I was searching the shelves in a thrift store and came across a military buttpack made to use with webbing load gear, much like a civilian “fanny pack.” I immediately saw the potential for use as a bike bag: with all the MOLLE webbing mounts on the back, it could be mounted on a rack as a pannier or looped over the handlebars.
The bag has no maker’s label. I assume it is an Asian made copy of the Eagle Industries pack made for the US military. It is made of coated nylon pack cloth and has the ACU digital camouflage pattern. The main compartment measures 7.5″ wide, 4.5″ deep and 10″ tall, with an 8″ internal extension collar that adds another 4″ practical space when rolled and buckled. There are three outer side pockets that hold 16″ bike style water bottles. The lid has a 4″ x 6″ x 2″ zippered pocket on the top and another pocket on the inside. I estimate the total volume as approximately 11 liters. It weighs 23.6 ounces on my scale.
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