for long duration hikes. I’ve also used it for the occasional ruck run. The Rook 65 stays glued to your back, which is key if you plan on hiking fast.
This bag can be purchased for less than $190. You won’t find a better deal anywhere give the durability, lightweight, and smart features in this large bag.
Final Thoughts
We’ve covered a lot of different bags in this list of the best tactical backpacks made in the USA. I’d like to review a few things before I sign off. First, if you want a bag that’s focused on concealed carry, or off body carry, then any of the Vertx bags will be your best options. If you need to carry heavier loads, and want a great, well designed bag, then Mystery Ranch is your go to.
You’ll find that many of the companies I’ve linked to will let you try the bag for a limited time. I recommend checking out a few of the bags, and only keeping the ones you like. If you have any questions or comments, put them below! Thanks for reading this list of the best tactical backpacks made in the USA. I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Any links to Amazon, Palmetto State Armory, Primary Arms, or other manufacturers are affiliate links. That means that we receive a small referral fee if you purchase from them after clicking on their link. It costs you nothing, and helps keep the lights on here. Read this for more info. Thank you for the support.
