Tactical Testing & Evaluation Home
Original SOE Gear: The Mango Bag
When I started my search for an everyday bug-out bag, I was amazed at how many choices there were out there. Bags so big you could fit a short barreled rifle in them, and bags so small that you could barely get a flashlight and a first aid kit in them. There were bags that were low profile and unobtrusive, and bags that screamed “I’ve got a gun in here!” I certainly wanted a bag big enough to carry the essentials, and maybe a few extra items, but not something so big that it’s a burden to carry around every day.
So when I saw the custom bag that John Willis had made for himself, I knew he was just the person to make my bug-out bag. After I gave John my list of requirements for the bag, he got busy making my thoughts into reality. Take a look below to see what we thought up.
The bag is 10x8x5, plenty big enough to fit what I want to fit in it, but small enough that I can carry it everywhere with me, and not feel like I have a suitcase with me. The inside is filled with plenty of Velcro and MOLLE webbing so you can attach any number of pouches or a holster securely in the bag. John also incorporated multiple internal pockets of various sizes to stash things such as smoke grenades, OC, rifle and pistol mags, a first aid kit etc.
I am very pleased with how the Mango bag turned out. Since it is not the normal sized bag that John normally makes, he allowed me to name this new product. Since I go by Mango to all my friends, the bag was dubbed the “Mango bag”.
Like everything else that John makes, it’s bombproof and made to last.
Tim P.