Last month we featured a review of 5.11’s Rush 12 tactical backpack, and now we would like to bring you our BLACKHAWK! 3 Day Assault Pack review. This is an extremely hardy all purpose pack designed for special ops use, but of course more than capable of satisfying your needs for a weekend trip to the lake.
However, any longer than a weekend and you may want to look at getting a larger pack. Admittedly, one of the drawbacks of the BLACKHAWK! 3 Day Assault Pack is its small size, but I’m not the type of guy to knock a product for its size when that is the size it was specifically designed to to be.
So, I urge you to look past the size, as this is an incredibly high-quality bag.
BLACKHAWK! constructs these bags using 1,000 denier nylon. This heavy duty nylon fabric has reinforced stitching and is finished with polyurethane back coating, a durable water repellent finish.
The pack can accommodate a 100-oz hydration reservoir, but another drawback of this pack is that the reservoir is sold separately. I would have liked to see them include it with the pack as the current price point for this pack is already quite steep, listed for around $85 on Amazon.
You can pick up a Hydration reservoir here:‘
Anyways, my point was, to have to spend another $25-$30 for the reservoir puts the total price for this pack well up ove $100.
I think you could make the argument that this is indeed a $100+ tactical backpack, so I’m not too upset about it, but it does make the full benefits of this backpack a bit less accessible to buyers who may be on a more stringent budget.
If you are planning an overnight expedition, have no fear, this pack comes equipped with sleeping bag straps. With an extra bungee cord or two you might even be able to squeeze in a small tent, if sleeping under the stars isn’t your thing.
The shoulder pads are one of my favorite features of this bag, because they are so dang comfortable! You can hike for hours with this pack on, and the well padded shoulders will definitely help prevent fatigue.
In the three months since I’ve had the pack, I’ve never had any issues with the well made zippers, which each have easy-grip pull tabs. These make it extremely easy to retrieve things from the pack quick at a moments notice.
If you plan on storing food or any other items you want to keep cool, the bag was engineered with an IVS™ (Intercooler Venting System) back panel which provides ventilation. It’s not exactly an air condition in there, but it will keep your items well ventilated and prevent mold buildup.
The pack comes in two colors: Black or Coyote Tan. Those of you know me, and know that I prefer black for almost all of my tactical gear would be a bit surprised that I actually like the Coyote Tan on this bag a lot better. The color is just so spot on, that absolutely nailed it. The black is nice too, of course, so you really can’t go wrong.
All in all this is a great pack which I highly recommend. There are other options on the market, and you could decide to go with a larger size which would offer more versatility, however, for those of you looking for an excellent tactical assault pack, the BLACKHAWK! 3 Day Assault Pack is hard to beat!
Pros
- High-quality materials, constructed with 1,000 denier nylon
- Durable water repellent finish
- Includes sleeping bag straps
- Excellent shoulder support
Cons
- Hydration reservoir sold separately
That’s my BLACKHAWK! 3 Day Assault Pack review, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below!