Alpha One Niner Evade – First impressions

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Santa delivered a two tone Evade along with a set of the Matroskya PVC pouches. Here are my first impressions.

Quality – stitching and build are great. Things seem nice and tight, no loose threads etc.

Material – the Ripstop is substantial and has nice structure without being stiff. It is unlike the Ripstop with which I have had experience as it is much heavier duty.

Color – the gray Ripstop is more like a charcoal than silver, which I really like. The pattern on both the black and silver is very sharp.

Hardware – all seems to be good quality and well constructed. One zipper is a little “rough” but I figure it will break in over time. I am used to heavier gauge zippers but these are YKK and will likely hold up just fine.

Shape/style – one of the very best parts of the bag so far is its shape. Switching from my beloved TNF Recon I realize now just how “sack like” the Recon is. The Evade on the other hand is more streamlined and keeps it shape nicely. The bag is not stiff but rather has good structure with a slightly stiffened bottom and stiff back panel. Unlike the Recon, the zippers on the Evade do not have “storm flaps” over them. This adds to the streamlined look and makes it look less like a trail bag.

Compression straps – They don’t compress the admin section! No need to unclip them to get the admin section open.

Water bottle pouches – finally, pouches that are deep enough.

Accessibility- both the main compartment and admin sections open very widely. This is an awesome feature.

Straps – comfortable, adjustable tops are nice, quick release buckles on the bottom are a welcome touch too.

Grab handle – comfortable and nicely placed for balance. Strong stitching too.

Organization – admin section is nicely laid out with plenty of slots. The slots and sections are deep enough too. Some bags have sections that are too shallow and gadgets slip out easily. Main section has two mesh pockets which I really like. Rather than putting some items in loose pouches, these are great as they stay in place. The laptop section will be great for files and my iPad etc. I very rarely carry a laptop so cannot say much about what fits. The CCW pocket is lined with Velcro and should fit my pistol nicely (have not gotten that far yet).

Back panel has some stitched channels for ventilation. Not exactly like the high tech vent systems on some bags but for me this should be adequate. This is my true EDC bag and aside from some short hikes and bike rides it will not be much of an “outdoor” bag. That said, it would probably function just fine as such.

Matroskya pouches – the D rings for them are nice even if you don’t have the pouches. You could likely connect other pouches with biners. That said, I really like these in PVC. As you will see in the photo below I am using the two smallest….one for a FAK and the other as a small hygiene kit.

After I have carried my new bag for a while I will update on usefulness, durability, etc.

Let me know if you have questions.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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