TADgear F.A.S.T. pack Alpha Gen II
Triple Aught Design (TAD Gear) has introduced the second generation (Gen II) of their F.A.S.T. Pack Alpha Model reviewed above. If you haven’t already read the review on the Gen I pack, please read it first, as I’ll be focusing on the changes instead of reiterating the writeup above. If I didn’t mention it here as a difference, you can assume that the Gen II shares the spec as the Gen I. Also, do visit the link to TADGear’s F.A.S.T pack page for lots more detailed photos. The Gen II is not made by MAXPEDITION, and quality/workmanship looks to be on par with the Gen I product.
Overall design and features – The Gen II F.A.S.T. pack at first glance, looks almost exactly like the Gen I. But looks can be deceiving as quite a lot has changed in the details. Overall, the Gen II retains the same capacity, profile and look of the Gen I. It’s still offered in black or OD green and constructed of 1000D Cordura nylon. It’s not as stiff (some might prefer that), but is more heavily coated on the inside with waterproofing. This results in a slightly abrasive coating, which is most noticeable when shoving your hand down inside the pack or pockets, but not really much of an issue. I’d like it to be a bit smoother, of course.
The OD green of the Gen II is slightly ‘grayer’ than the Gen I, and the material is different as well. Accurate colour representation is very difficult on a computer screen. In the studio-lit photos, the webbing looks a lot greener than it really is. There’s actually less contrast between the webbing and pack material than the studio photos show. The photo right below was taken under natural light, with the Gen I on the left and Gen II on the right, and is a more accurate representation of the actual colours.