By Steve Schantz

In the world of preppers, “bugging out” implies: leave your home quickly if a doomsday scenario is upon you.  To facilitate that process, preppers utilize what is deemed a “bug-out bag”.  This bag is stuffed full of whatever survival gear is deemed necessary to survive for days, weeks, or even months.  A good bug-out bag needs to be large enough to fit tons of stuff, comfortable enough to carry for days on end, and durable enough to take a beating.  For the purposes of this article, I tested a Fox Tactical brand Tactical Duty Pack.

The tactical duty pack is a four compartment pack constructed of durable polyester. It contains a large main compartment and several smaller, secondary, compartments. There are tons of  pockets to store all your survival items.  The pack contains a fully padded and ventilated back panel and adjustable shoulder straps that are padded as well.  The pack has heavy duty zippers with side cinch straps and a carry handle located on the top of the pack.  It also contains a padded and adjustable waist belt that has handy dual zipper pockets.  The pack measures 19.5” by 12” by 12” and has various pull cords and durable adjustable straps to secure all your goods available in several different colors.

Being a former Infantry Marine, packs are something I know a little about.  Marine Infantry live and die by their packs.  In addition, I currently utilize a pack to exercise with during my training regimen as I prepare to tackle an upcoming Spartan Race in Chicago.  So let’s just say, I’m deeply familiar and quite knowledgeable about what is takes for a pack to be deemed useful, comfortable  and durable.  I utilized the Fox Tactical Duty Pack for several weeks.  Honestly, as much as I wore it around, my neighbors and residents of my town must have thought I had gone crazy. Whether is was mowing the lawn, playing with my kids, or going on long runs with up to 50 pounds of weight stuffed within the pack, I was doing everything with it.

First and foremost, I found the Fox Tactical Duty Pack to be comfortable.  It was way more comfortable than my old Marine Corp issue ALICE pack! Even with my 20 pound medicine ball positioned in the large compartment, I did not feel the need to hunch over or continuously readjust the shoulder straps.  I also found the waist strap comfortable and the zippered pockets on the waist strap useful.  The vented back on the back panel allowed for excellent airflow which reduced (but not eliminated) sweating.  Overall, I would recommend the Fox Tactical Duty Pack as both a useful, everyday pack for the average person, student, or crazy exercise freak like me, or as a dependable, convenient  and durable “bug-out bag” for the everyday prepper.