Is Military-Grade Backpacking Gear Any Different Than the Stuff at REI? We Tested Some to Find Out.

Little-known fact: One of your favorite outdoor brands is likely making gear for the military. From Arc`teryx to Polartec, a large slice of the gear industry takes on massive military contracts, turning out everything from Backpacks to boots for the U.S. (though it doesn`t always end up in the hands of the people they intend it to.)

While I was working on a Backpacker story on the military gear industry, I started to wonder: Just how good was this taxpayer-funded gear? Some of the prices were astronomical, others were in line with high-end outdoor gear. I wanted to see if this was just the same product in multicam, or if companies were building more features into these products specifically for the military.

Testing some of that military gear out would let me answer another question as well: Is made-in-the-U.S.A. gear really better than what companies make abroad? Thanks to something called the Berry Amendment, a piece of legislation that has been added to defense spending bills since 1941 and passed into law in 1994, almost all food, clothing, tents, materials, and tools made for the U.S. military must be manufactured in the United States. Companies often say that while consumers claim to want their gear made locally, they are not willing to pay for it. Testing out some Berry-compliant gear seemed like a good way to see what we are missing when we buy mostly foreign-sourced outdoor gear.

I opted for more or less a full outfit featuring some of the brands mentioned in the story. From top to toe that was a Mystery Ranch Blackjack 50 pack, a civilian version of their Special Operations pack, Polartec`s Alpha Waffle Top, Beyond clothing`s Berry-compliant and non-Berry-compliant versions of a warm DWR hoodie and their Rig Light Pant, and Danner`s Reckoning tactical boot. Where possible I tried to get non-multicam versions; that look isn`t really my vibe. The verdict? I found a lot to like-assuming that you can afford it.

Mystery Ranch Blackjack 50 Pack

I first started backpacking with a military pack that I borrowed from ROTC. It was bulky, heavy, and uncomfortable compared to the packs my friends got from outdoor stores. But it was free, which was enough for me at the time.

The Mystery Ranch Blackjack is a distinct improvement, but unless you`re deploying with U.S. Special Forces, you`ll have to pay for it. I tested this pack over two 20-ish mile days on the PCT in triple-digit temperatures and appreciated the side bladder pockets, which easily allowed me to carry two bladders and swap between them. I also took it on a recent reporting trip to Thailand, a winter overnighter in SoCal`s Laguna mountains, and a series of smaller excursions where I needed to haul gear uphill. Fifty liters tends to be enough capacity for me on most trips, and although this pack lacks Mystery Ranch`s signature y-shaped zipper, I found the side access zippers very handy.

Unlike civilian packs ,this bag features MOLLE attachments, which allow for easy attachment of accessory pouches to customize your pack. The Blackjack 50 comes with two accessory pouches, each with a zippered mesh pocket on the inside as well as a large compartment on the top flap. That`s enough for me on a short trip, but I did take advantage of the MOLLE attachments to clip my first aid kit onto the bag and have it easily accessible.

Another plus is how wide of a range of sizes each pack fits-an important feature for government-issue equipment that multiple soldiers may end up using. Thanks to a unique frame which uses a plastic insert, it adjusted well to my medium-size torso, and I found I could comfortably haul all of my gear and 7 liters of water in comfort.

The Blackjack 50 is made to haul military loadouts in excess of 100 pounds, and it feels like it. At 7 pounds, it`s not very light, but it does feel like it would last forever. If you like your outdoor gear brightly-colored, you may be disappointed: The Blackjack only comes in multicam and coyote, though there is a hook-and-loop panel where you can add a colorful morale patch.

Overall, I liked this pack a lot, and it has become my go-to bag for just about everything. I travel a lot and always fret about my ultralight bags getting torn up by baggage handlers, but I don`t worry about this one. I really liked the MOLLE attachments: I can use things like Peak Design`s excellent camera clip or my individual first aid kit and keep everything packed in the pouches that I switch between this pack and my daypack. While I might not use it for fast-and-light missions, and the $750 price tag is a little hard to swallow, this would be my go-to for an indestructible pack.