KeltyRedwing 44 Tactical, Forest Green

Love this backpack for hiking. Fits well and very comfortable.

Always use military packs since my time in the Canadian Forces Infantry, from old school '65 pattern, '82 Pattern, ALICE pack, MOLLE II pack, USMC ILBE, Tactical Tailor Adapt pack and a UK PLCE Bergen. One of my friends showed me his Kelty, and I thought it looked like a nice pack... I started looking at the various models, and settled with this mid size Kelty Tactical and am very happy with it.Materials, construction, quality, organization, comfort, size... everything I look for in a pack is there. I chose this one in particular because I have always used internal organizer pouches, so I did not need the 44 with the side pockets and also wanted something that was slim in profile and nicely contoured to the body. When I need to haul more gear, I pull out the Bergen at over 100L, it carries all my gear and then some.This is a perfect size for hiking, either a day hike of a 3 day week-ender. You can pack quite a lot of gear in it and with the daisy chains at the bottom you can add an extra stuff sack or sleep pad/gear.The material is very similar to 500D Cordura, making it lightweight and water repellent. The zippers are YYK and like the newer military packs are sewn inside out, making dirt and water resistant. The shoulder straps are nicely padded, has an easily adjusted sternum strap and with the adjustments at the top can be made to wear over chest rig/plate carrier. There is also a waist belt, nothing crazy since the pack is smaller, but it does a nice job when you haul a bit heavier and want to take some weight off the shoulders and support on your hips.Finally the back is well padded, has a nice inner frame sheet that does the job, although I'm looking to get a slightly thicker, stiffer frame sheet... but that's me. On the inside there is a very spacious open top pocket to accommodate up to a 3 litre bladder or a laptop.The design of the main pocket that almost completely opens up makes organizing gear inside very easy. The bottom side pouches are excellent for smaller bottles or the attach axes or similar tools carried on the pack. The front pocket has a nice admin portion and a few well designed features, like a key fob strap, some mesh and divided pockets.All in all, a great civilian pack thought out for tactical use as well (Military or Law Enforcement). As an outdoors heavy use pack it does the job. And the price is reasonable compared to similar sized models.

Bought this because I’ve had 44’s before and liked them, I have a 30L in the same color that I use for EDC. I wanted a 3 day/ bug out/ get home bag with the pockets for water bottles end extra easy access storage and sleeves to carry an axe or long gun. This color (OD green) blends in with the foliage in my area and fits in with my “earth tone” lifestyle. My previous 44L is still in use and has endured many miles with no rips tears or failure of any kind. I believe Kelty packs are an excellent value for the money. This 44L tactical was less expensive ($99) than the 30L and 50L for some reason but that suited me just fine!

Very durable but the shoulder Straps need a break in period to be as comfortable as possible

Awesome pack...love how main pocket zips lots of room...and you can't go wrong with a kelty pack