Direct Action Foxtrot Waist Bag Reviewed

Marketing from Direct Action

Direct Action® Foxtrot® is a lightweight waist bag for LE, operator, shooter or just for EDC. Main compartment is lined with Velcro loops which allow adding some extra equipment, like holsters or magazine pouches. Special pocket inside main compartment keeps your tablet or other electronic devices protected. Main flap is closed with two way YKK® zipper. Bag also features two front pockets closed with zipper, and two small side pockets – one cargo pocket and one water bottle pocket. Shockcord on top allows strapping additional equipment like raingear. Bag features laser-cut modular system compatible with MOLLE/PALS. Side panels of the bag features zipped pockets for flat objects like maps or documents. Panels can be folded into dedicated pocket in order to transform the bag into a small handheld or shoulder bag. Made of durable 500D Cordura® nylon fabric with water resistant coating.

 

Manufacturer: Direct Action, directactiongear.com
Model: Foxtrot Waist Bag

Materials: 100% Cordura 500D, Duraflex/WooJin Buckles, YKK Zipper
Overall Capacity: 6.6 L (403 cu in)
Overall Dimensions: 14.5″ x 8.5″ x 5.5″ (30x19x12 cm)
Weight: 2.09 lbs

Available Colors: Black, Olive Green, Coyote Brown, Shadow Grey, Ranger Green, Pl Woodland, Pencott Greenzone, Pencott Badlands, Pencott Snowdrift, Kryptek Mandrake, Kryptek Highlander

All PenCott™, Kryptek™ and Multicam® camouflages are NIR treated

Origin: Made in USA or Imported
MSRP: $69.00
 

The Review

By now, everyone should be carrying some sort of EDC with whatever they need to deal with everyday and emergency situations… But they don’t always need a huge backpack. Sometimes a smaller pack is better suited for the job. Today we’ll be taking a look at the Tactical Foxtrot Waist Bag from Direct Action…

The Foxtrot Waist Bag is a small, but versatile messenger-style bag designed to be carried in one of three ways: around the waist, over the shoulder or in the hand. It is made entirely from a rugged 500D Cordura nylon with a highly water repellent polyurethane coating that is quick drying and provides excellent resistance to abrasion, fading, rot and mildew. Most seams are double-stitched and all edges finished without any loose threads anywhere. Very impressive workmanship.

The bag is available in black, olive green, coyote brown, shadow grey and ranger green as well as a wide-range of camouflage patterns that are NIR treated including: Pl Woodland, Pencott Greenzone, Pencott Badlands, Pencott Snowdrift, Kryptek Mandrake and Kryptek Highlander. All zippers are high-quality YKK brand zippered closures with rubberized glove-friendly pull tabs making them easier to operate in the field, and the buckles are all Duraflex WooJin brand buckles for their superior strength and durability.

Overall, the Foxtrot bag is roughly 14.5″ x 8.5″ x 5.5″ so it is a little on the large side for a waist bag, but at 6.6 liters it is the perfect size for carrying around a small tablet or camera and video equipment. The main compartment is 12″ wide, 7.5″ tall and 4″ deep. There is a long length of shock cord woven onto the lid of the main compartment with a button-lock to cinch the cord down. This elastic strap is perfect for securing a jacket, towel or blanket to the top of the bag. Additionally, there are two 1″ reinforced webbed handles with a padded Velcro wrap for added comfort when carrying the bag.

The underside of the lid has a mesh pouch encompassing the entire 12″ x 4″ area, secured with a durable YKK zipper and rubberized zipper pull. The main compartment has a padded bottom with no drain hole, and all four walls are lined with Velcro loop for easy customization. There are a number of pouches, dividers and even holsters for CCW that can easily be attached for better organization. The back panel of the compartment has a 12″ x 6″ padded pocket, perfect for a small tablet or ebook reader that is held closed by a 1.5″ elastic strap with a velcro tab on the end.

The Foxtrot bag also has a large 10″ x 6″ x 1.5″ admin pocket attached to the front of the pack that is secured with a YKK zipper and rubberized zipper pull. On the outside of the admin pocket, there is a narrow pocket for thin items like maps or a notepad that is also secured with a YKK zipper and rubberized zipper pull. The outside of the front pocket is lined with a laser-cut PALS/MOLLE layer with the bottom right corner covered with small Velcro panel for a morale patch. The admin pocket has a large drain hole at the bottom and is lined with small organizational pockets for small items like pens, flashlights and the like.

On the right side of the bag there is a small 3.5″ x 5″ 1.5″ cargo pouch covered with a few rows of laser-cut PALS/MOLLE and secured with a YKK zipper and rubberized zipper pull. Inside there is a mesh pocket, a tethered key clip and a large drain hole at the bottom. The left side of the bag has a small pocket barely large enough for a 16-ounce water bottle, but a phone or radio would fit nicely and has a removable strap to keep things secure.

The bag has an adjustable shoulder strap that is completely removable with Duraflex®/WooJin buckles at each end for convenience when not in use. The strap is approximately 47.2″ long and 1.5″ wide, made from very strong nylon webbing. It has a padded detachable wrap with a non-slip texture for extra comfort when carrying the bag over the shoulder.

The back side of the pack is lined with a heavily padded mesh allowing plenty of airflow when worn as a waist bag. The padded belt flaps are securely attached to the back of the pack. Each flap is lined with a PALS/MOLLE layer for customizability and they have a flat zippered pocket for small items on each. The belt is capable of accommodating a waist of up to 46″ with a rugged Duraflex®/WooJin buckle. The belt flaps can be folded behind the back panel in order to transform the bag into a small handheld or shoulder bag. However, this adds a lot of bulk to the back of the pack and reduces the capacity of the main compartment. Some may not find this much of an issue, especially if you typically use the pack as a waist bag.

Final Thoughts

The Direct Action Tactical Foxtrot Waist Bag is a well-designed gear bag assembled from high-quality materials so it is built to last. No skimping on quality or workmanship whatsoever. It is compact in size, yet fully capable of holding most of your every-day gear so it could easily be considered for a multitude of uses.

I am not sure why the bag is $20 more on Amazon than direct from the Direct Action website… I hope they will fix this problem soon. But my biggest complaint certainly has to do with the waist belt. When it is not in use, it takes up way too much space behind the back pad. If the waist belt was completely removable, the bag would be so much closer to perfect. However, even with this minor complaint, I still consider this bag a fine candidate for an EDC, gear bag or range bag.

About Direct Action

DIRECT ACTION® is a project born from combining great design and manufacturing capabilities with an up-close-and-personal understanding of the specific end-user needs of special operations forces.

This combination has created the approach of an individual-as-a-system that is open and flexible with all necessary options, yet remains streamlined and avoids over-burdening. Each part of the system interfaces with the other components: weapons, load bearing equipment, backpacks, jackets, duty uniforms and even camouflage pattern – each of these is a part of a whole, and a key component that’s critical to mission success.