TFB Review: 5.11 Tactical RUSH 24 2.0 Backpack - After 3 Years

The security check at the Mogadishu airport is no joke. The capital of Somalia has been a war zone for years, and the airport is often considered the safest place in the entire city, so naturally, the airport's security has a reputation to uphold.

Getting through security is a 5-step process. Dogs are searching your baggage outside of the airport; there is the first security post before check-in, the second security check before the gates. At the gates, an entirely different security company checks you one more time, doing a full body search and getting hand swabs from every passenger.

And when you're inside the gate, they search your carry-on one final time. They used to do it on the tarmac, under the scorching African sun, but in recent years, security started to do the last check indoors, so you have to put your carry-on on the floor and step aside for a while.

People who come to Mogadisho often put their bags in the designated place right after the last security check, and so did I. I placed my grey 5.11 Rush 24 2.0 on the floor and stepped aside. A minute later, another security contractor placed his backpack right beside mine. The same Rush 24, just in a different color. I took a photo and thought - what are the odds?

Well, when I thought about it, the odds were not that crazy. The 5.11 Rush series is a very popular backpack. I got this grey Rush 24 2.0 back in 2023, and before that, I used Rush 72 for over 10 years, and wrote a detailed review of this backpack.

And while Rush 72 was a bit too big for airline carry-on, Rush 24 seems perfect for that task, so anytime I fly, I take it with me. It is also big enough for day hikes, so these days I rarely use any other backpack. After using it for a few years, I put together a list of pros and cons.

Pros

2. New concealed pocket. It is relatively easy to access, but located out of sight; and fits a handgun with a holster or a large notebook. It doesn’t add any bulk to the backpack, and it is a great way to separate important things from all the other stuff.

3. New laptop pouch. In my Rush 72, I had to remove the frame sheet to carry a laptop case in the hydration compartment. On Rush 24 2.0, you have a padded laptop pouch inside the pack.

And when I have to carry two laptops for two different projects (who can afford just one job in this economy?), I put the big laptop into the designated pouch, and the 13-inch laptop in a plastic case fits neatly into the hydration compartment.

4. Shoulder strap design. All Rush series backpacks have a very specific design of shoulder straps, and I never had to repair those, unlike some of my other backpacks, where straps start to tear away after a few years.

Cons

1. Tactical look. 5.11 Rush 24 2.0 looks like a military backpack. For certain applications, it is a huge advantage - for example, I recently bought a green Rush 24 as a present for a friend in the Japanese military. This backpack blends in with the standard-issue military gear so well that he would never get in trouble for using privately purchased gear.

But if you’re trying to be a “grey man”, buying a grey Rush 24 2.0 won’t make you one. Instead, you might wanna check out the 5.11 Low-Vis Carry collection.