Direct Action Messenger Tactical Bag

I've had this bag for a week now. It is my everyday bag for work. My overall impression is very positive, but there is some minor room for improvement.Materials:No corners were cut. Only quality materials were used in the construction of this bag. Heavy-duty Cordura nylon. Appropriately sized zippers. 2" wide shoulder strap with large Duraflex buckles on EACH end. Rubberized bottom which appears will hold up well over time. Lots of hook and loop throughout.Fit and Finish:Very well constructed. All cut edges are trimmed with additional Cordura piping. There is double stitching around the zippers. No loose threads. All of the panels are double and triple layers of materials. The only panel that is a single layer of material is the one external side-pocket where it is completely appropriate. The laser cut Molle is clean.Size: This is a small briefcase (or, very small messenger bag).The Molle panels:It's worth describing how these are constructed to alleviate any concerns. Anywhere you see this Molle there are three layers. The first two layers are fused together. The outer 1st layer is Cordura nylon which is fused to a 2nd layer of a thicker rubberized backing. The Molle pattern is laser-cut through these two layers. The 3rd layer is another layer of Cordura. It is not sewn or fused to the first two layers. There is a row of stitching along the top edge and bottom edge of each laser-cut hole to further reinforce the fused layers and the laser-cut holes. I think the chance that the Molle holes would tear or fray is pretty slim with regular use.Compartments:The main compartment is divided into two sections: one smaller compartment secured at the top with a 1.5" Velcro nylon strap and a larger section that is just open. My 17" MacBook Pro does not fit in the smaller compartment, but easily fits in the larger main compartment. A 15" or 13" laptop will fit easily in the smaller compartment. The smaller compartment is lined with a thin quilted fleece and is padded on all sides except the top. The larger area of the main compartment is completely lined with the loop side of Velcro! Very nice feature. It not only provides a little extra padding for the contents, but it permits endless options for adding interior elements.One side compartment is a simple pocket meant for water bottles or coffee mugs. It holds my 16 oz Thermos snug. There is a 3/4" nylon strap with hook fabric on each end that allows you to secure the compartment shut for smaller mugs or other items you may wish to put in here. It is not long enough to reach over a 16 oz mug or bottle. I wish this pocket had a pull tab on the outside so you could hold it up open for inserting tight-fitting containers. I'm not sure a 1L Nalgene bottle would actually fit in here and if it does it would be a little tricky (i.e. frustrating) to get in.The other side compartment is about 4"x6"x1". It has double zippers extending 2/3rds of the way down each side. It's good for a cellphone or other small miscellaneous stuff that you want to access more readily. The front panel of this compartment is three layers with Molle as described above. It has a nylon mesh pocket on the inside of the front flap with an elastic edge. The back panel of this compartment has a nylon fabric pocket also with an elastic edge. There is a 3/8" nylon webbing that is stitched to the back panel with a plastic hook on the end to secure keys or other similar items. In total, this bag actually has three of these keychain tethers.There are two front compartments that are roughly 5"x8"x2" each with double zippers like the one side compartment. The one on the left unzips about half of the way down. The one on the right unzips all the way down. Both of these compartments have the triple layering with Molle as described above making up their front panel. Also, they both have a 2" band of Velcro loop that runs along the outside of the front panel. The left compartment has a nylon mesh pocket edged with Cordura that lines the outside panel. The back panel is lined with a large nylon fabric pocket. Overlying this is a smaller credit-card-sized nylon pocket on the left with 3 adjacent pencil pockets. There is a keychain hook stitched to the back panel. The front compartment on the right has Velcro loop lining the front panel and a nylon mesh pocket with an elastic edge lining the back panel. The front panel is tethered to the back panel by paracord creating a drawbridge-like effect that controls how far the front panel will hinge open. This is useful if you have something heavy secured to the front panel. Again, there is a keychain hook stitched to the back panelThere is a large flap that gives it the "messenger bag" designation. This flap is stitched to the back of the bag and covers the main central compartment as well as the two front compartments. The flap itself has two compartments or pockets of it's own On the inside of this flap there is a 4" wide strip of Velcro that runs the full width of the flap. This secures the flap to the two front compartments described above. There is also a roughly 12"x8" zippered pocket with a translucent panel. It's basically a big zippered window pocket. The outside of the flap is again the three layer Molle system. There are two 1" Duraflex buckles to help secure the flap down in addition to the Velcro. The entire outside is a zippered pocket which essentially mirrors that zippered window pocket on the inside of the flap that I described above. With the flap in place there is a handle for carrying the bag. It is made up of one layer of 2" nylon webbing with another layer of 1" nylon webbing. It's very sturdy and comfortable to carry. There are 1" Duraflex D-rings on either side of the handle as additional attachment points for the waist strap depending on how you want to use it, if at all. The back of the bag has one last zippered pocket with one layer of Cordura that makes up the outside panel. This pocket is the full dimensions of the back of the bag. It easily accommodates an iPad. There are 1" Duraflex D-rings at each end of the zipper for securing the waist band.Comfort:There is a 2" nylon web strap with 2" Duraflex buckles at each end. One end of the strap has a male component of the buckle the other end has a female component. So, the strap only goes on one way. It is adjustable in length. There is a rubberized Velcro sleeve that serves as a shoulder pad. It is excellent. The handle is very comfortable for carrying as mentioned. There is a 1" nylon web that is adjustable with Duraflex hooks on each end. It is a waist band that attaches to the various D-rings described above for additional security when carrying the bag cross-body in typical "messenger" style.Summary:This is a very well made, almost over-engineered, bag suitable as a daily carry for the office commuter or student. It is smaller than some, but sufficient in size for the minimalist. Despite the Molle attachments, it does not scream "TACTICAL", yet you still get that same durability and quality found in many tactical products.Areas for improvement:--I wish it was slightly bigger.--I love the side pocket for a mug/Nalgene bottle, but I think it could be slightly deeper or wider or both. And, adding a pull tab to the outside lip of the pocket would assist with getting stuff into it.--As a "tactical" product, I'm disappointed there isn't an easy access pocket for CCW!! The zippered back panel pocket or the outside pocket on the "messenger" flap are large enough for a full-sized semi-auto, but not easy to access in a pinch. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the messenger style bags in general because they are cumbersome to access the internal compartments. The main compartment of this bag is completely lined with Velcro loop which would be good for mounting a holster to, but accessing this quickly is not possible with a messenger style bag.--I would get rid of the Velcro that secures the "messenger" flap. There are already buckles. The Velcro is super noisy and cannot be separated with one hand.

Ok...so i was looking for an edc to roam around in nyc. I have been using a variety of bags and they just didnt seem to fit. I was a hazard 4 fan and a timbuk2 fan. I wished someone made a nice messenger bag that mated with a tactical bag. THIS was it. The DA small messenger came amazingly package. The laser cut molle was genius. I had reservations about whether or not my tablet would fit. The customer service with Direct Action was amazing. They called to sort things out and answered questions i had. When the bag was in front of me...i placed my samsung 10.5 tablet with case and it JUST fits. I probably should have opted for the larger bag. But...on with the review.The laser cut molle is amazing and smooth. Created a very subtle look that u want. I dont need nypd pulling me over because they think i am all tact out.The compartments are easy to get to and suited for ease of use. The ykk zippers are spot on.The strap could be a little wider...but that is personal preference.I replaced the shoulder pad with one that i had of my own that didnt grip as much. The original holds well....if you like a pad that is secure and grips....it is for you.I like the bag alot for the quality and the usability. Cant wait to take it through its paces.I added a condor mag pouch for my gerber and edc tool. Will be adding a hazard 4 small ppuch on the end for my lighter and small things that may be sliding around in the bag. Get it! You want small and handy...this is the way to go.

Wanted to like the bag. Although they said it would ship later, it actually came quicker than the other items ordered at same time. It is stiffer than the bag I wanted to replace which is good. But much smaller and less space to store things. All those add-on canvas strips for attaching other items take up too much room. Too small for the laptop I wanted to use it with, about an inch too narrow. Always going to have a problem finding the right combination but this is just too small and confined. Few places to put what you are carrying; end up carrying mostly the bag. And the handle which is one of the reasons I bought it, is off center, so not easy to use. The strap is comfortable and well built. The entire bag is well fabricated. It is more of an image bag, if you want to look like you are going off to war, this is the bag for you but you won’t have anything in the bag once you get to the battlefield. I would recommend this company but not this bag.UPDATE: this bag grew on me. I would give it a four stars today. Forced me to moderate what i carry, and then more satisfied. Must say, it is well built and is holding up under hard use. Now carrying every day... didn't like that see thru part but now it has come in handy.

Likes:- Very well build and quality material (500D Cordura fabric, YKK zippers)- Perfect size for everyday-carry work bag- Fits a 11" laptop- Full-width rear external zipper pocket- Top zipper for quick access to main compartments- External and internal Molle panels- Laser-cut Molle slots- Non-slip shoulder pad (it is really non-slip!)- Ranger Green color (green with shade of gray)- Coated zipper pull strings (nice touch!)Dislikes: - No side pockets. A small side zipper/Velcro flap pocket on one side and water bottle pouch on the other side would be useful. - No inside small zipper pockets to secure small items. - Shoulder pad should be wider.I added side zipper pockets, water bottle pouch and inside zipper pockets for my personal needs.The added pockets & pouch do not make the bag bulky!