OUTDOOR
PACKING IT IN! TACTICAL OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT
WHY TRY TO REINVENT THE WHEEL WHEN IT’S ALREADY ROUND AND WORKS? THIS MONTH JON HANDS OVER THE TOD COLUMN TO OUR IN-HOUSE PACK EXPERT, BILL, TO RETURN TO THE CRUCIAL AREA OF WHAT PACK YOU NEED, AND WHAT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF FEATURES TO CARRY YOUR SUSTAINMENT LOAD SAFELY AND SECURELY!
Image licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
I
t’s a whole new airsoft year, and this one is perhaps even more important than the many that have gone before! It finally looks like we’ve got ahead of the “covid curve” and that some normality will be returning to our lives; of course this mean that airsoft games and events will be coming back online in force, and we may even be able to travel overseas to attend the best and biggest of airsoft events again! I always get a little tingle of excitement as a whole new year beckons, and of course this summer looks to be even more exciting than usual as hopefully the lockdowns will end and we can FINALLY get back to playing at full speed… Hi-speed, lo-drag baby! I’ve been lucky enough over the years to have played weekend games that have encompassed military training areas in the UK and USA, vast tracts of forest woodland, French mountains, and even former monastery buildings on Crete, and a good “weekender event” to me is the best possible form for an airsoft game as not only will it usually give two (or possibly even more!) full days, possibly with a night game thrown in, but it will also give me an opportunity to catch up with fellow players from different parts of the world! Stories will be told,
tactics from the day will be analysed, new kit will be discussed and rated, and new RIFs will be drooled over; it’s always great fun, especially if it’s warm and fair, and the evenings are mild. But of course we must always be prepared for every eventuality, and the preparation of our gear, what we carry, and how we carry it must always be a primary consideration. I’m going to come straight out and say this, I’m a pack monster! Call it what you will, pack, backpack, ruc, rucsac, or load-lugger, it’s all the same to me, but in my opinion EVERY airsofter worth their salt should be able to carry all they need for a day game, and indeed if you’re into MilSim I don’t believe you can consider yourself “full on” unless you own a pack that’s able to keep you in the field for multiple days! I worked for many years for one of the very best pack makers in the outdoor industry before I decided to devote myself entirely to airsoft and tactical, so you could say I know a thing or three about how a pack should be put together, how it should be fitted, and indeed how it should be packed and used. I’ve spent many, many days with different packs on my own back, and covered lots of miles in the wild places of the world with my life strapped to my back.
“I ALWAYS GET A LITTLE TINGLE OF EXCITEMENT AS A WHOLE NEW YEAR BECKONS, AND OF COURSE THIS SUMMER LOOKS TO BE EVEN MORE EXCITING THAN USUAL AS HOPEFULLY THE LOCKDOWNS WILL END AND WE CAN FINALLY GET BACK TO PLAYING AT FULL SPEED… HISPEED, LO-DRAG BABY!” 40
MARCH 2022
