Condor Molle Pouch Review

Condor Molle pouches are probably about the cheapest you will find. Ranging in price from around 10-20 or so dollars, I figured I would outfit my new bag with some pouches to give them a test for their usefulness, and to help get my stuff organized. After shipping I got all 4 bags for about 55 bucks.

The four pouches I went with are:
The admin pouch
pocket pouch with American flag
rip away EMT pouch
standard EMT pouch

My pack (standard molle backpack- sometimes called a 3-day assault pack) had just enough real estate on which to mount all four bags. The straps wove easily onto the pack, and the snaps all seem pretty durable.

all four pouches, full of organized awesome

I will say right upfront the most useful pouches are the rip-away EMT bag (lower left) and the pocket bag with American flag (upper right). The interior layout on those pouches made them extremely handy, and I find that I put most of my 'most used' things into one or the other.

The regular EMT pouch (lower right) I basically just use as a large single pocket bag.

The admin pouch would be great if I carried a lot of small folded paper, but instead I find it holds a couple pens, a flashlight, a knife, and a poncho. A cool looking pouch for sure- but not nearly as handy as some of the others (at least not as handy to me).

outside of flag pouch

Above, you can see a close up of the outside of the American flag pouch. There is a mesh pocket on the outside, which unless you have very thin items is not particularly useful.  The American flag is Velcro and is detachable.

Inside of flag pouch

The main benefit of this pouch however is twofold. First, it is a handy size that holds a good amount of gear. Secondly, it has internal dividers which
 actually make a good amount of sense to how I want my bag laid out.

This pouch contains a Lamy Safari (f) fountain pen, a Stanley pen screwdriver, lighter, laser pointer, dry erase markers, p38 can opener, duct tape & paracord (wrapped around a business card inside plastic pocket) and a streamlight stylus pro on the internal lanyard.


The stylus pro is a fantastic little light, and for under 20 bucks, I give it a big thumbs up. It has a forward clicky with touch on, and is surprisingly bright. All of this fits neatly in the pouch in an organized way that isn't so packed with stuff I can't grab anything. the pouch doesn't bulge excessively, and probably still has room for more gear if I felt inclined to add it.

The admin pouch is far less glamorous. Two pens for quick notes, a Solarforce L2 with fresh batteries, an older spyderco folder, a cheap poncho, and a couple glow sticks fills this pouch with as much stuff as I really want to put in it. There is still room in there- but I don't like stuffing pouches full to the point that I sacrifice organization for capacity. This is an everyday commuter bag- not an end of the world bag.

I keep glow sticks handy for 2 reasons: One- every year I have been at university since 2003, there has been a power outage for anywhere from 15 minutes to a day or so. Be it luck (or lack there of) I have always found myself in a windowless portion of a building during these times. As a courtesy, I drop a glowstick by an exit stairwell on my way out, as emergency lighting is often less than useful (or doesn't work at all).

The other, more important reason is bike commuting. Since moving, I have basically moved away from my car for all my transportation needs except grocery shopping. Even though I have lights and reflectors on my bike, in bad weather I pop a stick and hang it on my bag to give me more visibility. I'd rather ride around and look like a dork than get smacked by a car while peddling home.

my hammock is rated to 400 lbs. don't judge me.

The standard EMT pouch is really just for fun. I keep stuff in here that is by in large not necessary for day to day activity, but I left it on for the photos of the bag just so people got a feeling for how the pouches take up space.

This is my camping pouch. Inside I keep:
My Hammock
A small roll of toliet paper
A medium sized ace bandage
30 ft of paracord to tie off my hammock.

This pouch doesn't usually stay on the bag unless I'm going on a trip where I might be out overnight. If so, this pouch plus a small tarp is all I need to set up a really comfy little shelter for general 3 season use.  I find that I sleep better in a hammock as opposed to on the ground, and with a tarp tied overhead, stay just as dry as I would if I were in a tent.  Add a bug net and a person has a really comfortable camping set up that weighs around 2.5 lbs.

EMT section 1

Inside the large rip away EMT bag I keep a butt-load of stuff. The bag opens into 3 sections, each of which contain different items. The top section contains sanitary wipes, saline solution (for cleaning scrapes), antacids, a multi-tool, and a basic first aid kit with gauze, bandages, and triple antibiotic ointment.

The multitool is a  leatherman supertool , and I must say it is pretty sweet to use. It feels much sturdier than my old gerber suspension.

Also in this pouch is a small pill coffin with some OTC stuff like aspirin or allergy medication.

EMT section 2

The middle pouch has some medical tape, a self adhesive wrap, and a few gauze pads.  Tons of room left here for more gear, but nothing which I feel I need.

EMT section 3

The final section contains some baby powder, rolled gauze (instead of pads), deodorant, chap stick, and sunscreen. Obviously, my first aid kit is geared towards little bumps and bruises from day-to-day activities. I basically want to be able to clean myself up if I go over the handlebars.

The EMT bag is quite thick as I have packed it- and it would probably annoy some. However, despite being bulky, none of these pouches seem to throw off the balance of the bag, or are prohibitive in storing the bag away anywhere.

If I could only buy 2, it would be the flag bag and the EMT rip away bag. if I could have a 3rd, I would choose the standard EMT dump style bag. The admin pouch to me is the least useful, but for its price (I think it was 8 or 9 bucks) - I'm very satisfied.

All in all, I rate the condor pouches as a solid buy for anyone who wants a cheap way to stay organized. I went with all black on black as to not look too militant- and people think the pouches look kinda 'cool'.

This setup, with all 4 pouches on the bag, would make for a great 2 or 3 day hiking bag. There is plenty of storage for a change or 2 of clothes, some water bottles on the outside, and a bit of food.  Also this bag is pretty reasonably priced, with models ranging from 50-100 dollars. Which, though expensive, is no more than a northface or other comparable bag.

Final thoughts- Condor pouches are a buy.