sling pack

Diamond Brand Gear’s New American-Made Belay Bag: Quick Look

New for Spring ’18, Diamond Brand is introducing a new fully customizable and American-crafted Belay Bag for the modern adventurer. Inspired by the brand’s original daypack launched in the ‘80s, the updated Belay Bag uses upcycled materials and features interchangeable straps and front pockets large enough to store a 32 oz. growler – perfect for a day hike and trip to the local brewery!

Constructed of 1000D nylon and 70D upcycled polyurethane coated canvas scraps from Diamond Brand Gear’s Free Dome tents, the Belay Bag boasts large exterior pockets that can hold a 32 oz. growler, large water bottle, or a wine bottle. The backpack also includes a padded laptop sleeve and additional interior pockets for storage. Completely interchangeable shoulder straps can be adjusted for size, style and color, or remove one and adjust to carry the bag as a sling pack. The hip and sternum straps are also completely removable with the ease of a snap. A padded back panel features 3D spacer mesh for thermal regulation, ventilation, comfort and protection while taking the load off of the spine.

Additional features of the Belay Bag:

All metal hardware
2 exterior and 2 internal pockets, plus laptop sleeve
Daisy chain attachment system
1 leather logo lash tab
Choice of regular or tall size shoulder straps
Extra pull tab p-cord color included in every bag
Available in 5 colorways

Stay tuned for a full ‘field review’ of this bag.

For more information and to purchase

*Photos courtesy of Diamond Brand

Vertx EDC Transit Sling Pack: A great daily commuter bag for digital nomads

“Digital nomads are a type of people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their life in a nomadic manner. Such workers often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles.” – Wikipedia

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that there is no ‘one bag fits all’ when it comes to a mobile office, commuting and traveling. In the military, SOF units have specific loadouts contained in separate bags depending on what mission set they are conducting. Jungle warfare, desert warfare and mountain warfare all require different gear to accomplish the mission. Instead of trying to use the same ruck for every environment, they pre-stage gear in the bags that make the most sense for that specific environment. The same mindset applies to the mobile worker. Although my tech gear remains the same, I will use a different pack if I’m traveling versus just commuting around town.

For the sake of this article, I’m focusing on what I use when commuting locally around town. The bag of choice here is the Vertx EDC Transit Sling Pack. It is a compact design that fills the needs for commuting from my home office to the local coffee shop, library or park. I don’t need much based off of what I do and the threat profile for my area. Threat profile you say? Absolutely. By conducting a simple threat profile on your local area will determine what you need when leaving the comfort and safety of your home. It sounds more complicated then it really is. Just be aware of the climate and overall demographic and you’ll be set. My area, for example, has an extremely low crime rate, so I don’t really need to worry about having a full bug out bag on my back. I know the lay of the land and can read the environment relatively easily. Because of this, my loadout for local commuting is fairly minimal, but still practical and effective.

Like I said the bag/shell I’m using is the Vertx EDC Transit Sling Bag. Inside the bag, I keep the following kit.

Inside the Vertx Sling Pack, I keep a Vertx Mini Organizational Pouch. I use this pouch as my wire dopp kit. Inside that, I keep the following items.

MacBook Pro power adapter w/cord
MacBook Pro USB dongle
Apple earbuds
iPhone lightning charging cable
iPhone power adapter

Becuase the Vertx EDC Transit has three separate compartments, allows me to layer the gear and keep organized. On the outer most pocket I keep the trauma kit and first aid kit. Those obviously need to be readily accessible. The next pocket in secures my MacBook, notebook, pens and Vertx Mini Organizational Pouch. The last and final compartment is generally empty, but can be used for off body concealed carry, a small level IIIa soft body armor plate or other paperwork.

Check out Vertx for other great gear

100% Nylon
Imported
Smoke Grey Transit Sling Bag / VELCRO-lined, rapid access concealed carry platform
Tactigami and MOLLE compatible / Orbital strap design allows fast back-to-front transition
Quick-snap pivot buckle attachment at the shoulder / 1919 modular webbing on shoulder strap provides multiple attachment points
Spacer mesh back panel provides comfort and breathability for all-day use / Constructed of durable CORDURA fabric
Bag Size: 17 inch (H) x 11 inch (W) x 6 inch (D) / Capacity: 16 liters / Weight: 2 pounds

Red Rock Recon Sling Pack: Review

First and foremost, I want to preface this review by saying this is my first experience with a sling pack. Being it’s a sling pack, I didn’t want to load the thing down and cause myself unneeded neck pain, so I went on the lighter side with my loadout. On a recent road trip I packed the following gear in the Red Rock Gear Recon Sling Pack to take to and from the car, hotel room, and when on the move.

Colors: Black, Coyote, Dark Earth, OD

Weight: 1 lb, 3 oz

Material: 600D Polyester

Capacity: 800 cubic inches

Dimensions: 18” x 11” x 8”

Linear Length: 37”

MSRP: $59 direct from Red Rock Outdoor Gear. Available on Amazon for a little less.

Features:

Adjustable sling strap with quick release buckle. A stabilizer strap is also included to help keep the sling pack from moving around during movement. I’ve walked several miles with this pack and have to say it was extremely comfortable and didn’t shift around at all.

Quick access concealed carry compartment

Utility pouch for essentials with velcro face for that favorite morale patch or unit patch

Four storage compartments
Molle webbing platform on front panel and sides for adding additional gear and pouches

The padding against your back and on the main strap make carrying this sling pack over distance much more comfortable.

Advantages of the Red Rock Recon Sling Pack:

The pack keeps my contents securely in place. I didn’t want my concealed carry gear spilling out or being readily visible when I reach for water, a snack, or any other daily items.
The pack allows you to access everything including your firearm without having to take the pack off. This is handy on the trail when needing to take a drink from your water bottle or eating a snack on the go.
You can carry the bag onto public transportation and not have to set it down next to you, on the ground, or under a seat. Just swing the pack around and have a seat.

Bottom Line:

If you want a good bail out bag with room for a few of life’s luxuries or work items this bag is perfect. It would make a great traveling bag, as setting it down is not necessary. Just don’t expect to load an extra set of clothes in it. The pack provides an excellent way to clandestinely move a firearm from one place to another. Especially in the summer time when wearing shorts or less clothing that makes carrying concealed more difficult. It makes a great little pack to store a firearm in an unfriendly environment, and if you have no other choice, it’s certainly better to use this pack as your CCW carry than not having a gun at all.