Camelbak’s announcement of the Linchpin back

[snakedocter]

The Linchpin is a raid and patrol pack that stands out for its versatility. It’s the first time an adjustable suspension system has made its way into such a small pack. At first, we were left scratching our heads when we saw the Mystery Ranch-designed Futura harness on the 1,800-cubic inch pack. It seemed overkill on a pack barely bigger than a large purse or a kid’s book bag. Really, it’s rare to find that kind of harness on a pack smaller than 3,000 cubic inches.

Then we realized: This is a real patrol pack. It’s not meant to carry snivel gear and candy bars. It’s meant to carry mags, mortar rounds, MREs, radio, batteries and extra water. That’s the kind of dense load that turns a standard assault pack into a shopping bag with straps. You can figure six loaded M4 mags weigh 6 pounds. Add another 6 pounds for 100 ounces of water, then throw in an 8-pound ASIP radio, two radio batteries at 2 pounds each and a 2-pound MRE, and you’re already up to 26 pounds. That’s well into the range where recreational backpacks come equipped with framed suspension systems to stabilize their loads.