Hi Everyone,
I know there is loads of info on the 5.11 Rush 12 on this forum, but I thought I’d share my experiences as a newbie to tactical style packs, but who has for a long time had a keen interest in, and owned many other types of bags (mainly canvas and leather).

I had pined for maybe a week over which would suit my needs better, the 12 or 24 for EDC. My carry needs revolve mainly around my 13” MBP, some gym gear, multi-tool, knife, maybe a book, with secondary considerations to the occasional day hike in the nearby woods with a packed lunch for two people. I also have needs for common anti-allergy and other over the counter concoctions from time to time. I find the 12 is perfect for all these applications, with the MBP fitting nicely in the main compartment in the kangaroo pouch within its own slim fitting carry case. I particularly like the Admin Panel where I store the aforementioned ‘drugs’, and other stuff. My torch (a Nitecore P12GT) is attached to the outside molle and set to strobe if/when I need it in a hurry. I really haven’t kitted this bag out completely yet but instead am letting the pack ‘evolve’ over time to see what I really need to carry. I notice in some videos that some guys go out and buy loads of stuff and subsequently pare back to lessen the weight, so I want to avoid that and just add things as I find I require them. I already recognise though that I need a separate IFAK inside. That’s a whole separate discussion (I suppose), but feel free to chime in if you have any ideas on that.

Without a doubt I prefer this pack to anything I’ve EDC’d previously (again which was mainly canvas and leather stuff). The functionality of the 12 ‘overwhelms’ the aesthetics of a leather or canvas bag, although I won’t be chucking those other bags in a bin because they do have their time and place.

The bottom line is I’m quite happy with my purchase. Material and stitching are excellent. My experience so far lives up to the hype of many reviews. It’s a really nice, durable, functional pack. I feel a lot better for carrying it around town and I’ll feel much more prepared and organised for anything I might encounter 3 standard deviations on either side of an average day once I have this kitted out fully. Hope this helps anyone in the same boat as I was. I’d also picked up the 72. I’ll be taking that to Spain for about 4 days soon. Hope to have some first impressions on that one when I get back from that trip.

Regards,
IG