Outta The Closet – Diversion Wax Canvas Rucksack

We love  waxed canvas.  Unlike most things it looks lots better — and more unique — with some wear.  It also hearkens back to the way things were made.  Not only that but its designed in a way to not scream gun.  Very few “tactical” companies know how to build a bag that doesn't stick out in a crowd.

Outta The Closet – BLACKHAWK! Diversion Wax Canvas Rucksack

We recently pulled this Diversion waxed canvas rucksack outta the closet to use on a trip, and thought it was worth talking about again. The bag comes in earth or slate colors and, thanks to the waxed canvas build, sheds water fairly well.  Even the webbing on the pack is made differently than competitors.  There isn't a giant BLACKHAWK! logo its just a leather parallelogram with a ! in it.

The bag has several different snaps and zippers, none of which are terribly common in the ‘tactical' realm. For instance, the main flap doesn't use side release buckles like most packs.  Rather it uses a unique magnetic slide release buckle that opens very quietly.  The bag also uses another set of magnetic closures for one of its exterior pouches.  That flap has two magnetic disks in it that can be placed anywhere on a two four inch high metal strips.  This allows the pouch to adjust to the interior contents without using straps.

The bottom of the two pouches on the front of the pack opens with a zipper.  The zipper pulls have a hole in them allowing you to place a lock through them securing your valuables.  Inside you will find some elastic organizers and two mesh zippered pockets.  There is also a lanyard to hold your keys or a usb stick.  This is a great place to store a notepad, charger, spare pistol magazines, chargers for your electronics etc.

The rear of the bag in the lumbar area is where the bag really shows what its concealing, opening with the pull of two lockable zippers.  The lumbar pouch is a hidden pocket designed to hold a pistol.  If both of the zippers are at the top with a small gap between them you can wedge your finger in and rip the pocket open.  While this works well enough, we would love to see a strap that can be pulled out of the bag to make this easier.

The lid of the pocket is covered in Velcro for the various hook-and-loop compatible holsters out there.  Alternately you could just take a Kydex holster and slap some adhesive backed male Velcro on it.  That would work as well, if properly secured. Sometimes no matter how or what you're carrying, your clothes will print. This bag helps you stay armed.

You can get into the main body of the pack either through waterproof zipper on the top or the magnetic slide release buckles we talked about earlier.  Inside is some more Velcro fields to help organize the contents, as well as a padded laptop sleeve.  The bag is also lined with a lighter colored material making it a bit easier to find what your looking for.

MSRP for the Diversion Wax Canvas Rucksack is $255.95 — waxed canvas is not cheap. It is hard wearing, though, and it ages far better than some British gun lifestyle magazine editors we know. Remember to wax it from time to time if water repellency is important to you.  You can pick yours up here or any BLACKHAWK! dealer or check them out on Facebook and Twitter.