According to industry sources, USSOCOM has selected Mystery Ranch packs in the Assault, Patrol and Recce categories which were all part of a solicitation released last year. Mystery Ranch has had packs in the SPEAR program for almost a decade and packs designed by Dana Gleason have been used by SOF for over 20 years. We’ll give you more details once we have them.
BooYakASHAh!!
Way to go Kent!
It’s not that it was non compete, it’s that nothing can compete.
Well deserved. Great stuff, great company.
Nicely done guys…
Thats odd because where I work everyone is forced to buy their own packs because if you pack over 60lbs in theissue packs they are garbage. All you need to do is look around and see what the guys are willing to spend their own cash on and I can assure you it’s not mystery ranch. I’m noticing a trend of guys who don’t use the equipment keep choosing the equipment. I’m sure it will cost more and perform more poorly than what the guys are buying. I’m pretty shocked that everyone here thinks they are the best option. I can only guess you haven’t really packed out a issue mystery ranch. It’s how you spot the FNGs around group if you see them using it because they don’t know any better.
Troll much?
a dissenting opinion is not trolling
I may end up hating myself for this, but I’ll bite: who is better? I own a Kifaru pack that I have zero complaints about, but I’ve always heard the MR is at least equal to Kifaru in terms of quality.
So again, who is better?
Kifaru, EXO Mountain Gear, Stone Glacier…there are options out there
This. Stone Glacier.
aka, ripoff of MR
I own both Kifaru pack(Marauder Gen 1) and Mystery Ranch pack(US Made 3 Day Assault) and I use both pack during SHOT Show in last 5 years.
I carry the pack with my camera stuff, walk around the show and collect catalogs.
Every night when I backed to hotel. I feel tried and PAIN on my back when I use Marauder. But just very little tried and NO PAIN when I use 3DA
Both are Excellent packs. And the yoke design of MR is better. especially in heavy loading.
I hope my sharing is useful for you.
I started to be a smartass and make a comment asking for you to tell us more about your rigorous shakedown of two packs as you walked through an air conditioned convention hall taking photos of gear and how this might related to SOF troops selecting a pack
Then I decided not to be a smartass and not say anything.
Almost I know hates the issues MR packs, myself included. I have resorted to using an ALICE with upgraded frame while the MR packs sit in my attic awaiting turn in.
Those wondering why a lot of people do not like them, they sit like shit or have various failures.
Chuck you’re smoking crack rocks…. During the invasion of IRAQ my mountain ruck weighed 200lbs It carried fine with a prototype nice frame, that never popped a single stitch. I then used the SATL and a 3 day assault on my last 3 deployments to AFG both were awesome packs and carried great. Since then I have used the crew cab as my hunting ruck and I have carried out whole mule deer and Antelope with it, again it never letting me down. MR is an awesome company with awesome people that make awesome product. 40 years of building packs and the quality and performance show.
Agreed. I’ve been using MR rucks before they were SOCOM issue, so I’m hardly an FNG.
There are certainly lighter packs out there for military use (i.e. Cilogear), but the MR packs are the packs I’ve been issued. Usually when a guy complains about the MR rucks, it’s because he didn’t bother to size it correctly.
For guys buying their own rucks, it may pay to shop around. But I can’t imagine being issued an MR ruck and then spending $600+ out of pocket on another pack.
I think the guy claiming he ran around Iraq with a 200lbs ruck is the one smoking crack rocks. Anyone who has every carried a 100 + lbs ruck will tell you that’s dumb enough but you outed yourself by claiming a 200lbs ruck. The rucks I see guys humping around tend to be Kifaru packs and an assortment of different Alice style packs. You get the Alice squeak with the 80+ lbs rucks but it’s worth it. It’s the frame more than anything else that’s the problem. I’ve been issued eberlestock, tac tailor malice, regular Alice, Medium Alice, MR 3 day pack, MR full size pack, MR higher end pack with upgraded frame (I’d have to look up each model name but it was the top end MR pack at the time). I’ve settled on the Malice pack with fight light frame. This is after doing 5 years of Recce work and maxed out every one of those packs. I’m also a huge geartard (hence being on this site) so I was excited to see all the new packs and tried them all out giving them a fair shake and was severely disappointed with a lot of these products. I will say the MR packs are nicer than the Others when they are 50lbs or less or 50lbs or less with kit on. Anything more than that and you are punishing yourself. If I was on a standard team and didn’t have all the Recce gear maybe I’d switch to something else but until then it’s a Tac Tailor paid for outta my pocket and a dusty set of MR packs taking up precious gear space in the closet.
What packs do you see people using over MR? I would be curious to know.
Thanks!
I’ll buy another MR once they stop attaching the harness to the frame with velcro, up until then its kifaru for me – who are upping their game wrt bag access design recently.
I have not had an issue with the MR, though the Marine Issued packs rock. I have used them everywhere and they not only hold up but ride very well. Still that said it is hard to beat the ol ALICE. Not that there are not needed upgrades that make them amazing but something can be said for a solid external frame. It just holds up and it is so much easier to jump and swim with (at least the Marine rucks have external handles to hold onto when swimming in). I also agree that the Kifaru packs are very well designed. Those guys have the sh@# together. As for the giant bag of f@#Z, good intentions but the pouches and carriers were lacking. There is the biggest let down. Even the SCAR soft kit (what was it SPEAR as well, can’t recall right now but it was made by Tyr Tactical). Not bad but there were designs I would have improved on but hey we all want different stuff.
As the old saying goes, “If we are not bitching somethings wrong.”
Bottom line, one ‘size’/type/model doesn’t fit all. Never has, never will. The problem is not the PM’s product selection, it is the (acquisition) process. The operational requirements must represent the entire spectrum of users. Since the PM must select a single solution to satisfy the operational requirement, the selection always represents a compromise and there will ALWAYS be users that are dissatisfied with the selection. This is a no-win situation for the PM. Keep in mind, these packs are a big improvement over the original SPEAR (Gregory) packs.
Sometimes it really is true: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
HUGE win! congrats ranch team!
Woop woop!
They have the place holders up on their site.
Interesting choice of sizes- 3000ci,5000ci, and 6000ci for the assault,patrol and recce respectively. I would expect either the patrol or recce to become heavily favored by individuals while the other is seldom used. I also wonder if one pack could have done both jobs without being a pain. Anyway specs not MR’s doing,congrats to them on the contract.
I have to say the MR packs I have had were very solid and definitely scalable to fit a wide group of end users… and adj to fit pretty well. They use good quality materials and very solid craftsmanship…
Nice work Team Ranch!
Ive owned a couple of MR’s and quite a few Kifs and currently have a kifaru. MR craftmanship was better (accurate stitching etc) but that bloody harness is attached with velcro.
best harness : HPG hands down win
best frame : Kifaru
best waistbelt: Kifaru or HPG (equal)
best bags : MR, but KIfaru has upped their game and the difference is minimal now.
My setup : Kifaru frame & belt + HPG harness + Modded Kifaru bag (soon to be switched to upcoming reckoning bag)
I have a USN-issued MR 6500 that I’ve been using for the past 5/6 years and love it. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the velcro-fiited yoke as it works and fitted perfectly with very little adjustment from the git-go. The 6500’s detachable bolsters help my pack to not only sit properly(with or without armored vest on) but also provides the comfort of proper ventilation. One of the main things that made me forsake my good ‘ol ALICE pack was it’s instability on high-angle climbs. Nevertheless, I’ve kept my ALICE pack for family camping/hiking trips. As ‘work-horses’ go, my Mystery Ranch 6500 pack is a absolute thoroughbred – through and through. Congratulations on your latest success Mystery Ranch!! Well deserved and may you have many more!!!
I have MR bags but I also love my Eberlestock!
Dana has long excelled in providing the “guy with the load” the best design and unequaled materials and construction to assist and enable the operator in accomplishing his mission. . Our Special Ops warriors deserve nothing but the best and MR is has long been the clear and complete winner in meeting their needs. . Match those facts with a superb sales force that listens to and seeks feedback from the end user to keep them the lead dog. This is a hallmark achievement and well earned by those at Mystery Ranch.
I’m curious how many of you on this thread have actually tried out the MR bags which seem to have had someone caring more about looks than functionality when they designed them. The only person I can see here who obviously has been issued them is Chuck. I’m a current SF TM Sgt and I can tell you all three of my issued MR bags are also in the attic and I don’t know a single person who carries them in group. I’ve carried a Kifaru Navigator for the last 10 years but have tried out plenty of bags and MR are uncomfortable with weight, sit wrong, have some weird foam pads on the side, and were a total waste. Should have issued us one bag and let guys buy their own if they want something different. That said, all of us appreciate Uncle Sam and the taxpayer getting us equipment; even if it’s not perfect and I’d rather be complaining about them being in my attic than them give me none at all.
Oh, and to they guy claiming to have carried 200+ lbs in Iraq…you sir are ridiculous. I’ve carried as much weight in a ruck as anyone over the last 15 years and just as far and unless I’ve been carrying a person on my back in addition to my gear it’s never approached 200 lbs. I don’t for one second believe your story nor would anyone who has humped a pack of any weight in the field for more than five minutes. Either be honest about the weights you’ve carried or go back to to your game console please. I’ll freely admit I’m a gear nerd or I wouldn’t be responding to this thread, but at least have the decency to not pretend to have ever carried 200lbs on your back for more than five minutes because it didn’t happen.
The weird foam pads are so the pack will fit around a rear plate.