Vanquest Gear was down at the Big 3 East and they showed off their Rackit-36 rifle case. I picked one up to try it out.

The case comes in wolf gray and black or coyote tan and black. With the bits of black fabric and the shock cord webbing on the back, the bag does not jump out as a tactical rifle bag. There is a small velcro panel for morale patches behind the shock cord but there isn’t any molle on the bag.

 

The Rackit-36 is a single shoulder strap sling setup. However the sling can be switched for left or right shoulder carry. There is also a removable waist strap for added security. It is just a nylon webbing strap and not intended to support weight. However you could remove it and add a more substantial belt set up. The waist band buckle has three locking points. The two side releases as well as a third release on the top of the buckle. If you are not familiar with this style of buckle, like me, it is a bit annoying.

 

On the other side of the bag, there are carry handles aplenty. I found these to be very convenient.The orientation of the bag does not matter. Even when the bag is flipped over with the straps and handles facing down, I know I can reach around on any side and find a cushioned carry handle to retrieve my bag.

 

 

The sling can be switched from left to right. I cut off the slip through buckle and replaced it with a snap buckle. I need to get a female buckle and add it to the other side. When I talked to the Vanquest Gear reps about this, they said it is simple economics. They would need twice as many female buckles as male buckles and you can only order them in pairs. A more reasonable question would be “how often are you going to switch the sling from left to right and back again?” I would have liked to have had a second shoulder strap and make this into a back pack rather than a sling pack, but then FASTab feature would be useless.

 

The Rackit-36 has a FASTab system that allows you rapid access to your firearm. Unbuckle the waist band and swing the bag to the front of your chest. Grab the velcroed tab and rip it away from you. This will open the bag allowing access to your firearm.

 

Now of course if you plan on carrying your firearm for rapid deployment, you probably would not use the buckled straps inside as they would inhibit your ability to draw the weapon out of the case.

 

The zippers for the main compartment and the front pocket are locking zippers.

 

The front pocket is velcro lined for containing accessories. The pocket flap can act as an ID panel.

Here are an assortment of firearms that fit in the Rackit-36. A 16″ bbl AR-15 with optic and 30 rd magazine can fit with the bag closed.

 

 

Keltec Shotguns fit perfectly.

 

Scar 17S can fit but only if you fold the stock.

 

A KRISS Vector Carbine just barely fit but I could not use the muzzle cup. If I folded the stock then I could use the muzzle cup just fine. However the M4 stock adapter from KRISS ARMS does not allow for the stock to fold.

 

If you have a take down bow, like this one from WAC outdoors, it can fit in the case as well. One issue I have this this set up is that the muzzle cup can only be affixed to that one side of the bag. I would like to see loop velcro on the other side so when the back is worn, the cup would hold the items. In the case of this take down bow,  the riser and limbs could slip down. If the cup was positioned on the other side, the bow parts could rest inside the cup as it was worn vertically. A minor issue.

The Rackit-36 does fit inside a Pelican 1700 and would be perfect for travel. When I travel with firearms, I use a soft case and lock it with a TSA lock. Then I put the soft case inside this Pelican 1700 and lock that with TSA approved locks. Just as added security.

 

Their bags are made out of 1000D Cordura.

Here is a guy torture testing a Vanquest pouch against a competitor pouch made of 1000D Nylon, and you can see the difference. He even sets it on fire.

The bag retails for $149.99 and can be purchased on the Vanquest website.