Forums › Forums › Gear – The Stuff We Carry › Gear Reviews › Spec-Ops T.H.E Messenger Bag XL.
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September 16, 2025 at 9:39 am #17363
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KeymasterHello everyone. Today I’ll be discussing the newest addition to the family, T.H.E Messenger Bag by Spec-Ops, in XL size. First thing’s first though, here are the manufacturers specs:
http://www.specopsbrand.com/tactical-gear/packs/t-h-e-messenger-bag-xl.html
I’ll be honest with you, I don’t need a messenger bag, or at least I didn’t think I needed one before I bought one. I was only attracted to this bag because it was on “sale” (more on that in a bit) and because I never had a SpecOps product before, so I went in a “What the hell” buying spree. Buying this bag and 4 others (which will be reviewed in due time, I promise).
I’m glad that I did though, and I’m really liking this bag so far.
I would suggest though, that you try to get this bag when its on sale, since Spec-ops hold them frequently. Even then, whatever amount of money you end up paying will get you a VERY well constructed messenger bag, made in the USA (If that is a factor to you) that will allow you to pack pretty much anything you need for a day (or two, maybe, it depends on the person really) and that will most likely outlast you.
Starting on the front of the bag we have two loop Velcro fields, that run horizontally across the flap, one on the very top before the zipper, and one on the bottom. These were most likely thought for name-tapes but will work well enough with elongated patches.
We also have 10 columns by 3 rows of PALS here, a welcome addition.
There is also a carry handle, which is pretty comfortable and ridiculously well stitched (as is the whole bag), though I don’t use it much I quickly realized that it becomes far too convenient to forsake.
But I would like to draw your attention to a more interesting feature of this bag (which I now think should be mandatory for messenger bags), and that is the zipper located on the top of the flap. It’s a YKK zipper, and the biggest one they make at that. It opens both ways to accommodate both left and right-handed users. And of course, opening it allows you to get to the contents of the bag without unbuckling the flap, no big deal ? right?
Well, let me tell you, it is a big deal, this bag is preeeetty big, so big in fact, that the prospect of opening the flap (and holding it open) every time you need to get to the contents of the bag will quickly annoy you. The “Speed-Port” as Spec-OPS calls it, will quickly become your best friend, so much so that I would not even consider using the bag if it didn’t have it.
Perhaps I’m not used to messenger bags (I’ve never owned one before), or perhaps the “Speed-Port” has just spoiled me, maybe long- time users of messenger bags wont be bothered by the presence or absence of this feature, all I know is it works wonders for me.Unbuckling the flap reveals the “admin” section of the bag. And one of the biggest disappointments I have with it. From left to right we have a mesh pocket, 3 pen sleeves, and a vinyl pocket. And that’s it.
I always say that things should be evaluated in a per-case basis, and in my case, this area is insufficient, I can’t know every single one of you guys, but I would bet that it’s the same for most of you too.
I would have loved if SpecOPS took a bit more time when designing this area, to maybe add a couple more pockets and sleeves, or perhaps a PALS field where I could attack my own admin pouch and call it a day. Sadly, that is not the case.
Even so, the materials here are of great quality, the mesh is thick and so is the vinyl and should give you no problems.
Here you can also see the cross-stitching of the handle.
On the back we have an ID window. Another interesting thing, the buckles on the strap (are they called buckles? please correct me if they are not) are made of steel (or aluminum?) and feel very solid, naturally the paint WILL wear off over time, some people mind, some don’t, just something to keep in mind. Oh yes, just a tip, to whoever it may be of use. I’ve noticed a lot of people, not on the forums, but in general, just write or type their info in a piece of paper and put it in the ID window just like that. I personally prefer to fold the paper before sliding it into the window in such a way that my information can not be acquired at a glance. It seems like a small thing, but small things quickly add up.
Notice how the strap is attached to the bag, not on the sides, but on the back, in my experience this makes it MUCH more comfortable and it also cuts down on the swaying of the bag when you are moving. I never owned messenger bags before, but I used them from time to time, borrowing one from a friend,and so on, and they weren’t nearly as comfortable. The strap itself is non-removable, which I don’t mind, and nicely padded, It doesn’t slip from your shoulder and I never felt discomfort while wearing the bag. Please notice that I wear this bag across my body, as opposed to using it on one shoulder (like a woman’s purse) and I hang it behind my back, right against my butt, not to my side.
There is no stabilizer strap or pass-through tunnels for attaching the bag to your luggage, if that’s something you need. Even then, I’m sure that a stabilizing strap could be fashioned by using something similar to the 5.11 tier system, by attaching it to the PALS webbing on the side.
I have found that when walking normally the bag stays put, I haven’t had to run with it yet, so no comments on that.3×3 PALS webbing on the side, and nothing much. I haven’t taken pictures of the bottom of the bag, but now would be a good time as any to mention that there are NO drainage holes, I don’t miss them as I don’t usually find myself wearing this bag in a situation where I would need them. It can be an advantage in certain ways, as it can keep water out if you put down the bag in a wet surface or a puddle.
The interior of the bag, it is VERY big, I don’t have the dimensions at hand, but trust me on this one, or check the Spec-OPS site, if you think trust is overrated
. Besides being huge its also yellow. Its a very welcome feature, what the yellow color does is reflect far more light than most colors, making the act of seeing inside the bag far easier that if it were tan, or black. This is not rocket science, as all of you who own both black and tan bags will know, peeping inside a tan bag is easier on the eyes than a black one. This is also the reason why most decent diver watches have yellow or orange dials. Still, its not something you see much of on other bags and that is just a shame.
Two other things, notice the “Grid-Lok” panel on the back of the bag, made of very durable rubber and the attachment points for the strap, both cross-stitched. Nobody is taking this baby off you by yanking on it.
I should mention though, the spacing of the holes in the “Grid-Lok” are not up to military specifications, what I mean to say is, they are spaced differently than good ‘ol PALS, you can still attach your pouches, as you can see, but in this case I had to skip using one of the middle straps on both pouches. They still hold really nice and are going nowhere, but I felt that It was something worth mentioning.
BONUS:
As you can see I also bought a triple 40mm grenade pouch and a double frag pouch, I don’t have grenades on hand at the moment (they are on the way) so I could only test them with more utilitarian uses. The 40mm pouch is great for cables, energy bars and pens (if you don’t mind them poking out of the side. The frag pouch is awesome for small nick-knacks and things you don’t want to lose, as it has both Velcro and a buckle closure. Apart from that they are both excellently constructed, both also feature the little straps with button closures on the back so you can still attach them even if you don’t have speed-clips on hand.Random tag picture.
The zippers have a nylon rope capped with plastic pull-tabs, its not para-cord but it feels just as durable and the plastic tabs are thermally sealed. There is also a webbing tab up there which, in my experience, is good for holding on to when zipping the bag closed, but I think it would also be good for attaching items like a chem-light.
The plastic buckles are really nice, as far as I know they are of Spec-OPS own design. the X on top of the female buckle serves to dissipate the force of an impact, or something like that. Honestly I couldn’t care less about the marketing mumbo-jumbo, the truth of the matter is that they feel really solid and snap securely as well, I would even go as far as saying that they are better than the ones my camelbaks have. Another nice addition is that they have a hole with a nylon cord and pull-tab, you pull from that when you want to loosen the buckle, as opposed to the buckle itself, and pull from the strap when you want to tighten it, simple, elegant, and useful.
Here is a pic of the bag fully loaded.
Though for the sake of full disclosure I should say a few things:
1) It can still fit more stuff, so i’ts not really fully loaded.
2) I just threw stuff in there, If I had taken 30 seconds to better organize the bag it would have been more ergonomic and had more space.
3) Unless you are a bear-man, bodybuilder, or really love giving money to your chiropractor DO NOT load this thing with as many books, fully loaded file folders or other dense and heavy things you can find, It WILL make you its bitch. Although this is true of many bags bigger than a tiny purse.A shot from the side.
And the top. Notice how you can get to every item by just using the zipper.
This is what was inside. It can still fit an extra file folder and probably one more big book as well, not to mention many other, smaller things.
There is one thing that is bugging me though, If you look at the picture of the front of the bag, you will side that the sides of the bag itself poke out from under the flap, in such a way that, if it were to rain, some rain would get in the bag through there, this isn’t a problem if the bag is somewhat fully-loaded, as the sides expand and thus don’t protrude anymore. I hope you can get what I’m saying just from reading it =P.
On to the conclusion then:
– This is a very nice, well constructed bag, it just feels like a quality product. I’m sure it will last a very long time. It is also very comfortable and stays in place when walking.
– The bag is, basically, just a big junk drawer with a strap. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Particularly if you tend to carry big things like file folders, grocery bags, thermos, tupperware containers and such. It really comes into its own if you are already invested in the PALS system. If you aren’t, then I can only see the bag working of you have a very specific or niche load.
– If you are invested in the PALS system, then you have a very wide range of possibilities when modifying the bag.
– Possibility of rain getting into the bag by means of the protruding sides when the bag is not fully-loaded.
– The yellow interior is really a great idea that I would love to see on more packs.
– The quick access zipper on the flap is a godsend. The bag is so big that opening the flap (and holding it open) every time you need to add or subtract to it is not such a hot idea. The zipper manages to save the day in a very convenient way.
– I am not a big fan of the “admin” features of the bag. I feel that with a little bit of creativity they could have used the area better.
I would like to tell you what I carry when I use this bag, In the event that the review can be more useful to you if you have a similar load.
– 2 A4 File folders, a big pencil-case, 1 A4 notebook, 1 32oz bottle.
On a final note, I hope this review was helpful for you, and I ask you to take the time to leave any constructive criticism you feel would be useful for the subject at hand. Keep checking back every once in a while as I usually update my reviews the more I use the product. Also, feel free to ask any questions I may not have addressed here or request a particular picture.
Thank you for reading.
EDIT1: The user “zchen” has come up with an interesting workaround for the side-puffing issue. It’s worth mentioning that while it solves the issue, it also, potentially, creates the inconvenience of having to undo the shock-cord to open and fold back the flap. Nevertheless it’s more than worth a mention.
All credit for the following workaround goes, naturally, to him.
If I’ve done it correctly, I believe this link will take you directly to his post:
http://www.edcforums.com/threads/spec-ops-t-h-e-messenger-bag-anyone-have-one.92885/#post-1164279I quote here for convenience:
“There are two ways I thought about fixing the issue too.
1. If you have a sewing machine, sewn an extension piece of cordura or fabric along side edge of the flap and top of the main pocket on each, creating an ear extension that will fold down and cover the bag when flap is folded.
2. The flap has a small loop on each side edge, feed shock cords through them and then through the side molle loops, tighten with knot or cordlock.looks like shock cord method works decent
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