Eberlestock has long been known amongst civilians for hunting packs, establishing a reputation for hell and back reliability. Arguably, no pack company has done more when it comes to innovative designs. Less well known, for years military snipers have used them as well. The off the shelf solution solved a variety of problems since the needs were similar. Comfortably carry a varying amount of equipment up to and including extra rifles, often for a really long way over unforgiving terrain. I know this for a fact, I used one when I was a sniper in the U.S. Army.
Impressions
Several years ago, by popular request, Eberlestock started a tactical line, with features specifically made for soldiers. Our loads tend to be heavier, and more specific. Elk hunting has its own challenges, but they don’t often include carry a SATCOM radio and extra 80mm mortar rounds.
SPECS: S45 — Big Trick
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- Total Volume: 1,920 c.i.
- Weight: 5 lbs 8 oz
- Dimensions main bag: 27″h x 13″w x 7″d
- MSRP: $289
One of the great things about the Eberlestock packs, both lines is their modularity. You can increase the pack size by adding pouches via MOLLE or zippers, and that is rarely done well. Eberlestock has succeeded in every model that I have used/abused.
New for this year is a completely new modular suite for the Military line. Laser cut MOLLE attachment points are used to cut weight, a great addition. The weapon carrier has been made from a new material, cutting the weight by 3.5 pounds. One of the big additions for this year is the option to use either a soft frame or a rigid frame. Soft frames are great for many things, but around 50 pounds you start wishing for some different support. The tradeoff is total weight. The option to use either is fantastic.
Looking forward to fully review this system; there are too many features to list in our SHOT coverage. And that shouldn’t be hard for us to do, Eberlestock is right down the street.
For more information about Eberlestock, click here.
where are their packs made, USA or foreign?
I took their Little Brother pack overseas for a year and it was awesome. Carries well and the inside molle made customization very nice. It also has the added benefit of people asking about it everywhere.
Great packs, Fac trac pack is great for the 117g carrying guys out there.