I didn't want to hijack the other thread, but it reminded me that I need to find a new range bag. I've been using my old 5.11 patrol bag that has served very well for the past 12-13 years, but the zipper is finally giving up the ghost...mainly because I'm trying to cram too much stuff into it.

I'm looking for something BIG, preferably with one large center pocket and numerous smaller pockets for organization. I need it to hold the following:

3-Ring Binder with targets/training rosters/qual forms/lesson plans etc. This is the worst thing to carry around, but I need everything in there.
Caldwell Jr. Rifle Rest
3-4 sets of ear muffs (because nobody ever remembers to bring their own)
3-4 sets of eye pro (same reason...preferably in their own pocket so they don't get all scratched up)
Screwdriver and bits for adjusting sights
Hammer and punch kit (drifting sights, pinching pins)
Sharpies and pens
Small notebook
A couple of soft pistol rugs
A few boxes of ammo
Shot timer
Spare mags
Small cleaning kit
Chamber flags
Staple gun
Staples

And if possible:
Binoculars
Range finder (don't have one yet but hopefully someday)
Chronograph and associated gear (currently have a separate bag for that, and that arrangement works ok since I don't need it every range trip, so this one isn't absolutely necessary)

That's everything I can remember off the top of my head...I keep a lot of stuff in there, but if I take it out I inevitably forget to put it back and show up to the range without it. I need to be able to throw it in the car and know I have everything I need.

I could probably get away with just buying another 5.11 patrol bag, but the current one is getting stretched pretty good by my loadout, and I'm curious to hear if there are better options out there.

Keep an eye on the London Bridge Trading website, and sign up for their email list.

They tend to regularly have big blowout sales on gear bags with huge markdowns, on stuff like discontinued patterns or older colors that are being phased out.

That's probably one of your best bets for grabbing a large, high quality, durable gear bag at an affordable price.

A couple things:

1. Don’t buy another 5.11 bag. It’s made in China, which is problematic enough, but I’m baffled when people on this board buy firearms related products from China. We will be in a shooting war with them eventually, it might be a good idea to not subsidize their military/dual use related items.

2. WRB Sales in Texas is amazing. I had them build me a custom range bag 8 years ago that I still am beating the snot out of. It’s made from 1000d Cordura, much stronger than the polyester/pack cloth that 5.11 uses. If this bag isn’t big enough, just call them and tell them what you want:

https://wrbsales.com/product/1...o-shooter-range-bag/

Edit: LBT is good people, as is Tactical Tailor.

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
Edit: LBT is good people, as is Tactical Tailor.

Yep. Check Maxpedition too.

Midway has a nice bag.

I too have a big Midway bag. It came with a smaller insert that is very useful. Watch for them to go on sale to get a better deal.

My two go to bags are Maxpedition. One is their actual range bag and one is their range backpack. Great quality, lots of space, and with ammo the backpack is a good option for carrying.

I’m a bag guy. I like them for some reason so I have a lot. I have everything from Tumi and Tactical Tailor bags all the way down to Condor.

I’m not going to go into a full review of them all, I’ll just say that I think the best bag fit the money IMO is Maxpedition. I’ve got a few that have been with me for years, but I’ve got a backpack that I’ve had for close to 15 years and it’s been worth every cent. I bought it before our first family trip to Disney and it’s been on every family vacation since, from Disney to hiking in the mountains to white water rafting. When it’s not on vacation it is often used as a range bag for me and I load it heavy. After all these years of hard use and being overloaded with guns and ammo not a single stitch is out of place. My other Maxpedition bags have not been used as hard but show the same signs of quality.

The Midway USA bags mentioned above are also fantastic bags for the money. I have the large and small sizes and am happy with both. I just don’t like duffel bags as much as I like backpacks so they have not been used nearly as much. I have used the larger bag as luggage on occasion and it’s held up to being checked by airlines pretty well which is a testament of sorts. I’ve had $200ish suitcases that haven’t held up as well. I also use the pistol rugs that came with the bags all the time and they have held up.

The Tactical Tailor bag is obviously a very high quality bag, but more than I need.

Bag or box? I’m looking at making a Ridgid rolling tool box into a practice session range box. Just for this use. I have the large Midway range bag, it’s too big for a match bag but too small for a long ranges session.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RI...art-254065/320483537

Wife got me a Large LaRue Tactical range bay years ago and am happy with it.
https://www.larue.com/products/larue-range-bag/

London Bridge Trading has a killer deal on ther mLOB at the moment.

https://lbtinc.com/collections/sale/products/2466abmc

Anything bigger I would do some sort of rolling pack out case honestly.

https://www.acehardware.com/de...fe1aa3a&gclsrc=3p.ds

I recently bought a S&W M&P-branded bag from MidwayUSA and have to say … it is fantastic.

Currently on sale at $68. Worth every penny. Read the reviews and you’ll see why.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022483149/

For something that large, I'd want it to have wheels. I've been looking into the Klein rolling tool bag, but the thing is damn near 20 pounds empty.

For years I've been using a mylon tool bag with great success. The kind shaped like a triangle, with a center zipper. The interior pockets work well with most mags, and can hold oil bottles, pens, cleaning gear, etc. Since they are built for steel tools, the ammo weight is of no concern.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Wheels won't work, as a few of the places I shoot involve walking through the woods or over terrain where rolling isnt really a viable option. Hard-sided isn't my favorite, either, as it spends a lot of time in the back of my squad car and I don't like stuff banging around.

There are some good suggestions here. In the process of researching them and going down the typical internet rabbit trails, I found this: https://www.voodootactical.com...backpack-straps.html , which looks like it could work well, and is pretty affordable. They also have a couple of other options that look decent. Does anybody have any experience with Voodoo Tactical?

I’ve got a fairly big range bag that VooDoo Tactical makes. I’ve had it for years, I did a group buy on their stuff here and it’s held up well. There are higher end bags for sure and I’m not even certain where VooDoo’s stuff is made… probably China sadly. I have a smaller bag made by Elite Survival that’s excellent as well.

First review on Amazon:

quote:

I like it, Voodoo Tactical makes fairly nice stuff. And with proper use and proper care will last u for years to come. Now let's be fair. I'm going to be real about what this bag truly is. It's a genuine Made in China tote bag. It's nothing special, card board bottom, single stitching, nothing impressive and nor should it be for $110.00 bucks. It's a fairly large bag that I'd never load out to 100lbs because number one this bag wouldn't carry that much weight long before something failed.

It’s your money, but I’d up the budget and find something better.

Thanks guys for the suggestions. The idea of a tool bag really seems brilliant...I have a couple of those that came with different power tools, and I've been impressed with the durability and utility they provide. They carry how I want, soft-sided, don't have the extra weight and bulk of wheels or backpack straps, and lack the price tag that comes with anything that says "tactical" on it.

My current tool bags don't have any pockets, which is a must, but once I started down that track I found this thing on amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L...ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp, which I think will do what I need. Priced a little higher than most of the low-end tool bags, but still less than half of most of the "tactical" stuff. Reviews say it's large and well made (dimensions listed on Amazon put it a few inches larger than my current 5.11 bag), and "Made in Germany", which isn't China, so that's a win as well.

I'll report back when it gets here...thanks everybody for the input.

From what you listed, I don't think you need a bag.. that is too much stuff to carry with one hand... With some internal modifications, here's what I suggest:

Tool bag. Or hard plastic cases for tools. Shop Home Depot or Lowes. It doesn’t get the wrong attention.

I use a Keter Masterloader Pro rolling toolbox for bulk supplies.

https://www.menards.com/main/t...-c-1526043700147.htm

It has allowed me to use a much smaller range bag, which is nice for occasions where I am taking a class or something and don't need to be everybody's range mom.