After last week’s exposé on sub-25L backpacks, a few brave souls dared to inquire about the pack I strap to my own spine. And while the AER packs (and their ilk) might dance seductively in the dreams of urban nomads, they’re not my muse.

Years ago, in a feverish moment of clarity, I embraced the GORUCK GR3, a travel pack so rugged and capacious it could double as a lifeboat. It turned me into a zealot. But the time came to part with that behemoth, and now, I’ve found solace in a symphony of packs that cater to my every whim. My camera bag? A GORUCK Bullet. My travel companion? The GORUCK GR2. And my sub-25L paramour? The dual-chambered GORUCK Bullet.

So why, you ask, didn’t I champion the Bullet in my 25L feature last week? Simple. It’s not for the faint of heart or the uninitiated. If you aren’t committing to the full GORUCK gospel, there are far shinier baubles to catch your eye.

The logic behind this system is twofold:

Firstly, I eschew bags bloated with organization. Instead, I wield modular pouches to corral my essentials. This way, I can effortlessly transfer these pouches from one bag to another, adapting to the mission du jour. GORUCK bags, blessedly spartan in their internal configuration, suit my packing ethos to a tee.

Secondly, I crave familiarity like a junkie craves his next fix. Every GORUCK bag exudes a sense of deja vu. Master one, and you’ve got the rest licked. Take my double-compartment Bullet: it’s essentially a pint-sized doppelgänger of the GORUCK GR2. Thus, I navigate these bags with the ease of a seasoned grifter working a familiar con. The layout remains a constant; the capacities, a mere variable.

This system works for me, a deranged connoisseur of chaos and order. But I harbor no delusions that the masses would flock to this creed with the same fervor.

Still curious? Unravel the mysteries of the 18L Double Compartment Bullet here.