Primal Gear Otter – test of the EDC waist bag
2020-05-29
Some time ago I bought a Primal Gear Waist Bag, which since then is still well and serves bravely, but due to its large size and large (sometimes too large) capacity, it has become a bag for longer field trips. or airsoft games rather than for everyday use (full review here). To walk with it around the city, as an EDC (Every Day Carry) gear I’ve picked a different waist bag from the offer of the same manufacturer. Lighter, more compact and more comfortable. Let me present to you, Primal Gear Otter Waist Bag!
Quality and materials
Although the Primal Gear brand has been on the market for several years, it still seems to be a new player in the airsoft and military environment. Their products are characterized by the really solid workmanship for this price segment and the use of very good materials. The Otter waist bag, like the vast majority of the Primal Gear products (except for the line in the original Multicam camouflage) is made of 1000D Nylon, which with its structure, appearance and durability are not far behind the iconic Cordura. After almost a year of intensive, everyday wear in the city and in the field (mountain trips, walks into the woods, etc.), virtually no visible signs of wear on the bag. The threads do not fray, the material has not been torn, and the color has not faded from the sun. The quality of the seams is really at a high level here, and in terms of aesthetics, I can safely put Otter next to other high-end waist bags in my closet, such as Wisport or Husar. In addition to the material and seams, also the tapes used in the Primal Gear bag are noticeable of better quality than in other Eastern products.
Construction of the bag
As I mentioned a few paragraphs above, the Otter waist bag is more convenient for EDC due to its smaller size and weight (only 250 grams) than its older sister called Waist Bag. It also has a completely different shape – instead of the classic “banana” type Otter was designed as a simple and slick cube-shaped pocket. It has one main compartment with a 2-speed full-length zipper sewn in – thanks to which we can open it wide and get to the items hidden at the bottom. The main compartment has 2 flat pockets on the walls, including one mesh. Perfect compartments for flat items such as documents, NRC foil or notebook.
Let’s get back to the main compartment, you have to mention the practical organizer with 8 sections made of flexible tape. We can fit there various equipment such as a lighter, knife, multitool, flint, flashlight, or whatever comes to our mind. Interestingly, the panel with the organizer stays inside thanks to velcro tape, so we can disassemble it with one move. The organizer has a paracord loop, to which we can attach, for example, keys.
Construction of the bag – mounts
At the front of the outer wall, there is another flat pocket, closed with a zipper. The Velcro covers the whole surface of the front side, which will please lovers of various morale patches – you can fit a lot of them there!
At the bottom of the waist bag, we will find a woven piece of elastic shock-cord with a plastic stopper, thanks to which we can attach additional equipment. The paracord is a bit too short, but a small bottle of water or a rolled-up windbreaker jacket will easily fit.
The features of the Otter waist bag do not end there. Another neat element that we can use is the MOLLE / PALS modular system tapes found on the back. After unfastening the carrying strap, we can use them to attach the bag, like a regular cargo / EDC pocket, to a backpack or tactical vest. The carrying strap itself is, of course, adjustable and has a fastening on the right side with a classic fastex buckle. I would prefer that the tape on both sides be terminated with fastex, such as in the Husar Cubby waist bag, but this is a matter of my habits.
Functionalities and usage
The Primal Gear Otter tactical waist bag will easily fit all EDC equipment that you will need during everyday moving around the city or while getting off the road. It will be a good complement to a trekking backpack on mountain trips and a practical bag for handy equipment during bushcraft trips to the forest. Also during airsoft activities, you can wear the Otter in front like a classic “dangler” so that it does not interfere with a plate carrier or chest-rig type vest. Due to its simple and fairly minimalist design, it will inevitably be as comfortable as the profiled, banana-shaped bags with additional comfort pads from the inside. On the other hand, this simple design fits perfectly into the “low-profile” style. Otter can easily be worn with everyday clothing that is not a military uniform, it is also easy to hide it under a sweatshirt or jacket without rubbing your tactical gear in other’s faces on a street or in a tram.
Summary
The hero of my test passed the exam for five with a plus. Primal Gear Otter is simply a solid waist bag made of durable materials, available at a very decent price. The tactical bag is nowadays an obligatory element of the equipment and styling of every person from the airsoft / outdoor/military industry. So if you do not want to lag behind the trends, or are simply looking for a durable and elegant EDC waist bag, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the product of the brand that’s maybe the little-known, but certainly worth the attention – Primal Gear.
Pros:
– high-quality materials and tapes
– solid and even seams
– pull-out organizer
– simple and effective design
– relatively large capacity for small dimensions
Cons:
– a bit short shock-cord on the bottom
– fastex on the strap on one side only
Show more entries from
May 2020
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