A few questions on packs for MSW

[MySwan]

First off, for a 65 hour MilsimWest OP what ruck sack and assault pack would you suggest? Second, the only pack I have currently is the Pantac MiniMap so is that good enough for an assault pack? Third, do you carry your ruck with you the whole time for 65 hours or do you drop it at your FOB then put on your assault pack and go out and complete objectives? Lastly, What do you pack in your ruck and assault pack outside of the MSW list that they give you?

[Junto]

That's a perfectly dandy assault pack. You drop your ruck at your FOB/bivouac site/wherever your dudes are staying for the duration of the event. I didn't pack anything outside of their essentials and a few of their suggested items. I didn't want the extra weight. Use that space for more water and more food, if anything. Other people who have been to more of their events than I have may have some suggested extras to bring along, though.

[MySwan]

[Junto]

-shrug- If I'd had ruck suggestions, I'd have made ruck suggestions. I took a condor 3 day pack. It was a bit too small and squishy to fit all of my stuff in and hike it around. Definitely get something with a frame, whatever you do.

Most anyone I've seen just attaches their pack to their PC. Extra straps get annoying. There could be people out there with good reasons not to, but, again, I'd defer to people who've been to more of their stuff.

[Steve]

Fair forewarning: I haven't attended a MSW game. Not a big fan of the whole milsim airsoft thing. I don't play outdoors.

That being said, I have spent a few moments here and there rocking a ruck, and I did spend the night at a holiday inn once. So, my advice is as follows:

It totally depends on what you are looking to carry and how big your budget is.

If you are planning on carrying a second primary, or carrying a spare DMR / bolt gun in addition to a rifle, AND you have a pretty decent budget, check out Eberlestock. Some (but not all) of their packs are set up right proper for packing a rifle. Within limits.

Packs to go for:
Eberlestock Gunslinger / Gunslinger II: Slightly larger than an assault pack. Great for carrying most AR-pattern rifles (without a magazine, or without optics. Your choice) or any long gun up to and including a Barrett. Kinda small as a primary pack for a weekend camping. Find a smaller pack that you like (if you don't have one already) that has MOLLE on it and get a set of 5.11 Tier straps and you can expand the volume enough to get by. 5.11 MOAB 10 works great (and comes with the Tier straps). Phantom is similar payload, but set up more for long range shooters.
http://www.eberlestock.com/G2%20Gunslinger%20II.htm

G4 Operator: About the goldilocks size for a weekend pack and a rifle. 4700 cubic inch pack, nice wide scabbard.
http://www.eberlestock.com/G4%20Operator.htm

J107M Dragonfly: Note that this is the "M" variant. This is IMPORTANT. The "M" variant has a wider scabbard than the standard J107 hunting pack, so you can carry an AR-pattern rifle (with either optics OR a mag). This pack is pretty dang brilliant. It expands from an assault pack all the way up to a 7900 cubic inch monster. It's basically a couple of pockets built around a cloth bucket. I'd recommend picking up a couple of the Spike's Camp Duffels (good) or the waterproof duffels (brilliant). They zip and clip onto the pack for expansion. If you pick up one or more (waterproof!!) duffels, you just shove your camp stuff into them and pull them out or off the pack when you get to camp, and then fold the bag back up into an assault pack. If you are looking for something that you can do more than just a weekend out of, but is still manageable for shorter outings, it's a really good choice.
http://www.eberlestock.com/J107M%20Dragonfly.htm

Eberlestock packs to AVOID:
X3 LoDrag: It's a small assault pack with the ability to also carry a bolt gun. Emphasis on small.

Skycrane II: At first glance, it seems just perfect. The G1 Little Brother works great as an assault pack, and docks neatly into the load bay of the main pack. There's an optional scabbard that you can buy that mounts to MOLLE loops in either the main pack or the little brother pack. Just don't. Save yourself the heartbreak. The optional scabbard blows goats. For quarters. In Medford. It has 6 columns (left to right) of MOLLE (sort of) that you can use to attach to the seven (yes, an odd number) columns of MOLLE on the main pack or five (yes, an odd number) columns of MOLLE in the little brother pack. Except, instead of giving you MALICE clips, or attaching MOLLE straps to the scabbard, it comes with TWO old-school ALICE clips. Nothing you can do easily (to include buying your own MALICE clips) will make the scabbard mount tightly to the pack. Especially since the scabbard has all of like two rows (vertical) of MOLLE loops, and they are right freaking next to each other. Unlike the packs with dedicated scabbards, it's guaranteed to go all floppy on you. The design of the scabbard itself is worse than half-assed (think pancake holster for your long gun). And since it sits inside the load bay, it means that the awesome Little Brother pack doesn't zip into the load bay properly with it installed.

Other packs I've had good luck with:
5.11 Rush 72: Big ole bucket, really. Has a spot between the main pack pocket and the front organizer that you can shove a jacket or helmet into. Has MOLLE on the sides so you can Tier an assault pack to it.

Blackhawk Special Operations Medical Bag: Lots and lots of organizer spots. Designed to carry all sorts of medic goodies. Repurposes really well for being able to keep everything organized. If you look around, you can find them lightly used for screaming deals.

Tactical Tailor Extended Range Operator pack: A little smaller than most of the others. Think of it as a large assault pack that you can clip a smaller assault pack to. High quality, good internal organization.

Options on a budget:
USGI rucksacks WITH FRAMES. Always, always, always get one with a frame. If you get it used (surplus store) check the frame CAREFULLY to make sure it isn't jacked up.

Regular civvy-style camping backpack (i.e., NOT a daypack. Something with a frame preferably) with an aftermarket camouflage rain cover. Eberlestock sells some. There are bunches of them available on amazon / ebay. As to the pack itself, check local camping shops, sometimes you can find good deals for last year's model or whatnot.

Like anything else, you get what you pay for in terms of quality, comfort, and durability. If you treat your gear gingerly and pack light, you can get away with spending not much. If you are like me, you end up spending a bit more. And next thing you know, you have an entire garage full of tactical man-purses.

[ClownBaby]

There's a bunch of YouTube videos about what to bring to MSW, watch em.

Mini-map on PC, unless it's crazy hot outside?

Rucks: All about the budget. I believe in the Airsoft Obsessed video with Brian and Josh from MSW, they say you don't need to have a sexy new, tactical ruck. As long as it's not orange or some shit. Same with bivi's and pup's. (tents) But do ask that you run a camo ruck cover. Also they mentioned that a cheap green/brown/camo tarp from Harbour Freight is acceptable for a bivi.

My suggestion, unless you have money to burn on a new sexy bag, would be to check out Deak and Brian's next adventure bargain basement for a pack. Then just up the street is Andy and Bax, they probably have camo ruck covers.
* Deak and Brian's have glow in the dark Nalgene bottles for like $8?

And bring snacks over bulky food. Personally, I turn into James Yeager if I don't have my snickers.

[Nark]

I've currently got this bag, the maxpedition falcon ii and I was curious if it's useful at all for MSW games.

[McNair]

I've been to like 6 MSW events I think...

I've been using an Alice Medium for my ruck for every event that required it. Personally, I would want to move to the large so I can fit my sleep system in my ruck, but for now I just attach it to the top.
If you have money, you can invest in something nicer. Personally I only use my Alice for these events and save my money for expensive hiking backpacks for non-bbwarz shit.
Alice is the most cost effective.

I carried an assault pack once and wish I hadn't.
I have a MAP on my PC now, but I really don't even need that.

Generally you might ruck your shit for a bit and then you just leave it where ever your patrol base is for the weekend.
Some people decide to move around more but they typically have something else going on than the regular attendee.

I pack what they require plus some comfort gear. I'd have to relook at the packing list to be specific.

I have photos of all the shit I carried to Road To Rostov last year in California.
It changes every event as you figure out what you need and what you don't need. I carry extra shit since I am a squad leader and can't depend on kids I don't know to have what they need.

[Darius137]

I carry way too much stuff. I found the Tactical Tailor Rhino Ruck to be perfect for the ruck sack. Especially since I use the bloated Army 3-part sleep system.

If not that, there is the Three Day Plus pack they have, which would be enough if you pack light.

Either way, http://www.tacticaltailor.com FTW

[ZsTheMan]

I recently switched from attaching my assault pack to my PC for when I do have a ruck. For comfort and functionality it works better to have your main pack closer to your frame so it doesn't put as much leverage on you. At most, I would say have a hydro carrier mounted, but a small pack will get old really fast when you are out with a ruck.

That's one reason I love the 5.11 RUSH tier system, you can put a small pack on the outside, and then strip it off when you dump your ruck. Yes it does add extra straps, but in a firefight you can just drop it and it will be out of the way. It also has the added ability of making your profile smaller so you can fit through smaller space easier. Hopefully this helps, if not oh well I tried.

[McNair]

Yeah, having a quick detach MAP or having it empty when you use your ruck is essential. I strap mine to my ruck until I dump it.