Modern Bushman

I like to think I’m prepared.  I carry my Every Day Carry (EDC) kit, a bottle of water, wallet, and a few other items I can’t seem to do without.  All these items were carried in a backpack which generally was too big or I was forced to go without some of the things I wanted to have to accommodate for shortages in pockets.  Recently, while talking to Alex from Bugout Equipment, he came up with a solution that he thought might help me organize my daily gear.  He gave me the Voodoo Tactical Padded Concealment Travel bag to field test and so far, the bag is exactly what I had been looking for.  If, after reading this, you decide to get one, please consider buying from Bugout Equipment.  They do a lot to help support the Modern Bushman.

Voodoo Tactical Padded Concealment Travel Bag

OVERVIEW:  The overall exterior dimensions are 17 1/2″L x 3 1/2″W x 13″H.  Not too big and definitely not too small.  It wears like a sling bag with an adjustable shoulder strap.  It has one large main compartment measuring 4 1/2″L x 9″W x 12″H (large enough to fit my EDC kit and a full size DSLR with mid-length lens attached).  There are five (5) exterior pockets in varying sizes, a flat zippered pocket on the upper front pocket flap, a water bottle pouch, a zippered slot for a pistol on the front, a rear slot with velcro closure, and two small pockets on the shoulder strap base for small items.  It’s made from heavy duty nylon and the seams appear to be stitched properly with heavy duty milspec nylon.  Overall, the bag appears to be well made.

Main Compartment:  the core of the Voodoo Tactical Padded Concealment Travel Bag is it’s ability to provide just enough room to carry everything you need, plus a little more.  The main compartment measures 4 1/2″L x 9″W x 12″H, big enough to fit my EDC kit flat on the bottom and hold my Canon 50D SLR with a 17-40mm L lens attached to it.  The walls are nicely padded which provides enough protection for me to carry my camera in it without worrying about it.  Inside, there are three zippered pockets (two of them mesh) to keep things organized.  Since I’ve gotten this bag, I have used it for everything from everyday uses to camera bag to day pack and so far, I’m really enjoying this bag.  It provides all the space I need, plus just a bit more in case I need to bring an extra something.  It’s become my new favorite bag… thanks Alex.

Zippered Pistol Slot:  at the very top of the bag is the zippered pistol slot.  It has two zippers that spans the width of the bag which allows for it to open wide.  The slot is large enough to drop in most pistols, including the Beretta 92FS pictured below.  My only gripe is that I wish Voodoo Tactical would have sewn in a retaining strap into this pocket so that the pistol can remain vertical instead of being free to move around inside this pocket.

Top Pocket:  on the very top of the Voodoo Tactical Padded Concealment Travel Bag is a zippered pocket that measures approximately 4 1/2″L x 7″W x 1″H.  The cover is topped with a velcro patch with an ID window sewn into it (pictured below).

Opening the pocket reveals two fixed pouches for pistol magazine.  The picture below shows two 15rd magazines for the Beretta 92FS in the built in mag pouches.

At first, the two magazines appeared to barely fit, but as seen below, the pocket zipped close easily and more importantly, zipped open without a hitch.

In addition to the two magazines, there was enough room left for a folding knife or multi-tool on either side of the magazines.

Upper Front Pocket:  the upper front pocket is 8″L x 1.75″W x 6″H.  It’s roomy enough for a variety of items, including a book, wallet, car keys, etc.  The cover flap of this pocket also has a MOLLE covered, flat zippered pocket which I don’t really use, but it is large enough to fit a wallet or a phone.  The zippered flap pocket has an opening of 6″.

Lower Front Pocket:  on the very bottom of the Voodoo Tactical Padded Concealment Travel Bag is… wait for it… another pocket.  While a variety of things can fit into this useful pocket, I find it perfect for carrying a supply of snack bars, such as a Power Bar or the LARA bar I carry in my EDC kit.  Once in awhile, when I’m using this bag as a padded camera bag, I use this lower pocket to store my Canon 430EX II flash which fits perfectly into it.

Side Pockets:  on the right side of the bag (as worn) are two small pockets with velcro closure as seen below.

These pockets offer approximately 1/2″ of depth, perfect for small flat items such as an iPhone or iPod, a pack of cigarettes, etc as seen in the picture below.  Once closed, the flap held my iPhone securely without worry of it falling out.

Water Bottle Holder:  on the opposite side of the side pockets mentioned above, the folks at Voodoo Tactical were kind enough to add on a water bottle holder.  Before you rejoice, here’s something you may not like. The water bottle holder is for a standard, 16.9oz supermarket variety water bottle.  At first, I had wished it would fit a Nalgene wide mouth bottle, but after some thought (or rationalizing), it made sense.  The bag is called a “Concealment” bag and I suppose the folks at Voodoo thought it may look too suspicious if someone walks around with a Nalgene bottle.  Anyway, I find carrying a regular bottle for day to day use is fine because I generally refill the bottles anyway.  Saving grace:  the water bottle holder is large enough to fit a Berkey squeeze bottle.  Perfect.

Rear Slot w/Velcro Closure:  on the back is a nice little compartment with velcro closure.  It’s large enough accommodate my Beretta and secures with a large velcro tab.  I find this pocket especially nice; making the holster accessible from the backside is awesome for those days you need to travel through rough areas.  But what about during normal days?  While it may have been designed to be a external holster or a map pocket, but I find it to be the perfect spot for an iPad. 

Strap Base Pockets:  at the base of the shoulder straps are these little pockets as seen in the pictures below.  It’s approximately 2.75″W x 3″H and stores the Kershaw Blur with ease on one side, while an iPhone can fit in the other side.

Conclusion:  overall, I am totally pleased with this bag.  The Voodoo Tactical Padded Concealment Travel Bag is made from quality materials and the workmanship appears solid.  It provides all the space I need without going overboard.  The padded main compartment is great for me since I do carry my camera around quite a bit and lower front pocket fits my external flash like a glove.  This bag has essentially replaced my backpack and my padded camera case.

UPDATE:   after some consideration, I exchanged my Coyote Tan bag for a black one.   I figured since I will be using it mostly around the city, it would be less conspicuous if it were black.  After exchanging the bag,  I decided the ID window was an useless item since I didn’t plan on putting my ID into it.  Underneath the ID window is a large patch of velcro which could be utilized if the ID window wasn’t there.  So without much pondering, I took out the sewing scissors and went to town as seen in the pictures below.

~ John, Modern Bushman