Exigent Circumstance Pack (ECP)

I recently started running with the Exigent Circumstance Pack (ECP) from First Spear. From the moment I got hands on this pack, I knew it was going to be great for lightweight load-outs.

For an assault pack it is the perfect size—if it’s too big, you will inevitably find things to fill it with. The ECP is big enough to accommodate what you need and force you to carefully think over your load-out and strip away unnecessary weight.

The included shoulder straps are perfect for this type of pack. With very minimal padding they easily pack into a pocket for emergency use. I keep the pack attached to my kit, but found the small attachment straps that were included did not work very well. I ended up taking some extra fastex buckles I had and using a dremel tool to make them split-bar buckles. You can buy split-bar buckles but I find the gap to be too big, increasing the chance that the buckle gets pulled off. If you cut the slot yourself with a Dremel tool you can make a smaller cut to get a tighter fit on the webbing. I also had some webbing sewn onto the shoulder pads of my LBT plate carrier. Using the fastex buckles keeps the pack snug on the plate carrier and also allows you to quickly get it off to access tools and gear. I also replaced the zipper pulls with some gutted 550 cord and heat shrink tubing.

Currently I carry the pack without the outer pouch attached and I keep my night gear in there (lights, chem lights, NVGs, etc).

Overall, a great assault pack with a lot of options for how to use and carry it. The only features I would change would be to include split-bar fastex buckles for use when attaching the bag to body armor/plate carrier and to have the zipper for the main compartment extend the length of the bag to allow you to splay the bag open to have full access to the inside.