Mystery Ranch Unisex Urban Assault 24 Backpack (pack of 1)

Product Information

You also have a sleeve in front of this one for your tablet or e-reader if you carry one with you, although we’ve been using it as a spot for a keyboard. We’ll give the same explanation as we did for the laptop: you can be confident that when your tech is in this sleeve, it’s safe and secure from unexpected drops.

The Urban Assault 24 is an upgraded version of the popular Urban Assault 21. Along with the signature 3-Zip design, it adds more capacity, a direct-access laptop sleave, oodles more organization and external water bottle holsters. Decades of experience and deep connections in the everyday carry industry give us a unique viewpoint on the market to inform our product recommendations. We have the depth of information for thousands of products that have come before and an extensive eye on the market to see what's new and trending for each piece of gear. The result is a buying guide that we feel is informative and useful for EDCers of every trade, industry, and budget. What is Everyday Carry? Last, and probably least, is the top handle. It seems like an afterthought. It’s a plain nylon strap with no structure or padding. Some of that dense foam from the shoulder straps (and you thought we moved on) would have been nice. Or folding the handle material in half and sewing it together—which we’ve seen other companies do—would at least give the illusion of padding. Alas, Mystery Ranch could not be bothered. Mystery Ranch Urban Assault 24 Top Handle

A pack for every urban mission

The design itself is very serviceable too. Even the internal frame sheet can be removed for deep-cleaning or replacement. Features of the Urban Assault 24 500D Cordura Fabric 500D Cordura Next to each zipper, you’ll find nylon tabs that give you a place to hold while opening and closing the zipper. They’re a small but thoughtful touch that really helps when yanking on these stout zips. Plus, the laptop compartment is sealed with one of those YKK AquaGuard zippers we were talking about earlier. Although this compartment is not waterproof, we like the added weather-resistance for our laptop. Toyota does this, and the Urban Assault 24 is an example of this process at work as well. It’s roots are in the 2 Day Assault BVS and a further refinement to Mystery Ranch’s bestselling Urban Assault 21. I think the Urban Assault 24 is a significant improvement over the 21. The Urban Assault 24 makes a light and nimble “go bag.” It sits high and snug and there is no need for a hip belt.

There’s no way around it—this bag is comfortable. The super-adjustable harness system lets you customize your carry, regardless of body type. It feels like Mystery Ranch gave a lot of thought into how this bag rides over long stretches. Mystery Ranch Urban Assault 24 Heading down the rest of the straps, you’ll find a thin row of PALS-like webbing which gives the sternum strap a few different adjustable heights. Now, as you probably know, we prefer when bags have a permanent attachment point for the sternum strap—we’ve had too many fall out in transit. The folks at Mystery Ranch seem to have thought about this issue and used wider hardware that feels more secure than the thinner stuff we’ve seen on other sternum straps of this style. Mystery Ranch Urban Assault 24 Sternum Strap Webbing There are also small nylon tabs located at the end of each zipper that you can hold onto with one hand to keep the bag sturdy, while you use the other to glide the zippers open and closed. We like this thoughtful addition and have found that it helps make for an effortless zip every time. Plus, you can use those nylon tabs to fasten additional gear with a carabiner in a pinch. Going hiking? Just use the laptop sleeve for a hydration bladder(without the laptop of course). Just feed the hose out through the zippered opening on the top of the bag. Bonus: The Hidden Stash Although it is slim it reaches the full depth of the bag. I’d suggest using a document folder to prevent bent document edges when you put the bag down. Bonus: Hydration Bladder CompatibleWhile researching thousands of durable products here at WellRigged.com one thing has become abundantly clear. Let me put it this way… I found the Urban Assault 24 exceptionally comfortable for day hiking. The water beaded off the fabric in light rain and my camera always stayed bone dry. A bag that's too heavy to carry will be highly uncomfortable for you to EDC. And when weight is restricted, like on an airplane, a bag with a higher initial unloaded weight means you can fit fewer travel goodies inside before paying extra fees. Capacity Speaking of zippers: this is the first Mystery Ranch bag we’ve tested that features their 3-ZIP closure, but more on that shortly (we promise). We’ve still been comfortable enough keeping our laptop inside as is, given the support from the frame sheet and the significant suspension of the sleeve from the bottom of the bag. The laptop compartment has a nice false bottom. Both of these features keep our tech protected when it’s getting shuffled around on our commute or if (when) we accidentally drop it.