If you have kids, you know that they tend to come with a lot of gear. If you have kids, you probably end up carrying a lot of their gear. Fight and Flight Tactical thinks it is high time that kids started carrying their own gear, so Dave, the owner, created the Youth Utility Carrier Kit or YUCK. The YUCK is a kid sized backpack that is made durable enough for adults. It offers some kid specific features that really make it useful to a parent.
The YUCK can carry everything your little operator needs to fast rope into story time at the library.
Quality
The YUCK is constructed from the same materials as a typical adult sized 3 day pack. It features 1000D Cordura nylon construction that is fully lined with 420D pack cloth. This adds durability and water resistance. It uses quality plastic hardware and features burly inverted zippers. All of the cloth edges are bound and for the most part, there are box stitches and bar tacks everywhere that you would expect them.
There are some nits that I could pick in a few places. There are spots where the stitching isn’t quite straight and I did have to go over the packs with a lighter when I first received them to burn off some extra thread. So far, none of these things have effected function and, on the whole, these bags are far better made than anything that I have been able to buy off the shelf. Your children are not going to wear this pack out.
Kid smart features like D ring leash points and an oversized grab handle show that an actual parent designed this bag.
Features
There are a lot of kid specific features on this pack that make it really stand out. There are 2 d-ring attachment points for use with a leash. The mesh side pockets are actually large enough to accept every sippy cup that we own (this is not the case with any other kids pack that I have tried). The oversized grab handle is a convenient place to steer your child through a crowd or prevent them from stepping into traffic. Another oft overlooked feature on kids packs is a sternum strap. Sternum straps are important for keeping the shoulder straps from slipping off of tiny children’s shoulders. Obviously, Dave is a dad.
There is a second leash point on the center of the pack, under the MOLLE panel.
The pack features some organization. There is a good sized pouch (9″x6″x2″) that can be used to store small items. The interior front of the main compartment has a full height mesh pocket that can help separate contents in the main compartment. The main compartment itself is surprisingly spacious at about 12″x11″x3″. The main compartment is accessible via a zipper that extends about 2/3rds of the bag’s height. It is a panel loading type set up that allows the bag to accessed when it is standing up or laying on its back.
The interior mesh pocket offers a way to organize the main compartment of the YUCK.
The YUCK also features a 1″x6″ section of color (or camo) matched hook and loop for names tapes and an additional 4″x3″ section of hook and loop for patches. I had Multicam and hot pink nametapes made for my daughters and they love their Mojo Tactical TACTICUTE tabs.
There is also a 4 column by 2 row MOLLE webbing panel on the front of the pack. You can attach small pouches here or use it to stow slender items like chemlights or, more appropriately, string cheese.
Chemlights? Flex cuffs? Nah... my little operator tactically deploys cheese sticks.
In Use
My oldest daughter loves her “pack pack”. She mostly wears it around the house for adventures and then we use it as her day bag. We use another bag as a diaper bag for my youngest daughter. Both bags have seen daily use and still look like new after several months.
I underestimated just how much my 2 year old would like the fact that these bags were camouflage, just like many of my backpacks. I think the best thing about these bags has been watching my daughter enjoy having something just like daddy.
A sternum strap and comfortable harness are a must on a kids pack.
The kid specific features that I mentioned above make this pack great. So many packs have poorly sized pouches and lack a sternum strap. I have to believe that most packs were designed by people who never had a child. The YUCK pack is obviously built by a parent. It just works for parents and children.
Dave sized these packs very well. They are large enough to serve as a diaper bag and small enough to easily slip under the stroller when you are at the zoo.
My oldest operator... planning her next mission.
Conclusion
I was tired of bag makers that made children’s bags of poorer quality than their adult lines. If anything, your kids will be harder on their gear so the bags must be durable. You can buy a $20 backpack that will last your kid a year or you can buy a $50 bag that they will be able to hand down to their siblings (and probably their own kids). The YUCK is a children’s backpack that is designed for kids and built to stand up to them. That is just what I was looking for.
If you want your kid to start carrying their own gear, check out the YUCK on FightandFlight.com.
