GORUCK SCARS - HOW I GOT MINE
- FULL DISCLOSURE -
I would need a sternum strap, a waist belt, it would need compression straps and drainage grommets. I talk about these mods HERE so wont repeat here. This post is about GORUCK SCARS, how they helped make my project happen and the excellent work they produced.
DISCLOSURE
It’s important to say that GORUCK SCARS offered this service to me, free of charge, including shipping costs etc. No demand nor conditions were made of me other than just I do what I do, as, when and if I decided to do it. Thoughts, ideas and opinions here are my own and based wholly on what I experienced.
GORUCK SCARS? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
So, I was discussing this project with friends on Instagram and through the magic power of the #hashtag GORUCK SCARS heard about what I wanted to do and one fine afternoon, out of the blue they emailed asking if I wanted help with the project. I asked “Is it free?” They said “yes” I said yes please, I think they wanted a Guinea Pig to try the new service on : )
As I understand it this is all part of a newish service of custom upgrades that we can request from GORUCK. The drainage grommets will be a standard, along with extra carry handles, Ruck base MOLLE fields and compression straps. I think the last maybe different to my request, as I already had my own straps. Visit GORUCK SCARS to get the full and up-to-date story.
GORUCK SCARS PROCESS
So, GORUCK SCARS had offered their help, I’d accepted but now I had to communicate exactly what I wanted in such away, that the SCARS team could carry out the work and get it right first time. This became important in my mind, as they are based in the U.S. and I’m in the U.K.! Now, I have no doubt that I could have just excepted the offer, let them get on with it and it would have all turned out fine. My problem was, that I had a strong idea as to how I wanted this project to look and it had to be just like that, one of the failings of being a creative.
So, how to do this? They say a picture paints 1000 words so pictures it would be. I was going to make 2 illustration / diagrams of how I wanted things so the SCARS team could see it too. I made 1 illustration for the placement and description of the loops I wanted for my compression system and the other, for placement of the drainage grommets.
RIGHT FIRST TIME
I needed to get this right first time as for geographic reasons it wasn’t going to be practical to keep sending the GR2 back and forth to the US for adjustments. I tried to think of everything and included that info in an easy to understand way. I was also able to use photographs of an old rucksack that had a similar compression configuration, to further reinforce what I wanted. These I saved as .PDFs and attached to my very long and too detailed covering email.
SEEN IT ALL BEFORE!
The SCARS team acknowledged recite of my email that afternoon. They said "That all looks fine, we’ve seen this all before, this easy, leave it with us". (Well, not in so many words but defiantly the impression I got, which was reassuring).
SENDING GORUCK BACK TO ITS MAKER
There is a good video on the GORUCK website that shows us how to make our bags ready to send back to SCARS. Basically remove all your gear; inside and out, get rid of dirt and rubbish and clean your GORUCK. They also give us the useful tip of removing the internal frame sheet, making the bag lighter and easier fold and box-up. It did, it was.
BACK IN THE U.S.
Once GORUCK SCARS received my boxed-up GR2 they told me my project would be booked in and then I would be given an estimated completion date. So now all I could was wait. About 2 weeks before the completion date, I received an email from the team with images of my GORUCK attached, work completed....! They asked me to confirm that what I saw was to my satisfaction.
They sent me 3 images. 1 of the drainage grommets and 2 of the compression strap loops. Everything looked perfect, better then I was expecting as they had use; gunmetal black, 5/8” diameter, mil spec grommets! It’s such a silly thing but this impressed me. Now I was really looking forward to getting my GR2 back and seeing the modifications with my own eyes. The parcel took about 7 days from that point to delivery, I know this because I was able to track it : )
COME TO DADDY
As an adult not much excites me, I’ve seen it all before or at least something similar... I know this is silly but when my GORUCK GR2 with SCARS customization was delivered I felt like I was 9yrs old!!! Very exciting to open the box and really see how things had turned out. Of course it was all fantastic, exactly what I’d asked for and better then I was expecting but it’s the little touches isn’t it? GORUCK SCARS also tossed in a tee shirts, some stickers and a Koozie : ) way to go the extra mile I’d say.
It’s important to say that GORUCK SCARS offered this service to me, free of charge, including shipping costs etc. No demand nor conditions were made of me other than just I do what I do, as, when and if I decided to do it. Thoughts, ideas and opinions here are my own and based wholly on what I experienced.
GORUCK SCARS? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
So, I was discussing this project with friends on Instagram and through the magic power of the #hashtag GORUCK SCARS heard about what I wanted to do and one fine afternoon, out of the blue they emailed asking if I wanted help with the project. I asked “Is it free?” They said “yes” I said yes please, I think they wanted a Guinea Pig to try the new service on : )
As I understand it this is all part of a newish service of custom upgrades that we can request from GORUCK. The drainage grommets will be a standard, along with extra carry handles, Ruck base MOLLE fields and compression straps. I think the last maybe different to my request, as I already had my own straps. Visit GORUCK SCARS to get the full and up-to-date story.
 |
| O.C.D. LEVEL OF DETAIL BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GOT THIS RIGHT FIRST TIME. |
GORUCK SCARS PROCESS
So, GORUCK SCARS had offered their help, I’d accepted but now I had to communicate exactly what I wanted in such away, that the SCARS team could carry out the work and get it right first time. This became important in my mind, as they are based in the U.S. and I’m in the U.K.! Now, I have no doubt that I could have just excepted the offer, let them get on with it and it would have all turned out fine. My problem was, that I had a strong idea as to how I wanted this project to look and it had to be just like that, one of the failings of being a creative.
 |
| RUCK BASE GROMMET POSITIONING FOR; X6 OFF DRAINAGE HOLES! |
So, how to do this? They say a picture paints 1000 words so pictures it would be. I was going to make 2 illustration / diagrams of how I wanted things so the SCARS team could see it too. I made 1 illustration for the placement and description of the loops I wanted for my compression system and the other, for placement of the drainage grommets.
 |
| JUST IN CASE THE ILLUSTRATIONS WEREN'T CLEAR ENOUGH, Ugh O.C.D. :) |
RIGHT FIRST TIME
I needed to get this right first time as for geographic reasons it wasn’t going to be practical to keep sending the GR2 back and forth to the US for adjustments. I tried to think of everything and included that info in an easy to understand way. I was also able to use photographs of an old rucksack that had a similar compression configuration, to further reinforce what I wanted. These I saved as .PDFs and attached to my very long and too detailed covering email.
SEEN IT ALL BEFORE!
The SCARS team acknowledged recite of my email that afternoon. They said "That all looks fine, we’ve seen this all before, this easy, leave it with us". (Well, not in so many words but defiantly the impression I got, which was reassuring).
 |
| (LEFT) GORUCK GR2 BOXED-UP AND READY TO GO. (RIGHT) GR1 STAYS AT HOME THIS TIME. |
SENDING GORUCK BACK TO ITS MAKER
There is a good video on the GORUCK website that shows us how to make our bags ready to send back to SCARS. Basically remove all your gear; inside and out, get rid of dirt and rubbish and clean your GORUCK. They also give us the useful tip of removing the internal frame sheet, making the bag lighter and easier fold and box-up. It did, it was.
 |
| GORUCK SCARS SENT THESE IMAGES TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS HAPPY WITH WORK CARRIED-OUT : ) |
Once GORUCK SCARS received my boxed-up GR2 they told me my project would be booked in and then I would be given an estimated completion date. So now all I could was wait. About 2 weeks before the completion date, I received an email from the team with images of my GORUCK attached, work completed....! They asked me to confirm that what I saw was to my satisfaction.
 |
| GORUCK SCARS IMAGE - COMPRESSION ANCHOR POINTS (LEFT). |
 |
| GORUCK SCARS IMAGE - COMPRESSION ANCHOR POINTS (RIGHT), ALL LOOKING GREAT. |
They sent me 3 images. 1 of the drainage grommets and 2 of the compression strap loops. Everything looked perfect, better then I was expecting as they had use; gunmetal black, 5/8” diameter, mil spec grommets! It’s such a silly thing but this impressed me. Now I was really looking forward to getting my GR2 back and seeing the modifications with my own eyes. The parcel took about 7 days from that point to delivery, I know this because I was able to track it : )
 |
| THE WAY TO GO THE EXTRA MILE - SCARS TEE SHIRT. |
COME TO DADDY
As an adult not much excites me, I’ve seen it all before or at least something similar... I know this is silly but when my GORUCK GR2 with SCARS customization was delivered I felt like I was 9yrs old!!! Very exciting to open the box and really see how things had turned out. Of course it was all fantastic, exactly what I’d asked for and better then I was expecting but it’s the little touches isn’t it? GORUCK SCARS also tossed in a tee shirts, some stickers and a Koozie : ) way to go the extra mile I’d say.
 |
| YOMP-ENGINE No1, THE COMPLETED PROJECT, 6 MONTHS OF USE. |
 |
| YOMP-ENGINE No1 COMPRESSION STRAPS DETAIL. |
IN CONCLUSION - THE GUSHY BIT
I’ve been enjoying these rucksack mods for about 6 mouths. Through hikes, weekends at the beach and trips to Spain and all work just as I wanted but more importantly, nothing has failed. It doesn’t enter my head that anything the GORUCK SCARS team have done to my GR2 will break.
 |
| INSIDE THE GORUCK POST SCARS, AND YOU CAN'T SEE THE JOIN. |
The mods look like they’ve always been part of my pack, like an original design straight from the factory.
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| (TO THE FRONT), ANCHOR LOOPS DETAIL - COMPRESSION STRAPS ARE MOUNTED USING STEEL MASH HOOKS. THE SLICK CLIPS REMOVE THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSS. |
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| HOOKED AND CLIPPED UP READY FOR A LOAD. |
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| (TO THE BACK), SPLIT BAR ITW BUCKLES MOUNT THE COMPRESSION STRAPS. |
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| DRAINAGE GROMMETS DETAIL - GUNMETAL, 5/8' DIE, MIL-SPEC, LOVELY-JUBBLY. |
GORUCK launched a new video on their website recently and it describes GORUCK; as “A people first company”, I get this but it’s also about the experience. I said earlier in this post that “Nothing much excites me” because I’ve experienced much of it before but I might say that GORUCK does, GORUCK excites me because I’ve experience few companies like them. Maybe I just don’t get out enough, maybe it's because they did the work for free, never-the-less they excite me and given it’s just a rucksack company, that’s just crazy.
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| YOMP-ENGINE No1 COMPLETED PROJECT, IN THE FIELD. |
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