G.I. Joe Convention 2016 JUMP Jet Packs

Like every kid of the 80s who loved G.I. Joe, the JUMP jet packs were pretty much a “must have” back in the day.  Throughout any particular episode of the animated series, characters were using JUMPs as if they were a normal part of every day life (part of the reason why I scoff a bit at anyone who claims G.I. Joe was more “real world military” than fantasy, even back in the 80s).  The design was great, and I had a few of them back then.

In the 25th Anniversary line, Hasbro retrofitted the JUMP jet packs for modern style figures, and we got a few of them released over the years, first with the COBRA Air Troopers, and the scattered throughout some other figures as the line went on.  The combination of the jet pack and the hose/cannon combination has always been a lot of fun.

So, from that perspective, it makes sense for the Collectors Club to include some of these JUMPs for a set that utilizes a lot of airborne assault troopers.  I think it’s a fine idea.  But the whole bundled 6-pack concept seems to be a bit of overkill.  Essentially there are two 6-packs, one themed for Sky Patrol, one themed for COBRA, and each 6-Pack was around $55.  That definitely feels a bit extreme for what you’re getting, though it is kind of cool having the packs available for the characters in the set.

Curiously, though, half of the Sky Patrol members come with their own jet packs anyway, so I’m not sure why they’d need a second one to go along with it.  On the COBRA side, I’m not entirely sure who these jet packs are for, but they do have a cool Crimson Guard type deco that can work for many different air specialists.

Ultimately, the jet packs are neat items, and cool compliments for the Convention figures, but I’m not sure they’re entirely worth the price of admission.