Life is hectic enough. Working, running errands, picking up the kids, fixing that leaky faucet — there’s a never-ending to-do list. Try compounding that daily grind with formulating an emergency plan based on a to-be-determined, life-altering catastrophe of unknown origins can be overwhelming to say the least. But if you’re reading this magazine, it means you’re responsible enough and have enough foresight to make disaster preparedness a priority.

So, is there a way to balance everything going on in your life to find the time to get ready for what may come? Well, you’re in luck. There’s an entire industry dedicated to convenient preparedness.

You probably have already seen the products while surfing the Web, shopping at your local big-box store, or flipping through the advertisements in these pages. Readymade emergency supplies seem to be popping up everywhere, especially as of late. The concept of saving time and money by buying a prepackaged kit is one that we appreciate, but how do these products really stack up? Based on their persuasive packaging, all these kits sound convincingly useful, but are the kits full of things that you’ll never need or packed with tools that don’t work well — or at all?

Let’s set the record straight. We at OFFGRID believe that the best kits, particularly go-bags or bug-out bags (BOBs), are the ones that you assemble yourself. You are the only one who knows best what your and your family’s needs and preferences are. You know your terrain, climate, community, and what type of disasters that your area is prone to. Only you know your disaster plan, where you will bug out to, and other contingencies. Companies that offer prepackaged survival kits do not know any of these factors. They can only estimate what people will need.

We do, however, like the idea of readymade bags as a starting point because of the time saved on piecing one together from scratch. But for off-the-shelf BOBs to work, you’ll need to further customize them to suit your needs. While they can save you time, it’s a long shot if they’ll save you money, as you’ll no doubt need to dump some products to make room for personalized items like medications, extra batteries, your favorite tools, or specific foods (in case you have allergies or a certain palate).

And don’t forget the bag itself. Will it hold up to the rigors of survival? How does it feel on your shoulders on a hike? If it won’t last, ditch it and get a sturdier, more comfortable one. (See OFFGRID’s premiere edition, the Summer 2013 issue, for more on how to select a survival backpack.)

Due to the vastness of the market and considering the limited pages allotted for this article, we examined a limited number of preassembled go-bags of varying budgets, sizes, and uses. Before spending your time and money, take a closer look at the following buyer’s guide and see if there’s a ready-made bug-out bag that could serve as a starting point for your own BOB build.

Although it’s not always common, there are documented instances when the sequel to something good outshines the original, becoming something truly great. The first 1984 Terminator film was hugely successful, but most critics agree that the follow-up Terminator 2: Judgment Day blew it out of the water.

Outside the world of Hollywood, continuous improvement is present in a number of industries. For example, the famous light bulb design used by Thomas Edison incorporated a bamboo filament—how many of those do you still see today? This early design was soon replaced by a more durable coiled wire, which has been all but eliminated today in favor of more efficient LEDs.

If it weren’t for design revisions, we’d still be using lightbulbs with bamboo in them.

The point is this: it’s unwise to create something groundbreaking, then simply leave it to stagnate. Instead, sequels, updates, and revisions can be used to capitalize on the original’s strong points, and eliminate weaknesses. That’s exactly what Triple Aught Design (TAD) claims to have done with their completely redesigned 2015 FAST Pack EDC. This “evolution” (as TAD calls it) retains the appearance of the original EDC pack we reviewed, but has been re-engineered from the ground up.

So, out with the old, and in with the new—let’s see if this new TAD backpack is a superior sequel or a total flop.

Old vs New

Left: the “old” EDC, phased out in Fall 2015. Right: the all-new 2015 EDC.

Before we look at the new FAST Pack EDC on its own, we wanted to compare it to the old version we reviewed last month. As we said in the conclusion of that review, we were disappointed to find out that shortly after we received the pack, it was phased out and replaced by the new “2015” EDC pack. Fortunately, Triple Aught Design decided to send us the new version, so we can see what’s new and find out if it has really improved.

The old design’s half-clamshell opening (left) versus the new design’s full-clamshell opening (right).

You may recall our criticisms of the old design, which we’ll post below:

• Price. $325 is a lot of money for a pack under 2000 cubic inches.
• Shoulder straps. The padding is marginal, and is totally absent where it’s needed most.
• Main compartment only has one pocket, and lacks a laptop pouch.
• Half-clamshell opening isn’t optimal for loading.

The updated backrest foam (right) provides better cushioning and is moisture-wicking to combat sweat.

All four of those issues were somewhat off-putting, and despite the old EDC being a good backpack, made us question whether we could recommend it. Well, we’re glad to see that 3 of the 4 issues have been fixed for 2015. In fact, you could argue that all four issues have been resolved with the new design.

Firstly, the price. It’s actually slightly higher for 2015, at $340 (a $15 increase from the old version). However, interior volume increased fom 1800ci to 2000ci, and the additional features make us feel like the new pack is a better value. Ruling: a wash.

The straps used to be minimally padded and uncomfortable, but they have been vastly improved for 2015.

Next, the shoulder straps. They’re so different, you might not even think they came from the same company. Gone is the annoyance of unpadded straps digging into your shoulders, since the new design is fully padded, constructed of more durable material, and FAR more comfortable. Ruling: improved.

Third, the lack of additional compartments on the old EDC pack bothered us, as it left us with nowhere to organize small items. This has seen improvement for 2015, with a second zippered pouch inside the main compartment, and the addition of a weather-resistant roll-top pocket that can house a 15″ laptop or other moisture-sensitive items. Ruling: improved.

Note the new roll-top pouch, seen below the carry handle on the new design (right). We’ll discuss it more later.

Finally, the half clamshell main compartment has been replaced with a full clamshell. This allows easy loading and unloading of large items, and better organization with the pack flat on its back. We wanted to see this feature, and TAD made it happen. Ruling: improved.

One more change worth mentioning is the elimination of two features: the hydration pouch, and the waist belt. Although there’s a port for hydration tube access, there’s no more dedicated zippered pouch for a hydration bladder. If you have one, you’ll need to store it in the pack’s main compartment. The waist belt is also no longer included for 2015, but the pack features mounting points for the belt if you buy one separately.

2015 Features & Specs

Despite its visual resemblance to the old design, the 2015 FAST Pack EDC is quite different when you inspect the details. Several of the specs are either improved or completely new:

• 1000- and 500-Denier Invista Cordura Fabric
• Hypalon Synthetic Rubber Reinforcements
• NEW: Evazote Closed Cell Cross-Linked Ethylene Copolymer Foam
• NEW: DRI-LEX Aerospace Moisture Management Mesh
• NEW: Elastic Retainer Straps with 96 inches of removable paracord
• NEW: Roll-Top Pocket with Weather-Resistant Hypalon Rubber Seal
• NEW: 2 Triple Aught Design Signature Flashlight Caves
• NEW: ITW GhillieTEX SR Ladderloc Buckles, Web Dominators, anchor points, and other hardware
• YKK #8 and #10 Nylon Coil Reverse Zippers

New “Web Dominators” keep strap webbing tightly rolled and out of the way. We love these things.

The roll-top pocket is one of our favorite features of the 2015 FAST Pack EDC, as it acts like a dry bag to protect sensitive items like electronics from water and dust. Click through the three images below for an illustration of how this weather-proof container works.

Expansion straps at the bottom of the pack can retain a jacket or bed roll.

Conclusions

It’s apparent that Triple Aught Design is listening to their customers’ feedback, and that’s a very good thing. The old version of the FAST Pack EDC had some glaring issues (most importantly, the shoulder strap design), but almost every one of these issues has been fixed for the 2015 evolution. The pack has changed so much, that we’d say it’s worthy of its own name, rather than awkwardly explaining that this is the 2015 version. We’d recommend calling it the FAST Pack EDC Mark II, or perhaps the FAST Pack EDC 2.0—it’d be much less confusing that way.

This time around, TAD really focused on the details, and their strategy appears to have paid off.

Aside from naming conventions, we noticed that fixing the old issues has introduced some new ones. So, here’s our updated list of pros and cons:

Pros:

• Comfortable, supportive shoulder straps and backrest padding (vastly better than the old version).
• Superb materials and hardware, including new Web Dominators for neat and tidy strap retention.
• Brilliant water-resistant roll-top pouch for storing a laptop or other electronics.
• Dual flashlight caves for ambidextrous light or tool storage (old version only had one).
• Made in USA.

Cons:

• Price. $340 is still a lot of money, although the new features improve value.
• No more external hydration pouch. Hydration bladder must be stored inside the main compartment, using up internal storage space and leaving the bladder open to punctures.
• No more included waist belt—where did it go? (It’s not listed on TAD’s site, so we’re not sure if it can be bought separately.)

All things considered, has the 2015 FAST Pack EDC improved upon its predecessor, or has it proved to be yet another failed sequel? We’d say the former—this new version is vastly superior to the old EDC pack, and would make a great choice for a bug-out bag. The revised straps alone make up for the $15 price increase, and all the other added features are just icing on the cake.

Now, if TAD could just give us back the hydration pouch and waist belt they removed, this backpack would be truly hard to top. Thankfully, their policy of continuous improvement means they may do just that next time around.

To learn more about the FAST Pack EDC, visit Triple Aught Design’s web site.