By Eberlestock is a premium maker of hunting/tactical gear based out of Boise Idaho. Their gear is used by some of the elite Israeli and US sniper forces. With packs ranging from uber tactical to almost every variation of camouflage pattern you can think of. They’ve taken a step into the urban/covert market with the introduction of there Little Trick backpack. A low profile yet capable mix of tactical material built for urban functions.
Total volume: 1,140 c.i.
Weight: 3lbs. 9oz. / 1.61kg
Dimension: 19”h, 12”w, 7”d / 48.3cm/h x 30.5cm/w x 17.8cm/d
Material: NT7
At first glance the Little Trick is pretty rounded with a softer material than normal tactical bags use. The NT7 nylon swells and stretches around items making it look awkward at times when the outer pockets are loaded. It has a tendency to look egg shaped from the side when carried.
The suspension system is almost overkill for a bag this size. With a ladder system to adjust the harness for different torso lengths and back airflow padding over an inch thick. It feels and rides very comfortable even fully loaded. The straps are robust and wide with about ½ inch of padding. The suspension system is definitely overbuilt but is useful when you max out the capacity of the bag.
Great YKK zippers throughout with moulded zipper-pulls on every zipper. As well as utilising a reversed zipper for a more sleek look with added dust protection.
A top lid admin pocket with pen slots, three sleeve pockets, and two padded radio pockets. The admin pocket is functional but limited.
On either side you have identical flat stash pockets that go the length of the bag, as well as water bottle pockets on both sides. Keep in mind storing items in the zippered pocket take away room from the already tight fitting bottle pockets. Depending on your use the pockets may be too shallow. Only covering about half my 32oz/1L Hydroflask. However there is another option for hydration storage.
With the internal hydration pocket (designed for a 2L bladder) my Hydroflask fits perfect. Only down sides are taking interior space and with no drain hole making this solution risky.
The zippers are designed in a way that they will stop a few inches down from the turn of the zipper. This is extremely useful for top loading enthusiasts. It’s solid enough (at least after 6 months of use) that they won’t just pull down spilling your load.
However for people that like a more clamshell style the bag can fully open to about ¾ of the way down. The Trick has padding on the back panel and both side wings, making it ideal for any type of sensitive items such as laptops or firearms. With five elastic pockets, a laptop sleeve, and velcro lined MOLLE the Trick allows fans of all types of organisation to load it how they want.
The Trick is using a new type of webbing called -10 webbing. Designed to be 60% lighter than traditional 25mm webbing. It definitely looks sleeker and less tactical the traditional webbing, but in practice the pouches I added on always felt loose and flopping around. It’s hard to tell if that’s a response to the thinner webbing or the more flexible fabric not giving a sturdy enough base. For my usage at least the webbing was only used for short periods to free up space on the interior.
One innovative feature I loved was the expandable bottom pocket. Designed to extend out to carry a rifle if needed. It can be opened up to give the user extra space on the inside. It looks a little odd but the extra storage is nice to have when needed.
And if not needed the pocket can be zipped up making an extra storage pocket separate from the interior. Perfect for flat items like gloves or a Shemagh.
On the back panel the Trick also offers a hidden pocket with a magnetised closure designed for off-body carry. With strong magnets on either side making it ambidextrous. In my usage the magnets were almost too strong with the pocket being too small to easily draw from. (Glock 26)
The only issues I wish were fixed on updates to the Trick would be deeper bottle pockets. Another inch or two would free up at least a litre more space on the interior for me. Also a more office oriented admin pocket, with elastic pockets to fit different sized items as well as one or two zippered pockets instead of sleeves. When you fully open the bag the top lid flips upside down and unsecured items in the lid pocket tend to fly around.
All in all I love this pack. It works well downtown or up a mountain. The best things in bags for me are ease of use, and the Trick is easy. With enough pockets, internal space, and attachment options everything just fits and with the backpacking style suspension system any load felts great. Never unbalanced or a burden to carry.
The Perfect Pack 