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Vanquest has sent over some serious quality gear that we have reviewed before. After a putting a face with the name at Shot Show and a chance to see what is coming, there is no doubt you will be hearing much more from them this year.
Today we are taking a step back to one of their earliest products. The VPacker Bag Series consisting of the Mobius and Tolcat packs. These are single sling small EDC packs designed to carry a surprising large amount of gear in a very small form factor.
The Tolcat is the smaller of the two having a similar layout to the Mobius but about ½ to 1 inch smaller dimensions on each of the pockets. The Tolcat also does not have the Nalgene side pocket. Other than the dimensions and Nalgene pocket the 2 kits have an identical design and hardware.
Specs:
- 1,000-D Mil-grade Cordura® fabric with water-repellent Teflon® fabric protector by DuPont®
- Genuine MADE-IN-USA MultiCam® Cordura® by Crye Precision™
- High-visibility, lightweight 210-D Ripstop nylon for interior slots
- Durable & abrasion resistant RC-Class YKK® zippers, reversed for protection.
- Mil-grade ITW® and UTX-Duraflex® hardware made from high tensile strength Acetal polymer.
- Circular user-friendly zipper loops made of Gladding’s 550 lb. tensile strength paracord
- Finished with high tensile strength bonded nylon thread
- Over 12 organizing compartment, slots, and holders
- MOLLE/PALS webbing on front and sides for accessory attachment
- Flag/morale Velcro patch holder on front
- Neoprene handle for easy lifting
- One (1) key fob
- MOLLE/PALS compatible attachment system with high tensile strength nylon webbing.
What it means:
You have American brand materials assembled with quality stitching to provide a water resistant, tear resistant bag with under 2lbs of weight.
With multiple pockets, pouches, buckles and MOLLE attachment points, this bag is not a fanny pack. It is a full versatile, adaptable low profile pack that can go with you on your civilian missions.
How Do I use it?
We received this bag at the same time I picked up the Envoy laptop bag. So for over 6 months now I have been using this bag nearly every day. Let me be very clear here of all the gear I run, this is the one piece that I have almost every single day. I trade out my carry gun and holsters about every 30 days based on reviews we are doing. While I often carry my Envoy with me for work, I almost never go anyplace without my Mobius.
I carry the Mobius over the Tolcat for one reason only. I have never walked out of my house without either a Nalgene bottle or my Avex bottle. The Mobius’s beverage pocket is a godsend when transporting my drinks through the day.
Bag Dump:
My bag consists of backup magazines for the gun I am carrying that day. Occasionally it also includes either a backup gun or my main gun when I know I am heading to a gun free zone and cannot carry in the building.
My IFAK (on strap under bag in picture) and scissors are attached to the bag for when holes need to be plugged.
Of course, both rows of Velcro are covered in patches since I have never seen a strip of Velcro I didn’t want to fill with patches.
Backup blade, 2 flashlights, beer koozies, Leatherman Mutt, Bug Band, 2 lighters, Flint and striker, Gerber tool, emergency key, gloves, 5-hour energy, Ipad, Keyboard case, and current book.
Lastly, it holds my EDC pouch from Mil-Spec Monkey that is like a bag in itself.
- 32 gig USB stick
- Recharging battery pack
- micro cloth
- 6 inch iphone cord
- Micro speaker
- Outdoor Channel Buff
- headphones
- Pen/Stylus combo
- Vicks Inhaler
- Chapstick
What’s the best?
As my review on the one of my favorite parts of this bag over the others, I have carried (yes I have carried many others,) is the shoulder strap. It is a wide 2” inch with Vanquest’s oversized neoprene shoulder pad.
When you build a bag as modular as the TOLCAT or the Mobius, you need to expect that end users are going to overload the bag and make it overly heavy. Nothing is worse then a bag that cuts into your shoulder when you’re wearing it for extended periods of time.
The attachment points on here are a huge win for me. Much of my gear has Velcro or MOLLE attachment points so even if the compartments are full I have places to attach modular storage and gear.
Style:
No man worth his beard is going to want to carry a frilly European man bag or an 80’s style fanny pack. This bag is designed to swing around behind your body much like a messenger bag or sling style backpack. When worn like this, the Mobius and Tolcat are more akin to the sling pack than the former. Like the messenger or larger sling packs, it can quickly be brought around front or side to access compartments and then equally fast be returned to your back.
Retention:
On the backside of the bag is a retention strap. It can be looped around your waist or through your belt loops to hold the bag close to your body. If there is a concern of someone grabbing the bag this is another way to secure from theft. In addition, this serves as a way to offset added weight by transferring the weight to your hips vs. just your single shoulder. When having only a single strap across the shoulder to support the bag, this added displacement of weight is a nice advantage.
Durability:
This bag has been left in my car during our cold winter and the end of our warmer summer. It has been through rain, snow, sleet without an issue. It has been dragged by my son who always chooses to drag items instead of carrying them. It is regularly used as a booster for my youngest. All of this and I have seen very little wear on the pack.
Who is this for?
If you have items you want to carry with you but do not want to bog down your pants, this is the bag for you. It is small and versatile while offering enough room to take all the important items you can want. If you regularly carry a coffee or Nalgene cup then get the Mobius otherwise, the Tolcat is a great slimmer solution.
I used to carry the Adapt Pack from Mil-Spec Monkey, but it was too big for what I needed to have with me. The Mobius has been the perfect size for EDC even with 2 little ones.
The bag would also work as a perfect get home bag to keep in your car. Packed with a 32 oz Nalgene, gloves, flashlight, gun, rain poncho, radio and a few protein bars you have a very light weight versatile bag that is great for under 24 hours and a long walk.
