Few bags have stood the test of time for everyday carry as GORUCK’s iconic GR1 rucksack. Sure, it may have changed colors and exterior features over the years, but its simple and efficient core design and impeccable attention to details have kept it at the top of the game for over 10 years. So how do you keep the GR1 fresh and exciting without reinventing the wheel? In the case of GORUCK’s first collaboration with Carryology, the choice was clear: upgrade every aspect of the bag to the highest possible level of materials and construction. The result is the Guerilla X: every bit the GR1 of the past, built for carry far into the future.
You’d be forgiven at first glance if you thought that it was the same old GR1, or more accurately, its Slick incarnation, from afar. The Guerilla X maintains the GR1’s classic boxy silhouette (originally sketched by GORUCK’s Jason McCarthy and Carryology’s Taylor Welden on napkins that hang on the wall at GORUCK HQ to this day), but the closer you get to it, the more its unique details come to light. First of all, the Guerilla X comes with a Velcro patch field the Slick doesn’t have—more on this later. Second, the bag’s shinier outer material isn’t the usual signature matte 1000D CORDURA either. And finally, there seems to be a new zipper up top near the grab handle with an orange hit not usually seen on black GR1s.
The second item is by far the most important upgrade of the project. GR1s are already designed to last a lifetime on their use of 1000D, so how do you take that to the next level? At one corner of the highest tech of materials lies Dyneema, one of the most advanced fabrics used in modern apparel, known for the strength of its fibers as much as its almost impossibly light weight. The Guerilla X makes use of CT9Hw6/blkwov6, Dyneema’s most rugged incarnation. The list of bags designed for EDC built with a full Dyneema exterior is a short one—its common application is for ultralight hiking packs—but to see it on a bag as iconic and popular as the GR1 is special.
And then there’s that Velcro patch. Since the collaboration was already going all out with the Dyneema construction, any old nylon or PVC patch won’t do, especially since past Carryology collaborations each came with their own unique emblem. For the Guerilla X, it took no less than a collaboration with designer Dan Matsuda and Marc Mummert of Mummert Knives to bring a one-of-a-kind, 2“ x 3” laser-engraved titanium patch to life. Fittingly, it features Guerilla X himself, an intergalactic warrior from the future.
Last but not least is that mysterious orange hit at the top. It’s a hi-vis zipper pull that serves double duty: it marks the spot where a very welcome addition to the GR1 was placed—a quick access pocket—as well as match the Guerilla X’s blaze orange 500D CORDURA interior. The contrast is a functional feature against the bag’s all-black exterior, helping identify its contents even in low light.
The GR1 in any iteration is arguably an “endgame” bag, but in all aspects the Guerilla X is its true final frontier. There’s a small window to grab one in each of its two sizes (especially since its first two releases from GORUCK sold in minutes), but our friends at Huckberry have given us the scoop for their own launch. Set your alarms: the Guerilla X lands at 12:01 AM on June 10th EDT. Bookmark Huckberry’s brand page at the link below, and be prepared when it arrives.
