Reviews - Packs, Bags & Pouches

The 'three day assault pack'. It’s a buzz word/term for a short duration light pack that is a little more than a basic bag, but not so bulky to impede any rapid movement by its wearer. Everyone has heard of the term.

I had never heard of Drago gear until a few months ago. Not really needing a new bag I had only casually glanced at their items. Their wares looked promising and I heard quite a bit of positive buzz about them and the company. Their web presence features many testimonials and pictures of their gear being used around the world. I was intrigued. When I received the Tracker Backpack in the mail for review I was impressed. In my opinion their stuff is a quiet success. If the sample I tested is any indication it’s only going to get stronger.

The sample I received was a tan Tracker Backpack . First impression was that it has a lot of attachment points. A LOT of attachment points. They are all MOLLE compatible but would work for other variants as well. Many of them are oriented vertically as well as horizontally. That is a good thing in my experience. Sometimes you have an item or auxiliary pouch that just won’t fit with your set up one way but will with a 90 degree orientation change. The Drago Tracker has this covered. There were also rings on each strap as attachment points for other 'hang on a hook' type gear such as compasses or water bottles.

Speaking of water, the Drago has a top sealed Velcro pocket inside the back for your favorite hydration reservoir. It easily fit a 2 liter one I had on hand. With all of the attachment points and external pockets not directly next to the reservoir you should not experience much loss of cargo capacity even with a full tank in the pack

Amongst the many exterior options are also the pockets and zippered compartments that these points are attached to. There are also quite a few of those as well. There is a small, medium and large zippered compartment, as well as the largest main one. Inside there were also mesh pockets and pen holders built in for those requiring that sort of things. The pack also has compression strap on the sides and top to cinch down your load. You will run out of stuff before you run out of places.

During my testing of the Tracker Backpack I placed my entire load of work gear inside with room to spare. There were many sections with which to organize your stuff by use or kit; one pouch section for your PSK one for first aid or navigation, etc. This bag is an organization junkies dream. As for brute power to haul, I filled it up with water and gear and walked a 2.5 mile hike in winter. The air circulating back panel worked as advertised and I did not notice any chaffing or binding of straps.

The main compartment can do a full zip down opening so all of the main compartment contents are accessible at once (a plus for EMT's I am told). This does cut down on the fumbling when you need something “RIGHT ____ NOW!!!” as they say. Whether it’s cold or hot it doesn’t seem like the bag has any problems being opened, used or closed in regards to environment. I had a tester wear it while shoveling snow in the 'Blizzard of '12' this year. After being exposed to the storm for almost 40 minutes I tried the zippers on the bag and found they worked fine with no frozen out compartments. Contents also proved to be in fine condition with no damp or snow getting at them in any appreciable way. My tester reported that the bag did not impede range of motion or ability to do any tasks she undertook in the inclement weather conditions. Even after a week of hard teen age use (to and from school, laying on the floor uncared for, etc.) the bag was given a thumbs up rating by the tester. 

The Wife also used it as her EDC bag for over a week. The Tracker Backpack held her knitting, needles, yarn, normal EDC stuff and shoes from when the snow was high enough to need her to switch to boots. She praised its organizational capabilities and room for 'just a little bit more' when you needed it.

This uses may sound mundane but not everyone needs to go 'outside the wire' out of the 'green zone' on a three day recon. In truth I have little doubt the bag could do the job in a tactical environment but it’s nice to be able to have things that can fill a multi role purpose easy. Transitioning from 'war' to 'peace' is a tricky endeavor and the Drago Tracker Backpack handles it well. If you’re looking for a good bag you should look into Drago. Online pricing of the Tracker varies by retailer but you should be able to find one in the $40 to $50 range without much issue.

www.dragogear.com

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