The Corbet Ruck is our first new bag in over 3 years. While I started developing it during my first 3 months in Ukraine in 22′, its origins go back to my years as a Reconnaissance Marine. The Rucksack, or “Ruck” then was the primary tool of the trade, we used them on nearly every single mission, whereas if our rifles were used, the mission had likely gone wrong. “Alice is my Palace” was a phrase I took to heart alongside “Ruck my life”. My Ruck was my constant companion, in training, in combat & everywhere in between. It was inherited from my Team Leader, & later meticulously modified to my needs & experience, often with the sage guidance of my peers. Propelling 70 to 120lbs of equipment across miles of unforgiving terrain, at night with the upmost stealth is no easy feat, but it will certainly teach you what makes a comfortable & efficient one.

Often, a backpack would supplement or replace the Alice Pack style ruck: The Assault Pack. While your ruck would carry everything you needed to sustain yourself & your mission in the field for a week or more, an assault pack carried only the essentials for a specific, short-term mission. While both these packs might do similar things in similar ways, they were not interchangeable, & carrying both was both inefficient & uncomfortable. Making my way into Ukraine at the outbreak of the Russian invasion of 22’ I discovered a similar problem. An Alice style ruck was the best thing to get all my critical equipment (Armor, Cameras, Lenses, Laptop, Medical equipment, survival rations) into Ukraine. The journey in was chaotic, unpredictable, against a biblical tide of refugees, freezing cold & under the perpetual threat of Russian attack. Rolling luggage just wouldn’t do.

However once embedding with units in Ukraine it was clear a full-sized Ruck was larger than necessary, cumbersome & hard to integrate with both vehicles or wear while working a camera. What I used instead was my Seebag, but what I needed was a pack that could adapt from a full-sized Ruck to an Assault Pack, with all the refined performance, ergonomics & engineering I’d gleaned from my Marine years. The Corbet Ruck started out as a sketch in April of 22′, but it wasn’t until 23′ that I began working on the design in earnest with SO TECH, a Veteran owned & operated company with more than 30 years of experience designing & manufacturing for the Military. Many of their designs passed through my own hands while enlisted, & I am deeply indebted to their expertise & trust. In Spring of 24′ I field tested our second prototype in Ukraine.

The Corbet ruck’s flagship feature is also its most inconspicuous: the Roll-Out-Expansion (ROE). Curled at the base of the Corbet Ruck is its expandable section, easily lengthened by removing 2x G-hooks on the Rucks front. From there the ruck can be expanded incrementally from 25 cubic liters all the way to 42 liters. While the more compact format is the most ideal for movement, the larger formats still offer stability.

At the core of the Corbet Ruck is the Multi-Mission-Frame (MFS’s), which allows the Ruck to be used without a frame (as they often were in Vietnam), or with an ultralight tensionable laser cut Tegris frame, & our own proprietary, breathable, soft, rigid, foam frame. Each one of these elements can be used separately, or combined, so each Observer can tailor the fit & feel of their Corbet Ruck to their needs & assignment. Both the Tegris & foam frames store inside the Corbet ruck when not in use. The foam frame rolls in the Rucks ROE, adding additional padding & driving the carried weight to a higher more comfortable position. The Tegris frame can be stored inside the rucks Laptop/Radio/Hydration pocket.

Another lesson gleamed from years Rucking is how critical it is to isolate & stabilize the weight carried. The Corbet Ruck offers peerless vertical compression through its 2x vertical straps, which run the entire length of the bag & secure with magnetic Fidlock’s. The position of the Fidlock buckles can be adjusted easily up or down, so the Observer in the field has options between discretion & ease of access. The webbing for these buckles is left unfinished, so Observers can swap buckles as needed. Horizontal compression is created through 2x horizontal lines of our Compression Omni-Radial System Tension (CORST) system, which allows adjustable compression, lashing, as well as attaching MOLLE & ALICE style accessories. The eyelets here ensure years of use, as well as offer ideal points for lashing. This system can be adjusted at almost any point along the CORST’s route but is designed to be adjusted discretely with cord locks behind the Corbet Ruck’s pockets.

Some features of the Corbet Ruck are retained from the original Alice ruck, but each with vast experience-based improvements. The 420-denier nylon fabric is now lined with light but rigid water shedding X-Pac, rendered in rescue yellow. In emergencies this lining can be cut free & used as a signal panel, a common “Upgrade” to a Recon ruck. Additionally, you will find a concealed “map pouch” on the rucks top flap. Its two exterior pockets, & internal laptop/radio/hydration pouch as well as the main compartment of the Corbet Ruck all feature metal eyelets for drainage.

The Corbet Rucks straps are designed for Critical Retention Mounting & Routing (CRM&R). More than just a means of conveyance the combination of elastic retention bands, MOLLE webbing, eyelets & d-ring lash points give the Observer in the field all the options he needs to mount critical equipment (think earbuds, compass, a Randal Knife), retain it through hardpoints (metal eyelets, left side D-ring) & route things like wires or hydration hoses. The included sternum strap also functions as a rolling luggage mount & can be attached to the Ruck’s side handles. Additionally, the Corbet Rucks straps are removable, replaceable, interchangeable, & adjustable for both fit & ride height.

Both the shoulder straps & rear pockets have quick adjustment buckles finished with signature Observer leather pulls featuring hand painted edges. While subtle, this leather texture allows for Texture-Organized-Hierarchy (TOH) which makes it easy for Observers to separate opening pulls from pulls that adjust height, even in the dark.

Alongside the Corbet Ruck we are also releasing the Totem Corbet Ruck. 3 are available now, & only 9 will ever be available. My first ruck was handed down to me by my Team Leader, & many other Marines helped me set it up, customizing it to my comfort & for greater performance. The Totem Corbett Ruck reflects that tradition with a comfortable carry handle expertly wrapped with a “silk” escape map (Take your pick: Ukraine or the South Pacific), a USGI issued carabiner restored with a golden ceramic coat, a kidney pad lined with Ukrainian Vyshyvanka sourced while working there, & a handy Vietnam Era Compass pouch that’s perfect for the Corbet Rucks shoulder strap. These are both totems from my own journey, & tools I know you will find helpful

Enjoy your Alice Palace, Robert