Guest blog: Endy Extras for the Savotta Light Border Patrol/Jaakari M

Introducing our first blog post which comes from one of our regular customers, Gaz - aka 'G in the Beacons'....over to you Gaz!

"Pictured is my Savotta Light Border Patrol pack, the 25L predecessor to the 20-30L Savotta Jaakari M. As used by the Finnish border guard. Made in Finland for the Finnish military, so you know it's good cake.

Disclaimer: these are the inner musings of a know-nothing nobody and should in no way be taken seriously enough to cause even the slightest of offence to anyone.

Why a Light Border Patrol/Jaakari M?: this is my one and done high-speed-low-drag tactical bug out bag/INCH bag/survival kit... or just my camping gear on the weekends. One bag to rule them all but 25L bro, why so small? Because high-speed-low-drag SAWC you see. It is true that professional soldiers often carry up to 100lbs worth of gear in their packs but they also sometimes ditch their packs so as to move and/or fight more effectively. With that in mind I ask you which is better, the bag that had all your gear in that you had to ditch for reason X or the bag with only the gear you really need that is always with you no matter what?

Whichever size of bag you choose, you then need to find someone to make it strong and reliable and for my money there is no one making better stuff than Savotta right now, at least not on this side of the great pond.

The wisdom of Dave Pearson teaches us that a fully comprehensive INCH bag will weigh in somewhere between 30 to 40lbs, later adding that a 25L pack should comfortably carry a 20lb maximum loadout. GBGB recommends a loadout that equates to a comfortable 10% of a persons body weight (pushing it to a maximum of 20%).

If we choose to follow the guidelines given to us by these 2 sages of the YouTube woodland then that means that for a roughly 14 stone/200lb male like myself a 25L pack is the perfect choice - 10% of 200lbs is 20lbs (comfortable 25L day bag) and 20% of 200lbs is 40lbs (pushing it to full on INCH bag). So a good 25L pack (with extras) has potentially both short term and long term loadout capabilities while staying relatively compact and physically manageable enough to stay with you 99% of the time.

Endy Extras for the Savotta Light Border Patrol/Jaakari M

Outside: attached to the bottom is a 6L British jungle compression sack which takes us up to 31L nice and neat like without changing the profile of the bag too much. Providing a safe and secure place to store the trusty wool blanket/spare clothing/weather layers etc. and freeing up those 6L of valuable space inside the pack. Secured via 2 British 100cm loading straps making use of the molle/pals webbing provided on the bottom of the pack. Further straps can be used to secure bulkier items to the outside of the pack. Tents, sleeping mats, axes, shovels, walking poles, tripods, printing tools... the possibilities are endless but only if you've got enough straps.

Inside: flip the top and the inside of the pack is the perfect size for a British small sil-nylon insertion sack. It will cover exactly half of the inside so either 1 or 2 of these sacks can be used effectively. These are for the safe separation of wet gear like tarps, water bottles etc. and anything that you would rather keep dry such as your 50% Norwegian lambswool socks. Swap items between inner insertion sacks and outer compression sack as needed. Fill with bug out/survival/camping gear of choice, don't forget the first aid kit and please remember to bring your rubbish home with you ya filthy animal!"