In an article before this, I have talked about the handpicked collection of the best drag bags available in the marketing and mentioned my favourites as well —Eagle Industries Drag Bag and Blackhawk Drag Bag. After the article, I was requested by many of our readers to guide them through an extensive, part by part differentiation and explanation of why I love the two bags. So this article is a direct comparison between the world’s two best drag bags and what makes them stand out in the crowd.

History and Origin Of Eagle Industries and Blackhawk

Let’s learn about their history and origin before we dive into detailed side by side comparison.

Eagle Industries Drag Bag

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For the Eagle Industries drag bag, although a manufacturing year is not available from reliable sources, the company’s website says, “Eagle Industries was born from the uncompromising demands of the Navy SEAL community, and those standards are still what drives everything we do to this day. All of our gear is Berry Compliant and proudly made in the USA to ensure our end users – from top-tier military to backcountry adventurers – have exactly what they need to go above and beyond every day.” Initially, the production started in St Louis Missouri and then it was shifted to Virginia Beach and currently, the bags and other equipment are made in Puerto Rico.

 

Blackhawk

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According to the official Blackhawk website of the manufacturers, “In 1990, a Navy SEAL was navigating a minefield when his pack failed. As his gear tumbled to the ground, he vowed that if he got out of there alive he would make gear the right way.” Although the year they started manufacturing is not mentioned, we can guess it happened in the 90s in the United States of America. This bag is manufactured in Vietnam.

For ease of understanding, I have divided this article into eight sub-sections through which I will try to draw a side by side comparison between the two of my favourite and the best drag bags available in the markets.

 

Side By Side Comparision

Now let’s take a closer look at each of their components.

Exteriors

While the Eagle Industries drag bag is 48 inches, the Blackhawk drag bag is 51 inches. As far as the looks are concerned, both the bags look almost similar with two big pockets on one side and carry handles on the other. Both the bags have muzzle protectors, which looks like a cap on the tapered part of the bag. In terms of material used to make the bags, both use 1000 denier nylon, which makes it heavy duty. Both the Eagle Industries and the Blackhawk have various colour options.

Backpack Straps

In both the Eagle Industries drag bag and the Blackhawk drag bag, the backpack straps are perfectly placed and are known to transfer weight properly. Some snipers carry the bags on their shoulders for longer hours than using them at the field and both the bags match this need and enable ease of carrying.

The only difference that I find under this section is the stitching and the webbing. While Eagle Industries uses a wider webbing which is sewn to the padding, Blackhawk uses a comparatively narrower. In terms of stitching, Eagle Industries does not clamp the webbing to the padding with continuous stitching and has gaps in between.

On the other hand, Blackhawk uses a continuous sewing technique which makes it difficult to clip things to the strap as necessary. However, this should not be a dampener to buy either of the bags.

Carry Handle

Initially, both Eagle Industries and Blackhawk had a problem with the placement of the carry handle. When a heavy rifle used to be put inside the bags, the placement of the carry handle would make the bag lean forward. In other words, there was a problem of distribution of weight because of the faulty placement of the carry handle. However, after repeated requests, Blackhawk made a minor change in positioning and solved the problem. However, Eagle Industries is yet to rectify this.

Hardware

While both Eagle Industries and Blackhawk use good quality hardware, there are some minute details that can be neglected, but I would like to write about it here so that you are informed.

In the Eagle Industries bag, the tension clip and the webbing are thick and look strong. I have already spoken about the webbing above and a thinner tension clip in Blackhawk does not make it a bad buy.

For the buckles, Eagle Industries uses the ones made in America, while Blackhawk imports almost all the hardware. However, this does not make it of a lower grade or quality.

Zipper

While Blackhawk uses #9 YKK zippers, Eagle Industries uses a good quality heavy duty zipper. Both the companies do not compromise in the quality of the zippers and the best part is, they both come with covers to protect them from dust and dirt.

Interiors

Both Eagle Industries and Blackhawk have the same design inside. Keeping it simple, both the companies have two 2 inch webbings that act as the cleaning rod pocket. These rod pockets also act as the spine of the bag because of their position. On the top left corner, both the bags have a tool pocket with snap closures for proper security of your small items in the bag. What I don’t like is that there is no separate loop for my scope in any of the two bags. However, the webbings sewn lengthwise on the top flap may come handy for the purpose.

This apart, both the bags come with complete internal paddings for the safety of your costly rifles and other attachments.

Stitch Quality

In the last two decades, stitching technologies have changed and both Eagle Industries and Blackhawk have updated themselves with the latest. Both the companies ensure all webbings, zippers and other parts are securely sewn to the main bag and stand up to all tough conditions.

Waterproof

Both the bags are waterproof and can withstand harsh conditions so you do not really have to worry while using it on wet soils and right after a fresh shower.

 

Final Verdict

In my opinion, both the bags are winners and have their own pros and cons. I have personally used both of them and carry both the bags alternatively. However, I also believe that each drag bag chooses its own user. While one feature may attract me, it may not someone else. In short, it is all about what suits you, so go out there and realise your comfort. Till then, happy gunning!