Lokidude's Tactical Manbag

In this week's Gunblog Varietycast, Erin talks about her tactical gadget holster. She also mentions larger bags, which reminded me that while I've mentioned it, I've never actually talked about my Tactical Manbag. It is substantially larger than Erin's bag, but I'm a guy who believes in bigger pockets when you can.

http://amzn.to/1TonTi7

The Tactical Manbag is a Maxpedition KISS bag. It is a sling-style bag with four auxiliary pockets, a large main pocket, a generous concealed-carry pocket, and a water bottle pouch. It's smaller and more convenient than my backpack, without costing me too much of the gear I like to carry day-to-day.

While it may not cover all the want-to's in life, it definitely manages to hold all the need-to's, while leaving room for my incidentals:

• The zippered flap pocket holds a Smith's Pocket Pal, a random folding knife of unknown origin, and a Cabela's mini multitool that I got as a white elephant gift but punches way above its weight class. 
• The open pocket in front holds a sole item, a canister of Sabre Red pepper spray. There are some places I cannot carry a gun, and as a rule, I find knife fighting to be a good way to bleed. The same places that bar firearms often don't give a second look at chemical spray. In any case, I'll take any advantage I can get. As I don't like fumbling when I need a weapon, I reserve this pocket for the spray alone. 
• The zippered front pocket holds a smaller version of my fire bag, containing a small cigarette lighter, ferro rod and steel, a few matches, and various tinders. It also is where I keep a pack of gum and possibly mints. 
• The long pocket on the side holds a generic LED flashlight (buy 'em cheap and stack 'em deep), several pens, and a small notepad. It also has room for much more, if needed. 
• The concealed carry pocket readily holds an S&W 1006 and two spare magazines. Size-wise, the 1006 is virtually identical to a Government model 1911. The holster in the pocket is adjustable to fit virtually any gun, and I've tested it with guns down to a compact 9mm. 
• The large center pocket has no dedicated contents, and is reserved for whatever incidentals I may need. It will hold, all at once, my iPod, cell phone, tablet, Limefuel Battery, and any associated cables, with a little room left over. 

The one fault that could be leveled against the bag is that it has no MOLLE webbing to speak of. Such attachment points would likely be awkward, but for small accessories, they could be useful. Regretfully, I also cannot carry much of a first aid kit with this bag, but could (and should) build a compact unit to fit this smaller size.

That's the whole of my EDC bag. It's everything I could need on an average day, without putting so much in my pockets that my jeans fall down. While off-body is obviously not ideal for certain circumstances, it sure is convenient.

Lokidude