GeekDad has had a long-running interest in the products that 5.11 Tactical makes. It’s an interesting relationship, since the company makes law enforcement, firefighting, and military gear. But we’ve found that the clothing and bags with many pockets and rugged design are just the thing for geeks with more devices and tools than hands.
The folks over at 5.11 Tactical have just released a number of new products and one of my favorites is the COVRT Z.A.P. 6 pack.
The main compartment is approximately 5″ x 10″ x 12″ and is large enough to store an iPad, a paperback, lunch, and still have room left over for storing all kinds of other goodies. Inside the main compartment, there are also a couple of zippered pouches for corralling smaller items you don’t want getting lost, like your wallet or keys. There’s a coms pocket on the main strap with a reinforced hole for passing a headphone cord through. (The coms pocket is big enough that I’ve been using it to store sunglasses in, since I need quicker access to my phone than a zippered pocket allows.)
On each side, there are two mesh pockets with elastic bands to keep bottles of water from falling out. In case you’re really thirsty, there’s another large zippered pocket on the back that’s compatible with hydration systems. Or, you can use it to hide away valuables, since it rides against your back.
Finally, there are a couple more zippered pockets, one on the top of the pack and one on the front. The top of the pack pouch seems like a small area, but can really hold a camcorder with plenty of space left over. Unfortunately, anything you put in this pouch eats up space in the main compartment. The front pocket has a half dozen pouches sewn into nylon with space for things like pens and small notebooks. There are also a couple of plastic hooks for holding onto keys.
The sling strap can be configured to go over either shoulder and accessing the pack is simple and quick. Both the pack and the strap have a lot of padding and all of the zippers are work both ways, meaning you can get into any compartment of your bag very quickly. Plus, there are a number of other little nice loops, velcro, and doodads that make this bag incredibly easy to use.
The COVRT Z.A.P. 6 bag retails for $120, which isn’t a lot when you consider what you get. This is a bag that seems about twice as big as it really is, thanks to all of the thought that went into designing it. And the construction is second to none – it’s really very nice. All in all, you’d be hard pressed to find a better bag in this price range. I think I’ve just found my new Con bag — I’ve just got to figure out a way to attach a poster tube.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a review unit of this product.
