Best Tactical Backpacks for Survival Situations

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Whether you are hunting, hiking, or bugging out, you will have gear to carry. And when that gear exceeds the capacity of your pockets or pouch, you need a tactical backpack.

An over-the-shoulder bag with one or two straps for organizing and carrying supplies is known as a tactical backpack.

Most often, people use it when a regular backpack would break easily or wouldn’t provide as much storage space as a tactical bag.

5 Best Tactical Backpacks Reviewed

Let’s take a look at the best tactical backpacks on the market.

1. REEBOW GEAR Military Tactical Backpack

Backpacks are either meant for books or for tactical situations that require diligent planning and maximum storage.

With its large forty-liter capacity and heavy-duty double-stitched zippers throughout, REEBOW won the latter by a landslide. It’s built to last.

Pair that with the sturdy buckles that keep everything nice and compressed, and you’ve got yourself a bug-out bag that even the SEALs would be proud of.

Utility pull cords, all-black water-resistant fabric, and enough room for three days of provisions for a single person—that’s just the surface of why this bag is so excellent.

The price is ridiculously affordable, especially for this amount of storage, and the shoulder straps feel like marshmallows on your body. They’ll help to support everything and take the load off your back, at least a little.

REEBOW’s pack simply wins on all fronts, between cost, durability, and fitting the genuine needs of preppers and tactical enthusiasts everywhere.

Features

• Sized appropriately to hold onto three days worth of survivables
• Vast 40L total capacity
• Heavy-duty double-stitched zippers with pull ropes

2. SOG Tactical Daypack Backpack

One of the biggest problems with tactical gear is that it stacks up, and it’s pretty heavy.

SOG wanted to make a backpack that tackles all the back problems and pain that most of us face when loading up our gear, and they’ve done a bang-up job. Constructed from premium canvas and polyester, this backpack can withstand rigorous use without any issues.

The real focal point here are the heavy-duty shoulder straps. The design of these straps evenly distributes the weight along your back, providing better support for your lower lumbar and reducing the risk of injury and fatigue.

The pack is about 24 liters, which is enough for a one-man, two-day survival pack with plenty of provisions. Not only that, we haven’t told you the best part yet: SOG guarantees this for life, backed by a manufacturer’s warranty.

Features

• 24L capacity for two-day journeys
• Durable polyester and canvas construction
• Oversized shoulder straps to alleviate tension and support your lower lumbar

3. Mardingtop Tactical Backpack

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One mark of a piece of tactical apparel that you definitely want is attention to detail, even down to the stitching on the zipper and the zipper itself.

It’s no secret that YKK remains the undisputed champion when it comes to the best backpack zippers out there, and Mandingtop has included them with your backpack.

Additionally, the entire bag features stitching into a durable and rugged 600D polyester primary material.

Choose from three different sizes, and snap the waist belt into place when you suit up. The belt helps distribute the weight throughout your entire upper body, alleviating the pressure that typically weighs down on your lower lumbar.

Mardingtop created a stellar pack, from the 2.5L bladder to the MOLLE webbing.

We just wish the warranty was longer than 90 days, but that’s plenty of time to see if this is the right tactical backpack for you.

Features

• Available in 25- to 35-liter sizes
• Waist belt design greatly reduces fatigue and lowers back pain.
• Crafted from 600D polyester and fitted with YKK zippers

4. MEWAY Military Tactical Backpack

Designed with numerous looks in mind, MEWAY has a vast 42L of storage space for you to get comfortable with.

That makes this a one-man, three-day pack (five if you can pack right), and it’s tough enough to get you through just about anything you’ll encounter. Everything you see before you is waterproof and abrasion-resistant because it is made of high-density fabric.

As for the interior, you have plenty of storage pockets that you can designate for anything you like.

Interior MOLLE webbing enables you to efficiently organize and pack what you need while having access to almost everything the moment you open the pack.

While this doesn’t include a hydration bladder, there is a protected spot to put one if you wish to buy it separately. For the size, the straps could have been a bit bigger, but nevertheless, this pack does what it’s supposed to.

Features

• Excellent 42L worth of space for big hauls and plenty of gear
• Hydration pack compatible with ample protection
• MOLLE webbing and high-density fabric with water resistance

5. Gowara Gear Tactical Backpack

Not every go-bag has to be end-of-the-world-prepared.

Sometimes, you just need to get the hell out of wherever you’re at. Gowara designed their sling bag specifically for this purpose.

It includes numerous internal pockets to organize overnight essentials, fits a 14? laptop, and has a secret feature that will keep you safe from harm.

There’s a concealed back compartment where you can either hide your valuables so they’re away from prying eyes or slip a sidearm to help you out when the going gets rough.

It’s an everyday bag, ideal for some EDC items to fit in the external compartments.

There are plenty of buckles and straps to keep things secure, which means if you’re running from anything, your belongings will stay in place exactly as you packaged them. Nothing is going to get to your items.

Gowara includes a one-year warranty, which is more than enough time to pit it against worst-case conditions and see that it will rise to the top.

Features

• There is a concealed back compartment for firearms or valuables.
• A single sling strap is built wide to prevent shoulder pain.
• It comfortably fits a 14-inch laptop.

Why You Should Choose Tactical Backpack?

Compared to other backpacks, they are more comfortable over long distances and made of a more durable fabric.

Tactical backpacks are ideal for use in hunting situations because they are made to withstand intense terrain and inclement weather, as well as to hold and organize a wide array of items.

A good tactical backpack will allow you to make sure that you have everything you need with you on your hunting trip without adding unnecessary weight to your trek.

Tactical bags have high storage capacities, ridiculously durable materials, and often come with hydration packs or at least a pouch to hold onto a hydration pack.

Tactical bags include lots of storage compartments, so you don’t have to dig through your belongings to find one specific item. They’re simple to reach, wear, and become a part of you.

Nobody’s ever carried a book bag and thought, “This is an extension of myself.” It’s a life-or-death bag that includes everything you need to survive in a myriad of situations.

What to Pack in a Tactical Backpack

We could just say tactical things, but that wouldn’t be very helpful. Your tactical backpack isn’t something you bring to work.

This bag, also known as a go-bag, bug-out bag, or EDC bag, is equipped with self-defense, survival, and EDC items to aid you in your self-preservation quest.

Ideally, our tactical backpack should have the following features:

• A first-aid kit
• Reliable folding knife (blade under 3 ½”)
• Three days of food and water rations
• Spare clothes
• Miniature solar panel with USB hookup and power bank
• A firearm with one box of ammunition
• Water filtration system for an appropriate party size
• Ultralight tent and sleeping bag
• Paracord or thin rope
• EDC kit (fire starter, sharpener, etc.)
• Spare money for travel.

Now comes the difficult part: organizing it in your tactical backpack. As you see, it’s a little bit of everything. Whatever is going to make you feel safe in a shaky or dodgy situation is what you should bring in your tactical backpack.

Desired Size

It depends on your body weight and what you plan to carry with you. A person who’s fully in shape should never carry more than 33% of their body weight on their back.

Then, you have to consider the fact that if you’re at least slender or in halfway decent shape, you shouldn’t exceed 21-23% of your total body weight in your backpack.

That doesn’t leave much room for your belongings, either. You should get a size that’s a little bit bigger than what you need, so you can use the straps to secure everything together.

For example, a 40-liter backpack can hold up to 88 pounds of weight. Keep in mind that not all items are dense, and you can easily have 35 pounds of goods that take up the entire interior of your backpack. Plan accordingly and know what you’re bringing.