The Quest for the Perfect Range Bag

[ToddG]

Range bags come in so many shapes, sizes, and formats because no two people seem to want the exact same thing. Nonetheless, I've never been able to find one that did what I want out of a range bag. Here are some of my wanted features:

• Tough material suitable for traveling in the hands of airline baggage handlers dozens of times per year.
• Strong lockable zippers.
• Bottom should have rubber feet and/or be capable of being submerged in an inch of water without compromising the contents in the bag. Ranges get wet, muddy, etc.
• Inner lining should be a bright color and reflective regardless of the outside bag design. Looking for stuff in the dark inside such a bag is way easier than the typical black nylon interior.
• MOLLE points both inside and out. Rather than try to make one bag that has every feature I need, I want a simple core bag that allows me to attach what I want.
• Zippered pockets should abound. There are tons of little things we keep in our range bags that should be immediately at hand without digging through a pile of random stuff. Dedicated little areas for cleaning material, bottles of liquid (oil, etc.), pens & markers, batteries, spare parts. It's a personal preference thing but I really like all of them to have their own dedicated place. My giant range bag has a nearly empty interior but every single nook and cranny of a pocket or pouch is stuffed full.
• An exterior pocket big enough for my earpro and eyepro. Alternatively, if there's a MOLLE attachment, I can just get an accessory bag.
• Removable shoulder strap. I know they're not as durable and it might require some effort & expense, but it's a PITA at an airline when you can't remove a shoulder strap on a piece of checked luggage.
• Hook and loop attachment points.
• Should be available in orange for really cool people.

I'm actually pretty flexible on size. If the main interior compartment can hold a pair of guns and a couple hundred rounds of ammo, and the accessory pockets/pouches hold all my other gear, the bag itself doesn't really need to be huge. But if it is big, and the inside has MOLLE attachment points, then a lot of the stuff I currently attach to the outside of my bag, including my mag carriers and possibly even my spare IFAK, might all fit more nicely inside where they're protected.

[Corlissimo]

• Inner lining should be a bright color and reflective regardless of the outside bag design. Looking for stuff in the dark inside such a bag is way easier than the typical black nylon interior.
• MOLLE points both inside and out. Rather than try to make one bag that has every feature I need, I want a simple core bag that allows me to attach what I want.
• An exterior pocket big enough for my earpro and eyepro. Alternatively, if there's a MOLLE attachment, I can just get an accessory bag.

That original list was pretty damn good!
I'd settle for a bag like the Midway Compact with the above items. That would be close enough for me... then again, I don't have to meet your travel/training demands.

I wonder if Tactical Tailor would/could modify said Midway bag with the bright interior colors? Hmmmm....

[JConn]

I have a midway compact. A size between that and full size with molle attachment points.

[DanH]

Is this the kind of thing you are looking for?
http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/...NT-13p1136.htm
while the inside is hook and loop, not PALS, you can get a PALS insert for the hook and loop area.

[Default.mp3]

Just a thought about the MOLLE: couldn't you just add the webbing to basically any bag? For my Eagle AIII, I got one without the PALS webbing, and just bought some webbing online and had a local tailor add it to just the areas I needed (I was trying to minimize the mall-ninja rating on it). Doing that might give you a bit more flexibility in your search?

[SecondsCount]

Plano, the tackle box guys, make a waterproof soft sided case. They have a hunting line and may be interested in doing something for the shooting sports. It would be cool if they could incorporate some of their nifty storage boxes into it.

[JodyH]

Range bags come in so many shapes, sizes, and formats because no two people seem to want the exact same thing. Nonetheless, I've never been able to find one that did what I want out of a range bag. Here are some of my wanted features:

• Tough material suitable for traveling in the hands of airline baggage handlers dozens of times per year.
• Strong lockable zippers.
• Bottom should have rubber feet and/or be capable of being submerged in an inch of water without compromising the contents in the bag. Ranges get wet, muddy, etc.
• Inner lining should be a bright color and reflective regardless of the outside bag design. Looking for stuff in the dark inside such a bag is way easier than the typical black nylon interior.
• MOLLE points both inside and out. Rather than try to make one bag that has every feature I need, I want a simple core bag that allows me to attach what I want.
• Zippered pockets should abound. There are tons of little things we keep in our range bags that should be immediately at hand without digging through a pile of random stuff. Dedicated little areas for cleaning material, bottles of liquid (oil, etc.), pens & markers, batteries, spare parts. It's a personal preference thing but I really like all of them to have their own dedicated place. My giant range bag has a nearly empty interior but every single nook and cranny of a pocket or pouch is stuffed full.
• An exterior pocket big enough for my earpro and eyepro. Alternatively, if there's a MOLLE attachment, I can just get an accessory bag.
• Removable shoulder strap. I know they're not as durable and it might require some effort & expense, but it's a PITA at an airline when you can't remove a shoulder strap on a piece of checked luggage.
• Hook and loop attachment points.
• Should be available in orange for really cool people.

I'm actually pretty flexible on size. If the main interior compartment can hold a pair of guns and a couple hundred rounds of ammo, and the accessory pockets/pouches hold all my other gear, the bag itself doesn't really need to be huge. But if it is big, and the inside has MOLLE attachment points, then a lot of the stuff I currently attach to the outside of my bag, including my mag carriers and possibly even my spare IFAK, might all fit more nicely inside where they're protected.

I will forward this to my contact at a local manufacturer that makes nylon gear for several of the "big tactical brands" and also makes a few items under their own brand name.
They are always looking for new product suggestions.

[bigslim]

Minus the molle, bright interior, rubber feet, water proof bottom, and lockable zippers the Midway competition bag does all the other stuff for me. It's a big bag and heavy once I load the removable center bag with 2 pistols and 500 or so rounds.

Mike

[Carraway]

They're not designed specifically for firearms, but you might be interested in some of the Tom Bihn bags ( http://www.tombihn.com ). I just have a laptop bag with a removable braincell (for laptop protection), and it's been a great, versatile everyday bag. I went with the ordinary black one, but I picked the red/orange interior (cayenne). I think the larger bags with compartment options may be closer to what you need.

Besides that, there are the Ape Case ( http://www.apecase.com ) (yellow interiors) and Lowepro ( http://www.lowepro.com/ ) camera bags. I have a Lowepro that's been great, but I haven't used it as a range bag. Still, a lot of movable compartments and made to keep sensitive things safe.

Finally, for something completely different, back when I couldn't justify the expense of a really nice bag and was a little concerned about its attracting attention--especially with camera gear--I used a diaper bag. They tend to be waterproof, have customizable compartments and, most of all, are far less likely to be stolen.

[Slavex]

Read the thread title and was all ready to type out a big list, then I saw Todd's list. That is exactly what I want. I have large range bag now, I think it's the Shooters Connection one, great bag, super durable its literally been around the globe a couple times, through every kind of airport you can imagine, and it still looks good. The removable strap is as strong as I've ever needed, the bag often weighs in excess of 50lbs and the buckles haven't deformed yet. But I hate the interior, Moller or even velcro walls would mean in could put my own choice of pockets and such inside. Same as Todd suggests. I'm actually surprised someone hasn't made something like this yet.