Last year I received not only the Tac Pack 45, but also its smaller sibling, the Tasmanian Tiger Tac Pack 22. Since then it is a loyal companion and I believe it is finally time to do this small pack some justice and write about it.

Overview

The Tasmanian Tiger Tac Pack 22 is a bigger day pack with two main compartments, two elastic side pockets and an open expandable pocket to the front. The backside is well padded and features a light frame sheet. The waist belt is detachable and offers padded wings, one with a mesh pocket, one with a row of PALS.

Internal organisation is kept to a basic set-up, covering the essentials. Overall the pack offers a low profile while providing enough room to bring all things necessary.

The Tasmanian Tiger Tac Pack 22

Specs

• HxWxD: 50cm x 25cm x 15cm
• Volume: 22l
• Material: 700den Cordura, T-SquareRip
• Weight: 930g

Buildup

The main compartment opens up to 2/3s of the pack and offers the most of the 22l volume this model features. It can be compressed by two compression straps – one on the left and one on the right. There is no internal organisation but an elastic sleeve on the backside for a hydration bladder or lets say a laptop.

Main compartment

On top of the inside you will find a velcro and a cord loop to hang a water bladder inside. Right above there is an opening for the tube to be directed outside.

loops for the hydration bladder, plus the opening for the tube

The secondary compartment features basic organisation options in the form of two mesh pockets which are closed by a zipper. Although there are several layers of the mesh, it is not as stiff as I would like it to be, more on that later in the review. On top of them there is a single clasp to hang a lanyard with keys.

Secondary compartment with mesh pockets, plus clasp for lanyard (red band)

To the front there is a huge slip pocket which can be expanded by opening up a zipper. This makes room for an elastic material that expands this pocket to a wide auxiliary pocket, able to carry helmets, jackets and similar items. To prevent the content from falling out, there is a small strap with a buckle. This holds and compresses everything carried within.

Expandable pocket with strap, laser cut slits for shock cord or single MOLLE pouches

To the front of this expandable pocket there are laser cut MOLLE slits. These give you the option to either mount pouches with a single channel of MOLLE or to use additional shock cord to fasten more gear on the outside of the pack.

On the left and right of the pack there are elastic side pockets. The material is quite stretchy, and the pockets offer enough room for bottles, canteens and the like. On the bottom there is an almost invisible opening for drainage.

elastic side pockets with 1l Nalgene Canteen

The shoulder straps are thickly padded and offer a S-type contour shape to fit the torso properly. In the middle they both feature a D-Ring and enough open webbing to adjust the sternum strap for your height.

contoured shoulder straps with adjustable sternum strap

The back is thickly padded as well. Just like the Tac Pack 45 there are two types of mesh used. A smaller woven green mesh which is used on the base of the back and a larger woven white mesh, which is sewn over the thicker padding.

distinct back padding

The way it is shaped it places the thicker padding exactly on your shoulder blades while leaving a distinctive air channel over your spine. This design not only makes the pack comfortable to wear, but also very good ventilated in summer.

The waist belt is detachable. This can be done very quickly and without any complicated steps. It is attached with velcro and offers everyone the choice of using or detaching it.

Back from the side, with attached waist belt (left side with mesh pocket)

The wings for the waist belt are nicely padded just like the back. The one for the right side features one strap of PALS webbing with three channels, while the left side features a zippered mesh pocket.

Rubberized handle, opening for hydration tube

The carrying handle is wrapped with a rubberized, hypalon type material, which makes it anti slip and comfortable to carry. The attachment of the strap is reinforced by webbing on the inside of the pack, creating a counterpart for the webbing of the strap to be sewn together. This relieves the stress of the fabric on top.

Manufacture

Tasmanian Tiger is known for its quality. So far I have not come across a product which was faulty, exhibited manufacturing issues or defects. Insofar the quality control of TT is top notch. The same can be said about this pack for the most part. Everything makes a clean look, the seams are straight, the materials used high end.

One thing caught my eye though this time. The opening for the hydration tube is not as nicely finished on the inside as I am used to it by TT. In fact it is not even finished with seam tape at one end. So far this did not develop into a problem, but it makes me wonder if this will become an issue over time.

My one critic point in manufacture

In Use

As mentioned before the pack saw regular use for over a year now. In doing so I have Iearned to love, but also hate it at times – although just a little bit. Before I go into detail, know that so far this pack has stayed with me the longest, in comparison to other packs its size. I consider myself a gear whore so this says a lot obviously.

In my opinion the pack has the perfect size for everyday use. There is enough room with plenty of organizational options to carry your everyday essentials with you, and still have enough room in case you have to pick something up during your daily tasks or carry items from people accompanying you.
One thing I did immediately, was to remove the detachable waist belt. Although it is nicely manufactured and offers an additional pocket for essentials, it is just not necessary for a pack that size – at least when it comes to my personal use. If you are riding a bike, motorcycle etc. you might reconsider this, but for me it was a no brainer.

So far the elastic side pouches are holding up and do not show any sign of wear. This was my biggest concern, which proved to be for no reason. The only area that does show wear is the anti-slip, rubberized handle on top of the pack. The spots where it gets stretched and compressed from all the picking up etc. resulted in small holes and tears. I am curious how long it will take to rip out bigger parts.
Another thing worth noting is the secondary compartment with its two mesh pouches. I do like the fact that it is not overbuilt and not full of little slip-pockets and pouches one barely uses. On the other hand I would like to have at least 1-2 elastic loops to hold a pen, glow stick or glass breaker.

Opening the mesh pockets while carrying the pack on one shoulder can become a nuisance. In that position the zipper is not firm enough to open it, because the fabric on the inside is too light, therefore collapsing the mesh pocket. With a stiffer mesh material, or just a stiffer fabric between the main and secondary compartment, this issue would be easily resolved. In that regard a side position for the clasp would be ideal as well. With it being on either the left or right side it would not be in the way while opening the upper mesh pocket.

Other than that I have no complaints about the pack and really do enjoy the way it carries. The back padding is thick enough and perfectly placed to use it in summer while wearing a shirt for more official occasions. This proved to be very useful for me in my line of work.

Conclusions

With all that being said I want to point out the magnificence of the color combination. This might be highly superficial, but I just enjoy the color combination of the dark OD and the Coyote. It makes the pack just look cool.

The Tac Pack 22 in OD/Coyote on the right and Carbon Grey on the left

But it is not also a good looking pack. The TT Tac Pack 22 offers a careful balance of organisation and the principle of KISS (Keep it simple stupid). It is not overbuilt and at the same time not just a sack, you put on your back. As already mentioned, the pack is a constant companion in my everyday life and so far not much backpacks managed to achieve just that.

If you are in search of a pack that looks low profile, but offers features of a tactical pack at the same time, then you should take a closer look at the TT Tac Pack 22. Given the quality and well thought through design, the pack is a solid product with a decent bang for the buck ratio.

Coming to an end I would like to thank you for taking the time to read the review, I hope it was of use for you! Thanks to Tasmanian Tiger for the opportunity to show this pack to you guys.

For more info see: www.tasmaniantiger.info/

Until next time! Take care!