Eberlestock Phantom Sniper Pack Review

I'm not going to say this is probably the best bag we own — it IS the best bag we own. The Eberlestock Phantom. The way you can modify this thing and set it up is just absolutely fantastic, and it has so many uses that we're going front to back through all of it.

The front is covered in laser-cut MOLLE, so you can add straps, pouches, an IFAK, whatever you want. Loops on the bottom take a rolled-up bed roll. The main front compartment is split into two sections — top and bottom — and today mine's carrying hearing protection, night vision, extra mag panels for the rig, a spare optic, and a backup cell phone, with room to spare. There are straps inside for a multi-tool or flashlight, mag spots, and a divider you can pull to make it one big compartment. Up top there are straps made for a radio, so your comms gear rides tight to the back. And the whole interior unzips all the way down — those of you with backpacks that only zip halfway know what a pain in the ass that is.

The sides have flex pockets for a water bottle or rope — stuff that doesn't need to be super secure — plus adjustable buckled straps that let the side pockets open way up. These things run deep: I slid my night vision down one side, buckled it up, and had super easy access to it. The other side goes just as deep — you could almost fit a bed roll or a really long run of rope down in there.

Now the party trick. The rifle scabbard unzips and unhooks completely from the backpack, so you can run just the scabbard when you don't need all the extra gear. Or go the other way: pull the scabbard off, move the shoulder straps and cumberbund onto the big pack, and you've got a straight range pack. Pack as a whole, scabbard alone, or load-carrying portion alone — a bunch of different uses out of one bag. There's also a dust cover that clips over the muzzle end so rain, dirt, and dust stay out of your rifle, a padded section down in the scabbard with a zippered extension, a real back plate, a small-of-back pad, and a carry handle on the side.

I had our ARC Angel — our 6mm ARC gun — riding in the scabbard today. It's an 18-inch gun fully extended, so it's honestly a little bit of an anomaly in there; this scabbard is really meant for sniper rifles, and it'll contain something all the way up to about 48 or 50 inches. On top of the rifle you've still got a section for magazines and a second sleeve that runs all the way down — you could almost fit another weapon in there, separate from the main closure.

I've been super impressed with this thing because it does everything I need it to do: carries a rifle longer than anything I own, holds a ton of gear in and on the bag, and gives you attachment points for a sleeping bag, tent, bed roll — whatever else you need to hump. This has become my favorite bag. Any questions, drop them in the comments.