Your Privacy Choices
Philosophy of Use
There are endless tactical black or multi-cam bags on the market claiming to be “low profile”. These same bags display numerous Velcro patches, have pals webbing on the outside of the bag, and scream gun! However, the industry is starting to listen to those wanting a quality pack in a very non-descript package. In order to accomplish this task, the bag has to be able to sit next to your standard North Face or Jansport pack and not look substantially different. Let’s take a look at the Haley Strategic FlatPack.
FlatPack Features
The Haley Strategic Disruptive Grey FlatPack is an extremely versatile bag that is small enough to be carried with ease, but expandable when needed due to its modular design.
This is the Haley Strategic Flat Pack fully compressed.
The Disruptive Grey FlatPack has added mesh to provide added back comfort and ventilation and also has no external Velcro.
The mesh adds breathability and padding.
On the outside of the FlatPack are two main compartments. By unzipping the large compartment you go from approximately 200 cubic inches to approximately 700 cubic inches. The smaller, outer compartment expands from 100 cubic inches to 200 cubic inches as well.
This is the FlatPack fully Expanded.
This is a better view of the zipper system used to expand or contract the size of the two expandable compartments.
Contents
The FlatPack can fit a Haley Strategic D3CR Chest Rig in it for easy and covert concealment of mission essential equipment. In contrast, for my needs it functions more as an every day pack to carry extra gear that I cant carry on my body. Others stow cold weather gear and extra medical gear in their Flat Packs and keep it as an emergency bag in their vehicle.
The Flat Pack is very spacious and allows for organized carry of a wide array of gear.
In a college town backpacks seem to be a standard part of life. While many users simply carry an Ipad or an 11” laptop, the same small packs can be used to carry a medical kit, flashlight, gloves, battery pack for a phone, and a host of other useful tools.
My iPad Mini fits perfectly in this outside pocket. An iPad Air can also fit into the larger expandable pocket.
Medical Gear
Medical gear is an often-overlooked piece of kit that is one of the most important types of gear to be carried and trained on. Kerry Davis from Dark Angel Medical was an ER and Flight Medic in the Air Force. He started Dark Angel Medical after he got out of the military. Dark Angel Medical provides medical training and equipment to military, law enforcement, and civilians. I always have a Direct Action Response Kit (DARK) in my FlatPack. While having a Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) in my pocket is helpful, the DARK allows me a more complete tool set.
Medical gear can be bulky to carry in a pocket, but fits well in the Flat Pack.
DARK Components and Use
The DARK includes Combat Gauze, a pair of HALO Chest Seals, 4” Israeli Dressing, Compressed Gauze, Nasopharyngeal Airway, and a pair of Nitrile Gloves.
Here are the contents of a DARK Kit.
This is all vacuum-sealed in a bag with an easy-rip edge to allow the packet to be torn even with bloody or sweaty hands. The exterior of the DARK bag also has a Cat Tourniquet and a pair of medical shears. I added a Sharpie to mine as well. The DARK bag is designed much like a fire shelter used by wildland firefighters, allowing for the user to pull quickly and get the medical kit out of the bag.
The is the quick progression thanks to the pull tab used to get the medical equipment out of your IFAK.
The packaging is vacuum sealed but has an easy rip edge to allow the user to quickly get to the medical gear even with wet or slippery hands.
Ankel Kit
Other smaller kits can also be purchased I plan to purchase an Ankle Kit in the future. While I am not used to an ankle holster or medical kit around my ankle, I tried the Ankle Kit on at SHOT show and it was remarkably comfortable and compact.
Here is the Dark Angel Medical Ankle Rig.
Source: http://darkangelmedical.com/ankle-kit/
All the Lumens
Another important tool I keep in my Flatpack is my Surefire R1 Lawman. While I carry a standard handheld, the Lawman has rechargeable batteries and is far brighter than my standard handheld with an output of 1000 lumens on high. The Lawman also allows for the use of CR123s, so it is easy to carry a decent amount of power for extended runtime if needed. The beam on the Lawman has a more intense hotspot than my handheld and is able to push out to far greater distances.
The R1 Lawman is a powerful light and has a small light allowing the user to check battery level.
Multitool
While somewhat bulky if carried in a pocket, the Leatherman Military Utility Tool (MUT) EOD is an incredible multi-tool that I always keep in my FlatPack. The MUT has a small saw, blade, small pry tip, bottle opener, wire cutters, screw drivers and many other standard features of a multi-tool.
The MUT has multiple blade options and retains a sharp edge.
These features are far more rugged and enhanced than a standard multi-tool and provide exceptional durability.
Great importance was placed on the durability of the MUT as emphasized here even for the smallest details like the pocket clip.
The MUT was also designed for gun maintenance. The base of the tool has a miniature hammer for assisting punches. A bronze carbon scraper ensures you can remove carbon without damaging the finish. There are also male and female ports to attach cleaning rods.
Here we see how the MUT integrates with standard cleaning tools.
The bronze scraper is great for removing carbon buildup.
Here is the Leatherman MUT as well as a Chris Reeve Professional Soldier.
Personal Protective Equipment
I also keep a pair of black Outdoor Research IronSight gloves stowed in the Flat Pack. These gloves are made from a mix of synthetic leather and stretch nylon. While this style of glove is not incredibly protective or durable, it gives a great balance of protection and dexterity. These gloves also provide moderate warmth and dry quickly when wet. The silicone pads on the inner fingers and palm make weapon manipulation and articulate tasks easier to complete.
The Outdoor Research Ironsight gloves give the user articulate dexterity when compared to many other gloves.
Off Body Carry
Even with the gear previously mentioned, there is plenty of room in the pack. Occasionally I add an HK45CT in an Off The Grid Concepts Kydex holster with a double mag holder and two extra magazines.
This is an HK45 Compact Tactical with kydex done by Off The Grid Concepts.
While this seems like it would have substantial weight, the weight is well balanced and does not strain the back thanks to the quality design.
Even fully packed the Flat Pack is comfortable to carry.
Daily Essentials
In the smaller outside compartment I carry an extra wound dressing, CR123 batteries, an iPhone wall charger, and a portable batter pack for my phone. The main upgrade needed is a means of carrying batteries. The CR123s are simply carried in the Surefire box, but in the future they will be carried in a Thyrm XL Cell Vault. This ensures the batteries are protected and keeps them in a compact but accessible package.
Backup power options are an important component of EDC.
Surefire Sonic Defenders offer a compact option for hearing protection and are relatively effective. An additional magazine to my daily carry gives me extra capability and is only a minimal weight increase. The baton shown can be an effective glass breaker in the event of a vehicle accident.
The Surefire Sonic Defenders are a compact hearing protection option.
Conclusion
This pack has held up well despite my daily abuse. The only noticeable damage to the bag was to one of the zipper pull tabs that fell off. This bag can be purchased from https://www.haleystrategic.com/ and retails for $135. There also is a larger version available for purchase called the Flat Pack Plus. The Plus adds approximately 2 inches to the height and the width of the standard Flat Pack and retails for $165. I have purchased many products from Haley Strategic from holsters to chest rigs. Their products are quality made with durability, efficiency, and practicality at the forefront. For a low profile bag that offers organization, carries weight well, and has an attractive exterior, the Flat Pack is hard to beat.
