Best Everyday Carry Backpacks: Mystery Ranch Urban Assault Backpack - Gear Hacker

The Mystery Ranch Urban Assault is a great commuter and trail bag. The exterior simplicity will make it appealing to everyone from office workers to college students. The internal storage and ability to hold both a laptop and tablet are excellent features for anyone tackling the urban jungle. The pack also comes in 13 colors, which is a nice feature, and for only $125, it is a great value.

We participate in affiliate programs to help us fund Gear Hacker. Some of the links in this website are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product using our link, we will earn a small commission. Don’t worry! This comes at no additional cost to you, and we will never base our reviews on whether or not we earn a commission off of a product. With that said, if you find our review helpful and decide to purchase an item we review, we would be very appreciative if you use our links to do so. It will help us bring you more awesome content in the future!

Compare to Similar Products

See Our Best EDC Backpack Review 2021

Aer Flight Pack 2

Buy Now at Aersf.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 90% 90%
Comfort 70% 70%
Durability 80% 80%

Pros



Amazing Organization

Cons



A Bit Too Small For Everything You Might Need In A Day.

Dimensions: 18x12x5”

Weight: 2.8lbs

The North Face Borealis

Buy Now at Backcountry.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 80% 80%
Comfort 80% 80%
Durability 80% 80%

Pros



Great Organization



Fleece-Lined Laptop Sleeve

Cons



Seems To Be Built Only For Students—Not Professionals.

Dimensions: 19.75x13.25x9.75”

Weight: 2.9lbs

Dayfarer Backpack

Buy Now at Moderndayfarer.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 80% 80%
Comfort 70% 70%
Durability 90% 90%

Pros



Shoe Pocket



Fully Accessible Main Compartment

Cons



Limited Accessory Pockets On Exterior

Dimensions: 18x12x7”

Weight: 2.4lbs

Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack

Buy Now at Tortugabackpacks.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 90% 90%
Comfort 70% 70%
Durability 80% 80%

Pros



Laptop And Tablet Pocket

Cons



Straps Take Time To Break-In

Dimensions: 18.75x12x6.75”

Weight: 2.8lbs

GoRuck GR1

Buy Now at GoRuck.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 70% 70%
Comfort 80% 80%
Security 100% 100%

Pros



Extremely Durable



Good Internal Storage Options

Cons



Limited External Organization



A Bit Big For An EDC Pack

Dimensions: 20x12x6.75”

Weight: 3.20lbs

Osprey Daylite Plus

Buy Now at Backcountry.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 90% 90%
Comfort 90% 90%
Durability 70% 70%

Pros



Versatile For Urban Or Backcountry Uses

Cons



May Not Be Great As An “Office” EDC Pack

Dimensions: 18x10x9”

Weight: 1lbs

Peak Design Everyday Backpack

Buy Now at Backcountry.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 80% 80%
Comfort 80% 80%
Durability 80% 80%

Pros



Great For Photographers

Cons



Quite Heavy



Hipbelt Is Sold Separately

Dimensions: 18x13x7”

Weight: 4.43lbs

Mystery Ranch Urban Assault

Buy Now at Gearx.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 70% 70%
Comfort 90% 90%
Durability 90% 90%

Pros



Material Quality



Room For Both Laptop And Tablet

Cons



Limited External Storage

Dimensions: 20.25x10x8.75”

Weight: 2.8lbs

Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack

Buy Now at Amazon.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 80% 80%
Comfort 60% 60%
Durability 60% 60%

Pros



Super Inexpensive

Cons



Shoulder Straps Are Not Very Comfortable And Twist Easily

Dimensions: 18x11x5”

Weight: 1.7lbs (1.69kg)

Tom Bihn Synapse

Buy Now at Tombihn.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 90% 90%
Comfort 90% 90%
Durability 90% 90%

Pros



Design Quality



Waterproof Zippers

Cons



Center-Mounted Hydration

Dimensions: 20x13.4x9.1” (expands to 7.5”)

Weight: 2lbs (for the 525D nylon version)

Evergoods CPL 24 v2

Buy Now at Huckberry.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 90% 90%
Comfort 90% 90%
Durability 90% 90%

Pros



Side Access Pockets



Side Handle Combination

Cons



Price

Dimensions: 18.25x12x7.25”

Weight: 2.9lbs

Fjallraven Kanken 15” Laptop

Buy Now at Amazon.com

Compare Best Prices

Storage and Organization 80% 80%
Comfort 70% 70%
Durability 80% 80%

Pros



Simple Pockets And Top Handle

Cons



Thin Shoulder Straps

Dimensions: 15x11x6”

Weight: 1lbs

Mystery Ranch creates unique packs. The signature tri-zipper that allows for excellent access into the main compartment on many of their packs is exactly that—unique. The Mystery Ranch Urban Assault is their foray into the EDC world, and it is a great little pack. The Urban Assault is available in18l, 21l or 24l and is inspired by the US Military, but it is ultimately extremely simple and easy to use.

Storage and Organization

This may be one of the easier explanations in terms of storage and organization. There is one zippered pocket on the top of the pack for quick access to smaller items such as keys or a phone. Other than a few gear loops on the outside of the pack, that’s it.

The real organization for the Urban Assault comes in the main compartment. Inside of the trizip, which opens to allow for full access to the main compartment, there are two pockets for a laptop and tablet. Both of these pockets have two inches of clearance from the bottom of the pack to protect them from accidental drops. Also on the inside of the main compartment on each “wing,” there are zippered accessory pockets for improved internal organization. And that is it. We really like the simplicity of the Urban Assault. It is missing some minor features on the outside of the pack that we have become used to—like a water bottle pocket or a stash pocket for extra layers, but all of that can be stored inside the main compartment.

Comfort

Mystery Ranch has created a comfortable pack. The Urban Assault uses almost overly padded shoulder straps with a sternum strap for a very comfortable fit. Along the backpanel, there is aerospace mesh ventilation that remains comfortable even on long days. There is a full length framesheet for added comfort and to help protect your electronics while on the go.

Material and Durability

Again Mystery Ranch will not let you down with their build quality. While checking out some online reviews of the pack to see what others thought, someone reported that the pack even held up during a motorcycle crash—as it protected the wearer. That is some serious real world testing!

The pack itself is made using 500D Cordura nylon, which is a very rugged and capable material, and the HDPE framesheet is solid and will stand the test of time. Along with the YKK zippers that have been used on the pack, there is a weatherproofing covering to help protect your gear.

The Bottom Line

The Mystery Ranch Urban Assault deserves to be on the Best Everyday Carry Packs of 2021 list for its build quality and creative simplicity. The internal organization and ability to hold both a laptop and a tablet will make this a great commuter pack for travellers in any urban jungle. The shoulder straps and backpanel comfort allow the pack to also be a great friend on the trails as well. Overall, Mystery Ranch once again has not let us down.

Compare Prices From Retailers Below

Outdoor Gear Exchange

Mountain Steals

You help support Gear Hacker by purchasing from our retail partners.

We participate in affiliate programs to help us fund Gear Hacker. Some of the links in this website are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product using our link, we will earn a small commission. Don’t worry! This comes at no additional cost to you, and we will never base our reviews on whether or not we earn a commission off of a product. With that said, if you find our review helpful and decide to purchase an item we review, we would be very appreciative if you use our links to do so. It will help us bring you more awesome content in the future!

You Might Also Like

Best EDC Backpacks of 2021 - Gear Hacker

Mystery Ranch Urban Assault Review

Table Of Contents

Compare to Similar Products

Pros

Amazing Organization

Cons

A Bit Too Small For Everything You Might Need In A Day.

Pros

Great Organization

Fleece-Lined Laptop Sleeve

Cons

Seems To Be Built Only For Students—Not Professionals.

Pros

Shoe Pocket

Fully Accessible Main Compartment

Cons

Limited Accessory Pockets On Exterior

Pros

Laptop And Tablet Pocket

Cons

Straps Take Time To Break-In

Pros

Extremely Durable

Good Internal Storage Options

Cons

Limited External Organization

A Bit Big For An EDC Pack

Pros

Versatile For Urban Or Backcountry Uses

Cons

May Not Be Great As An “Office” EDC Pack

Pros

Great For Photographers

Cons

Quite Heavy

Hipbelt Is Sold Separately

Pros

Material Quality

Room For Both Laptop And Tablet

Cons

Limited External Storage

Pros

Super Inexpensive

Cons

Shoulder Straps Are Not Very Comfortable And Twist Easily

Pros

Design Quality

Waterproof Zippers

Cons

Center-Mounted Hydration

Pros

Side Access Pockets

Side Handle Combination

Cons

Price

Pros

Simple Pockets And Top Handle

Cons

Thin Shoulder Straps

Storage and Organization

Comfort

Material and Durability

The Bottom Line

Compare Prices From Retailers Below

You Might Also Like