Alright, I’ve finally gotten around to writing a review of this pack that I keep talking about.
You’re welcome.
This is the Vertx Ready Pack 2.0, and this particular color scheme looks like it’s no longer offered. There are a bunch of cool color schemes available though, and I’d be perfectly happy if they kept rotating colors – that’s one of my main complaints about “EDC” style bags; they’re either offered in Coyote, Black or Multicam, or they have 1 or 2 “generic” color options like a gray and light blue, or an obnoxious safety red – rotating colors lets each individual bag stand out less and helps make the user less of a target.
If you’re Timmy Tactical in your 5.11 tuxedo (sorry, 5.11 bois) with a Maxpedition sling bag, I’m sorry to report, but you’ve been made as a concealed carrier or cop by anyone with any remotely nefarious intent well before you even entered the room, as well as most people who are capable of paying any kind of rudimentary attention to their surroundings (so probably a quarter of the room on a good day).
Vertx isn’t quite as “bad” as 5.11 as far as brand recognition goes, and the overall look of this pack is generic enough that it doesn’t immediately draw attention – no MOLLE webbing on the outside, and only a small Velcro strip at the bottom exterior.
Now, on to the features!
This is the rear pocket of the bag; it’s secured with the S-Biner I reviewed last week, and inside is a pocket for whatever you want; quick access for medical gear, or if you’re a firearms type, you can put a Velcro holster and mag carrier in there and keep your pistola with the light in there when you want to carry off-body (obligatory: not usually recommended, done here for demonstration purposes).
I also tossed a set of Cobra Cuffs (review here) in there for fun – there’s more real estate than you really need in here, at least in my opinion – all of the panel that folds down flat is covered with soft Velcro, so you can really accessorize the hell out of it if you want. All that being said, I’d much prefer the way they did it to feeling like I was cramped or running out of space.
To be honest, the majority of the time I don’t keep anything in this pocket; my place of employment frowns upon firearms, and I’m generally not a fan of off-body carry, so I stick to carrying when I’m not working.
Also of note, if you do use this pocket, you can zip down just the one side of the rear panel/compartment and reach in for a hand on whatever you’re keeping in there, without it flopping around in the breeze – useful if the bag is, say, on a seat next to you in the car for instance and you want to grab something.
This is the small, frontmost pocket – I keep (L to R) my Zebra pen, some paracord, a battery charger “brick”, a spoon (yes a spoon), some epinephrine, a couple of those little tuna foil packs, some plasticware (wrapped) some water additive (with caffeine) and Pedialyte packs, a couple snacks and a little energy drink “shot”.
Most of this is stuff aimed at when I’m on the ambulance – you don’t always have time in your shift to stop at a base or even a restaurant or gas station, so it’s always worth having some snacks and drinks on hand. It gets used semi-regularly and therefore rotated through, and also serves as a backup food/drink supply for a day or two in the event of a major disruption or (most likely) a snowstorm stranding me somewhere.
Next pocket back, the one with the red zipper pulls. Here I have my medical gear that I talked about at the bottom of the pocket, a small pry bar, this neat gooseneck light that I’ll discuss in a moment, a Sharpie, a small roll of gaffer’s tape, my work badges, a chemlight/glowstick, the CRKT Combat Stripping Tool (guess what’s coming), the FW3A, and on top of the med gear I have my Leatherman MUT multitool.
Now, that gooseneck light.
It’s decently bright, and because this bag stands on its own, it can be used to illuminate an area hands-free if I’m working on something or trying to do a patient assessment – that’s really why it’s in the med gear pocket. It’s from 5.11 (ha, go figure), and it fits nicely in the MOLLE webbing that’s at the top of this pocket.
Finally, the main compartment. First things first – plenty of soft Velcro for patches (shout out to some of my favorite companies – Lone Star Medics, Tactical Elements, Valkyrie Combat, and XSA International. Not pictured: Dark Angel Medical (Kerry: hint, hint).
It’s got the obligatory laptop pocket, plenty of space in the main area, and a nice handy little zipper pocket for small items, as well as some pen pockets (pictured with my pens, a light, and a POM Industries canister – more on this in a future video).
I’m a big fan of this bag, it’s been my everyday bag since I got it, and I see no signs of that changing any time soon – it’s got enough space to carry all my usual stuff, and some of the more “tactical” features that can be handy, while retaining a low profile appearance (ie; not black and covered in MOLLE webbing).
Hopefully this helps somebody make a purchase decision – this is one of a few items by Vertx I own, and I’ve been pleased with their quality and their service thus far, and look forward to trying out more of their stuff as time goes on!
Ninja edit: for those (like me) who wondered – yes, a full size Nalgene bottle fits in the side pockets! Best. Bottles. Ever.
Until next time.
-T