• The best tactical backpacks are designed with sturdy materials 
• Always look for an appropriately-sized backpack that suits your needs
• Look for backpacks with modularity for pouches and attachments

After your boots, your hiking backpack is the most important piece of hiking gear around. It’s doing the thankless job of carrying everything around, neatly packed and safe, and there are many options to choose from nowadays.

Which one is right for you, though? Let’s take a look at the top tactical backpacks for outdoor travel and day hikes.

Bergen Backpack

When it comes to backpacks, the word ‘tactical’ essentially boils down to having more pockets and optimizing weight distribution; there is perhaps no better backpack on the market than the Bergen.

At an 18-liter capacity, it’s more than big enough for one-day and even two-day hikes, if you’re good enough at packing it. What makes it stand out are the three external pockets, which are great for storing your first aid kit, a large bottle of water, and food. This leaves the inside of the backpack – its main storage compartment – free for everything else.

The pockets come with flaps that can be raised or lowered as needed, so you can actually fit larger things in them, too, as long as you adjust the straps. These pockets also come with strap-ins that allow the carrying of tools or a sleeping bag, utilizing the outer space of the backpack.

The inside comes with a hydration bladder, which is always nice to see, and the outside of the pack is covered with strap-ins. You can use them to attack a knife or a pouch, for example.

The entire pack is made from an abrasion-resistant material that can take a scratch or a beating in the wild!

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Mystery Ranch 2 Day Assault Backpack

This backpack knocks it out of the park with the number of straps, making it the most customizable backpack on the list.

It’s significantly larger than Bargen with 27 liters of space, and the straps on the outer lining allow you to attach pretty much anything you want to it. If you open it, you’ll notice mesh pockets and a padded sleeve. This sleeve is intended for keeping a laptop or a tablet safe, but you can use it for anything else that you don’t want to see broken.

What’s pretty cool about this backpack is the three-zipper design, which allows you to open it up entirely, instead of just opening it from the top, as is the case with traditional backpacks. This means that you can pack all your stuff and then wrap and close the backpack around it like a blanket.

The material is anti-abrasive, which is pretty much the standard with high-quality tactical backpacks for hikes, and the straps are, as expected, entirely adjustable.

5.11 Rush 72

If you’re looking for something with as much capacity as possible, you can’t go wrong with 5.11’s Rush 72 backpack. This huge backpack comes with a capacity of 55 liters, and it’s ideal for extended camping and hiking trips.

It comes with many things mentioned in previous entries: a built-in laptop pouch, internal pockets, many external straps and loops, a hydration bladder, and side pouches. Still, it’s also incredibly durable with waterproof materials.

All compartments on this bag can be opened entirely, which makes packing incredibly easy, and it’s extremely modifiable with dozens of straps on the outer layer. What makes it a perfect choice from a tactical perspective is the concealed carry compartment, which itself is hidden, ensuring that no one else gets to your piece by accident.

The Rush 72 backpack also comes with a padded hip belt, which is something you’ll be grateful for during particularly long hikes with tons of gear on your back. You can also remove the belt if you don’t think you need it. To lower the strain on your back, the back panel of the backpack is reinforced with an aluminum bar.

With that, we can safely say it’s the best choice if you’re looking for something durable that can carry all your gear for an extended trip.

Tactical Pouches for Hiking

When it comes to MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) pouches, they’re a great choice for any hiker because they allow customization to a degree never before seen. No matter which backpack you use, you can customize the hell out of it with pouches.

If you don’t have a dedicated pocket on your left-hand side, add a pouch. You want a separate pocket for your dog’s treat? Add a pouch. Adding a pouch is the universal solution to any packing problems.

You can carry your documents in them, your firestarting kit, or if you’re carrying a firearm on your hike, you can use magazine pouches to always keep them on hand.

Pouches are a great way to add a bit of personality to your outdoor kit, too. Patches, of course, are the primary way of doing that, but there are custom-made pouches out there that you can use to tell a whole story about yourself.

When selecting a bag or tactical pouches, the key factors to consider are size, durability, and modularity. Look for a backpack that accommodates all your gear, crafted from tough materials that resist wear and tear. Ideally, choose one that offers easy attachment points for additional gear and pouches, allowing for customizable storage and quick access when needed.

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