Mystery Ranch 2 Day Assault - YES IT'S GOOD

[@nickyjim12]

If you mixed the voices of Tom cruise and Keanu Reaves, you’d get this man.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

"I know kung fu, goose" - Keanu Cruise

[@Etrius0023]

I hear Brandon Routh more than Keanu, imo.

[@talmiller999]

Great review of an excellent bag. I agree with your comment regarding the "hip belt" (I wouldn't go as far as calling it such...). I replaced mine with a removal hip belt from Alpha One Niner. Fits great with the 2DAP and makes a very comfortable bag even better with heavier loads.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

That's an ingenious idea. What are you usually using your pack for?

[@talmiller999]

@@morecoolshtlessbullsht It's a very versatile bag, so I use it for EDC, travel and light hiking (day-hike/overnighter). There are better bags for each of these roles, but I haven't found any other that's good in all three.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Right? I've been hunting for that perfect all-around bag forever. This one is the closest so far. While a few others have gotten close, but something is a little off, like the materials aren't to the right level, or the harness system is terrible, the organization is lacking, or my favorite is when the bag looks way too technical or something. I feel like just a straightforward "sleeper" of a bag would be so perfect.

[@andyirons7162]

Ordered 1 yesterday (15-Mar-23)....I'm excited.......I dredge thinking about the amount of money I've spent on cheaper bags because of the mindset that 'I ain't paying that much for a bag', only to be disappointed in usage and for them to sit in a cupboard....fwiw, I paid $310 AUD on sale (~$205 UAD).....coming to you from Sunshine Coast, Australia

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Nice!! Completely agree. I’ve bought so much crap and you actually end up spending way more on the crap and then eventually end up buying the one thing you wanted in the first place. I guess it’s a case of trust your gut. I’m literally looking at my bag right now in the corner of my room. It’s like begging me to go for a hike right now. Let me know what you think about it when you get it in. I’m looking forward to hearing about your adventures!

[@andyirons7162]

@@morecoolshtlessbullsht ill post back for sure with my thoughts.

[@videogazer801]

I like the subtle casio beats playing softly in the background.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

haha glad you noticed

[@Nutsackfart]

​@@morecoolshtlessbullshtA19er, Evergoods, Aer, and Pakt over this anyday. Yeti bags are garbage af. Ugly and awkward positioning for stuff.

[@RomboutVersluijs]

Some hairbands can easily fix the loose straps. Or some Velcro, you can buy these rolls of velcrow, the brand. Cut them into strips and add those

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

solid idea. I will probably do that. Still been traveling a lot with this bag and I'm actually more and more surprised by it. I first thought it didn't have enough pockets or organization, but it's minimalism makes it incredible for whenever I travel because it can handle anything in the few pockets it has.

[@LeeD345]

Pretty good review. I don’t know what’s your channel about but I’ll definitely check it out when finish with this video 👍

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

I appreciate it. Yeah really wanting to do deep dives into stuff I think is pretty great so people only get the good stuff they actually need.

[@JCZARK2]

The plastic frame is used to “break” the Velcro bond to resize

[@Cluster-orchestrator]

Great video. I also have a black 2DAP and use it regularly for my outdoor adventures. I would recommend getting a beaver tail for the front if you need extra space.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Eric great idea! Which beaver tail would you recommend? How long have you had your pack and what have been some of your favorite memories and adventures with it?

[@skippy421]

Mystery Ranch has an accessory they call "Stick It" which is exactly as you describe; a beaver tail. It is supposed to work pretty slick with the 2DAP or any bag with molle system.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

@@skippy421 I'll have to get one and tag you when I post a video of it. Thank you!

[@georgeseriani2482]

I have been thinking about this bag for awhile

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

It's hard to go wrong with it. I often grab it for hikes or just roaming around. It's not so overly tactical that you stick out like a sore thumb. What are you looking for in a bag?

[@michaelatthedoor4019]

The drain holes in the main compartment are useful to allow the air to escape when the pack is dropped from heights. They allow the air to escape the holes and not blow out a seam. The Camelbak Maximum Gear packs do the same.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Nice! I never knew that. I guess it's another case of the designers being smarter than the average user.

[@RomboutVersluijs]

Sold Point on those drain holes in the main compartment. Really weird design. Wish it was an option.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Yeah I've had a few bags that have a velcro cover or something to cover up the drain / pressure hole covered when you don't need them.

[@alexkhuri3967]

Here's a idea. If you don't want water entering through the bottom of the bag, don't put the bag in water.

[@skippy421]

Great analysis, MCLB. Have my first Mystery Ranch product in route; also a 2DAP. I've done a sh*tload of research and landed on this model for many of the same reasons you describe. Perfect size (27L), variety of features, versatility, harness, material, zippers, et al. It's kind of a jack of all trades, for my current purposes. I come from tactical pursuits and we usually prefer more of a grey-man facade, but have you been on any campus lately?! Molle bags are everywhere, nowadays. One additional gripe I foresee in this bag is that there's no dedicated hydration port. Why have a bladder hanger if no port; and it would've been so easy to install? I may have a tailor modify. Other than that, I look forward to beating the sh*t out of it and see how she holds up.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

That's awesome! It does handle doing a lot of different tasks extremely well. It is a really comfortable harness system. I'm over in Japan right now and I've been switching between the 2DAP and an Osprey Tropos. I have that heavy macbook pro in there and I immediately miss the 2DAP because the Osprey really digs into my shoulders after a while. Agreed. It doesn't make any sense to have the hanger for the bladder but no have a port. You'll have to share what you do as a mod, I'm curious to see what you do. I also agree. I wish I could find a bag that's the ultimate sleeper, super simple and blends in completely in any environment. What have been some of your favorite bags you've had so far? It sounds like you've done a lot with them.

[@skippy421]

@@morecoolshtlessbullsht Been all over the world with an old Mountainsmith (80L). In and out of more backpackers, hostels, boats, planes, trains, parks and field rucks, than I can count. It's disintegrating now but I've stitched it up along the way like a surgeon. So I've been loyal to Mountainsmith and had another 25L daypack for the last decade. It's rocked. Add to that Kelty, Osprey, and 5.11 tac. Will retire the Mountainsmith by hanging it on a tree in the forest and...walking away. I will attempt to make the 2DAP a pseudo-multitool for 2-4 day business trips. Even looking at ways to use packing cubes for business shirts/pants, socks/underwear/T's and learn to forego that shite roller-bag we curse. E.g. arrive at destination, offload select packing cubes and 2DAP luggage now becomes 2DAP daypack and briefcase with 13" Dell XPS and docs isolated in laptop compartment. Wucha think? Doable for a minimalist approach? p.s. been to Japan several times for work: Tokyo, Nagoya, Hyuga (Miyazaki).

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Honestly, the leaving it on a tree and walking away brought a tear to my eye. You should definitely do that. It would be such a beautiful and poetic homage to a true friend. You definitely can use it like you said. Just compress your packing cubes night and tight, but I really am loving the try zip feature because of the super quick access to anything at the bottom or the middle of the bag, came in really handy when I was hanging my pack off a while in the middle of the night. You will definitely be surprised by how much stuff you can pack into the bag. The brain of the bag can handle quite a bit. I did notice water will saturate and start leaking into the bag if you're in a pretty solid downpour for a while. To fix that I'm looking into getting a silicon embedded rain fly to really keep the contents safe. You should hit up an REI and see if they have the pack near you, so you can try it out, and bring all the packing cubes you normally would have on a trip to make sure it's got enough capacity for you and the minimalist organization works for you as well, plus I think they have a year long no matter what return policy or something like that. Two things I've found endlessly useful on my trip to japan so far have been these little packing containers (Base Camp Travel Canister) that North Face makes that look like tiny versions of their Basecamp Duffle Bags. I've been putting my tech in one of them (harddrive, cables, headphones, mouse, etc) and toiletry items in another. They are pretty useful for keeping everything separated out and pretty dry because the material with TPU coated and if you wanted to, you could hang them outside your bag via a carabiner or clip. Any favorite spots from the places you visited in Japan?

[@skippy421]

@@morecoolshtlessbullsht Hyuga, via train along the coast from Miyazaki, was my fav. Gorgeous area and not the hustle bustle of Tokyo or Nagoya. Kyoto is a close second, but the food everywhere was incredible. Had excellent Japanese colleagues that made sure my plate was always full (along with my beer/sake/whiskey glass). Appreciate the insight on packing the 2DAP. I've been testing Mystery Ranch Zoid bags for a couple months. They're nice for med kit/toiletries/spare rations. Color-coded and shaped to fit a pack. You read my mind on REI. 2DAP comes in tonight and will visit REI next week to see if I can fit Eagle Creek 14X10 folder into laptop compartment (with laptop). 11L Thule compression cube also has my attention. That Heroclip, dude. Got one, then got another for the gal, then got my colleague into one. Genius. 'Homage" is fitting word to describe my intentions for the Mountainsmith. Can't bring myself to dispose if it any other way. Did something similar with a pair of Vasque Sundowners that carried me thru many adventures. Set them far out on the rocks at Lindesfarne Castle during low tide and let the sea claim them.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

@@skippy421 You probably have mountains of stories to share! I'm all ears. Having a bad meal in Japan is nearly impossible. I had an incredible dinner in a 4 seater place in Kusatsu and every single thing the owner made was insanely delicous. You'll have to share the breakdown of your pack sometime when you get it dialed in. Agreed. The hero clip is the one thing you never thought you needed until you use it for the first time. I recently was able clip it onto my camera bag and then squeeze my compact umbrella into the center of it, and it works like a charm to hold it in place. I would love to know what people who eventually come across think when they see your well loved goods. I know whenever I've seen something like that, I always think there is a story in every scar, tear, and loose thread and I always imagine the life they've seen. I'll have to check out Hyuga! What did you love about it?

[@Bigsky1886]

Zipper pulls were a good idea

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

You’ll definitely love them. They really do make it so much easier. Really helped when I had gloves on, in a torrential downpour when it was super cold on top of a mountain.

[@paulcaban4881]

Hi, I'm really confused on the sizing for this bag because there is overlap between the two sizees, so if you measure and 18.5" torso like mine, you fall in between the two. How did settle on the L/XL? I just assumed the L/XL was for a male. I ordered the L/XL and did not receive it yet. Hope I didn't make a mistake.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Yeah the sizing can be a bit iffy on them. Did you order from a place than can do returns in case? The good thing is the back panel adjusts really really well so you can dial it in better. So you being at 18.5 you’d be able to dial it into your length. The benefit of the L/XL bag is that there is more capacity in it. So my fingers are crossed for you, because it’s still one of my favorite bags, every trip I go on, I consider another bag but this one just works better than anything else I’ve tried. You’ll have to let me know when you get yours.

[@paulcaban4881]

Thanks for your reply. I actually ended up ordering two bags now lol. The 2 dap in L/XL and theBlitz 35 in S/M. Going to compare the two in capacity and fit and keep one for traveling to Spain this February. I'm leaning towards the 2 dap based on the excellent reviews. I'll let you know@@morecoolshtlessbullsht

[@zavirax]

Hey 👋 What is your torso length and size of your backpack? Also, what is your height?

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

I’ll have to measure myself and get back to you on that. I remember fitting pretty squarely in an XL territory. Which I usually do when I’m at REI for when I measure up for a bag.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Hey sorry for the long awaited reply. I'm 21-22" so I'm in the XL catagory for the bag. I ordered L/XL and adjusted to my torso length. Hope this helps.

[@michaelsedway9703]

Give the Oakley kitchen sink a review

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

I have seen quite a few of those during my travels. They are wild.

[@videogazer801]

Man, this was a really good concise and in-depth review. Only question is, would it be allowed as an airline carry-on?

[@JesterJames22]

Hi! I own this bag, and have indeed carried it on a plane. I have had no issues stuffing it under the seat in front of me. I generally travel with a Sovatta Keikka 50L duffle that I stuff into overhead bin, and then generally this bag as my personal seat bag that goes under the seat in front of me. If you were to stuff it to it's maximum I can see it as having an issue being stowed under the seat in front of you but you'd need an absurd amount of gear in it to do so. I also have a Mission Workshop Speedwell backpack that sometimes I use over this, it's a tad smaller at 20L and no matter what you put into it, it always fits under the seat (and is 100% waterproof). To each their own but should but okay to carry on.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

Yeah no problem as a carry on. Just don’t completely overstuff it and it’ll fit under your seat, otherwise it never has had a problem in the overhead bin. I also have a Kelty Redwing 45 that I’ve travelled in Europe and had zero issues even with Ryan air.

[@videogazer801]

@@morecoolshtlessbullsht that’s awesome

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

@@videogazer801 it's really a solid bag. Last year I went to asia for around 4 months and I was going to try other bags, but I just kept leaning towards the 2 Day Assault. I dunno if it's nostalgia or the fact that I just know it'll handle any location and easily carry whatever I put in there either for working on my laptop or going for a hike. You'll have to let me know if you get one and what adventures you go on with it.

[@videogazer801]

@@morecoolshtlessbullsht It’s badass. So, Mystery Ranch had this bag for 30% off and same with the Terraframe 50 during their Black Friday Sale and I bought both of them so I can stack this 2-day to the Terraframe 50 if needed. It was a good sale from the manufacturer direct

[@jamesp5646]

Dude, it’s a tactical pack, not a civilian laptop and electronics bag. Today/s military operators use a myriad of electronics, hence the laptop sleeve, but this thing is literally called an “2 Day Assault Pack” and for good reason. Hence the drain grommets on the bottom of the pack and the side pockets,, MOLLE all over the place, heavy Cordura construction, etc…

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

one hell of a bag right?

[@clandestine736]

Da Maxpedition zipper pulls sucks. They break apart easily. Rather diy with paracords. You'll see.

[@morecoolshtlessbullsht]

I'll have to try that out when they wear out. Thank you for the great idea.