I've had this bag for a week now. It is my everyday bag for work. My overall impression is very positive, but there is some minor room for improvement.
Materials:
No corners were cut. Only quality materials were used in the construction of this bag. Heavy-duty Cordura nylon. Appropriately sized zippers. 2" wide shoulder strap with large Duraflex buckles on EACH end. Rubberized bottom which appears will hold up well over time. Lots of hook and loop throughout.
Fit and Finish:
Very well constructed. All cut edges are trimmed with additional Cordura piping. There is double stitching around the zippers. No loose threads. All of the panels are double and triple layers of materials. The only panel that is a single layer of material is the one external side-pocket where it is completely appropriate. The laser cut Molle is clean.
Size: This is a small briefcase (or, very small messenger bag).
The Molle panels:
It's worth describing how these are constructed to alleviate any concerns. Anywhere you see this Molle there are three layers. The first two layers are fused together. The outer 1st layer is Cordura nylon which is fused to a 2nd layer of a thicker rubberized backing. The Molle pattern is laser-cut through these two layers. The 3rd layer is another layer of Cordura. It is not sewn or fused to the first two layers. There is a row of stitching along the top edge and bottom edge of each laser-cut hole to further reinforce the fused layers and the laser-cut holes. I think the chance that the Molle holes would tear or fray is pretty slim with regular use.
Compartments:
The main compartment is divided into two sections: one smaller compartment secured at the top with a 1.5" Velcro nylon strap and a larger section that is just open. My 17" MacBook Pro does not fit in the smaller compartment, but easily fits in the larger main compartment. A 15" or 13" laptop will fit easily in the smaller compartment. The smaller compartment is lined with a thin quilted fleece and is padded on all sides except the top. The larger area of the main compartment is completely lined with the loop side of Velcro! Very nice feature. It not only provides a little extra padding for the contents, but it permits endless options for adding interior elements.
One side compartment is a simple pocket meant for water bottles or coffee mugs. It holds my 16 oz Thermos snug. There is a 3/4" nylon strap with hook fabric on each end that allows you to secure the compartment shut for smaller mugs or other items you may wish to put in here. It is not long enough to reach over a 16 oz mug or bottle. I wish this pocket had a pull tab on the outside so you could hold it up open for inserting tight-fitting containers. I'm not sure a 1L Nalgene bottle would actually fit in here and if it does it would be a little tricky (i.e. frustrating) to get in.
The other side compartment is about 4"x6"x1". It has double zippers extending 2/3rds of the way down each side. It's good for a cellphone or other small miscellaneous stuff that you want to access more readily. The front panel of this compartment is three layers with Molle as described above. It has a nylon mesh pocket on the inside of the front flap with an elastic edge. The back panel of this compartment has a nylon fabric pocket also with an elastic edge. There is a 3/8" nylon webbing that is stitched to the back panel with a plastic hook on the end to secure keys or other similar items. In total, this bag actually has three of these keychain tethers.
There are two front compartments that are roughly 5"x8"x2" each with double zippers like the one side compartment. The one on the left unzips about half of the way down. The one on the right unzips all the way down. Both of these compartments have the triple layering with Molle as described above making up their front panel. Also, they both have a 2" band of Velcro loop that runs along the outside of the front panel. The left compartment has a nylon mesh pocket edged with Cordura that lines the outside panel. The back panel is lined with a large nylon fabric pocket. Overlying this is a smaller credit-card-sized nylon pocket on the left with 3 adjacent pencil pockets. There is a keychain hook stitched to the back panel. The front compartment on the right has Velcro loop lining the front panel and a nylon mesh pocket with an elastic edge lining the back panel. The front panel is tethered to the back panel by paracord creating a drawbridge-like effect that controls how far the front panel will hinge open. This is useful if you have something heavy secured to the front panel. Again, there is a keychain hook stitched to the back panel
There is a large flap that gives it the "messenger bag" designation. This flap is stitched to the back of the bag and covers the main central compartment as well as the two front compartments. The flap itself has two compartments or pockets of it's own On the inside of this flap there is a 4" wide strip of Velcro that runs the full width of the flap. This secures the flap to the two front compartments described above. There is also a roughly 12"x8" zippered pocket with a translucent panel. It's basically a big zippered window pocket. The outside of the flap is again the three layer Molle system. There are two 1" Duraflex buckles to help secure the flap down in addition to the Velcro. The entire outside is a zippered pocket which essentially mirrors that zippered window pocket on the inside of the flap that I described above. With the flap in place there is a handle for carrying the bag. It is made up of one layer of 2" nylon webbing with another layer of 1" nylon webbing. It's very sturdy and comfortable to carry. There are 1" Duraflex D-rings on either side of the handle as additional attachment points for the waist strap depending on how you want to use it, if at all. The back of the bag has one last zippered pocket with one layer of Cordura that makes up the outside panel. This pocket is the full dimensions of the back of the bag. It easily accommodates an iPad. There are 1" Duraflex D-rings at each end of the zipper for securing the waist band.
Comfort:
There is a 2" nylon web strap with 2" Duraflex buckles at each end. One end of the strap has a male component of the buckle the other end has a female component. So, the strap only goes on one way. It is adjustable in length. There is a rubberized Velcro sleeve that serves as a shoulder pad. It is excellent. The handle is very comfortable for carrying as mentioned. There is a 1" nylon web that is adjustable with Duraflex hooks on each end. It is a waist band that attaches to the various D-rings described above for additional security when carrying the bag cross-body in typical "messenger" style.
Summary:
This is a very well made, almost over-engineered, bag suitable as a daily carry for the office commuter or student. It is smaller than some, but sufficient in size for the minimalist. Despite the Molle attachments, it does not scream "TACTICAL", yet you still get that same durability and quality found in many tactical products.
Areas for improvement:
--I wish it was slightly bigger.
--I love the side pocket for a mug/Nalgene bottle, but I think it could be slightly deeper or wider or both. And, adding a pull tab to the outside lip of the pocket would assist with getting stuff into it.
--As a "tactical" product, I'm disappointed there isn't an easy access pocket for CCW!! The zippered back panel pocket or the outside pocket on the "messenger" flap are large enough for a full-sized semi-auto, but not easy to access in a pinch. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the messenger style bags in general because they are cumbersome to access the internal compartments. The main compartment of this bag is completely lined with Velcro loop which would be good for mounting a holster to, but accessing this quickly is not possible with a messenger style bag.
--I would get rid of the Velcro that secures the "messenger" flap. There are already buckles. The Velcro is super noisy and cannot be separated with one hand.
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Product Description
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Durable, Water Resistant Coated Codura 500D Fabric
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Main Compartment With Internal Pocket
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Reinforced Bottom With Elastic Cord
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High Quality Construction
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Medium sized messenger bag is a perfect platform for visit to the range or just daily activities. Externally there are two zippered organizer pockets with slots for smaller electronics/tools/writing essentials.
On sides there are open-top small water bottle pocket) and zippered one, that will fit a shot timer perfectly. On the inner side of the flap, there is a clear vinyl pocket and on the outside, a flat zippered one.
- Detachable shoulder strap with non-slip pad and stabilizing waist strap
- Carrying handle on top side
Messenger Bag MK II
Lifestyle product line
Additional PALS/MOLLE mounting surface on the outside of the bag provide space for attaching accessory and magazine pouches under/over the bag’s flap or on the side pocket surface.
Bottom of this messenger bag is reinforced with an elastic cord to carry some clothing on the outside. The body side has a flat, zippered pocket that can stow detachable shoulder and waist straps.
- 100% 500D Cordura fabric for durability
- Lightweight, durable, non-moisture absorbing laser cut MOLLE/PALS system
- Heavy duty, glove friendly YKK zippers
- Velcro interior for user-customizable configuration
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| Messenger Bag Mk II | Small Messenger Bag | |
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| Customer Reviews |
195
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22
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| Price | — | $69.00 |
| Capacity | 10 Liters / 610 cubic inches | 8.5 Liters / 519 cubic inches |
| Weight | 1362 g / 3 lbs | 860 g / 1.89 lbs |
| Main compartment dimensions (WxHxD) | 26 x 35 x 13 cm / 10 x 13.7 x 5 inches | 23 x 33 x 10 cm / 9.4 x 13 x 4 inches |
| Padded sleeve compartment (Laptop/Tablet) | 12.5 x 9.5 inches | designed for 11 inch laptop or tablet |
| Application | Everyday Carry (EDC) | Everyday Carry (EDC) |
| Fabric | Water resistant coated Cordura 500D | Water resistant coated Cordura 500D |
Reviews with images
Great travel/everyday bag, but water pocket is TOO small!
Direct Action Messenger Tactical bag is my new travel light bag. The size is perfect! It has many external and internal pockets. Front and side zipper pockets are great for small items. The front flap also has Velcro which allows quick opening without using the buckles. My 11" laptop fits nicely in the padded sleeve inside main compartment. I added Velcro dividers to carry a mirrorless APS-C camera. The bag build quality and material are very good.Things that I don't like: - The water bottle pocket shown on the product page **looks** large, but the actual size is really small. The pocket is TOO small to hold a 14 oz (3" diameter) nalgene bottle! I found a 11 oz rectangular fitness bottle 1" D x 2.2" W x 8.5" H that fits the pocket. Direct Action should make the water bottle pocket larger for a standard bottle, or replace it with a plain MOLLE side panel so users can attach water pouches of the their choices. - The shoulder pad is not as good as Direct Action's small messenger bag. The pad slips off a shoulder easily. So I had to replace it with a better non-slip and wider pad.
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