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Triple Aught Design Fast Pack Litespeed Backpack Review – $255

I’ve been somewhat of a backpack (that’s a bookbag for you east coasters) connoisseur ever since I got my first leather bottom Jansport in the 5th grade. Ever since I’ve been experimenting with carry options. I had a bag for travel, school, work, etc. Having so many bags laying around was starting to become ridiculous however.  It was there that I started searching for the one bag to rule them all and in the darkness bind the- excuse me, what I meant to say was that I wanted a bag that could adapt and meet the needs of nearly any activity I could throw at it. In that search I discovered the FAST Pack Litespeed by Triple Aught Design.

We are currently running a giveaway for this backpack. Click here to check it out and enter for your chance to win this backpack + awesome gear from Triple Aught Design!

Construction

An almost unparalleled amount of detail is poured into this bag. The price tag seems justifiable when you realize it’s not only made in the US, but it probably took someone quite a while to build it.

The Fast Pack features several advanced textiles in its construction. The exterior shell is made from 1000 Denier Invista Cordura Fabric. In case you’re wondering, Denier refers to the fiber thickness of individual threads. Typically the higher the number, the more durable the fabric. For reference, most Jansport packs are 600D. This pack also sports YKK zippers with paracord pulls and pretty much all the plastic buckles are ITW GhillieTEX.

Padding in the shoulder straps and back are sourced from Evazote Closed Cell Cross-Linked Ethylene Copolymer Foam. I fell asleep during rocket scientist class but a bit of research reveals this product has many uses in products over a vast area from gym mats to industrial gaskets. If this stuff performs in a Mack truck then surely your tender shoulders will be in good hands.

The back padding utilizes DRI-LEX Aerospacer Moisture Management Mesh. This mesh is often used in shoes and is noted for its moisture redistribution system. Essentially soaking up the sweat off your back and transporting it elsewhere.

Hypalon is  Synthetic Rubber is used in specially reinforced areas. This is another high tech material with great resistance to chemicals, temperature extremes and UV light. If you’ve ever found yourself in a life raft, chances are it was made of Hypalon.

Function

The TAD Fast Pack Litespeed is designed to be a light, relatively compact bag for minimal carry…with the modular potential to do so much more. One could write a lengthy tome on the functionality of this bag. Out of the box it has a large main compartment with a clamshell design that opens up to two mesh zippered pockets. The outside has a small zippered pocket right above the velcro patch area. If you’re unfamiliar with the MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) system, it might be confusing seeing all the webbing on this bag. Those are basically attachment points for aftermarket MOLLE bags, pouches, etc. Bummed there’s no water bottle pouch on this bag? Simple get a MOLLE water bottle holder, don’t need the water bottle holder? Take it off. That’s where the brilliance of this bag shines. You can customize it for whatever you need.

Thanks to the numerous tie down options, I was easily able to stow my rod onto my pack. This bag is like a faithful wing man in that it literally and metaphorically has your back.
I was working on a deck located on a hill side, carrying a tool box was kind of a pain and I’m not really a tool belt kind of guy, so I stashed my drills and bits into the Lite Speed and was able to traverse the slope with my tools.
The webbing works great for MOLLE packs and adds so much more to the feature set of this pack. Here I have a water bottle holder and small accessory pack securely attached to the bag, I can remove them when I don’t need them, and that’s damn near priceless.
The rear flap can flip down and has a pocket for stowing a tripod, engineering blueprints or even a Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle. Oooooooh!

Aesthetic

There seems to be a division in tastes when it comes to “tactical” backpacks. Some feel all the velco, patches and webbing is overkill relegated to mall ninjas or doomsday preppers. With the TAD Litespeed you can deck it out aesthetically almost as much as you can functionally. If you want to put a Punisher skull morale patch, magazine molle pouches and a paracord fob on the zippers, go for it. I personally feel the bag in black has a more sophisticated appeal. I like to keep the exterior streamlined and with the prevalent selection of velcro patches available you can personalize the bag endlessly, and it’s pretty fun to do so. The quality materials make this bag stand out among similar bags, almost like a good paint job on a car. I definitely would have preferred an internal pouch on the sides as opposed to so much Pals webbing, but it does come in handy when swapping between a water bottle pouch, or a tripod sling.

I consider this bag first and foremost a tool, and like pointing out the aesthetics of a screwdriver, I find it a somewhat moot point. I think this bag looks awkward when it’s decked out in camo and molle attachments at the airport, however at the range or on the trail it suddenly becomes not just a pack, but a serious piece of indispensable armor.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, I’m convinced the TAD Fast Pack Litespeed can raise to almost any occasion thrown at it, although it will cost you a fair ransom to tweak the pack to your needs. The overbuilt construction present an extreme value that will definitely alleviate the cost of ownership for a bag that can easily replace several bags in your closet. The styling isn’t for everyone, but if you’re looking for a quality, versatile pack I can say this bag warrants a second and third look.

Don’t forget about the giveaway we are running RIGHT NOW for this backpack! If you liked what you saw in this review make sure to go check out the giveaway here.