A Pocket Organizer Comparison

One of the most popular categories of "bags" is the pocket organizer category, and one of the favorite sub-categories of the EDC crowd is the cargo pocket organizer--organizers for those little items like pens, folding knifes, small tools, and the like.  These are usually fairly similar--some appear to be basically "clones" of others, while some are somewhat different.  I thought I'd do this short comparison article to illustrate the simillarities and differences in those organizers I have on hand.

Unfortunately, I don't have what many consider to be the "original" in this category, the Spec Ops Brand Mini Cargo Pocket Organizer.  I know this one's a favorite of the cognoscenti, some because they like the fact that it's American made, some because they do consider it the original and all that follow it clones, some because of Spec Ops Brands' reputation for quality, and some because of its features.  I do have other Spec Ops Brand products and can vouch for the quality, and I know that the high-visibility yellow interior is attractive to me (I like this kind of interior in my Pack Rat and my Op-Order Logistics Pouch, both for its functionality and, well, because I like yellow!).

For this piece, though, I'll do a comparison of what I have: the Maxpedition E.D.C. Pocket Organizer, the County Comm Diplomat Pocket Organizer, and the Condor "MOLLE Pocket Pouch" (which you may find under a different name depending on the dealer you get it from).  I plan on doing individual looks at one or more of these in the near future, but for now thought this comparison would be the most useful to techie bag fans.  First, the organizers from the front:

From left to right there's the Condor, the County Comm, and the Maxpedition, with a standard-sized paper back for comparison.  The County Comm model was the first one I got, and I actually have several, none of which are in much use at the moment.  The Condor one is the second one I got, specifically because it has a fold-out "iPod" pocket--more on that in a minute; the Condor is slightly larger than the County Comm.  The Maxpedition is the newest (it was just released), and it's noticeably larger than the other two.  Note that the Condor and the Maxpedition models both have dual zipper pulls, while the County Comm version doesn't.  All three organizers have a mesh pocket that covers the lower two-third or so of the front of the organizer and is closed by a velcro tab (frankly, I've never had much use for those pockets).  All three also have a "loop" field for attaching a velcro "hook"-backed patch or name tape to; when I bought them, both the Condor and the County Comm came with a U.S. flag patch.

Here they are from the back:

Here you see the Maxpedition on the left, the Condor on the upper right, and the County Comm on the lower right.  Both the Condor and the County Comm have built-in attachment straps that close with snaps, so they can attach to another MOLLE/PALS bag (note that I believe the Spec Ops Brand version's loops straps are fixed, so can't be woven through webbing for easy attachement).  Neither of these two organizers has their own webbing, so you can't get as tight a weave with them as you can with the Maxpedition version.  Maxpedition's does have its' own webbing rows, but requires a separate (not included) attachment system like the TacTies shown here.

Here are the organizers as seen from the side:

That's a Maxpedition M-5 Waistpack on the left (I included it for comparison, and to hold up the others!), followed by the Maxpedition E.D.C. Pocket Organizer, the Condor, and the County Comm.

Here are the organizers opened up to the interesting bits:

Going clockwise from the lower left you've got the Maxpedition, the Condor, the County Comm, and, for comparison, a Maxpedition 4x6 Notebook Cover, which I currently use as my EDC cargo pocket organizer.

The County Comm one is the closest to the Spec Ops Brand version in its layout and features.  On the right you've got two vertical pockets capable of holding a small flashlight, a folding knife, a diatonic harmonica, a multitool, or the like, as well as a short length of paracord with a key clip.  One one of the ones I have I removed the stitching that formed the two vertical pockets so I could have a full length pocket.  On the left you've got a full length pocket fronted by a section of elastic webbing sewn to form pen/pencil holders; there is also a short length of webbing strap with another key hook.  The inner material (on all three, actually) is a lighter-weight than the outter material.

The "Condor" branded one is an odd duck.  I got mine from Cheaper Than Dirt, but the model of pocket organizer they have listed on their site now (which seems to have the same model number) doesn't feature the thing that drew me to this version on the first place, the fold-down padded "iPod pocket."  That pocket, which has a clear plastic front which you can--sort of--operate an iPod through, folds up and is held in place (more or less) by a couple of strips of velcro.  That side of the organizer also features two vertical pockets, but as this organizer is slightly larger, some tools/knives would be hard to get out of them unless you have them hooked to one of the two pulls.  The material backing these two pockets is a soft lining that also adds further padding, so anything in these pockets would be gently treated.  Of course, it's hard to put anything substantial in these pockets if you've also got an iPod in the fold-down pocket--they could damage the iPod if it is squashed against them, and they would bulk up the organizer, especially if you've got anything on the left side.  The left side features a single wide pocket with the typical band of elastic material divided into pen holders.  Like the County Comm, their are two retention cords/straps with key chains, but these show one downside of the Condor version, and that's cheap construction:

Notice how the "clip" part is outside the "hook" part?  This makes it easy for anything you put on the hook to fall off, and is just plain irritating.  It seems to be common on their products too, as I had a one or two on the backpack I got from Cheaper than Dirt.  Despite this construction, I did use the Condor to hold both my cell phone and my iPod for EDC for quite a few months, although the plastic on the iPod pocket began to crack by the end of it's tenure.

I've only had the Maxpedition version of the organizer for a little while, so need to play around with it some more (I'll do a more detailed review later).  It's two main features shown here are its size and its use of a double layer of elastic webbing on each half, giving you a range of organizing options (it is easy to put enough stuff into the various loops and pockets that you can't easily fold the organizer shut, let alone zip it up.  Also, when I put it in my cargo pocket, it's tall enough that I can't close my cargo pocket flap.  I do, though, have it configured right now as a drop-in for a number of items I carry in my Kodiak--while I don't have much trouble with gear shifiting when I swing the Kodiak around, it's still nice to have this extra organization to make sure stuff won't get mixed up even with rough treatment.