During our series on load carriage, we’ve gone over all of the most common methods available. We hit the battle belt, the chest rig, and even the classic load bearing equipment (LBE) configuration. In all of the other articles I’ve written, which I’ll link down below, I’ve made it pretty clear that I like to keep things minimal.
With the exception of the LBE, I really only keep a few bare essentials on the gear. The rest goes into the
So let’s talk about what that pack should look like.
The Light Assault Pack
Let me be clear up front on this one: I’m not talking about your standard three-day assault pack. I’m not even talking about the relatively rare medium ALICE pack.
No, I’m talking even smaller.
Full-size rucks like ALICE, or really anything with a capacity in the 45+ liter range, are for existence loads. If you’re not familiar with the term, that’s ok. I mentioned it briefly while discussing load bearing concepts. In short, the existence load, sometimes called the sustainment load, is for surviving in the field for long periods of time. The intent is to road march to a position, drop the ruck for a few days, and live out of it in the field.

The assault pack is much smaller. Think about a 24-hour operation or so. It carries other items that weren’t directly supporting “making holes and plugging holes” but are still important for whatever reason.
Common items you might load in the assault pack for our “Scenario X” include:
- Extra ammunition
- Batteries
- Communication gear
- Emergency shelter (poncho, cordage, etc)
- Tools
- Cordage
- Extra water
- Cleaning kit & lube
- Storage bags
- Calorie-dense food
- “Boo-Boo kit” for small first aid supplies
- Extra clothing, particularly socks
- Toilet paper, because hygiene
Related Content
If you haven’t read them yet, I covered thoughts on other main load carriage methods in separate articles, linked below.
– Battle Belts
– Load Bearing Equipment
– Chest Rigs
The intent here is that you get to keep some extra items to make your life easier, but don’t want so much that it becomes a hindrance to mobility. You do not want to drop this pack at the first sign of conflict and have to come back and find it. Instead, consider an integral portion of your gear.
This isn’t really new information. There’s a been a rather distinct trend towards small-ish lightweight assault packs lately.
A Brief History
This jaunt down gear history won’t take very long. Carrying supplemental equipment in a small pack was very common throughout history.
I’ll start in WWI with the M1910 Pack and Haversack. This system used clips to hook into the cartridge belt at the rear and in the front. It was unpopular with the troops because it was awkward and complicated to pack. Despite that, it carried on into WWII as a slightly modified version known as the M1928.
The contents of this kit wasn’t too far off from what I listed above. Basic rations, entrenching tool, shelter kit, cordage, and toiletries were all part of the gear.
WWI soldier with the M1910 Pack The M1936 Musette Bag in pack mode
The M1928 was still around for the start of WWII, but troops had taken to using the M1936 Musette bag as a backpack instead. That is if they could get a hold of one, of course.
The M1944 and M1945 replaced the musette bag near the end of the war and continued to serve up through the Korean Conflict. The picture below shows an M1945 kit along with the cargo pack that rode below the field pack.
This gear worked up until 1956, with the introduction of the M1956 Load Carrying Equipment I detailed in the LBE article. The smaller field pack migrated down to the belt line where you see the cargo back in the above photo. If needed, troops carried a larger rucksack in addition to the belt gear.
Modern Era Assault Packs
That style of carrying lived on from M1956 through the 1990s. As we hit the late 90s and early 2000s, we saw the rise of MOLLE rucks and smaller 3-day “assault” packs like the London Bridge Trading (LBT) 1476 or the USMC FILBE Assault Pack.
The thing is, though, these packs were smaller only in relation to the large sustainment packs. Think 30L versus 65L+ in capacity. This roughly reflected the relationship between the old medium-sized ALICE (34L) and large ALICE (40L). In both circumstances,
At some point towards the later part of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, troops scaled down the pack even further, returning to the old roots of M1936 and M1944. Special Operations Forces began using small day packs attached to the back of their plate carriers. These carried essential gear without being too bulky or heavy.
Adding weight to the back also counterbalanced heavy gear chest rigs. Even though the total load might be higher, it was more comfortable on the back and core
Common examples of this style include the Haley Strategic Flatpack, FirstSpear Exigent Circumstances Pack (ECP), and the American Weapons Components Combat VII Pack.
For these models, you kept the pack with you at all times. It was small and light enough to not slow you down in a fight and kept you better supplied for short duration missions.
The Light Assault Pack and Scenario X
So how does this all relate back to our fictional natural disaster?
We’re not talking about protracted ground warfare here. Like I mentioned in that first post on load carriage, us normal citizens defending our neighborhoods are a lot more like the dudes wearing pajamas running around the Hindu Kush. We live on top of our logistics train and have no need to project power over distance.
Simply put, we don’t need to carry a lot of stuff.
Sure, you might venture out a little further to gather information about what’s going on beyond your community, but you’ll have enough supplies for that in a small pack. If you’re planning something longer duration, then you can change your packing plan accordingly. But for most people on most days, keep it light and minimal.
The goal here is to stay mobile. I can already hear some people out there saying they can just put less stuff in a larger pack. Anyone who has spent time hiking or patrolling knows that it never works out that way. People tend to fill all of the available space with “nice to haves.”
Forcing yourself to stick to a smaller pack means you really have to think about what’s important.
The Ideal Assault Pack
So if the standard assault pack is too large, what should you really be looking for?
To be honest, this involves a lot of personal preferences. Guys like Max at MVT advocate for a small 15L maximum pack. Basically an oversized hydration pouch. The desire for a 15L to 20L hydration pack that can carry extras seems to be popular across military-oriented forums like Light Fighter as well.
I tend to like just a bit more volume, in the 20L to 25L range. A full 3L water bladder takes up a lot of space, and I’d like a little more room to be flexible.
I’d also like a way to control rattling with cinching straps. That way, if I pack less than capacity, I can tighten things down.
I prefer a bit of MOLLE on the outside for attaching small pouches. That makes adding a few extra magazines or a radio pouch much simpler. Additionally, I want the MOLLE to run all the way up the sides.
The pack should carry high on the shoulders, as this helps distribute the load and also enables me to rest it on the pouches of an LBE if I happen to wear one.
Some people make a big deal out of the closure style, but I don’t have a preference. Whether it’s a
My Personal Options
I flowed through a bit of an evolution here. My very first proper “Assault Pack” was one I picked up at the base exchange for relatively cheap, It’s a Sandpiper of California (SOC) Three Day Pass model. It’s modeled after the other common three0-day pack styles with multiple compartments, pockets, and sleeves.

It has the cinching straps, but not really anything else. The pack doesn’t carry the weight particularly high, nor does it have a frame sheet to distribute the
It’s just very “busy” and I never actually found it all that useful beyond a range bag.
The next one is my trusty 26L GoRuck GR1. I really wanted to like this as an assault pack, but I don’t think it ticks off the right boxes for me. It’s a fantastically tough pack great for travel and rucking sessions. I find the open compartment to be very useful for configuring lots of ways. I would definitely have no issue taking it to a fight, but it’s rather large and heavy.

There are no cinching straps to collapse it down a bit, and the exterior MOLLE is only three rows tall. I would probably be tempted to overfill it.
The next pack I picked up was a 16L Hill People Gear Tarahumara. This definitely falls into the small daypack category. It’s super light and intelligently thought out, but I just really need some more capacity.
My most recent acquisition is
Expect reviews of these packs in separate posts.
There’s a heavy bushcraft influence here that I appreciate. It’s rugged and minimal at the same time.
Other Options to Consider
For my uses, the Savotta Jaakari-S is a real winner. But they are somewhat hard to find. I actually had to order mine from Finland.
Here is a list of other options I’ve seen work well for this type of smaller assault pack:
- AWS “Yote”
- FirstSpear Exigent Circumstances Pack (ECP)
- Haley Strategic Flatpack and Flatpack +
- SORD Hydration Helmet Carrier
- Tactical Tailor Fight Light Removable Operator Pack
- American Weapons Components Combat VII Pack
Remember, the point of this small pack is so that you don’t get tempted to bring too much stuff. It’s for the essentials and a few “important to
Wrapping Up
This was a pretty broad overview. The real takeaway I want you to have is that a light assault pack is a great addition to your regular gear. The key thing is to remember that you want something on the smaller side that won’t
One thing I learned from running 5ks with guns is that backpacks loaded with stuff flop around a lot. How do you mitigate that? Do these packs come with a waist belt, or are they high enough that it isn’t an issue?
From my experience, it’s a mix of three things. First, having the pack actually cinched up tight against you, which goes along with the next point of having it ride high on your shoulders. The third thing is the use of cinching straps, which compress the contents of the pack and bring up against you. That stops the things on the inside from shaking around and building momentum.
On top of all that, a pack that flops around a lot is probably just too big for the purpose. A small pack worn high and tight just doesn’t have the mass and momentum to cause a problem.
Good day Sir,
An outstanding article. The explanations are as I had been taught.
The gear for the belts, rucks, and chest rigs refreshed my knowledge.
On a different thought, I do like optics, I do not have attached.
I have front and rear sights, BUIS.
Lastly, as for communications, I opt for AM.
High VHF.
Recommending the Rhodesian Signal Corps by Mr. Brian Austin.
Thank you.
This tracks well with my own idea of a small pack. 2 MRE’s, half-a-dozen 400+ calorie Meal-in-a-Bars, 3-4 2-3 ounce summer sausages, an extra water bottle, a Sawyer Squeeze Mini filter, extra first aid stuff, extra fire-starting stuff, an OD/silver casualty blanket tarp, a woobie, some skewer tent stakes, 50′ cord, a 1/4 roll of TP, and maybe a rifle cleaning kit or small knife sharpener. Plus a bit of ammo. 15 lbs.
Plus 1 on the Savotta Jaakari ‘S’… I ordered one (from Finland as well) after a pretty in depth search for a new assault pack and the Jaakari met all my criteria. Like you, my pack for this purpose has evolved to reaching this choice!
Thanks for coming by and commenting! It’s nice to meet a fellow Savotta owner as well, lol. It’s funny how gear evolution works, right?
I can’t even begin to tell you how much stuff from Varusteleka I’ve bought over the years…got a Jaakari Large just the other day.
Varu is a loooovely store. Their products are top notch and so is their sense of humor 🙂
Love this article! You mentioned the Ares Armor Combat XII Pack – Have you heard of the Arbor Arms tradesman? Same designer, but basically the updated version.
Hey Richard, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I definitely did not know about Arbor Arms and the Tradesman, that looks like a solidly thought-out option!
Matt,
You have written some truly amazing articles. I feel like your opinions and approach to everything from packs to barrel profiles matches my outlook. I relate with your point of view a lot and it’s always so well delivered. I’ll read an article, think to myself “this Idea is exactly what I’m talking about!” And not know who wrote it until the bottom of the page and then I see it’s yours! Keep up the good work, you’re a great writer!
Hey Andrew, thanks for coming by. And thank you very much for the compliment on the site and my writing, it really does mean a lot to me to get that kind of feedback.
I know im late to the party, just wanted to throw out another option. The tactical assault gear mini combat sustainment pack. Has 3 mag pouches built in, molle, and comes with a nice 3l bladder. Made in USA too
That’s a good option as well. I know it’s pretty close in design to the Ares pack.
So what is your official opinion on buttpacks like they had in the old ALICE system? I had an ALICE loadout with the LBE for an airsoft event. It wasnt too bad except I made the mistake of putting a jug of bbs in it and it was flopping everywhere because of that. Do you think a buttpack would be viable in a modern scenario? or is it something better left for reenactments?
Hi LeRoss, I’m a fan of the buttpack when used appropriately. You can see my thoughts on the LBE-style harness over on this article. In two of my personal setups, I’m happy to forgo an assault pack in favor of a buttpack configuration. But the tradeoff is going to come from bulk, discomfort when sitting in a chair, and a in increase risk of back injury should I fall backwards.
What about a jansport? Small, light weight, compartmentalized. Not to mention 50 bucks. It sits high ot the shoulders if you don’t wear it like a hs kid in the 90s. And they will fix it if it breaks.
The classic Jansport is certainly visually low profile, has the right amount of capacity, and rides well. However, unless they’ve changed anything dramatically from when I was carrying one around in school, I don’t think it’s construction is overly durable. For example, I remember the shoulder straps being attached with a single row of stitching and not a lot of reinforcement in many places. It’s great that it has a lifetime warranty and they’ll fix it, but that doesn’t help me if it breaks right now when I’m out on a hike or doing something vigorous, I’d rather it not break at all.
That’s for heavy use, though. For light use I don’t think it would have many issues.
If one doesn’t have the pack on-hand (i.e. looking at pictures and videos online), what’s the best way to estimate whether or not the pack rides high? I’m looking at some options like the Grey Ghost Lightweight Assault Pack, and this surplus Dutch Landmacht (https://kommandostore.com/products/dutch-landmacht-assault-pack) (a bit on the bigger side and no hydration pouch but the price is right) and I’d like to at least partially evaluate them without buying and possibly returning samples.
hi
how did you make the hip belt for savotta (first picture)?
Hi David, I didn’t. What’s pictures is actually one of my load bearing harnesses with the Savotta stacked on top of it. In military circles, it’s a common trick to wear load bearing equipment and use the “shelf” of pouches on the rear to help support a pack sitting higher on the shoulders.
I really enjoyed this article. In 2023, I’ve come to love and appreciate the USMC ILBE System that was issued around 2004-2012. In hindsight, it’s shocking that people have overlooked an Arcteryx system that features a comfortable/durable 70L ruck. The 24L assault pack is almost perfect for what you describe in this article. I hear that users didn’t like how the ILBE paired with body armor, but that sounds like an issue with their robust armor/flak systems more than civilian plate carriers. For the average minuteman, this is a great under appreciated gem that I’d be interested in hearing more of your thoughts on.
Hey Tim, I always heard good things around the ILBE system. When available, I think acquiring quality surplus gear is always an option worth looking into. I don’t personally have experience with that particular pack system, though.