Arc'teryx LEAF Assault Pack 45 Tactical Reviews, Deals, Problems and Guides

This pack will no doubt be considered to be far too much money for many but you get what you pay for. Yes, I'll touch on that a bit but that is what most will likely focus on. To put it into perspective, check out Mystery Ranch and Kifaru to know that there are other high end packs that can run more expensive. It should be closer to $300 price tag for what is offered but a recent holiday sale made it more "reasonable." I pulled the proverbial trigger because of it's fantastic clamshell design to access the main compartment. There are knockoffs that do it but they just don't compare. Unfortunately, you'll need to buy secondary market accessories to take advantage of their chosen velcro system. Those ran me another $60 so be forewarned that that is the bare minimum you'll likely need to spend to take advantage of the velcro inside. The velcro is nice but more difficult to find items for because much of what you'll like will only be offered in molle. This is a LEAF product designed more for military and LE so molle is much more useful.

A good feature is the non-military tactical look that too many molle packs display on the outside. Please don't confuse my comments because molle on the inside is useful but not lining a big portion of the outside unless that is specifically what you need. When traveling abroad, I don't want that look. The quality seems to initially be great and better be for the price. If Eberlestock had a design like this than I would have jumped over that but they don't offer a main compartment like Arc'teryx. Their packs tend to be more military in design and heavier too though. The hip belt for the 45 is removable but not quick enough of a release to do so conveniently. It's an unusual design but feels more comfortable than most I've tried. I don't typically need them so I will most likely not get much use out of mine. Lastly, the internal frame and the 45's ability to not sag down is above average. My only con to the back support is the lack of cushion on the outside back of the product. This would most definitely not be the most comfortable design for longer wear but that is not an issue for me. Maxpedition should take some notes from Arc'teryx when it comes to internal frame design. They didn't exactly reinvent the wheel but you need what Arc'teryx has installed.