GoRuck Claymore Sling Bag:​ Review

GoRuck is a community favorite. They are well known for their tough packs and even tougher events that come from a solid foundation within the Army Special Forces community. Their packs are well known to be robust, well built, and to the point. The Claymore Sling, however, is a bit of a change from GoRuck making rucks and other fitness oriented soft goods, but it still remains true to the company’s military roots. In fact, this is a modern take on an actual sling that has been in use by the US military to carry claymore mines and some related devices. Once the mine was used, service members used the slings for whatever else they could find a use for it from extra ammunition for combat to shaving kits. 

This Claymore follows the same idea of sustainment, but for the non-mine carrying crowd. Getting the Claymore sling in, I saw the potential for being a good sling to carry around town or for the coffee shop commando days.

Tech Specs

	Metric	Imperial
Length	35.56 cm	14 in
Width	N/A	N/A
Height	29.85 cm	11.75 in
Weight

Primary Materials: 330D Cordura Nylon, ITW Duraflex buckles, YKK Reverse Coil Zippers

Quality and Comfort

Quality here is the standard bombproof quality that GoRuck is known for. The whole sling is constructed from 330D Cordura Nylon, so the bag is light and pliable but still tough. Despite GoRuck being famous for their indestructible 1000D Cordura nylon, the 330D is actually an appropriate choice of fabric given that the Claymore is for sustainment and for lighter use. Since the 330D is smoother, it does seem to pick up dust a bit easy, but thankfully it does not pill or damage clothing. The bag is rounded out with the use of YKK zippers, along with Duraflex buckles and hardware. All of this gives the old Claymore sling a subtle, but effective update.  

As far as comfort goes, the Claymore is comfortable enough. The bag uses a wide strap made from 2 inch webbing with an adjustment slider to adjust the ride on the user. However, there is a bit of an issue when it comes to the strap, the way it naturally falls means that the slider has a tendency to be upside down and can dig onto the user’s body. The strap can be folded due to its attachment which can have the slider be right side up, correcting the issue but does necessitate some constant attention whenever being picked up. Despite that issue, the Claymore carries very comfortably even with tech or denser carry thanks to that wide strap and range of adjustability. There is also a foam sheet to help give the bag rigidity but aids in comfort as well. 

Organization

The organization is well done, especially for a bag this size. There is a flat zippered main compartment that works best for flatter items like notebooks, tablets, and even a Nintendo Switch Lite.

Moving on, the Claymore also has two gusseted vertical pockets that make up most of the usable volume for the bag.  These pockets are able to lay flat when not in use or expand to being able to fit a standard 1-liter Nalgene bottle. At the mouth of these vertical pockets, there is a small row of two loops of PALS webbing which serves best for anything to be on hand like a set of keys on an 8Timber Terra clip. The flap of the Claymore also has the signature 2” x 3” loop tape space for any patches your heart may desire.

What’s Perfect

• The Claymore is straightforward and efficient in how it works, it’s a great example of “less is more.”
• Great size and the organization is versatile for various roles and outings from EDC, supplementing pocket gear 
• High value and accessibility to a wide range of consumers, at a suggested retail price of $50 USD.

What’s Not

• The strap could still benefit from an update on how it attaches to the bag to make it so the strap does not twist when donning on or off.
• The 330D Nylon has a tendency to pick up dust and dander more easily due to the thinner yarns and weave, while more of a material issue, it could be a point of contention for some.

Wrap Up

The GoRuck Claymore sling is a versatile sling that takes the nostalgia of surplus militaria and gives it a facelift with modern materials and adjustability upgrades. The Claymore is very versatile and surprisingly spacious, especially thanks to the gusseted pockets. While the use of the old pattern means the strap is attached in a weird, almost uncomfortable way, the GoRuck Claymore sling is a very useful and formidable sling — especially for its retail price of $50 USD which can be bought here.

Editor’s Note: the GoRuck Claymore Sling was purchased privately and used subsequently for this review. The content of the review was not shared with GoRuck prior to publishing. Our reviews are unbiased and never edited to keep brands happy.