The GORUCK 15L Shoulder Bag has been out for some time now but I haven’t picked one up until recently. I hadn’t grabbed one because I’m not really a shoulder bag kind of person… I don’t think they fit well on me and I don’t find them comfortable. However, their recent fire sale on these bags led to throw down some money and give it a chance… so here we are.
The front has a very slick look to it with a small 3″x2″ patch area in the bottom right. The bag looks very crisp and you can definitely tell it was made by GORUCK.
The two outer pockets are designed for something skinny (thin book, paper, etc.) that you’d like to be able to grab without getting into the main pack.
The back of the bag looks very similar to the back of a GORUCK GRX pack which helps gives it the GORUCK feel.
There is one clip on each side of the pack to attach the included shoulder strap on. GORUCK makes a padded shoulder strap as well if this one ends up being painful or you need something comfier.
The included shoulder strap is the same that they sell on the site with the made in the USA clips.
The handles are a thin padding and very similar to the Standard Ruck Carry Handles that we sell. If you have one of those then you already have a good idea of what these handles feel like.
Paracord zipper pulls encased in heatshrink tubing are found throughout the bag. This has definitely become a trademark on the GORUCK bags and they did not leave it off of these.
The laptop pocket is huge and there is a ton of padding to protect your prized possession.
Closer shot of the inside.
A glimpse into the main pocket showing the internal zippers. It’s tough to get a good shot of the inside due to the small opening.
The label is on the inside and looks great… not that anyone will ever see it.
Scaling back a little here’s the zipper pockets on the right side. You can see that each takes up roughly 1/4 of the side of the bag.
Moving a little left you see the third zipper pocket which takes up the other half of that side of the bag. This one is mesh (like one of the quarter pockets) but it’s still a little tough to see objects that are deep down in there.
The opposite side features one large zipper pocket which runs the width of the bag.
Overall it feels like a very well-built bag but time will only tell how usable it is. If you like these pictures then you’ll be happy to know that when this was posted they were discounted over 50% off on the GORUCK website. Have experience with one? We’d love to hear about it in the comments while this thing is being reviewed.
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Thanks for the info, Brian. I am a huge GORUCK fan but have never had the opportunity to purchase this bag, as it’s no longer produced. It’s extremely hard to find on the secondary market too!
Anyway, I just wanted to know if you’re still using this bag, and if so, how you like it. I have been using the 32L Kit Bag as my EDC (the GR1 just doesn’t fit in with my office environment on days that require me to wear a suit). I would really like to know your thoughts so I can be ready to make a decision if one of these happen to pop up on the secondary market any time soon. Thanks!
I’m not the biggest fan of messenger bags and actually ended up giving it to a friend. One of the things I absolutely love about GORUCK bags is that they open fully and allow you to get to anything on the inside. It’s a really well made bag and very high quality but I didn’t like not being able to fully open it up. If that’s not an issue for you then it could definitely be a great option. One of the bonuses about this bag is that since it is so hard to find on the secondary market there’s a good chance, if you can buy one, that if it doesn’t work out you could just resell it at minimal loss.
It looks like there’s one on eBay right now (0 bids) for $229 + Shipping which seems a bit expensive… but again, you really don’t see them much anymore.
Thanks for the quick response! That helps a lot. When I’m on a trip or walking around town, I love the ability to open the GR1 up completely as well. However, I haven’t minded using the Kit Bag so much for work even though it doesn’t open as well as the GR1 and GR2 packs. My main complaint with the Kit Bag is the lack of shape and its bulk. That’s where I was thinking the messenger bag may help despite the lack of opening.
I may give it a shot. Thanks again for the info and suggestions!
Thanks for the information Brian. I ordered one last night in Wolf Gray. Can’t wait to take delivery of it.
Let me know what you think of it when it shows up! I have a good friend who has been using shoulder bags for years so I sent mine to him to check out.
I finally took delivery of the 15L Shoulder Bag in Wolf Grey this week and I must admit I love it! I had previously been using a Patagonia Half Mass bag as my briefcase for several years and it just got too tired looking for the office environment and when traveling on business. I had recently been using my GORUCK GR1 as a replacement for a couple of months knowing that I had to get something….I just didn’t know what. When this bag hit the fire sale on the GORUCK website, and after reading Brian’s comments on it, I took the plunge and ordered one. First off, it screams GORUCK, but in a much more business and civilized manner – which is perfect for my needs. It also frees up my GR1 to keep to its duties as my favorite rucksack in the world and not have to do double duty as a business bag at the same time. I’ve only had the Shoulder Bag for a few days this week, but I can already tell that I am going to forge a strong bond with it as my office bag. Not to mention, my ACU/Silver Tennessee State Flag patch looks awesome on the patch down in the corner.