AllOutdoor Review – 5.11 Tactical LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L
Patrik Orcutt 04.17.23
5.11 has supplanted itself in the market as a provider of a wide variety of gear and has really made the term tactical even more mainstream in the last few years. Providing everything from workout shorts and sandbags to hiking backpacks and combat pants they really do have their fingers in many markets these days. I previously reviewed their iconic Rush 24-pack and was delighted when they offered me their new LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L for a review.
The 5.11® LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L was provided by 5.11 for this review and while I am allowed to keep the product indefinitely, this will not change my opinion on this product or any of 5.11’s current or past offerings. While I have not had as much time to test the LV18 as I would normally take, I have been everyday carrying it every day for the past 2 months.
Specifications – 5.11 LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L
- Capacity: 30 Liters
- Weight: 2.2 pounds | 1.25 Kgs
- Dimensions: 19.75”H x 11”W x 5.5”D
- Primary Material: 840D Nylon
- Concealed Carry Pocket: Yes
- Colorways: Turbulence (Grey/Blue) | Python | Black
- Manufactured in: Cambodia
- MSRP: $145
The LV18 Backpack 2.0 is an updated version of the LV18 1.0 and brings with it many quality-of-life features for a pack that fits in the everyday carry role. While I never owned the 1.0 version of the LV18, 5.11 has been helpful enough to give me a rundown of the new features for this review.
Quality and Comfort – 5.11 LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L
The LV 18 is made from a material I think we are all very familiar with at this point. 840D Nylon Ballistic fabric is abrasion resistant, tear resistant, and can withstand wear and tea making it the perfect material for holsters, rifle cases, bottoms of bags, or any application that is going to see wear and tear. Is bigger brother 1680D is a heavier material and is used for sewing together body armor prior to the inception of Kevlar body armor. The bottom line is that it’s not the lightest material but it’s very rugged and relatively inexpensive these days. 5.11 does a lot of interesting things with fabrics and materials in their pant lines and tactical gear so this makes me wish that someday they would experiment with fabrics like Dyneema or even X-PAC in their backpacks.
In a roundabout way, I’m trying to say that the LV 18 is made from quality material and is very unlikely to wear out on you unless you’re dragging bowling balls around inside the bag on a hot parking lot in July. (This could be an interesting test) All of the stitching on the bag is solid where it needs to be while the interior pockets lack small details in spots but are still strong. One of the major improvements on the bag is the Duraflex® buckles which have been updated for easier use with gloves. I can attest that these are definitely a better design for use with gloves and feel great in hand. While I’m not sure about the longevity or durability of a buckle like this as to me it looks a bit weaker in its design over the standard side release buckle, I’m sure 5.11 tested the hell out of them before putting them on the LV 18. I also love to see innovation in highly stagnant industries like a plastic buckles.
The back panel is comfortably padded with a Flex cuff channel making this pack easy to wear and allowing heat to evaporate. The shoulder straps are generously wide and padded with a quick-release buckle and a removable sternum strap. There is also a tri glide for optional waist belt attachment and this is something I love to see in bags is expandable options. I’m happy when I can add gear to a pack for a different application but if I don’t need that extra bulk I can simply remove it.
The top grab handle is very robust and features two additional loops for attaching small carabiners or cordage. One thing 5.11 has been very hit or miss on in the past has been their branding. Some of their products have their logo all over the place while others are very subtle. Believe me, I get it, branding is a highly important part of a company’s marketing and needs to be in relevant places for eyeballs to see it. The LV 18’s branding is so subtle you may not even notice it. It actually goes even a step wither with all of the logo tags being tuckable into the pack. Personally, I think this is a great idea and I love this part of the design of the bag.
Organization – 5.11 LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L
Like many of 5.11’s bags, the LV 18 has a lot of organization so let’s jump into it here. 30 liters is a great size for an EDC bad and the LV 18 divides up its cargo space into 3.5 different sections. The main compartment is generous in size and is where you can find the enlarged, padded laptop sleeve with a security strap over the top. The area is good for stuffing jackets and your bulkier items. I like to store my lunches in glass containers in this spot offered the perfect amount of room for a meal, two snacks, my 32 oz Hydroflask, and my laptop.
The secondary compartment is much more organized with multiple pockets for smaller items like gloves and maps. There is also a felt-lined pocket for your sunglasses or more scratch-able items. The third and smallest pocket has the least amount of space but more organization. There is plenty of space for pens, multitools, silverware, and whatever else you can think of here. Along with a velcroed slip pocket this area is where most of your organization will be done so obviously it’s my favorite pocket. I’d also like to point out that this is a high-access pocket and I’m happy to see it on the outside of the pack where it belongs.
Remember how I said you had 3.5 different sections here, well that is because there is also an ambidextrous side entry concealed carry weapon compartment with a loop panel and removable retention straps sandwiched in between the two aforementioned areas. The hook and loop area is large enough to store a full-size duty pistol with a few gizmos and extra ammunition or medical supplies. I like that this is a dual-entry compartment but I think that the zipper pulls for this compartment should be physically much different than the other zipper pulls. These pulls are nylon while all the others are plastic but I think incorporating a physically different shape like the Vanquest Spartan zipper pulls would make sense for this spot.
You can find two collapsible water bottle pockets on the exterior of the bag and two large compression straps on the back. The straps have buckles and are designed to be integrated with 5.11 LV 6 waist pack. This is a killer feature as it allows for the expansion of the cargo-carrying capabilities of the bag and gives you a small bag to take with you when a large bag is not needed. Of course you will need to by the LV 6 separate.
Competitive Options – 5.11 LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L
- JACKNIFE PACK $229
- Gamut Checkpoint Backpack $149.25
- ENTITY 27™ CCW-ENABLED LAPTOP BACKPACK 27L $148.79
Likes
- Priced Fairly
- Packed with Features and Organization
- Tuckable tags!
Dislikes
- Heavy
- Does not come with LV 6 out of the box
Wrap Up – 5.11 LV18 Backpack 2.0 30L
5.11 has brought a very well-thought-out bag to the market with a few pretty unique features at a price anyone can afford. I would like to see 5.11 get a little weird in the future and start messing around with really interesting materials with their bags but as of right now, this is definitely one of their better EDC offerings in my opinion.
