Aid Bags
I spent my tour in Iraq with a STOMP II Aid Bag. This is a very nice and large Aid Bag. However, there are several problems with it in my eyes that made it a less than perfect bag. First of all, I am not a fan of the “one big pouch” design. Granted inside the big center pouch is some zippered pouches and the large outside pouch has loops and zippered pouches, its just not configurable enough for me. Secondly, its a big square without any real internal frame. It has a soft padded foam back, and the straps are not big enough to shoulder the bag comfortably over an IBA. My Aid Bag generally weighed about 60 -70 pounds. I carried everything but the kitchen sink on my back, whether the particular mission called for it or not. Sometimes I could get away with leaving it in the hummer while I carried a smaller homemade “leg rig” I designed from a SAW pouch and a couple of utility pouches. The thing is the STOMP II ended up making my back ache terribly after a short time since the frame was soft and the bag didn’t sit right on my back due to the frame and straps.
