Reviews – Page 216

Mission Workshop Rhake Backpack review

If you spend time on a bike, you probably know about Mission Workshop and their amazing bags. Today we’re looking at their latest pack: The Rhake. Designed with tons of dedicated organization for your tech and gear, the Rhake is a true multitasker for cyclists, commuters, and travelers alike. It’s a good one, folks. To the review!

What is it?

It’s a burly weatherproof laptop backpack with all kinds of organization and enhancements for your tech gear and travel needs.

Hardware specs

External dimensions: 21” x 13” x 5”
Internal volume: 1,350 cu. in. (22 L)
Weight (empty): 3.1 lbs.
Body Fabric: Available in HT500 or MultiCam® Black Camo Cordura®.
Two-layer weatherproof construction and water-resistant zippers.
Arkiv® rails on the shoulder straps for easy addition of Mission Workshop Arkiv® accessories.
Perforated foam back panel.
Made in the USA from domestic and imported components.

Design and features

The Mission Workshop Rhake wears it’s heritage as a bike ready bag proudly. It’s a rugged looking bag, but a lean profile and sophisticated styling details give it a contemporary look. There’s no doubt that this is a bag made to work hard, but it will look good doing it.

The Rhake is built around Mission Workshop’s signature rolltop-style design for access to the main storage compartment. As opposed to a simple flap, the rolltop “hood” is an 8” extension of the bag that is secured by either a velcro flap or an adjustable strap that hooks into a loop on the bag. This setup gives you a flexible, cavernous space (22 liters) when rolled tight for a completely waterproof seal. Use the adjustable strap and that space expands to up to 28 liters for taller/larger loads. There’s also a deep zippered pocket on the rear panel of this chamber to keep documents flat and dry.

Your laptop rides behind the main compartment, closest to your back, in a padded laptop compartment that runs the height and width of the bag. Accessed by a full-height zipper on the rear seam, this compartment will easily accommodate a 15” laptop and some 17” laptops. You can also fit a laptop and a larger tablet here, depending on the size of your gear.

A collection of compartments on the front face of the bag are used to sort out your small stuff. Two 7” by 12” zippered organization panels unzip to reveal a set of zippered mesh compartments (and a key leash!) on the left panel, and an open pocket for quick grab stuff on the right panel. A pair of adjustable buckled straps in front of these panels can also be used to secure additional items like a tripod or a rolled-up jacket. A vertical tablet/notebook pocket sits behind the organization panels and is accessed by a horizontal zipper with its own rain flap. Below the organizational panel is a horizontal compartment intended for chargers, headphones, or other similar small chunky items.

Rounding out the organization is a brilliant 10” by 6” “hidden” pocket on the opposite rear seam from the laptop zip. This pocket contains an elastic mesh pouch you pull out to sling your water bottle, including oversized bottles. Tuck the pouch away and you can use this pocket for valuables like a wallet or cell phone since it sits close to your back. Very clever.

The harness configurations is completely adjustable. The shoulder straps are wide, well-padded, and curve slightly at the hips for a contoured fit. Adjustment points at the top and bottom of the shoulder straps and an adjustable sternum strap enable you to dial in the perfect fit for your body type. Generous back pads provide additional comfort, with a lower lumbar panel designed as a pass-through for your luggage handle. A wrapped foam top handle completes the rig for three different carry options.

The shoulder straps also feature Mission Workshop’s proprietary Arkiv rail system, designed to work with MW’s modular accessories. Open the locking tabs and you can slide accessories (like a cell phone holder) onto the straps for additional organization. You can read more about the Arkiv system here.

The build on the Rhake is extraordinary. The primary material is MW’s exclusive HT500 high-tenacity fabric, a sophisticated upgrade over Cordura (read more about it here). Dual layer construction is used throughout, providing an additional layer of smooth waterproof material for extra element protection. Duraflex buckles are standard (some options offer Cobra buckles!) along with water-resistant zips throughout. Every seam and corner is overbuilt for durability, and little enhancements like zipper garages and a blinky light loop on the bottom of the bag show the attention to detail. It’s all made in the USA, and backed by a lifetime warranty.

Performance

If you’re a commuter or traveler that carries your life on your back everywhere you go, the Rhake is your new best friend. It’s a great design that makes life easier on the road.

For extended carry, the Rhake may be the most comfortable pack I’ve carried. The harness setup is much chunkier than most business-style packs, but you’ll appreciate all of that padding and the ability to adjust the rigging when you’re running through an airport or train station (or hitting your two-wheeled commuter).

If you’re a smaller framed person, you should be aware that the Rhake is quite wide and tall (21″ by 13″). But at a mere 5″ deep, it’s lean profile hugs tight to your back for active maneuvering. I’m 5’10” and 190 pounds, and tend to favor slightly shorter packs based on my body type. I don’t have any comfort issues with this pack, because I can adjust all of the strapping to get to a comfortable fit. I’m thinking that this bag won’t fit under an airline seat, but I plan to test that on an upcoming trip.

When you are living out of your bag for extended periods of time, the multi-zone organization of the Rhake is brilliant. Since every storage area is accessed independently, you can organize your gear based on size and frequency of use. The main compartment is waterproofed inside and out, which is ideal for the safe transport of gym stuff or groceries (or a six pack, shown below) without risking that your electronics could get hit with an accidental leak. At 22 liter plus capacity, you could easily get a couple of days worth of clothes in there as well.

Mission Workshop has clearly put some time into thinking about user needs, and how you might sort out the rest of your kit. Laptop, tablet, and notebooks have dedicated spaces. That left organization panel, with its different sized mesh sub-pockets, is perfect for sorting out all of those little business or travel bits. The quick grab right pocket is flexible enough to handle everything from travel documents to sunglasses, while chargers and power bricks have their own garage so they don’t ensnare everything else. Hydration is optional. It all adds up to a well sorted, flexible system that doesn’t require any additional organization add-ons to work. I will probably add the Arkiv cell phone holder to the rig so I have a dedicated phone holster, but that’s about it.

I have zero concerns about durability with the Rhake. I’m very picky about quality in my bags, and the Rhake is among the best that I’ve tested. Every aspect of the bag is overbuilt to take a lifetime of beatings. If you’re looking for a travel bag that will log a lot of miles, you’ll be happy with this little monster.

My final comments are related to style. It should be noted that the Rhake is not a streamlined fancy business bag. It’s a technical pack that has lots of straps, and there’s a chunky rugged look to the whole package. I don’t know that I would wear it with a suit. But I think that the contemporary style looks great in business casual environments.

What I like

Outstanding build and material quality
Built to handle the elements, on or off a bike
Brilliant multi-zone organization for your big stuff, small stuff, and technology
Extremely comfortable, adjustable fit for all-day carry
Dedicated key leash
Brilliant water bottle pocket that tucks away when not in use

What needs to be improved

Wide, tall form may not work for smaller-framed people
Lots of straps
May not fit under an airplane seat (something I will be testing shortly)

Final thoughts

While I have handled MW products in the past, Mission Workshop Rhake is the first of their products that I have had the opportunity to put through an extended test. It’s fantastic. The flexible organization for your tech and gear is really well thought out. Carry comfort is excellent. You’re going a pay a premium for the Rhake, but I think the quality and craftsmanship is in alignment with the pricing here. It’s an investment piece that will last a lifetime.

Price: $365 – $455 depending on options
Where to buy: Mission Workshop and some bags are available on Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by company Mission Workshop.

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Tagged: Backpack

Mission Workshop Rhake Backpack review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 6, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Spider SpiderPro Single Camera System V2 camera holster review

What is it?

The SpiderPro Single Camera System V2 is an ergonomically designed belt with integrated camera holster that allows photographers to carry their DSLR camera with any length of lens attached, comfortably and safely.

What’s in the box

In the package, the system I received included the SpiderPro belt with integrated Holster and the Pro2 Plate.

Design and features

The SpiderPro Belt is made of a very comfortable material that makes it easy to wear it for long periods of time. The length of the belt is adjustable via the included Velcro that is attached to one part of the inside of the belt. It is a 2-inch-wide belt with a 3-inch padded area around the back that provides extra comfort around the waist. The built-in holster with the locking mechanism is attached to an 8” x 6.5” padded area for your camera to rest on. It is attached via two hex screws from the inside of the padded area.

Built in to the holster there is a spring-loaded mechanism that locks the Pro2 Plate in and prevents it from coming loose accidentally. This spring-loaded locking mechanism must be engaged by pulling it up for the camera to be removed from the holster.

The belt buckle is a strong ABS type plastic clip that has a great and secure locking system to ensure that it never comes loose on its own. The belt buckle is approximately 2.5” wide.

It is important to note that another padded attachment with a holster can be added to the opposite side of the belt to upgrade it to a dual camera system.

The Pro2 Plate attaches to your DSLR and locks into the holster. On one side it has a 1/4 – 20” screw to attach it to your DSLR, and anti-slip rubber grips on either side of the screw to keep the plate in place.

On the other side of the Pro2 Plate, there are two 1/4 – 20” screw holes to allow the DSLR to be mounted to a tripod or other equipment without having to remove the plate. The rounded bolt that locks into the holster can be mounted on the left or right of the plate. There is also a hex driver neatly tucked away on the side of the Pro2 Plate that can be used to attach the plate to the camera.

What I like

I simply love the SpiderPro belt and Holster. The comfort that allows me to wear it for long times, and the reliable security the locking mechanism provides, gives me a sense of safety and security with my rig when I move around during a photo shoot.
I own several photography gear belts and many of their manufacturers claim to be the best at comfort and security, but so far, none of them come close to the SpiderPro. The fact that it handles both short and long lenses with ease is a major plus.

What needs to be improved

The only improvement I would recommend for this belt and holster system is possibly for the redesign of the Velcro system that is built in to adjust the length of the belt. While it is very secure, I found it somewhat tedious to work with when I was adjusting the length of the belt, because it kept sticking together and I constantly had to pry it open again. It is important to note that this is not a flaw but rather just something I would like to see redesigned so that it is easier to work with.

Final Thoughts

I have searched for a long time to find a belt that works for me without it feeling uncomfortable and odd, especially on days when I must wear it for a long time. While the Spider Pro is not perfect, it is certainly one of the best I have tried and especially so at its price point. While anyone using the Spider Pro with a DSLR and a long lens still needs to be careful not to hit the lens against any external object, they will be hard-pressed to find fault with its design or the value that it offers.

Price: $150.00
Where to buy:Spider and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Spider Holster.

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Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Camera gear, holster, Photography

Spider SpiderPro Single Camera System V2 camera holster review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 5, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag review

Eleven years ago I reviewed the Saddleback Leather Company Briefcase. It was the first of many Saddleback Leather Co. bag reviews that we’ve posted here on The Gadgeteer and it was my introduction to their rugged full-grain leather bags. After reviewing that first bag, I believed their motto that “They’ll fight over it when you’re dead”.

Today I’m going to show you SB’s newest bag, the Flight Bag, which reminds me of that first SB bag that I reviewed over a decade ago. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag is a full-grain leather bag that is available in 4 colors that include standard Tobacco, Dark Coffee Brown, Chestnut, and Black. They sent me a Flight Bag in Chestnut, which is a deep warm reddish brown with a matte finish that is smooth but not oily or waxy feeling.

The bag that was sent to me looks 99% perfect as far as the leather goes, but remember that bags from Saddleback are made of full-grain leather and some bags may have some natural marks from previous injuries to the animal. Some people might not like these “defects”, so keep that in mind.

The Flight Bag was designed to be carried like a briefcase by the two rolled and stitched handles, or as a shoulder bag by attaching the included adjustable leather shoulder strap.

Design and features

When I unboxed the Flight Bag, the scent of leather smacked me right in the face… in a good way. Unlike some leather bags that smell like they were drenched in a vat of chemicals, this bag smells good enough to eat. I advise against that though.

At first glance, the Flight Bag truly did remind me of that first Saddleback Leather Co. bag that I reviewed long ago. Like that bag, this new bag has two buckled pockets on the front that can be used to hold your smaller EDC gear.

To give you an idea of the size of the front pockets, I’ve placed two 3-packs of Word 3.5 x 5inch pocket notebooks in one of the spacious pockets. There’s still plenty of room left in the pocket which is approximately 7 inches tall, 5.5 inches wide, and 1.5 inches deep. Since the leather isn’t completely rigid, the pockets can stretch to hold various types of gear like chargers, notebooks, pens, phones, wallets, etc.

The flaps of the pockets are not sewn into the bag itself, which means that you can store some items behind the pockets.

The Flight Bag doesn’t have a lot of branding on it. On the front above the main buckle is a stamp of Saddleback Leather Co. founder Dave Munson’s dog Blue wearing a sombrero. You can read all about Dave and Blue’s adventures south of the border here.

If you flip the bag around to look at the back, you’ll see the Saddleback Leather Co. logo and a large open-topped pocket that can hold flat items like magazines, folders, newspapers, books, etc.

The pocket on the back is about 7 inches tall by 13 inches wide. The image above shows how a magazine looks stored in this pocket. Yes, a standard magazine does stick out a bit.

The sides of the Flight Bag do not have any pockets, but there’s a heavy-duty D-ring on each side that is used as an attachment point for the included shoulder strap.

The leather seams on the bottom of the Flight Bag keep the bag’s base lifted up off the floor to help keep it clean. There are also 4 steel D-rings on the bottom of the Flight Bag. One on each corner. These rings can be used to attach something to the bottom of the bag. It would be nice if SaddleBack had included some sort of bungee cord or straps for the bottom so you could more easily use the D rings to hold items like an umbrella to the bottom of the bag.

The adjustable shoulder strap has strong spring-loaded swivel clips that clip to the side D-rings. The strap has a shoulder pad and can be adjusted to fit almost any size for height challenged to tall people.

Unlike other Saddleback bags that I’ve reviewed, the Flight Bag has a really cool way to secure the contents of the bag. Nope, it’s not a standard buckled flap, although the Flight Bag does have a buckle.

The top of the bag has two small tabs that you grip and pull open.

The rigid frame at the top hinges open to reveal the bag’s interior. The hinge mechanism keeps the bag open with no worries that it will close on its own while you’re inserting or removing items, which is really convenient if you like to have easy access to your gear at all times.

This closure style reminds me of an old-time doctor’s bag and is what I believe is considered a Gladstone style hinge. It’s unique, but it does have one problem… It takes two hands to open and close the bag, making it a little awkward if you need to open the bag while you’re carrying it.

The interior of the Flight Bag is lined on the front and back walls with a soft pigskin. The bag is basically a large open area except for a soft floppy open-topped pocket made of pigskin that you can use to organize items that you carry. The Flight Bag also has a false bottom that you can lift up to hide flat papers.

To give you a better idea of how large the bag is, I’ve placed my 12″ MacBook in the bag which you can see in the image above. The Flight Bag’s 15 x 5.5 x 9-inch interior can hold a lot of gear.

I do wish that the bag offered a way to organize smaller items like pen, pencils, and more inside the main compartment. I suppose that you could put smaller things in a dedicated pouch, but I’d rather have a few pen slots and smaller pockets inside the bag itself in addition to the two pockets on the outside.

Even though the Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag holds a lot of gear it’s not unwieldy as far as its size. To give you an idea of how large it is, I am 5’6″ tall and weigh 130 lbs.

Although the Flight Bag is a manageable size, it’s definitely not a lightweight bag. With nothing in it, it weighs in at 5 lb 10 oz. with the shoulder strap attached. Load it up and this bag will give you a nice workout carrying it around from place to place during your busy day.

What I like

100-year warranty
Rugged good looks
Roomy
That yummy leather smell

What needs to be improved

Expensive
Lack of organization in the main compartment
Takes two hands to open and close the bag

Final thoughts

Even though I knew I wouldn’t find any problems, I checked this bag many times looking for defects, questionable workmanship, and less than stellar materials. I wasn’t wrong and didn’t find any. That’s because this bag is made by Saddleback Leather Company and I’ve yet to review one of their bags or products that disappointed me as far as the construction and craftsmanship. Everything about the Flight Bag from the tough full grain leather, to the marine-grade thread and reinforced copper rivets, make this bag the type of bag that you will use and carry for decades. I have to say that this is the nicest Saddleback Leather Company bag that I’ve ever reviewed.

Now, there’s no denying that Saddleback Leather Company makes gorgeous leather bags. But they aren’t for everyone due to their weight and more importantly, their price tag. Most people don’t have a budget for a high-end bag like this one. But if you do, and this is the style of bag that you enjoy using and carrying, you will not be disappointed with the Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag.

This is the type of leather bag that only gets better the more miles it has on it. Saddleback Leather warranty it for 100 years, so they are confident that it can stand the test of time and I can’t disagree with that.

Price: $479. On April 10 it will be updated to its regular MSRP of $529
Where to buy: Saddleback Leather Company
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Saddleback Leather Company.

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Tagged: Bags, Leather

Saddleback Leather Company Flight Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 5, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The UpCart Deluxe stair climbing handcart review

Several weeks ago, I wrote a news story on the UpCart and received some comments from our readers, including a request to review the cart. At that time, it was just a news story and I did not have one to review. Shortly thereafter, the owner of the UpCart Company saw the news story and comments and offered to send one for a review. So, here we go:

What is it?

The UpCart is a handcart built with 3 wheels on each side, and it is designed to make taking loads up and down stairs easily, as well as going over curbs and the normal rough terrain that we usually use our handcarts for. The third wheel allows it to have traction and the ability to roll at all times since by design, 2 wheels on each side are always touching a surface.

What’s in the box

The UpCart Deluxe comes fully assembled in the box, and a nice wide and durable bungee cord is included so that you can just add your cargo, strap it in and go.

Design and features

The UpCart Deluxe is a well-designed lightweight handcart that uses 3 wheels on each side that rotate to make the curb climbing and carting up and down stairs much easier than the conventional 2-wheeled handcart. The handle from the base is chrome plated, 8 inches wide, 21 inches from the ground when closed and 44 inches from the ground when fully extended. The base and the wheels fold flat when closed, and measure 24 inches when flat at the widest point from wheel to wheel. The second grip just beneath the top handle is the lever that when pulled upwards, releases the handle to be extended or shortened.

When the handle is extended, the wheels are opened to the correct position for carting by depressing the base. In this position, the base that the load will rest on is 10 inches deep and 16.5 inches wide, and the distance across between the wheels is 19.5 inches.

The dimensions are very important for this review because this cart is very stable and without a doubt, the design and measurements are a critical part of the success of this cart.
The base of the cart is powder coated and in my testing, the metal felt like it could be cast iron but because the cart is relatively light, I could be wrong.

What I like

There are so many things to like about the UpCart. The fit and finish are pristine, and the design fits the purpose very well. I was very surprised at how lightweight it is and how skinny the wheels are, and yet it is remarkably stable. I tried to load it up with an unbalanced load to see if it would tip over and under what circumstances.

First, I loaded it with 2 boxes totaling approximately 80 pounds and it stood solid and with no issues.

Then I decided to use it for my cumbersome laundry bags and once again it stood steadfast on its own.

Finally, I packed on uneven parcels of grocery items and it handled the load like a champ.

I then took the groceries up the stairs, and other than the actual weight of the load, I had no problem getting the cart up the stairs. Once it started rolling, it was quite smooth, and it was the same going down the stairs.

I must also mention that it seems that it will easily handle the maximum load of 125 pounds as per manufacturer specifications.

What can be improved

While the UpCart is well built and quite strong, I do feel that the wheels could be slightly wider to better manage those rough parking lots with cracks in the asphalt. I would also like to see a mechanism built in to assertively lock the wheels open or closed. There were times when I felt unsure that the wheels would stay in position, albeit that they did.

Final thoughts

In my opinion, the UpCart Deluxe is without a doubt a well-built cart that may seem questionable from its looks but is very capable and in a very mighty way. Not only did it handle every load I tested without a hiccup, but it rolled across every surface I tried with such ease and balance that it is now a permanent addition in the bed of my truck. It has just about dethroned every one of my existing 2-wheeled carts. This is a good buy and serves a great purpose for anyone needing to carry loads within the specified maximum weight. I guess time will tell if it will stand up to the beating that my carts must endure, but I am betting that it will also do a good job at endurance.

Price: $99.95 MSRP
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The product for this review was provided by UpCart.

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Tagged: luggage

The UpCart Deluxe stair climbing handcart review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2018 at 4:00 pm.

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Yellow Birch Outfitters PocKit and PocKit Pro EDC Pocket Organizer review

Need a way to keep your handful of small EDC essentials from banging around in your pocket? Have a look at the Yellow Birch Outfitters PocKit EDC Pocket Organizer. It’s basically a pocket with pockets that fits into your pocket. But it’s much more than that! Let’s check it out! Gadget on!

What is it?

Yellow Birch Outfitters is a small, veteran-owned and -operated company that hand-builds all of its EDC and outdoor items in the USA. The PocKit EDC Organizer is a pocket-sized organizer for those small but essential EDC items that many of us find useful to carry with us on a daily basis. Its name derives from the fact that it is an organizational “kit” that can be carried in your “pocket.” Clever!

Hardware specs

Per the Yellow Birch Outfitters site:

1000d Cordura Nylon
Nylon No. 69 thread
YKK #5 zippers and pulls
Gutted 550 cord zipper pull silencer
Mil-spec tape
Dimensions – 4″ x 6″ for the Pro version, the standard version is a bit smaller

What’s in the box?

Jay Polaski, founder of Yellow Birch Outfitters, sent me two items to review: the PocKit Pro EDC Organizer – Modern Carry in Black (above left) and the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry in Coyote Brown (above right). My initial impression? Both of these items looked and felt very high quality.

A bit of explanation on the differences between the six (as of this writing) various PocKit EDC Organizers that Yellow Birch Outfitters offers. There are two basic types, the PocKit Pro EDC Organizer and the PocKit EDC Organizer, the difference being that the “Pro” version has an added notebook pocket. Further, the PocKit Pro has two variants: the Modern Carry, which has three slot pockets, and the Classic Carry which has four slot pockets. Similarly, the PocKit also has two variants: the Modern Carry, which has two slot pockets, and the Classic Carry, which has three slot Pockets. Got all that?

In the image above, you can see that the PocKit Pro EDC Organizer – Modern Carry (black, top) is a bit larger than the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry (coyote brown, bottom). More on this below.

Jay was kind enough to include a patch with the Yellow Birch Outfitters logo. Very cool!

Design and features

Let’s dig into features, starting with the PocKit Pro – Modern Carry EDC Organizer. As mentioned above, both of these products looked and felt very high quality, which is due in no small part to the main material from which they are built, 1000d Cordura Nylon, a material that is often used in military-grade backpacks and accessories. It is super durable due to its water-resistant and high abrasion resistance.

The zipper encloses the main compartment, shown in the image above. No frills, just an open space to be used to store whatever you like, want or need. Keep in mind that the 1000d Cordura Nylon is very water-resistant (though not water-proof), so you could even slip a smaller wallet or money clip in there, among other things, if you wanted, to organize cash and cards.
All Yellow Birch Outfitters PocKit EDC Organizers utilize YKK #5 zippers (YKK are widely known to be one of, if not the gold standard of zippers) as well as gutted 550 paracord silenced zipper pulls, all of which contribute to the high-quality look and feel of these products. For this black colored PocKit Pro, gutted Coyote Brown colored 550 paracord was used to make the zipper silencer. The paracord has been cleverly and carefully looped through the zipper pull and tied off in a way that prevents the zipper pull from clinking against the rest of the zipper, effectively “silencing” it. I think the Coyote Brown Paracord against the black Cordura looks sharp.

In the closeup images above, you can also see the stitching of the Nylon No. 69 thread along the zipper, which is indicative of the quality of stitching throughout the PocKit. The zipper stitching is tight and includes three rows on each side for improved strength. Additionally, a nice touch is the small, brown Yellow Birch Outfitters logo tag on the outside of the PocKit. Unobtrusive, subtle branding is always better than something that is obnoxious and screams, “HEY! Look at ME!”

The side opposite the zippered side of the PocKit Pro – Modern Carry has a lot going on—three slot pockets plus a fourth, semi-concealed notebook pocket as shown above. All of the pockets on both of these organizers use Mil-spec tape along their opening edges, as well as flanking the zippers, which contributes to durability.

Let’s start with the notebook pocket. To demonstrate the notebook pocket, I slid one of my softcover 3.5″ x 5.5″ Moleskine Volant Pocket notebooks down into it. This pocket is out of the way, but allows quick access to the notebook. This pocket would reasonably fit other notebooks of roughly 3″ x 5″ size besides the Moleskine shown here, such as a Field Notes notebook or Rite in the Rain notebook, both of which are popular notebook brands amongst EDC practitioners.

In the image above, I’ve placed not only the Moleskine Volant Pocket notebook but also, working left to right, a Sharpie Twin-Tip permanent marker, a Parker Jotter ballpoint pen, a Lumintop Tool AAA flashlight, and a Leatherman Squirt PS4 keychain-sized multitool, which are four items I find myself needing or using fairly often. I really like how the slot pockets are angled, which allows you to place items of varying lengths into appropriate locations in order to best secure them.

Nex,t let’s check out the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry. As mentioned above, this style is a bit smaller than the “Pro” version, but with a very similar design and identical materials.

In the photo above, you can see that the zipper has been tucked inside at both ends and sewn to the main pocket body securely. It may seem trivial or obvious, but this does help make for a stronger, more durable product.

As with the PocKit Pro EDC Organizer – Modern Carry, the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry uses a gutted 550 Paracord zipper silencer, this one in an Army green color, which I think looks sharp against the Coyote Brown color.

And again, the YKK #5 zipper is hand-sewn to the 1000d Cordura Nylon main body using the Nylon No. 69 thread, using three rows of stitching. Attention to detail and durability are key here.

In the image above, I’ve placed, working left to right, the Sharpie Twin-Tip permanent marker, the Parker Jotter ballpoint pen, the Lumintop Tool AAA flashlight, and the Leatherman Squirt PS4 keychain-sized multitool, each of which fit just fine into the slot pockets, with the Sharpie sticking up over top of the PocKit just a bit. A note here on the slot pockets: While the Modern Carry version with its two slot pockets performed fine for me, I think I would have found the Classic Carry version to be a bit more useful to me considering the items that I was using with it.

As mentioned previously and as can be seen above, there is a difference in size between the PocKit Pro EDC Organizer – Modern Carry and the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry.

Although the Yellow Birch Outfitters site states that each of the PocKit models has a 4″ x 6″ footprint, I found that the Pro version was a bit larger. I measured the PocKit Pro at approximately 6 3/8″ x 4 3/8″ when empty, while I measured the other PocKit at 5 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ when empty.

One of the items that I placed in the large zippered pocket of the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry was my Slim Fold Soft Shell wallet, the wallet that I EDC most frequently.The Slim Fold Soft Shell wallet fit perfectly inside, and still had room to spare for a few other small items.
The other items that I put into the PocKit’s outer slot pockets are shown above.They of course added a bit to the PocKit’s thickness, as seen above.

Next let’s check out how the PocKit fit into my pockets. I only tested them out with a pair of jeans here; I didn’t test them in any of my cargo pants (the ones I wear most often and swear by are Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants), since these PocKit fit into the side pockets of them with no issues. The jeans pockets were a bit of a different story. Above, I’ve placed the PocKit into my front jeans pocket. Even with these particular jeans having shallow front pockets, the PocKit fit down into them with little issue.Above is a pic of how I essentially had to adjust the PocKit while sitting—I had to slide it up in the pocket a bit. Above is a photo of the PocKit after I had just loosely slid it into a back jeans pocket, just to give an idea of how the PocKit fit into a fairly standard-sized jeans pocket.

Above, I have pushed the PocKit all the way down into my back jeans pocket, and although it fit fine, it was a bit thick to sit on.

With the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry being the slightly smaller of the two, it worked a bit better for me for daily pants pocket carry. The PocKit Pro’s slightly larger size was enough to make it more cumbersome for pants pocket carry for me. However, if I were to wear cargo pocket style pants each day, I’d use the “Pro” version daily for sure, especially with its additional notebook pocket.

What I like

Durable! (1000d Cordura Nylon, YKK zippers, and 550 Paracord are all super durable)
Thoughtfully placed, well-designed pockets
Looks cool

What needs to be improved

A bit expensive, but for the materials and quality, I do understand why this is.
Maybe more color offerings?

Final thoughts

Yellow Birch Outfitters has something good going on here. I really like both the PocKit Pro EDC Organizer – Modern Carry and the PocKit EDC Organizer – Modern Carry. The pocket layouts are well-designed and the materials they built from are nearly bulletproof in terms of durability. For me, the non-“Pro” version worked better for daily pants pocket carry because of it being slightly smaller. I do like the “Pro” version’s notebook pocket, however. While I do acknowledge that both versions of the PocKit appear to be expense for what you are getting, I actually think they are reasonable prices for items that are this well-designed and durable, that you may be able to use for a lifetime. I liken the design, build and materials to something like GORUCK’s rucksacks—simple but useful in design, built with care in the USA from the highest quality materials. As for myself, I can picture using both of the PocKit versions in my EDC for a long time.

Price: PocKit $39.99, PocKit Pro $49.99
Where to Buy: Yellow Birch Outfitters
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Yellow Birch Outfitters.

The post Yellow Birch Outfitters PocKit and PocKit Pro EDC Pocket Organizer review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: EDC, Pouch

Yellow Birch Outfitters PocKit and PocKit Pro EDC Pocket Organizer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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