Gear Review: OPMOD P.A.C. Limited Edition Versipack

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: H 12-1/2″ x W 8-1/2″ x D 7-1/4″
Main compartment: H 11″ x W 8″ x D 4-1/2″
Front pouch:  H 8″ x W 7-1/2″ x D 2 1/2″
Front bottom pouch:  H 2″ x 7-1/2″ X 2-1/2″
Front pocket:  H 6″ x W 7″
Back pocket:  H 11″ x W 9″
Conceal snap back pocket:  H 7-1/4″ x W 8″
Top pouch:  H 5″ x W 6-3/4″ x D 2-1/2″
Carry strap:  L 43″ x W 1-1/2″ w/ 2″
Weight (empty):  1.78 lbs
Price:  $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.