OCTOBER 21, 2014

Editor's Notebook: Support Gear

Maxpedition Versipack.
It's one thing to discuss 'everyday carry,' but it's something else to try to organize your gear - particularly on road trips but any time you're more than an hour or so away from home. Like a number of my acquaintances, I've accumulated a number of gear bags over the years. It's easy to get weighed down, but this is what I've settled on. I have an older Maxpedition Versipack, like the current Jumbo EDC Concealed Carry shoulder bag, that serves as the snivel gear bag. Various meds, a number of flashlights and other gear populates the bag with its main compartment, side compartment and a cinch pouch for a water bottle. The shoulder strap functions as a sling and there's a grab handle on top. A removable waist belt can be used to better secure the rig to your body if you have to move quickly. Breathable padding keep it comfortable against the body for those short expeditions on foot. The fixed shoulder strap is two-inch webbing with non-slip shoulder pad and D-ring attachment point. The concealed zippered compartment is mean to hold a sidearm though I've never used it for that. The current iteration of that bag is here: Maxpedition Jumbo EDC
Spec-Ops Brand Pack Rat Organizer, Streamlight NANO light on the zipper pull.
Inside the Versipack, I have the Spec-Ops Brand "Pack Rat Organizer." My ability to keep organized is already problematic and the Organizer helps. The gear in the Versipack is largely contained by the Pack Rat. Inside the organizer, the yellow lining provides great visual contrast making it easier to find that errant flashlight, batteries, inhaler and other stuff. There are 14 storage compartments. An external mesh pocket is handy. The zipper goes all the way around, allowing you to open the Pack Rat completely to lay out flat. D-ring attachments allow the possibility of adding a shoulder strap. Made of 1000D Cordura, it's rugged and altogether handy way to load gear into the Versipack. The one I have is rendered in coyote brown and it actually holds the snivel gear and flashlights --including the Streamlight NANO Light at the top zipper pull for navigation use -- and it fits inside the Maxpedition pack. I can "grab and go" with the Pack Rat if I don't need the contents of the whole bag. I can also quickly transfer the Pack Rat from pack to briefcase, to suitcase for longer travel. Get a look at the SPEC-OPS Brand Pack Rat Organizer.
The Wilderness Tactical Smartphone Cases, the iPhone 4 with Griffin Survivor case on the left and the iPhone 6 in an Otterbox on the right.
Finally, a method of carrying the increasingly big and overwhelming "phone" - actually a "pocket computer - communication device." After breaking the belt clips on the Griffin Survivor iPhone case, I knew that was a non-starter. Enter the Wilderness Tactical Smartphone case. I had the iPhone 4 for a number of years. The first thing I did was get the Griffin Survivor case, a rubbery protective case for the expensive gizmo. The pocket clip is cheese, very fragile, and I'd looked for another way to pack it. Wilderness Tactical came to the rescue, as usual. Wilderness President, Ralph Holzhaus, had been using an iPhone for some time but liked available cases even less than I did. He got prodded by a longtime customer and decided to construct the typically overbuilt Wilderness case for smartphones. Like the Spec-Ops Brand Pack Rat Organizer, The Wilderness' rugged smartphone case is constructed of 1000D Cordura® nylon and has their signature wraparound belt loop that is wide enough to fit duty belts. The belt loop includes a high-density polyethylene liner for stiffness and an extra Velcro® patch so that it can be folded back upon itself and used as a paddle inside snug pants without a belt. The body of the Smartphone Case is lined with a thin layer of closed-cell foam to cushion shock and ensure the case to fits your specific phone. A range of phones and personal data devices can be covered with The Wilderness case. Its full-flap closure with Velcro fasterner protects and retains the phone. It's still smart to wear the phone screen in - to protect that vulnerable part of the phone. There is a range of sizes but which did I need for the rubber-armored iPhone 4? They shipped an XL and an XXL. The XL fit it, tightly. In the short time I had it, the Wilderness Smartphone case made carrying the daily interrupter almost pleasant. Alas, nothing lasts and technology gives us built-in obsolescence. The iP4 was replaced by the new iteration, this one (iPhone 6) covered with the Otterbox. The whole mess is taller but thinner. The altitude made the fit to the Wilderness Smartphone case size XL minimal. The XXL came out and became the home for the new phone. Lighter overall than the Griffin armored iP4, I have to be more careful with the new interrupter, but it's worth the worry. To cover your phone of choice, see The Wilderness Tactical. -- Rich Grassi