Finding a good bag for everyday use as well as range use can be difficult, to say the least. In an effort to find the mythical “do all” bag, I’ve decided to purchase a few different bags with my own money in the name of science and product testing. These were not requested for testing, paid for by TFB or even talked about with any of the companies.

I decided to go out on my own and test these various bags to see how they really hold up to daily use and the weight limits bags often have to endure when going to the range. I will often shove as much ammo, small tools, and gun cleaning supplies into my bag as possible and it will start to push the limits of a bag. The first bag in this series I’ll dive into and test out is the FirstSpear Comm Pack.

Specs

The Comm Pack from FirstSpear comes in two different sizes with four different color variations. The medium bag is advertised as a 980 cubic inch bag where the large model is 1800 cubic inches. All the color options are low profile neutral colors with no camouflage patterns available. The bags weigh 1.7 lbs for the medium and 2.2 lbs for the large model. The idea behind the Comm Pack is to have a bag that can carry ammo, communication gear, and daily use items without sticking out with an obvious tactical bag.

The Comm Pack comes with a steel spine and plastic frame to help with rigidity and overall comfort.

The top of the Comm Pack has a small neoprene flap for inserting a hydration bladder and quick detach shoulder straps if you need to get the pack off in a hurry. The flap between the main section and secondary sections proves useful to haul a spare jacket, small sleeping bag, or a helmet if you shoot night vision. The Comm Pack focuses on daily use amenities like a large padded pocket for a laptop, a water bottle holder on each side and a metal-lined reinforced polymer insert for added rigidity. The shoulder straps have thick padded sections where your body touches the bag and lightweight straps where it connects to help with weight and keep the bag agile on the body.

The extra-thick shoulder straps really helped with overall comfort and keeping the pack tight to the body.

Prices for the Comm Pack are dependent on the size you decide to go with. The medium size goes for $181.40 and the large will cost you $236.37. This puts them in a higher bracket than most of the Vertx bags and a little cheaper than the Crye Precision EXP 1500 Pack 

Medium

• Volume: 980 cu in
• Weight: 1.7lbs
• Length: 17″  Width: 10″  Depth: 4″

Large

• Volume: 1800 cu in
• Weight: 2.29lbs
• Length: 18.5″  Width: 13″  Depth: 7″

The bottom is made of a durable Gore-Tex material with a drainage point built into the bottom of the bag.

Living With The Comm Pack For Daily Use

My history with daily packs has been rough, to say the least. Over the last five years, I’ve shredded a few different bags either by accidents or overloading them with too much weight. I’ve tried everything from NorthFace bags, Swiss Gear bags, and Osprey packs with all the same results. All have had catastrophic rips either in the shoulder straps or in the body of the bag. I’m not sure if it’s due to the Goretex material or the overall construction of the bag, but over the last couple of months, I haven’t had any part of the bag tear or show really any signs of wear.

The only thing I have been struggling with is the number of pockets and compartments in the bag. Now let me start off by saying this is more of a problem as a result of me than the actual bag. It’s definitely nice to have ample space to put your things in, but I will oftentimes forget what compartment I zipped something in and will play an interactive game of Where’s Waldo for the next five minutes until I find my item. Like I said earlier, this isn’t the bags fault but rather me being a forgetful idiot. The laptop pocket fits my large screen laptop perfectly and I have plenty of room to carry my papers and work material when I’m doing my normal 9-5 job.

Is the Comm Pack Any Good as a Range Bag?

On the surface, putting your range gear into a bag shouldn’t be a complicated process at all. I mean if things are really tough, you can always grab a trash bag and throw everything in before heading off. The more I started heading to the range, my need for a quality range bag was being more apparent every time I loaded up. I have tried everything from Oakley bags to the handgun compartment bags that can carry handguns in various compartments.

The tactical handgun bag held up better than anything else I ever tried to use but it stuck out like a sore thumb. The FirstSpear Comm Pack has the needed space and material strength to hold around 1,000 rounds of ammo, tools, and ear pro without being pushed to its limits. I threw a few hundred 5.56, 308, and 12 gauge rounds each into the bag without any issues the five or six times I had all day range sessions with friends. It may not be able to haul multiple handguns like the handgun carrier backpack, but it doesn’t stick out near as much if you want to go around town afterward. It doesn’t scream tactical which is a nice change from the other backpacks on the market today. Its low profile while maintaining the feeling of a specialized bag for concealed carriers and tactically minded people.

Overall Thoughts

There’s no getting around this bag is expensive and it may not be worth it to some of you. I am the type of person that will use their gear until I physically can’t, so I’m hopeful this will last me a very long time. Over the last few months, I’ve been very impressed with the overall ability and performance of the FirstSpear Comm Pack. I’m excited to see how the Vertx stacks up to the Comm Pack for $25 less.

The handle conforms to your hand as you carry it, and the opening for the water bladder hose is located right next to the handle.

Let me know what your favorite “do all” bag is in the comments below. If you have any other bag suggestions you’d like me to look at, feel free to also leave that down below. Don’t hesitate to reach out on my Instagram @fridgeoperator if you have any questions. Stay safe out there.