The Triple Aught Design Fast Pack EDC is a durable mid-sized pack with a versatile design that is loaded with features. It’s also cost prohibitive and suffers from limited availability. Is it worth the effort and hard earned dollars that you’ll have to invest in order to acquire it? Let’s take a closer look.
The TAD Fast Pack EDC is 1,800 cubic inches/31.4 Liters in volume, which is a decent size for a variety of philosophies of use. Some people prefer smaller packs for every day carry but I like having some additional capacity available when needed and the EDC has upper and lower compression straps that can used to keep everything compact when the load is light. At 12″ W x 22″ H x 7″ D, this pack is long enough for taller people. It took me some time adjusting all the straps, but I was ultimately able to dial-in the perfect fit for my 6’4″ frame.
The Triple Aught Design Fast Pack EDC (5th Generation)
The materials are all military grade – 1000 Denier Invista Cordura Fabric, YKK zippers, ITW Nexus GhillieTex Fasteners and Duraflex buckles. The stitching on my pack was flawless and reinforced in all the right areas. Some TAD products are made overseas, but not the EDC. It’s made here in the USA.
There are two large zippered pockets on either side of the pack. I kept my FAK (housed in a Maxpedition Janus pouch) on one side and food in the other. There is Molle webbing on both sides, which allows for the attachment of additional pouches and accessories. I found the built-in organization of the EDC to be more than adequate but I did attach a super lightweight Blue Force Gear single mag pouch to the upper Molle on the left side and a TAD iComm pouch to one of the shoulder straps for my point-and-shoot camera.
On the underside of the right side zippered pocket is the Flashlight Cave, which is a bottom zip pocket designed to provide immediate access to it’s contents without having to remove the pack. The pocket has a d-ring inside to attach a gear retractor. I found it to be an excellent place to stash my Surefire G2X flashlight or a large knife if I wanted to keep it accessible but hidden from view.
The TAD Fast Pack EDC Flashlight Cave
Another unique design element is the Transporter Tail, which provides the ability to lash items to the outside of the pack (like a helmet, snowboard, snowshoes or even a rifle). Long straps are provided to allow for bulkier items. Those would dangle and become a nuisance, but I used ITW Web Dominators to tidy things up.
The Transporter Tail is shown below in long gun carry mode (there is a pocket on the backside of the tail that can hold the butt of the rifle). Therefore are probably better hunting oriented packs for that purpose (Eberlestock comes to mind) but it’s yet another optional feature that expands the utility of the bag. It is also completely removable although unclipping the tail does leave some hardware behind.
TAD could have used straps and buckles to secure the tail, which would have left less of a footprint when the tail is removed. However, the Auto-Lok side release buckles (which I’ve rarely seen used) keep the compression straps secure once you tighten them so in my opinion it’s a worthy trade-off.
Despite weighing 4.5 lbs empty, I found the Fast Pack EDC comfortable to wear due to it’s contoured shoulder straps and aerated closed cell foam padding on the back panel, which provides good cushion and ventilation. The pack does include a removable sternum strap that I found to be thin and the elastic by all accounts is prone to failure. I replaced it with a beefier strap from Maxpedition.
The pack also includes a padded removable waist belt, which is loaded bearing and also covered in PALS webbing. It’s an excellent feature when carrying a heavier load and liked that I could remove it for use in urban environments or on day hikes when hauling less gear.
The top of the EDC Fast Pack features a reinforced grab handle and hydration port covered in Hypalon. Hypalon is a tough, synthetic rubber that Triple Aught Design uses on various high wear areas of the pack (there’s also a patch of it on the bottom of the pack panel).
There is a built-in Admin pocket. In it I stored two Cyalume light sticks, pens, a folding knife, multi-tool and bit kit, compass, and some 500 paracord. However, many users complain that the pocket is difficult to access and I found that to be true also. A clam shell opening would be better and hopefully TAD will address that in a future version of the pack. If not, there is always the excellent OP1 Admin Pouch, which TAD EDC owners typically attach to the PALS area on the Transporter Tail. I opted not to do that to save on weight but it is an option if you need added organization for small items or if the built-in admin pocket becomes too much of an exercise in frustration.
There is a large zippered stash pocket behind the Transporter Tail that I used for my Mechanix work gloves. I like that the pocket is not covered in Molle. With the tail removed, it makes the pack look less tactical which is a good thing if carried in areas where a military inspired backpack would draw unwanted attention.
The main compartment of the Fast Pack EDC is spacious and includes a large zippered mesh pocket and two clips which can be used to attach optional accessories like a TAD’s hanging PALS panel or Admin Organizer.
One downside to the EDC’s design is that full access to the compartment requires disengaging the loaded lifting strap buckles. Often times, I just pulled back the straps which allowed me to get in there without doing that (see below), but it is an aspect of this bag that some find tedious. Your mileage may vary.
The dedicated hydration pocket that has two styles of clips for various brands of hydration reservoirs, which is nice attention to detail by TAD. I clipped in my Source bladder and since it’s not the low profile version, it did steal a small amount of space from the main compartment. The pocket also houses the removable HPDE frame sheet which does a reasonable job of adding additional structure to the pack and also helps prevent a full reservoir from bulging out against the back panel.
CONCLUSION
Since purchasing the Fast Pack EDC, I’ve used it for hiking, trail running, biking and Every Day Carry. Not all bags can make that kind of transition without serious compromise. At the price point, I expect to get my monies worth and in this case I feel like I’m not just paying for the marketing savvy of the manufacturer. There are some minor issues with this pack but given the versatility and outstanding build quality, Triple Aught Design more than delivers on the hype.
The Fast Pack EDC retails for $325 and is available for sale from Triple Aught Design’s website, retail store locations and select dealers. It’s currently out of stock but according to TAD it should be restocked sometime in late June.
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