Maxpedition's E.D.C. Pocket Organizer -- Some Configuration Comparisons

While I've already covered it in my "Short Pocket Organizer Comparison" article, I've seen enough questions about what Maxpedition's E.D.C Pocket Organizer can hold that I thought I'd take some pictures with different contents and post them with a few comments.

This type of organizer is pretty popular for either carry in a cargo pants cargo pocket, as a drop-in to a larger bag, or for low-profile mounting on the outside of another pack.  Maxpedition's take is the largest of the crop I have (it's actually just barely too tall for an easy fit into my off-brand cargo pants cargo pocket), and because of this it's got the largest number of organizing options of any of these organizers I've seen.

The front of the organizer has a velcro-closed mesh pocket below a "loop field" for "hook" (velcro)-backed patches or "name tape".  The organizer opens with two paracord zipper pulls, and has a handy grab handle on the top (so you don't have to fish for a grip when it's in your pocket or deep in a tightly packed bag).

The back of the organizer has rows of MOLLE webbing:

With a couple of 3" long attachment straps like the pictured TacTies you can mount the organizer onto a similarly-equipped bag.  You could also use something like this as a decent belt loop, although a clamshell-opening pouch like the EDC is, I think, of only moderate usefulness, especially like it opening like this.  On a larger bag, though, this is a pretty good use for the organizer, especially if the "parent" pack doesn't have its own organizer pocket, or doesn't have one suitable for items larger than pens and pencils.

For my first example, I really loaded the EDC up to a ridiculous level--the only thing I don't have in this try that I did try once before is my Kestrel 4000 hand-held weather station, but it's about as thick as the monocular shown here:

From left-to-right there's a Victorinox Cybertool knife, a mini-Maglite, a 10 hold diatonic harmonica, a Victorinox multitool, and the monocular.  Notice that all these items are behind larger segments of elastic retentions straps; in this configuration I didn't try to put anything in the smaller retention straps fronting the larger straps or in the two pockets behind the straps.  Notice too the multitool--to get it to stay in place I had to spread it open a bit, otherwise it would slip through this wider-spaced spot.

Here's what this load looks like before zipping the organizer closed:

...and after I fought the zippers closed:

Obviously, just because a particular load is possible doesn't mean it's really practical.  To inject a bit of reality in to this load I removed the monocular, which makes an obviously more reasonable package:

The second load mixes tools and pens and a Rite in the Rain notepad:

From left to righ: the Victorinox Cybertool, the mini-Maglite, the Victorinox multitool, three pens, and a Victorinox folder, with the note pad fitting nicely into one of the two pockets.

You'd think this would be a more reasonable load than the one with the monocular, but it's still pretty bulky, enough that I couldn't really zip it closed:

Remove the Cybertool knife, though, and things slim up well:

While it's not specifically designed for electronics carry (no padding or soft lining material), the organizer can certainly be used to hold such items:

Similar to above except I removed both Victorinox knives and added my Samsung Blackjack II PDA phone (left) and my iPod Classic (right) to the two pockets (as you can see, the organizer swallows both with no trouble).  Closed (and viewed from the end this time) this load looks like this:

 Not bad, considering what all is in there.