Direct Action Dust Bag Review

[admin]

After long last, here is my review/rundown of the Direct Action Dust 20 liter pack. The Dust is currently the smallest of the packs currently offered by Direct Action Gear. They come in a range of different color/camo options. I have chosen the Shadow Grey color because grey is the new sexy evidently. For the record, I did not receive this pack pro-bono, in exchange for a positive review or anything. I paid full price. So many positive reviews don’t disclose this information, so I just want to be clear on that.

Here are the specs directly from Direct Action:

• 100% 500D Cordura fabric for durability
• Unique Patented CVS-Combat Vent System® for operator comfort during prolonged use
• Lightweight, durable, non moisture absorbing laser-cut MOLLE/PALS system
• Heavy duty, glove friendly YKK® zippers
• Main compartment has a padded sleeve for hydration bladder or up to a 15” laptop
• Main compartment also has a mesh pocket
• One external zippered flat pocket on front
• Two small side pockets that expand when unzipped
• Additional back compartment for hydration bladder
• Paracord drag handle (contains (2) 2.5m cords)
• Quick release shoulder straps
• D-Ring attachment points
• Side retention straps with buckles
• Detachable hip belt
• Velcro panel (10.1 x 5.1 cm / 4 x 2 in) for ID patches
• All clips and buckles are made by Duraflex®/WooJin
• PenCott™, Kryptek™ and Multicam® camouflages are NIR treated

I’ve now been using this back for about 1 1/2 months. I dislike reviews with the tags still on them. Those are not reviews. How can anyone “review” anything without getting it dirty, smelly and figuring out what works and what does not. I’ve put this bag to daily use, and it has put about 4 10+ mile days doing some urban wandering. I’ve coated the bag in spray-on Nikwax, since no DWR coating seems to hold up. In the great PNW, waterproofing is everything. I walked home from work a few days ago during a rainstorm, and the Nikwax worked great. None of my expensive electronics got wet.

So here we go. Here is a Timbuk2 Alchemist next to the Dust for reference.

The pack is above the build quality I’ve seen from Maxpedition, and as good or better than 5.11. There are VERY few loose threads and no out of place stitches. The 500d cordura is fantastic. It is very flexible while maintaining good abrasion resistance. I personally feel it is an excellent balance.

The laser cut molle is absolutely fantastic. It is uniform throughout and I wish more manufacturers were doing this. I dislike “tactical” looking packs. They scream “gun guy/gal” to me, and that is really not my thing. Sure, it is still molle, and those familiar with it will know, but it sure flies under the visual radar. i’ve test fit some of my molle pouches and found it to be as easy to use as the regular molle webbing systems.

The water bottle holders are well designed. They are expandable and hold a regular Nalgene bottle. The 20-27oz KK, Liquid Hardware and Hydroflasks do just fine. The only downside to the holders is the larger bottles do intrude somewhat on the internal space, so that is something to keep in mind.
The laser cut molle is the same as the front of the pack.

The front flap has a small pocket. It can hold a Maxped E.D.C. pouch, or maybe a regular sized paperback book. That’s what I use it for at least.

The zipper pulls are nice, but I’m not over the moon about them. I’ve heard that the shrink wrap can disintegrate but I am not seeing any issues after a month and a half of daily use. The YKK zippers are very nice. They are smooth and they do not hang up even when the pack is stuffed to the gills.

The interior map pocket is nice, but I don’t use it. The EDC pouch for scale.

The interior organizer is well done, if basic. It holds everything I need.

The main compartment can hold a decent amount of stuff. I cart around a 13″ MBP, and iPad and a Maxped Beefy. There is a small mesh pocket on the front of the compartment.

The laptop sleeve is lined in nylon, not microfiber material like some other packs.

The back panel is very well done. The shoulder straps are quite comfortable when carrying about 15 pounds all day wandering about PDX with friends. The sternum strap is basic. It works as expected. The back panel and mesh is one of the better systems I have run across. The pads have a slight wave / ripple to them. It’s not something revolutionary, your back will still get damp if you are working hard. The waist strap hides in the panel. I really don’t use it, as it is just soft webbing. All the loose tails are retrained by velcro keepers, which nice. I hate loose straps. The waist strap is NOT detachable as stated on the website, it can just be stowed away.

Ok, now for some negatives.

• The 13″ MBP JUST fits. I have to roll the top of the pack back slightly to slide it into the sleeve. If the sleeve was 1-2″ shorter, I wouldn’t need to do that.
• The 2 upper pockets on the organizer could be a bit deeper, or of equal depth to make them more usable.
• Ditch the map pocket and move the mesh pocket from the main compartment to where the map pocket it. That might be a bit more useful for me. Maybe not for you.
• The waist strap is not detachable as stated on their website.

Over all, I really dig this pack. I have ditched my Maxpedition Malanga and Jumbo for the Direct Action Dust. The Dust, along with my Timbuk2 Alchemist are the perfect EDC pairing for me. This is my first real review, so if I missed something, I’ll come back and update.

If anyone has questions or wants clarifications, please let me know.

[Author]

Posts