It was a lucky set of circumstances that lead to my experience with the RTAC Medium Backpack - that thing was with me for nearly one whole week during an intense flurry of activity that lasted for six long days.
On the Friday before SHOT Show 2023, one of my coworkers asked if I had something to carry my stuff in on the show floor in Las Vegas.
I explained I had a large “three-day assulter’s pack” that I had planned on bringing with me, but I was concerned that it was going to be a little on the large side.
My coworker agreed, and started tossing the Ammunition Depot office for a more suitable gear bag to drag with me.
What he turned up was the Rattlesnake Tactical Medium Backpack out of one of our storage areas in the office.
Because I was flying on one of those airlines that nickel and dimes you for every item you bring with you on the airplane, I had to pack seriously and efficiently for my trip to Vegas.
This resulted in the RTAC bag being jammed full of a lot of stuff! Into it went my laptop, back-up battery banks for my phone, power adapters and chargers, charging cables, notebooks and legal pads, a big box of business cards, pens and pencils, snack food, Post-It note pads, my Kindle, some magazines (the reading kind, not the ammo kind!), and toiletries.
Luckily, the bag has limiting straps on the sides that can be tightened or loosened to adjust the volume of the cavernous inside storage space the RTAC Medium Backpack provides.
For my travels, I pretty much had the bag stuffed full!
This necessitated the slide limiting straps be loosened all of the way for maximum volume in the backpack.
Another great feature of the RTAC Medium Backpack are the laser cut molle panels and side molle straps.
While I did not connect any molle compatible gear or pouches to the bag, I did use it to hook items onto the bag via carabiner rings - my neck pillow for on the airplane and a baseball cap.
These molle attachment points would be great for connecting an IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) or other gear attachments and pouches as needed.
Once I hit the ground in Vegas for SHOT Show, I unpacked my RTAC bag, and set it up for the show floor.
This meant that I wasn’t hauling around as much stuff with me, and I just kept the bag loaded with the items I needed.
The interior spaces of the bag have a variety of pockets and storage dividers that I found really handy for keeping myself organized.
My laptop slotted into an appropriate pocket in the main compartment, while in that same compartment there was space for my legal pad, notebook, and for my charging cables and power adapters in mesh pockets that helped keep everything easily in reach and easy to find with room to spare.
In the very front compartment, I was able to keep a stash of my business cards, pens, pencils, and Post-It note pads.
All of this was in a very organized manner so things were easily accessible.
In the middle pocket, I stuff all of the freebies and swag I collected every day.
It’s important to note here that there is a section of velcro in this middle section with a pistol retention device secured to it that is a very nice touch if you have a gun you can’t keep on your person but you want some place to keep it secured with the trigger covered.
RTAC Backpack - Holster View
RTAC Backpack - Compartment View
RTAC Backpack - Filled View
RTAC Backpack - Storage View
The limiting straps were great for on the show floor as I didn’t need a lot of volume to carry the stuff I had with me, and thus didn’t need a gigantic pack to wack people with in a crowded space.
By sinching down the side straps, I decreased the volume of the bag and its overall size.
This made the bag much more maneuverable on the busy and packed Shot Show floor!
I found the most important feature of the bag to me, by the last day of SHOT Show, were the padded shoulder straps.
By that Friday, I had walked just over 50 miles on the show floor with the RTAC pack on my shoulders in four days, and while my flat feet and back were hurting, my shoulders weren’t!
Friday saw the end of SHOT Show, and my long trip back to Florida - with my RTAC bag absolutely stuffed with the spoils of free swag I had collected in Vegas.
The RTAC Medium Backpack fit it all, admittedly though it was crammed in! And because I forgot to take out my Kindle at the TSA security checkpoint in the airport, the RTAC bag and I got extra attention getting through security.
I didn’t get any compliments, but the TSA guy sure liked the RTAC bag and said as much!
The Rattlesnake Tactical Medium Backpack is exclusively available through Ammunition Depot, with a very nice line of other gear bags that fit many mission specs from Range Bags for bringing all of your gear to the firing range to the TacSling that is perfect for hauling stuff for small day trips and travel.
RTAC MEDIUM BACKPACK W/ HOLSTER - PRODUCT DETAILS
This rugged and versatile tactical backpack is equipped to handle anything you have planned for your day.
Fitted with a Velcro mounted universal pistol holster for your EDC pistol (hidden inside the pack), MOLLE attachment points for any additional gear you wish to use, a large (16"x9") main compartment for a pistol length carbine or folding weapon, and several additional pockets for other items.
Straps around the backpack allow all dimensions to be tightly controlled, to keep your gear slim and high-speed or fully loosened for the maximum capacity.
Comfortable and breathable mesh is placed inside the shoulder straps and back to ensure a comfortable distribution of weight.
This backpack comes with an Ammunition Depot PVC patch attached to the front Velcro panel.
Exterior Dimensions:
17" H x 10" W x 6-10" D
(Depending on strap tightness)
Click here to purchase your RTAC Med Backpack
RTAC - Medium Backpack Collection
RTAC Medium Backpack - Side View
RTAC Medium Backpack - Back View
RTAC Medium Backpack - Open View