While looking for an everyday backpack, I discovered the Scout 24 from SOG. I’ve got plenty of bigger packs for camping, but I needed something smaller and more flexible. During the week, it would carry work stuff. On weekends, I needed something suitable for trips to the range, or just an afternoon outing. And the Scout 24 fills that role well.
Overview
SOG’s Scout 24 backpack is a sleek 24 liter pack designed for convenience and efficiency. Inside, there are pockets and sleeves for organization. Slip your laptop into the dedicated sleeve for school or work. After work, ditch the laptop and throw your hydration bladder in before heading out for a hike. Outside, a minimal amount of straps and wires keep it looking tidy, but allows you to carry more, when necessary. And the Quad-Zip lets you lay it flat and open it 180 degrees, instead of digging to the bottom.
Internal features
There is so much going on here, I’m not sure where to start. Up top is a fairly rigid top compartment for your glasses or other fragile items. Plenty of dedicated storage for pens, slim flashlights, and similar items too. Inside is a vertical zip storage compartment with keychain clasp, and two mesh pockets with horizontal zippers. Then the laptop sleeve which is covered in MOLLE loop, and one more sleeve, which I found ideal for magazines and documents. SOG placed a port for a hydration tube at the top as well.
External features
On the front, laser-cut Hypalon MOLLE panels allow attachment of accessory pouches. It also looks much tidier than regular webbing. Shock cord tie downs and wire loops make it easy to carry long/bulky items. I tested them with my target rifle as well as a cased Tenkara fly rod.
Comfort
Wearability starts with the 2mm PE sheet w/15mm aluminum stave suspension. Combine that with padded shoulder straps and hip belt, and you’ve got all day comfort. When carrying heavy loads, a sternum strap and side compression straps keep everything close and stable. For short trips, stow the hip belt. On the sternum strap clasp is a whistle for emergencies, or just scaring the s**t out of your wife. Use it with caution.
Construction
The Scout 24 is made from Kodra 500D nylon material with a polyurethane coating. This provides durability, reliability, and water resistance. All zippers have either plastic or cord-type pulls, for ease of use with gloves. Despite my typical rough use, there were no failures of zippers, clasps, or stitching.
In use
For work, I loaded up the Scout 24 with lunch, a portable coffee press, water bottle, and my laptop (which I don’t actually use at work). It holds all I need for a day at the office, with room to spare. And the grey color doesn’t scream “tactical bag”. When going to the range, it easily held a 10.5″ AR pistol with the upper and lower separated. And there was still room for mags, ear pro, and targets. On another outing, two pistols in their cases fit right in, with several boxes of ammo as well. Even as a range bag, it’s pretty discreet. And the Quad-Zip makes it easy to access everything once at the range.
Conclusion
The Scout 24 is sized just right for everyday use. Bigger than a typical backpack, smaller than a camping pack. It’s flexible enough to fill several roles, and look and work well doing it. Whether packing for a day at the office or school, or an afternoon at the range, the Scout 24 is a winner. If you’re a low-key operator type, it’s probably not a bad way to transport more serious hardware either. Since I like it as a pack for short hikes, I ordered a MOLLE “tactical water bottle holder” for it. Lol. Otherwise, the lack of extraneous pouches, loops, etc, makes it snag-free when in thick brush and trees.
I’d like to thank SOG for providing their Scout 24 for my testing and evaluation. They’ve applied the same innovation and quality standards to their backpacks that we’ve come to expect from their knives and tools.