Way back in 2010 when I wrote about Goruck on this blog for the first time, this is what I had to say: “These Goruck bags are some of the best things I have seen in a long time – I’m expecting big things from the brand.” It really was the truth that I was expecting big things, and it seems very clear now that Goruck was up to the challenge. The tiny bag brand has gone from maker of just a few small packs, with one ACL comment smack-down under its belt, to an esteemed outfitter and widely respected cult-brand. When I spoke to Jason McCarthy for the first time in the fall of 201o, I remember specifically asking when the Goruck duffel bag is coming out. “Be patient,” Jason said. Well, never would I have guessed that it would have taken the this very deliberate brand two solid years to bring a duffel bag to market. But don’t fret friends, the wait is officially over. Today Goruck officially released its Mil Kit and Civvy duffel bags.

Jason and co-founder Jack Barley happened to remember my long ago interest in the duffel and were kind enough to give me one of the first bags to test out. There was no promise of a quid pro quo, but you would have to be crazy to think I wouldn’t want to get this long-awaited Goruck duffel on ACL.

More about the new Goruck duffle from founder Jason McCarthy:

The aviator’s kit bag was one of my favorite pieces of gear, and everyone on my Special Forces team used them to transport a small army’s worth of gear, per person. The wide opening makes them far superior to green Army duffel bags, which nobody uses anymore because nobody likes soup sandwiches at the bottom of a long, narrow bag. But because the aviator’s kit bag was designed for one purpose and one purpose only (airborne operations), it falls a little short when used elsewhere. So we at GORUCK decided to modernize it and do it in two sizes, mil to indicate a larger military sizing, and civvy to indicate smaller civilian sizing. We added all the functionality the guys and I always wished they had – not for jumping, but for daily use, travel, and storage. And in that process we abused kit bags like it was going out of style.

The version I have been using (pictured here) is the Civvy kit bag, which retails for $195. Goruck also makes a larger version called the Mil Kit, which is insanely big and retails for $245. Both are entirely sourced and manufactured in the United States. While Goruck has the gestation period of an elephant, the product that it turns out is consistently of the highest caliber. In a world of fast fashion and the race for the bottom, it is good to know high standards and patience still exist. [Goruck]