I recently got the Recycled Firefighter Battalion 24 Hour pack in and wanted to do a quick side-by-side comparison with the GoRuck Bullet 15. As many of you know, the Bullet 15 has been discontinued by GoRuck but it’s still in high demand these days. Especially the original 1000D Cordura Two-Compartment version that I own. Prices on the secondary market have shot through the roof. The Recycled Firefighter Battalion series packs look like GoRucks but in some ways improve on the design and come in different sizes. I sometimes find the Bullet 15L capacity to be limiting so stepping up into the Battalion 24 Hour seemed like a good idea.
GoRuck Bullet 15L (left) and Recycled Firefighter Battalion 24 Hour (right)
The specs for the Battalion 24 are 19″H x 11.5W x 6″D with a 22L / 1,342 cubic inch capacity. The Bullet 15L is 18″H x 9.5″W x 5.75″D with a 15L / 915 cubic inch capacity. So roughly the same depth but the Battalion 24 is an inch taller and two inches wider with 32% more capacity. Both are 1000D Milspec Cordura. Both have a front panel zipper, but the Battalion’s zipper is length-wise so the compartment is accessible when you pivot the pack off your shoulder while carrying it. What is better is a matter of preference.
Both packs are pretty low profile, which I like. I don’t knock people over when I’m wearing the Bullet 15 on trains, planes, and buses.
Both harnesses are heavily padded and long enough for taller folk. The GoRuck straps are more contoured and they fit better. Especially when the pack isn’t loaded heavy. GoRuck also provides a port for a hydration reservoir hose on the Bullet 15 and a strap to secure it whereas the Battalion was not designed for hydration carry. Overall, I prefer the Bullet 15 harness but both are very good.
The interior is where the Battalion 24 starts to differentiate itself from the GoRuck pack. Immediately obvious is the hi-vis orange interior, which really helps with visibility while digging into the pack to reach for an item that has fallen to the bottom. The bottom and sides of the main compartment are padded on the Battalion versus just Cordura on the Bullet 15L. The same is true for the rear compartment of both packs. The Battalion’s laptop compartment is also slightly raised to give protection from damage caused by dropping the pack on a hard surface. Overall, the Battalion is just better suited for Everyday Carry of sensitive equipment, which the Bullet 15L was really never designed for but many use it for that purpose anyways.
If some of you missed out on the Goruck Bullet 15L and you don’t mind upsizing, then the Recycled Firefighter Battalion 24 Hour is a more than viable replacement. The Battallion 24 Hour pack retails for $149 and is in stock and available from the company’s website.
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