Recycled Firefighter The Chief Backpack :: Drive By

I’m all about textures, which directly links to me loving fabrics. Essentially, bags are just fabrics, and sometimes bags just have a real damn fine feel to them. Recycled Firefighter (being referred to as RF in this article) has just made the sexiest bag I’ve ever felt, and it’s called The Chief. RF is all about recycled gear, using materials that are designed to last a lifetime, but may have served their purpose in their old role. The man behind this is Jake Starr, a full-time firefighter in Louisville KY. Jake started sewing in 2014, and since then his garage has become a birthplace for over 20,000 of his wallets, and a whole bunch of other goodies. The Chief is 20L, 19″ tall, 13″ wide and 6″ deep. I would class this as a small pack.

It’s available for pre-order on the 4th July right here.

The Chief is the first backpack from RF and is designed to be a firefighter’s companion to and from the station. These guys are typically on shift for 24 hours, so a loadout for a trip to the station can pretty much include everything. I’m an office drone by day, so my carry typically consists of a laptop, drink bottle, and some other pouches for various items. The Chief swallows this kind of carry extremely well, with plenty of room for a jacket or extras.

“The Chief is the first backpack from RF and is designed to be a firefighter’s companion to and from the station.”

Who It Suits

As you might have already gathered, this bag suits firefighters – it was designed by one! However, The Chief will also suit students, commuters and will make an awesome overnight bag. The laptop compartment will protect your fancy tech; it’s both padded and comes with a 0.5″ thick foam bottom for added protection. It’ll happily swallow up to a 15″ laptop; pictured here is a 13″ MacBook Pro.

Who It Doesn’t

People who rely on a bag’s built-in organisation might have a rough time adjusting their carry to this bag, as it only features two internal pockets and a front stash pocket. The front pocket is awesome for your keys, wallet and phone if you’re wearing especially tight skinny jeans. The two internal pockets will hold any laptop charger and cables, and some random other goodies with ease.

“I’m an office drone by day, so my carry typically consists of a laptop, drink bottle, and some other pouches for various items. The Chief swallows this kind of carry extremely well, with plenty of room for a jacket or extras.”

The Good

The Chief is extremely durable, absolutely fantastically aesthetically marvellous, very comfortable to wear and provides just enough pockets for your daily carry. Given this is RF’s first backpack offering, they’ve done a damn fine job. The shoulder straps here are some of the better ones I’ve come across, being three inches wide and padded; definitely a thumbs-up as a bigger guy. The wider straps also mean any weight in the bag is spread out further across your torso.

“The Chief is extremely durable, absolutely fantastically aesthetically marvellous, very comfortable to wear and provides just enough pockets for your daily carry.”

The clamshell design of The Chief means you can pack clothing super easy, much like a suitcase. YKK #10 zippers are used throughout the bag, along with 550 cord pulls for grip and smoothness. If you’re always carrying your bag by the handle, I can say The Chief has a padded and very comfy-to-hold carry handle.

“The clamshell design of The Chief means you can pack clothing super easy, much like a suitcase.”

For me, the used turnout kit fabric on the front panel is simply a fantastic use of what would otherwise be discarded gear. You really need to get your hands on this to appreciate it. If this high-vis look isn’t for you, The Chief is available in five options:

Recycled FireFighter Bunker Gear in both turnout jacket yellow and fire proximity suit silver.

U.S. Combat Boot Leather in dark chocolate brown, coyote and desert tan.

The Not So Good

There’s no denying it, The Chief is a smallish bag. I’m 6’3 and I found the bag too short for my back, so short that I’m unable to photograph it without unfairly presenting the bag in a negative light. I have broad shoulders and a big chest, and I have this issue with many bags that 97% of people can use without any hindrance. Here’s a photo from the RF product page that shows a more accurate presentation. That being said, the bag is still very comfortable to wear.

“There’s no denying it, The Chief is a smallish bag. I’m 6’3 and I found the bag too short for my back, so short that I’m unable to photograph it without unfairly presenting the bag in a negative light.”

If you’re an absolute organisation freak and can’t handle a bag that doesn’t have pen slots, you may need to rethink this one. The Chief offers sufficient organisation for people who have their own pouches to control small items, but if you rely entirely on the provided internal organisation you may find yourself jingling around with all that looseness.

Others to Consider

If you’re looking in the 15-25L range, the BOgear BullPup is a great option if you need webbing and a hydration port, coming in at 18L. The 21L GORUCK GR1 is also a solid option, with a very similar appearance to The Chief.

“The Chief offers sufficient organisation for people who have their own pouches to control small items, but if you rely entirely on the provided internal organisation you may find yourself jingling around with all that looseness.”

Verdict

The Chief is a great bag; it’s a fantastic use of fabrics with a history behind them. It’s comfortable to wear and will protect your tech. If you’re looking for a daypack or overnight bag and plan to BYO organisation, The Chief should absolutely be on your radar. I’m keen to see what comes next for Recycled Firefighter.