Tag Archives: Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack E.D.C.

If you’ve been watching my videos and reading my field reports, you’ll no doubt have noticed that my favorite field radio backpack for SOTA and POTA is the Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack EDC.

This pack is made in the USA and is insanely rugged. Click here to see more details about this pack and click here to see how I kit out this pack for field radio use. This pack (and this T.H.E. pack series in general) even has antenna ports built in!

I just received a promotional flyer from Spec-Ops and this weekend they are offering a 25% discount on all of their backpacks plus free shipping on orders over $200.

This is an insanely good deal. This means you can buy the EDC pack like I have for $134.96 instead of $179.95.

You must use the coupon code BESTPACK at checkout to claim the discount.

If I didn’t already have their full size T.H.E. pack, I would buy one in this sale. Tempted to buy one of their Reckon Rucks!

Spec-Ops Brand hasn’t had a sale like this in years. If you’ve been considering one, now would be the time to bit the bullet.

Click here to check out Spec-Ops Backpacks.

Field Radio Kits, How To, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, SOTA

A tour and deep-dive of my SOTA/POTA Backpack (Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack EDC)

October 20, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 17 Comments

As many of you know, I’m a bit of a backpack geek (okay, that’s an understatement).

If you don’t believe me, listen to the Ham Radio Workbench episode where they invited me to take a deep dive into my world of packs, bags, and organization. It’s not for the faint of heart or the short of time. (It was seriously fun, though!)

You would think being a pack geek that I would produce more videos showing a breakdown of what’s in my packs and how I organize them. The irony is I watch numerous videos on YouTube of how others pack out their various field and travel kits.

In truth, I have done this before, of course–once showing how I pack out my GoRuck GR1 for field radio and travel and another time showing how I pack out my TX-500 field kit in a Red Oxx Micro Manager. I plan to do more.

I’ve had several requests to do a video about my main SOTA pack which is designed around the Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack EDC tactical backpack (see above). I think the reason why I haven’t made a video and post yet about this pack is because I knew it would be quite detailed and, frankly, take a lot of time to detail.

That said, here we go!

Designed to be modular

This particular pack is not set up to be a fully self-contained field backpack for just one radio. Quite the opposite: I use its main compartment to hold a wide variety of modular field kits I’ve put together.

What do I mean by “modular”–?

As I prepare my pack to hit the field, I decide which radio I plan to take; typically that radio is in a pouch, bag, or case of its own that contains radio-specific connectors and accessories.

Mini Mini Arborist Throw Line Kit in a Tom Bihn Small Travel Tray

I put the radio in the main compartment, then I add a battery kit, logging kit, an antenna kit, arborist throw line, and an accessories kit that contains a key, cables, adapters, etc. Continue reading A tour and deep-dive of my SOTA/POTA Backpack (Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack EDC) →

News, Portable, Reviews

Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack EDC might become my Holy Grail SOTA pack

December 7, 2021 Thomas Witherspoon 8 Comments

This year, I got an early Christmas present: a Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack E.D.C.

If you’ve been reading QRPer.com for long, you’ll know that there’s no cure for my pack addiction, so in a sense, there could be no better gift!

Spec-Ops Brand

I’ve been a long-time customer of Texas-based Spec-Ops Brand.

I first discovered their gear at the Wright Patterson AFB Air Force base Military Clothing Store with my buddy Eric (WD8RIF) in 2013. I purchased their Pack-Rat pouch and reviewed it on the SWLing Post.

The Pack-Rat Pouch

Pack-Rat Interior Organization

Since then I’ve purchased numerous products from Spec-Ops Brand.

I’ve owned the Spec-Ops T.H.E. Pack Tactical backpack since 2013 as well. You don’t see that pack in my field reports because, frankly, it’s just too big for most of my field radio applications. It’s designed for armed forces deployments and has a lot of capacity. I primarily use it for camping and extended travels.

Spec-Ops introduced an EDC (Everyday Carry) version of the T.H.E. Pack Tactical in 2015 or after so many customers asked for it. The EDC version is identical to the larger T.H.E. pack in every respect, just smaller in every dimension.

Looking good

It’s very early days, but I suspect this pack will become my choice Summits On The Air (SOTA) pack.

In terms of size/capacity, it’s ideal for summit day hikes and the thing is just covered in Molle (Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment) straps, so very adaptable if I need to attach extendable masts, hiking poles, water bottles, or basically a Molle pouch or accessory.

The best part, though, is that it sports the same two ports/openings Spec-Ops puts into the larger T.H.E. packs for field antennas and hydration. Continue reading Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Pack EDC might become my Holy Grail SOTA pack →