Who’d a thunk it? Actually . . . if you’ve had an eye on 5.11 Tactical over the last 5+ years maybe you’d a thunk it, as the brand has long-since expanded beyond uniforms for LE/MIL/mall cops and into just about anything a person can wear — with a focus on outdoors and, usually, firearm-equipped lifestyle — plus gear for when you’re out of the house. Dog gear, athletic gear, range day gear, tactical gear, knives, footwear, gloves, duffels, and, yes, suitcases.
I’m the proud owner of this Load Up 22″ Carry On in Ranger Green that I purchased just over two years ago ahead of SHOT Show 2024. It has been all over the country since, both in planes as a carry-on and as checked baggage, and I love it.
First, yeah, my phone can’t seem to capture the color of this suitcase correctly. Heck, even the photos on 5.11’s website aren’t exact. It’s definitely “ranger green” like some of their pants (I have two pairs of their Industry Pants in that color), but something about the really durable nylon used on this thing makes it hard to photograph.
With that little disclaimer out of the way… The bottom half of the Load Up is a textured polycarbonate shell. The extendable pull handle rides inside there so it’ll work smoothly no matter how tightly you pack your belongings into the suitcase.
Big wheels are a must, and this thing delivers. None of those fiddly little wobbly things.
The main compartment is the half that’s inside of that polymer shell. It’s precisely carry-on sized as you might expect. Just big enough to fit my little 9mm subgun. It’s lined and has an adjustable strap to keep your clothing and such held in place.
The top half of the suitcase is divided by two layers of mesh, spaced about an inch apart from each other, which can be zipped almost entirely open.
In this photo the layer closest to the main compartment has been opened from the interior of the suitcase. The Load Up came with a semi-rigid divider that velcros in-between the two layers of mesh and would, in the case of the photo above, separate those two guns into their own compartments. I didn’t find myself using that divider and it appears as though I’ve since lost it.
In this photo we’ve closed up the two mesh layers, zipped up the main compartment of the suitcase, and opened up the top compartment.
We can open this mesh layer to access that same area in-between them. You can also keep both open and use all of this space as one single compartment.
Inside of the rigid face of the suitcase, behind that nylon that I can’t seem to photograph correctly, is a padded laptop sleeve with elastic retention strap and a small zipper pocket up top.
Add great grab straps on all sides and plastic feet so it stands upright confidently and you nail the recipe for a fantastic carry-on bag. This thing is surprisingly lightweight, yet it’s strong and stiff enough to protect what’s inside; even from baggage handlers. It rolls effortlessly and fits in the overhead compartment with zero fuss. It’s useful, has some internal configuration options that I’ve found handy, but doesn’t have so many dang pockets and compartments that I can’t come up with ways to use half of them or can’t find where I put things.
Simple, functional . . . the 5.11 Load Up 22″ Carry On 45L is a great suitcase!
Details:
- Durable and impact resisistant hard shell Polycabonate bottom tray
- Compression molded lid with durable hypalon corners and name tape loop panel
- Main compartment with expandable zipper for an extra 2″ of depth
- Top compartment with padded laptop sleeve and hook/loop strap
- Convenient, first-grab zippered pocket
- Internal compression strap in main compartment
- Center mesh compartment with removable divider and two way access to top and main compartments
- Lockable zippers
- Business card / ID sleeve
- Retractable handle and additional grab handles
- 1680D Ballistic Water-resistant Polyester (lid) | 1050D Nylon (center) | Polycarbonate (bottom shell)
- Lockable sliders
- Replaceable wheels