The 5.11 Tactical TRIAB 18 is not your ordinary backpack. In fact it’s not even just a backpack since it also converts into a sling bag in just a few seconds. Also the way you get to your stuff inside the pack is everything but conventional, and it’s very well thought out as you will see. So how can a brand really innovate and reinvent something that seems to have already evolved as much as it could?

5.11 shows us how a great storage solution is done, in a stylish, functional and useful way.

Whether you’re an Airsofter looking for a great pack to carry your gear, or you want to go hiking, or still, you just want a sling bag to take to school or work, then you should check out the TRIAB 18.

FEATURES AND MATERIALS

The list of features of the 5.11 Tactical TRIAB 10 is quite impressive, so first let’s go over those that really make this pack so unique:

From backpack to ambidextrous sling bag in just a few seconds, this is really impressive and the way that 5.11 got this done is so simple and easy: all you have to do is unbuckle one of the straps, twist it and insert it inside the corresponding hole on the top at the back of the backpack.

There are two holes, one for the left strap, located on the left and another one on the right side.  Once tucked away, you can cross the other shoulder strap, say the right hand-side one, and buckle it up to the left hand side buckle. And you’re all done!

No wait! 5.11 have also included two different chest straps: one for the backpack mode, and another one for the sling bag mode.

Now the way this pack opens to reveal its main storage compartment is awesome, because first it shows everything you’ve got inside your pack and second it avoids having to remove stuff to reach a certain accessory or gear that’s at the bottom, like you would do on a traditional backpack.

Another nice feature of this pack is the grab and go handle which has also been designed in a different way when compared to traditional backpack handles. First of all, its hugely reinforced and sturdy; and secondly, its vertical and front facing instead of being horizontal and located on top of the bag.

This new placement of the handle has been a very nice experience and it turns out to be most convenient 9 out of 10 times I have to grab my TRIB 18! Plus it handles beautifully all the weight inside and its wide enough not to start eating into my hand.

Then you’ve got the fleece lined sunglasses pocket, which shows just how nice details can be if well thought-out. Well, almost:

There is a hydration pouch/armor plate compartment, which I have mainly used for my hydration solution. It was easy to access and setup.

However, the way the holes for the hose run from the compartment to the outer port on the top of the backpack are setup, render the aforementioned sunglasses compartment almost useless. Why?  Well, because the holes should have been implemented differently, instead of being vertically aligned, they should have gone and made one of these holes offset. What happens is that the hose gets in the way and strangles the pouch making it very hard to place or takeout your sunglasses.

You can also feel the strong presence of MOLLE inside the pack since it’s got four rows of MOLLE loops with Velcro which will help you keep organized and attach your pouches or accessories you might want to keep in place.

Finally, there’s a small pocket on the outside that is just perfect to carry a gun!

As always from 5.11, you could only expect great materials: YKK Zippers all over the pack, Duraflex buckles, and of course 1050 denier nylon.

Also being water resistant it’s great to use this even during the winter.

STORAGE AND COMFORT

Storage is king in this pack! You have lots of room and lots of storage option with various sizes and shapes.  I’ve already mentioned a few but there are more.

You have two collapsible water bottle pouches on the outside, and on the inside it gets real busy thanks its very generous main compartment 35.5x50x18cm (14"x20"x7"):

On the top there’s a mesh pocket with Velcro closures, another large compartment also with Velcro closures and on top of this there are several small compartments: three for pens, one where I keep my bb loader and two others to keep say credit or business cards. Beneath all these compartments there’s a larger one which is closed with YKK zippers and can be accessed from both sides.

Beneath the four MOLLE strips there’s also another large compartment which can be accessed via two YKK zippers.

There are so many storage options I sometimes forget where I left things like batteries!

The shoulder straps are quite wide and very well padded, thus providing me with unparalleled comfort that no other backpack had offered to me yet. On the straps there’s more MOLLE and two Velcro straps where I usually run my hydration hose.

On the back you’ll find three padded panels with a thick mesh, which is the same to the one you will find on the shoulder straps, and I have to say that this is a great way to do padding since it’s so comfortable and even if you have lots of pointy and hard stuff inside the backpack, the padding just helps to keep my back straight and softens any piece of gear that’s no so well packed inside and could get into my back and start annoying me.

This padding is quite thick, around 4 to 5 millimeters thick and very, very breathable thanks to the large mesh holes. This also helps to evenly distribute the weight on the back and on the shoulders.

The two chest straps included help to better fit the pack to your upper body and they also avoid unnecessary wobbling around of the pack and its contents.

5.11 have also been touting this pack’s integration with other great products they have such as the BROKOS Belt which is an awesome battle belt that can be added to the backpack in order to help you haul heavy gear.

CONCLUSION

This is a very innovative product and it’s full of surprises and with great features. It’s really a fresh new approach to the backpack category. This, coupled with a nice design and great materials make the 5.11 Tactical TRAIB 18 the most complete and well-made backpack I ever had.

The 5.11 Tactical TRIAB 18 is available in Sandstone and Midnight Ash from Military1st.co.uk with a price tag of £104.99 (around €123.25).

Pros:

• Hybrid: Sling bag or backpack
• Very comfortable, with wide and well padded shoulders straps
• Great way to access the pack’s contents
• Lots of storage space and compartments
• High quality materials

Cons:

• Placement of the hose holes