I Need a New Range Bag . . .

I need a new range bag.

I had a range bag, a couple in fact, but a few years ago during a ‘great decluttering’ prior to a move, I got rid of a lot of stuff. This included gun cleaning supplies, ammo (like an idiot) and range bags (such an idiot).

Now I find myself looking around at various range bags for which style and brand would be a good fit for me.

Right now most of my shooting, which entails light trips to the local range and a monthly training class with Gunsite instructor Freddie Blish, doesn’t require a massive competition-style range bag. For what I currently do, I only really need something lightweight, flexible and convenient, but with capacity to carry more than one pistol, a holster or two, and various mags and accessories.

I’ve been making do with a slingpack that I use for trade shows when I have to travel and carry stuff like an iPad for covering shows. But, it really isn’t the best choice for a range bag. It lacks adequate space for a full-size pistol, holster, range belt and the rest of the gear.

I really should just limit this to traveling to trade shows and such, but that requires finding a replacement.

There’s a wide a variety of range bags, obviously, but let’s be honest, many are just variations on the same theme. There are the traditional boxy rectangular bags that most people are familiar with. These vary in size from relatively compact to the gigantic ones you see at most shooting matches.

This style of bag has been the standard with the only real variations being in size, the number of internal and external pouches…and, of course, color.

I had one of these at one point.

Then there was the transition to backpacks designed specifically as range bags. This style was particularly useful for competition shooters who wanted to move the weight of all their competition gear from one shoulder to a more comfortable position centered on their body.

The backpack-type bag was what I went with back in the summer of 2011 when I made a run at the World Speed Shooting title. Spoiler alert: I finished well to the rear. But I was pretty happy with the Second Amendment Rangepack from 1776 Tactical, a company/brand which now appears to be defunct.

That’s a shame because I liked that bag’s design (you can read about it here) and it would have been nice to see how that particular product would have evolved over the years.

Other companies have stepped into the void in one way or other, mostly with tactical backpacks one can stuff with loads of gear, even if the bag isn’t specifically designed as a range bag.

While definitely an option for a new range bag, the tactical backpack doesn’t allow for a solid organization of your gear. It’s more of a stuff-everything-in-and-dig-it-all-out-later kind of proposition.

There are, though, a few backpacks designed for competition that hold a couple guns. One of those is the Pistolero Backpack from GPS. This type of backpack has a lower compartment for storing your handguns and, in the case of the Pistolero, will hold five padded handgun storage bags.

GPS offers a couple different size/capacity options in backpacks, including their Rolling Handgunner Range Backpack, which would probably be my choice if I found myself shooting matches. But for what I’m looking for, it’s a bit too bulky.

One alternate backpack style that I have seen, but not had the chance to physically handle, is the Commuter backpack from Vertx. This 22L EDC-style bag has a main compartment lined with VELCRO brand loop to allow for a wide range of customization. With the right accessories the Commuter should easily allow for simple, straightforward organization of your gear.

A smaller, more minimalist approach that I’ve been looking at is the use of an open top tool organizer bag. One of the shooters in Freddie’s class uses a similar type of tool bag that he has stuffed with a couple holstered guns as well as his other range training gear.

The tool bag option is the epitome of utilitarian. And that’s the goal…to find a bag that just does the work. I once found a simple gardening bag I picked up during my travels and used it as a shotshell carrier for sporting clays. That too has since been given away (still an idiot).

More than likely I’ll find my way to the local Home Depot and scour their tool section for what might work best. The good thing about a Home Depot range bag is that at first glance it won’t present as “tactical” or anything firearms-related, which isn’t a bad thing when the neighbors might be wondering what you’re up to.