If you’re a gear hog – and, for some reason, more of us seem to be these days – you’re always looking for the most efficient, comfortable way to schlep your schtuff. While less is usually more EDC-wise, some of us know people who won’t leave the house without looking like they’re prepared for a month-long Himalayan trek. Gun, extra mag(s), flashlight, knife, smartphone, keys, lighter, shades, multitool, pen, paper, meds, tissues, ChapStick, comb, earphones, first-aid kit, yadda, yadda and still more yadda. And that’s just for a quick trip to the grocery store and the cleaners. If you’re planning a day out with the fam, add water, a juice box or two, energy bars, Purell, sun screen, junior’s Nintendo DS and EpiPen, Janie’s MLP Princess Cadence, the wife’s iPad . . . tired yet? Yeah, and you haven’t even left the house . . .
What’s a modern, well-prepared man about town to do? Well, the hardware store has a few solutions, but they can be a tad on the cumbersome side and make it hard to find what you want when you want it. The people at Optics Planet, though, have felt your pain and have commissioned a solution. They’ve come up with the kind of bag a self-respecting dad won’t be embarrassed to be seen in that won’t deplete your ammo budget too much.
Fortunately, the OPMOD P.A.C. Limited Edition Versipack is a lot more economical than that pseudo-military sounding name. OPMOD means “OpticsPlanet MODification.” P.A.C. is short for Personal Articles Carrier. You vets should feel right at home.
The bag’s tactical, functional design will ensure that no one takes you for a wanna-be hipster. And anyone within earshot who calls it a man-purse is in line for a good ass-kicking. This thing has way too many paracord pulls and PALS loops for that. No, the Versipack is unmistakably tactical . . . a true turse.
You want pockets? You can’t handle all the pockets this baby sports. You got yer exterior pockets, yer interior pockets, yer mesh pockets, yer zippered pockets and pockets with Velcro tabs. Wanna hang it? No prob. there are two d-rings — one on the top in back and one on the side of the top zippered top pouch.
All zippers have paracord pulls because 1) they make it a lot faster and easier to yank ’em, and 2) what self-repecting turse wouldn’t have paracord pulls? And they’ve topped the whole thing off with a looped velcro rectangle because nothing’s truly as tactical as it can be without a morale patch.
This bag is your classic, over-the-shoulder slinger with a strap that has a sliding shoulder pad so it won’t dig in. You can also remove the strap completely, slip the two slideclips together and, voila! Instant carry handle.
And thanks to all those PALS loops, you can swap out some or all three of the add-on pouches that came with the Versipack for something else, if you’re so inclined. Above, I’ve strapped on a Blackhawk! water bottle pouch just because I can.
Hey, wait. This is a gun blog! Why are we reviewing a turse here? Tacticality alone isn’t enough to crack these pages, Bunky. Don’t worry, the Versipack is plenty gunny. It comes with three, count ’em three PALS-attached Veclro-close pouches. Optics Planet says they’re one rifle and two pistol mag pouches, but I beg to differ.
The larger one is a 3.25″ x 8.5″ expandable pouch that will definitely hold any handgun mag you’ll ever carry, up to and easily including a Glock 33-rounder, as pictured above. But rifle mags? Nyet. Not unless you’re going to stack a bunch of 10/22 rotaries in there.
The two strapped to the opposite side, however, are far too slim to really be considered magazine pouches at all. I could just cram a little P3AT mag in there, but anything bigger is a no-go. They’ll hold something like a Streamlight Stylus Pro (above) or a Sharpie quite nicely, though.
As for concealed carry, RF may not be a fan of off-body carry, but there are plenty of you out there who don’t give a rip and are going to pack that way, period. The Versipack’s concealed pouch is designed to easily tote a full-size mohaska on your appointed rounds. It has a slim pocket behind the the lid to the main compartment that’s accessed by a 9-inch zipper in the top. It’s positioned closest to your body behind the mail compartment lid and is easily accessible in a hurry.
What the bag doesn’t have is a holster. No biggie, though, because Optics Planet has thoughtfully sewn a couple of large Velcro patches onto both interior sides of that pocket for something like Maxpedition’s Universal CCW Holster. If you plan to pack Versipack heat, you’ll definitely want one.
Want another carry option? If the other compartment’s full, you can pack a smaller gun in a snap-top pocket that’s located at the back of the bag against your bod. This one isn’t as easily accessible — it’s not as quick to get your hand in that pocket, especially if you keep that aggressive snap closed. Still, it’s another option. This pocket also has interior Velcro like the larger zippered pocket to hold a holster.
Caveat carrier: that rear pocket won’t take a full-sized gun like the bigger zippered compartment will. I’d guess nothing much bigger than a Glock 19, but that shouldn’t cramp your ballistic style too much. Here it is, comfortably holding a Kahr CW9:
What’s that? You don’t carry a turse and don’t plan to? Hell, neither do I. But that doesn’t mean this thing won’t make a good addition to your arsenal anyway. Do you keep a first aid kit in the house? We do. And it’s all in one convenient bag that’s easy to grab when you need it rather than having it all spread out in various drawers, medicine cabinets and closets.
I’ve been using an old camera bag to hold ours, but the P.A.C. Versipack is at least as good a solution and way more flexible, so I’ll be switching it out. It’s also the perfect turse for an emergency get-your-ass home kit to keep in the trunk of the car.
Will it take abuse? I haven’t run it over with a car yet, but the damned thing appears to be tough as nails. It has heavy, even stitching, quality zippers and drain holes thoughtfully added at the bottom of each pouch.
Best of all there’s an OPMOD P.A.C. Limited Edition Versipack available to match almost any ensemble. You can get one in basic black (always right with any outfit) or a lovely shade of O.D. green that’s sure to compliment your spring wardrobe.
Specifications:
Overall size:Â H 12-1/2″ x W 8-1/2″ x D 7-1/4″
Main compartment:Â H 11″ x W 8″ x D 4-1/2″
Front pouch: Â H 8″ x W 7-1/2″ x D 2 1/2″
Front bottom pouch: Â H 2″ x 7-1/2″ X 2-1/2″
Front pocket:Â H 6″ x W 7″
Back pocket:Â H 11″ x W 9″
Conceal snap back pocket: Â H 7-1/4″ x W 8″
Top pouch: Â H 5″ x W 6-3/4″ x D 2-1/2″
Carry strap: Â L 43″ x W 1-1/2″ w/ 2″
Weight (empty): Â 1.78 lbs
Price: Â $39.99
Ratings (out of five stars):
Design: * * * * *
The Versipack is well thought out with pockets where you want them that open in directions that are convenient. This isn’t a slap-dash design. Paracord pulls, velcro, PALS loops galore (even on the bottom!) and mesh…all right where you want them to be.
Comfort * * * *
It’s not light, even empty. Load it up and you’ll know you’re carrying some gear. But the padded shoulder strap and mesh backing make it about as comfy as an over-the-shoulder sling bag can be.
Utility * * * *
There isn’t much this thing won’t hold, up to and including an iPad, a netbook or even small laptop. Those two skinny pouches are an odd choice, though.
Construction * * * * *
Everything about it feels solid. No loose or sloppy stitching, strong snap and connectors, heavyweight PVC material.
Overall * * * * 1/2
This is a well-made, thoughtfully designed turse at about half the price of similar bags from competitors like Maxpedition. Just don’t buy into that “three mag pouch” stuff.
Still looks like a purse.
Bet you wouldn’t say that if you were standing ten feet away from a man wearing that pack and he was holding a .45 semi-auto.
Make fun of a guy wearing a tacmurse? Hell yes. Not like he’s gonna go gangsta on me with his $3k custom 1911.
Make fun of some skinny tattooed loser because his gat is making his baggies hang down to his hip points? A kid who has probably never had an honest paycheck large enough to afford a Versipak product in his -gonna be- short life?
Probably not.
What did I just read?
Optics Planet has free shipping as well.
Nice. As a father with a 6 month baby girl and a very active 2.5 year old son, I’d definitely use this rather than some pink flowery diaper bag where everything’s crammed into one giant pocket.
Not that there’s anything wrong with pink… heh
Not to sound fruity Dan… but are you losing weight?
If only. That’s my son. But thanks.
Gotta have one, and no, IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A PURSE, except maybe to purse fanciers.
I’m an absolute cordura bag FREAK, can’t get enough of ’em, and this is one of the greatest and most useful I’ve seen. For me, a must-have. Thanks, Dan, for letting me know about it.
But TURSE? I have a really large vocabulary, and had to look it up. It’s not entirely inappropriate to describe the subject, but WTF? Did you get it as a “word of the day” on your iPhone?
In other words, THANKS.
Tactical pURSE. I either made it up or read it somewhere else and forgot where. Heh.
Thanks for the review! Every gunny should at least know about the VersiPacks.
Two weeks ago I got the Jumbo EDC with the concealed holster and double mag pouch – I love this thing. It easily swallers up my G-20 with two spare mags.
I also ordered Maxpedition’s EDC Pocket Organizer. It slips into the bag or outside with PALS and has all the elastic loops you need for all the little tidbits (nail clippers, small tie wraps, eyeglass screwdriver, chap stick, small scissors, multitool etc) that get lost in a big pocket. It is a rockin’ little organizer,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DAHO0Y/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Forgot to add that I bought this to keep in the Jeep or take on hikes. In town the Glock stays strapped to me.
Just to be clear, this is NOT a Maxpedition bag. Yes, Maxpedition has a line of shoulder bags also called Versipacks. Optics Planet designed these and has them produced using the Versipack name, too.
How that happens trademark-wise is anyone’s guess. I’d expect a cease and desist letter from one to the other at some point. But until then, there it is.
My bad! I saw the name Versipack and assumed it was Maxpedition. Agreed a C&D wouldn’t be surprising.
I prefer my bags not looking like they just came out of a centerfold of one of those tactical mags at B&N. Why attract the attention?
+1
Gear like this is great from a pragmatic or utilitarian perspective, however it falls into the same class of “shoot-me-now CCW gear” that ChuckN mentions below.
I’ve found the more distance I’ve put between me and my 20’s the less desire I have to look like that guy – you know, the one who looks like he just got back from deployment and had to find some “domestic tactical” gear for running the family around the mall or for hanging out with his buddies at the local range. Or, more often, the guy who’s never deployed and wants to look like he did. (Yep, I said it.)
My move away from conspicuous tac gear – i.e., most anything in black/tan/olive drab denier nylon or visible MOLLE/PALS (or, more simply put, just about anything made by 5.11) – began in earnest after a conversation with a neighbor several houses down from ours. Our conversations up to that point were mostly superficial news/weather/sports-type topics. That day I found out he owned a rifle & a pistol, and then he asked where I go to shoot. That was funny, because up to that point I had never mentioned to him that I owned any guns, let alone a safe full of ballistic goodness. Upon seeing my eyebrows shoot up, he noted my penchant for loading up the long black case(s) and/or bags on mild, sunny days. Now, I thought I had been rather discreet in moving my ballistic toys from house to automobile and back again, but evidently I wasn’t inconspicuous enough.
Since then I’ve been on a campaign to make all my self-reliance accoutrements as conventional as possible – e.g., using a loose polo shirt (without a tac/gun logo) instead of a tac vest when carrying; or, using a tool bag (that isn’t black) as a range bag. Would love to hear others’ thoughts on this and what they’ve used to avoid the tacticool (tactifool?) look.
Until I see a SEAL wearing one, it’s a murse. And if I do see a SEAL wearing one, I’ll know that DADT is still alive and well.
Funny – I always thought that Murse was a male nurse.
OK… just ordered one. Don’t know if, when, or how I’ll use it. But, I have a feeling it will come in handy.
Actually I love These man purses! Goes great in the night stand for that Bump In The Night situation. It’s all right there, light, mags, pistol (or 2). Plus I think it would reduce the chance of having to use deadly force if an intruder sees me walking around in my boxers and my man purse!
It can also hold your AR mags and back up pistol in case your rifle goes down. As I said in the Rob Pincus rifle malfunction article last week…..the only bad side is being seen at the range practicing your man purse draw.
1 more thing. I did actually see a guy at a tactile rifle course once who used this for carrying AR mags and doing his Tactile and emergency reloads from the man purse. He had it down pretty good. My only issue was it did not match his shoes at all.
Because I needed to sneeze out bits of Baby Ruth finding unexpected punchlines…*laughs*
I could see carrying one as a quick rescue kit, but not
everyday. To me it gives off the same vibe as the
shoot-me-now CCW vests.
opiv5of 5% off order…just worked for me.
Tactical carry options for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic figures? Don’t mind if I do…
Be carefull… Choking hazard!
When I first read the article I wanted to go order it. Then I thought, well when I’m out in the woods I carry on my hip so it doesn’t have any additional utility for me over my backpack. It does look like it would make a nice range bag but both my wife and I already have one. My primary range bag has room for 10 magazines. and two full sized pistols so while it might be a nice addition I would rather buy some ammo with the $40. It would make a nice present for my wife and I think she might use it both with or without her M-9 in tow. It is a nice purse. Did I say purse? I guess I did so yeah it’s a man purse for the man who wants one and is ashamed to admit it to his fellow men.
Is there a backpack equivalent to this? I like the utility and need a range bag, but as a Murse (in the male nurse sense of the word), my masculinity can’t take another hit by owning a “Turse”…
I got something quite similar. You can carry whatever without the weird ‘fanny pack’ look. Get Camo colored for added manly effect. Mall ninja prepper trumps fruity metrosexual. Also beats the ‘batman’ utility belt look, though you can still carry a few things there and in pockets if you desire.
I would never carry as an EDC as I prefer minimal and KISS. This would however make for a pretty good mini trauma bag, not that my current one is very big as I dont carry even half of what I can do in my scope of practice.
It would make a perfect tactical diaper bag if it had a couple of sippy cup pouches.
Now that’s funny!
I bought one of these about a year ago at a local gun show. It is not from Optics Planet but is branded by the OEM.
I wanted a bag to carry crap that wasn’t too metro or purse like. I wanted one big enough to fit my iPad. It’s just a bit too small for the iPad but does fit my Kindle.
I usually attach a water bottle holder (double AR mag pouch works great). It has been dragged all over the place for over a year and been beaten on pretty well but it is still in good shape. The mesh on the body side is starting to fray a little but does not affect the use of the bag, it just looks a little ragged. The mesh can also be a little irritating on the skin of you carry the bag for an extended time wearing thin shorts or shirt.
I carry a first aid kit, multi-tool, large folding knife and other odds and ends in the bag and have plenty of room (too much as I keep trying to fill it). It may or may not have been used for concealed carry on occasion. If it did, it worked quite well. Double stack pistols could cause the bag to bow out a bit instead of remaining flat on the side facing the body. This could increase the irritation with thinner garments as the bag swings more at that point. Single stack pistols would not cause this.
This is probably overkill for a quick trip to the grocery store but is a great asset on longer outings to the mall (I have daughters, mall outing last until the last store closes), fairs, festivals, the beach, etc. The carry capacity has helped be take care of numerous minor “emergencies” with room for lotion, sunblock, bug repellent, first aid kit, sanitizer, wet wipes, tissues, medication, etc.
I was a little worried about the “mall ninja” look but people don’t seem to notice it any more than they would if I was carrying any other “murse.”
Bottom line, this is a handy and durable bag for a pretty reasonable price.
-Cranky
I have about 7 of these. 1 for each pistol, M1 Carbine and 3 ARs. Makes it easy to grab and head to the range. Always have the correct magazines and extra ammo…they are WELL worth the money. Always less than $30. They appear frequently on dvor.com. I also have several OPMOD Backpacks…same quality and just as economic. Perfect to keep as SHTF bags….keep one in the car, the truck and one at work.
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