The Tasmanian Tiger brand has been a long-time favourite of mine! Even though their products tend to be developed for the law enforcement and military markets, I find their gear just as usable in civilian-land as their products are robust and well thought out. The TT (Tasmanian Tiger) Raid Pack MK III is no exception and is my go-to three-day hiking pack. The TT Raid Pack MK III comes in three colours at the time of writing (Olive, Coyote & Black) and would be described as a 52 litre (three-day pack) comprised of a 48-litre main compartment and 2 fixed side pockets with a volume of 2 litres each.

The main compartment design can be separated by a zippable membrane, effectively turning your main compartment into two separate areas. I’ve used this in the past. On my last hiking trip up Mt May, here, in sunny Queensland, I had the membrane zipped up, which allowed me to keep all my consumables in the lower half (below the membrane) while having all my main camping gear (heavier) in the compartment above. When the membrane is not being used, the lower front panel provides easy access to those pesky items that always seem to find their way to the bottom of your pack. On the undersurface of the main compartment lid, you will find a zippable compartment with a green cross, obviously a storage place for your first aid gear. If you are like me and run a MOLLE pouched first aid kit like the style produced by Survival, which happens to live on the outside of my pack or if space permits inside my pack (preferable), then this area can be utilised for anything else your heart desires, I’d encourage carrying extra bandages - because you never know your luck in the bush. On the upper surface of the lid is another small compartment, which is perfect for navigational gear such as maps, GPS units, compasses, and anything else that you may need quick access to.

Did I mention that this backpack is extremely well made? The zips are YKK, and the plastic compression clip ends are made from solid (not cheap) plastic. The fabric is made of Cordura 700 – do yourself a favour and read up on this amazing material. Wait, there’s more! The TT Raid Pack has the MOLLE system incorporated into the top, sides, and front panels, which offers a great way to extend the carrying capacity of the pack. It should be noted that Tasmanian Tiger makes a suite of MOLLE compatible pouches that could have you extending the pack into a 5-day system quite easily. Something I feel is often overlooked but, I’ll address now - stitching. The stitching on this pack is exceptional; from the hoist handle to the shoulder straps, the stitching feels strong and reliable. But is it waterproof? I hear you ask. I would say water-proofish if there exists such a word - don’t go crossing the Ganges with it on. The Cordura fabric, although not inherently water-resistant but when treated with a Teflon coating as is the TT Raid Pack, you could expect reasonable water resistance under continuous rain, however, expect some of your gear to start getting wet over an extended period of exposure to the wet stuff. Light, sporadic rain wouldn’t trouble the fabric at all, and if you’re concerned about heavy rains over an extended hike, Tasmanian Tiger does sell appropriately sized rain covers.

If you’re at the crossroads and in two minds about whether you should purchase the TT Raid Pack MK III, in the words of another famous brand, “Just Do It”, you’ll thank me later. Yes, at the heart of the pack is a military/law enforcement mind frame, but, honestly, the backpack looks great and is exceptionally well made, and it doesn’t scream special forces wannabe. So, go on, treat yourself.