Welcome to MFinResearch, where I focus on all things EDC, travel, and tech gear for the regular guy.
My goal is to help you navigate the world of everyday carry, travel essentials, and the latest in tech gear. Regular guys want to be prepared for any situation and have the right gear to make life easier and more efficient.
From backpacks and wallets to pocket knives and multitools, I recommend the best gear to meet your needs for a reasonable cost. I also want to show how the gear provides unique solutions to everyday problems.
In addition to EDC and travel gear, we also focus on the latest in tech gear. From smartphones and laptops to smartwatches and headphones, we review and showcase the latest and greatest tech gadgets to help you stay connected and productive.
So whether you're a seasoned EDC enthusiast or just getting started, we invite you to join us and discover the best gear for the regular guy.
Wow, that's nice! They have pretty good bags, maybe i will order one. 👍 I little "hack" i use with bags with (too) large hook/loop panels: i bought some hook and loop in 10 cm and i cut it into matching pieces to minimize the area that hooks (or loops? ^^). So you can reduce for example an area of let's say 10 x 20 cm to two little fields of 2 x 2 cm (or whatever is good for you). The hook/loop will still work, but it's not too "intensive". 🙂
That is a fantastic idea!! Thanks for that!! I actually have some. The only think is it isn't orange and I did like the all orange bag. I'm sure I could figure that out. Looks like I might be modding another bag.😆
@@mfinresearch6462 You're welcome! 🙂 Well, these patches are most of the time *under* a flap or something, so color shouldn't be such a problem (i hope!). 😄👍
That is the second or third time that bag has come up. I might have to give it a shot. I just missed their sale so hopefully they will have one in September and I can catch it then.
It’s a good looking bag. Shipping doesn’t scare me but the strap does. Moving forward, I need to do more research on straps. I have the first 2 of your recommendations. Great bags to wear as a fanny pack. Once again, they both dig into your neck. I enjoyed this video! 👍🏽
That is always my challenge when I see stuff at Costco. Do I wait for it to go on sale, or do I get it now before it goes out of stock. I know they offer price adjustments but I can't remember how long they give you.
I know you said this video isn’t about the Rush series, but I’ll still say I’ve been using the Rush 12 for many years as an EDC. Caught a great sale on a new one about 2 years ago. It’s sitting unused still because my original one hasn’t warn out yet. It takes whatever I throw at it and just keeps going.
I was giving myself the constraint of not talking about the Rush series, but for you (or any other comments) love hearing about personal experiences with the bag. Thank for giving your experience. I like to see the videos where it has been the daily bag for years and while it looks broken in, it looks like it still has years of life on it. I might still put it on my future bag list.
Waited for the right sale to buy this. Much easier of a buy at $60 instead of $90. Going into this bag, my thoughts exactly on the CCW pocket. I do however like quality of the velcro in that pocket. I mostly got this bag to continue with my theme of buying unique designs. I have a 5.11 urban utility ruck which is a pretty solid unit for their top down design, but where they failed in the side pockets, which when filled with your edc items, the side pocket volume expands inward, essentially reducing carrying capacity of the bag overall. I'm going to get a rigid hex/molle panel insert at some point for this bag and a small organizer for the outside. I really don't like modding my bags either, but this one will definitely bring me it's true value once I come up with the right utility concept/mods to add.
I think i got mine for 70 and that was a good price. When it went on sale for $60 that was even better. If I paid full price I think I might have returned it. I agree the loop panel is serious on this bag. I think i took 4 tries trying to get the admin panel off in one smooth motion. Since I was unsuccessful that shot never made it in. I looked up the utility ruck it is a very unique design. Let me know how the insert works for you. That is one of the ideas I'm considering since there seems to be plenty of space for it.
@mfinresearch6462 I'm back to report! I figured out what to do with this bag! Okay so I added the 5.11 small covrt panel inside and keep it held in place with use of the water bladder velcro strap. This panel has vertical and horizontal molle webbing that allows me to use the 5.11 double pistol magazine holsters in the vertical format as well as my E&G ccw holster. The laptop pocket can fit a nicely sized plate of armor and reinforces the back of the bag well. So in an Emergency Life-Defense-Offense or "Eldo" situation what I was able to do was swing the bag around and wear it backwards covering my torso, use the double zippers (which I prefer to hide under the straps when zipped up) to access both left and right-handed sides. Draw my ccw with my right and pull fresh magazines with left for reloads. Essentially this bag turns into a vest with a cover that conceals hand movements and inventory. The smallest zipper pocket on the bottom can hold my suppressor. The bigger zipper pocket above that just holds my flashlight and an additional magazine for now. The original outside CCW pocket is deep and big enough for a small velcro organizer! The velcro is strong enough that if gives me confidence I won't lose anything. Also, if you setup the panel so your ccw is between the bag's internal pockets and the covrt molle panel, when you clamshell open your bag your ccw, magazines and whatever is zipped inside the mesh pockets becomes hidden/obscured from line of immediate sight! Which is convenient when you need to pull out something bulky that doesn't come out of the Roll-Top so smoothly.
Wow!!! You my friend are awesome!!! This is a fantastic idea. Only thing I would do different it add a large zipper pull to the main compartment for easy grab and access. Something along the lines of the Vertx bags.
I am curious if everything gets jumbled together in the bottom of the pouch and it gets bulky? I used to hate this back in the day when I tried to use fanny packs with the straps cut off in backpacks, top would be skinny and all the packs in the bottom. Great review and video work with the interior of the sling, this one might have dropped off my list.
Thanks for watching!! Since I switch between bags a bit I go for a more modular approach with pouches based on what I need that day. Since the sling is large enough I stand the pouches up and it avoids that problem. The only thing I had to dig for a few times was the light I used in the video. If I remember, you have the T-74, which is the better bag so between the two I would take that one 9/10 unless I buy a larger Macbook one day. After seeing your list (that caused my list to get longer by the way) I am glad to help take an item off.
I'm a big fan of 5.11 and i had and have several bags, pouches and backpacks from them. So, it depends. They tend to produce *very* good backpacks, but stop the production without any reason for me - and then they go on producing packs that are much worse. Meanwhile i had more backpacks from them that nobody knows of (except of me ^^) than "common" ones. And it seems sometimes, that they don't learn anything. There a really obvious things, that should be changed (for example: backpack => no lateral pouches for bottles, *no* MOLLE to attach a holder => gnaaaaahhhh! It really sucks, if you have to attach a bottle holder on the front of the pouch!). They should really ask their customers, what they need and want. ^^ I just bought a used MOAB 6, before they stop to produce this pearl of gear. It's (after trying *many* pouches/slings) the ideal man-purse. Not too big, not too small and with compression straps pretty low profile, if needed. 🥰 PS: i always wanted the Eldo, but old story - you can't buy one here, they sold every single piece. It's like the "Urban Utility Rack" from 5.11, i found only one(!) in Europe.
I have always watched their stuff and found it interesting. This bag isn't my favorite but it does seem like it will last a long time. I almost got the MOAB a few years back, but ended deciding on another bag. I do think there is some good they just need some work on the execution. I had to google the Urban Utility Ruck it is an interesting bag. I forgot to mention the water bottle pockets!! Once the bag is packed out the become impossible to use. I would have to put the water bottle in first then pack my bag. TSA fixed that for me. 5AM flight and me forgetting to empty the bottle.
@@mfinresearch6462 It's pretty hard to find "the" pack, not without a reason we have several of them. ^^ ;-) The 5.11 are sometimes a little bit overkill, but they are sturdy and will last very long. What's very interesting, is the price - they are much cheaper than a Maxpedition (which are good, but they aren't perfect, too!), only Helikon-Tex (in my opinion) does a similar good job. I always hated to buy bags, that are too expensive, because sooner or later they will break, too. The MOAB 6 was not my favorite, but i learned to love it. I have a dog, so i have to carry always some extra things. The most important thing for me is a separate pouch for a water bottle (not too large, it should fit a 400 ml Nalgene) *outside* the bag, and the MOAB 6 has the perfect size to attach a flat holder left or right of the bag. The MOAB 10 on the other side is (for me) overkill. I had one, but i tend to pack these things too full, that's not very comfortable over several hours. Same with the MaxPed Versipacks, you will hurt your spine over time.
I love Maxpedition pouches but I've never been a fan of their backpack. I have seen a few Helikon-Tex bags that I put on my future purchase list. Water bottles on slings has been one of my biggest. challenges. Most of the time I just end up carrying the bottle separate. I think the memo bottle would work but it seems to have to many cons for my needs for the price. Thanks for the insight!! Will definitely stay away from the Versipacks!!
@@mfinresearch6462 What i use a lot is the "Tatonka Bottle Pouch" ("Foldable bottle cage that can be attached to the belt or backpack. Suitable for all common drinking bottles."). It's pretty small when folded and attaches to everything. 😄
I've ordered two 5.11 in the past. I had high hopes for each. I ordered the MOAB 8 & MOAB 10. Lucky for me, I was able to return them back to Amazon. They were both nice and had ample room but the straps were too short. The strap was up on my neck. I was unaware of this bag. I'm not a backpack person myself. Great video.
That is why on sling the strap is starting to be the most important feature for me. I almost got the MOAB a few years ago but ended up going in a different direction. Thanks for the insight.
@@mfinresearch6462 I absolutely agree. I got the Alpaka Bravo Sling Max V2. The bag itself is great but it comes with a short strap. I had to buy the strap that they sell which is longer. Don’t know why they initially didn’t put that strap on the bag 🤷🏽♂️
So this comment reminded me that I forgot to pick up the Mini Sailor during Prime Day. Looks like the price hasn't changed too much. Thanks for watching!!
For a long time, as the price of Chanel increased, I no longer thought I could afford it. I think I'll be happy that I have the kislux as my travel bag that I don't have to take care of. By the way, I'm sure no one will have a hard time telling the difference. Thanks for the comparison.
I think budget is relative. If I compare it to an amazon basics and the Tomotc travel backpack it would be the premium pick. However, it the lineup I put it with it was the budget pick of the group.
Thanks for pointing out the Rinsekit Pro. I live in an apartment and don't have a water hose, so I'm going to hit my Costco this week to grab one to use when I need to rinse off my motorcycle or my bicycle or something. Should work perfectly!
I would but I'm a fresh (almost 4 years now) into team apple. I'm too deep into the ecosystem and the switching between devices it worth it for alone. Maybe I'll send a pair to my brother as a retirement gift.
That first Lole small sling they had for 15, non fuzzy one, has been super handy especially on flights so stuff doesn’t fall out of my pockets. The new 20 buck one I think just looks too much like a purse for me, but I am slightly tempted. Thanks for linking in my video. Best finds for me was the skeletool combo pack that included the pocket knife for 50, the Duracell 3 pack of headlamps, and getting 2 more small lole slings on Death Star for 5 bucks each.
No problem. I think that is my problem with the sling. It does look a bit like a purse. I posted a short when I first saw the skeletool, was going to wait until it wen to sale, caught the sale, but didn't pick it up. Hopefully, they have it again this year.
@@mfinresearch6462 The price dropped to 14.97 so my wife grabbed one for me while I picked up a starter battery for the boat, makes for an interesting fishing trip when yo find out the battery is dead at the lake.
Here is the link to the video on the storage crates I mentioned in the video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0KVUqimz0aE.htmlsi=shNhnr1C2CDfumwW
I've owned products made by all three companies and they're all good at what they do within their given price range, but I like more premium products so Aer is tops in my book, followed by Alpaka. My Aer City Sling has seen over 30 countries and still looks new which is why I'm also getting the Day Sling for my X100VI, hopefully it will fit my Leica as well when I grab it and go out shooting for the day.
Thanks for the insight. I really like the idea "they're all good at what they do within their given price range". That really sums it up. I've had slings from all three now and I agree 100% with your assessment.
I picked this bag up when it came out and i like it so far. The only thing i'd add is maybe some inner pockets in the front. Because the material is so soft, everything kind of shifts to the bottom and the top of the bag feels like wasted space.
I agree with you on that. I think that is most evident on the front pocket. A little bit taller and a few pouches could go in there easily. Hope it works out. Did you consider the T24?
Yeah, all you need a good belt lol. Probably more travel essential than anything else, but I didn’t have anywhere else to put it so I’ll put it in this list.
Thanks. I try to be honest I want to try and point out the good things about something I don't like, and the bad things about something I link. That way anybody watching one my videos will have my honest opinion and not a product commercial.
That sucks. I've flown with the Gerber EAB lite for a few rounds now (taking the blade out) and so far I've been ok. That is the thing you never know who is checking your bag, what they know, and what type of day they having.
One thing I will say about Aer is their warranty service (from my experience) is incredible. I had my bag for around 2 years (maybe longer). Mine developed a tear in the cup holder compartment on the side of the bag. It did not impact the function in the slightest but I raised it with Aer in case it developed any further. They instantly without any hassle asked me for my details and told me they would send a new bag out to me. So now I have 2 Aer Travel Pack 3 X-Pac bags with one sitting in the bag untouched for whenever I might need it in future. Great company in my opinion but obviously I can only speak from my own personal experience!
Thanks for the info. It is a great data point. I never hear much on the warranty claims for Aer products. My two aer bags are almost as good as new after all this time.
@@mfinresearch6462 I believe mine was just a flaw with the stitching but I would definitely buy from them again. The fact they didnt even ask for the old bag back I thought was great too as the original still functions fine!
I’ve tried to like the powerpint past the pliers but aside from the scissors (which are hit or miss) the tools are trash. eBay a squirt ps4 or juice s2 worked best for me
Thanks for the input. Pliers, scissors, and the blade are probably the things I end up using on the pouch the most. Might have to see if I can pick up a squirt.
My only feedback is it would have been awesome if you could have done a still shot of you wearing them and showing the pics side by side for a moment so we can see how they wear. Obviously most of us have seen how a vertical vs horizontal bag wears but might as well for people that don't know and just to make the video touch on all comparisons. Not a make or break thing though, great video! Thanks for the comparison. I'm still shopping and deciding on my next bag haha.
@@mfinresearch6462 ended up ordering the Aer Travel Sling 2. After months of looking at it and trying to find lower priced alternatives to get out of spending $120+ I said screw it haha. Only had it a few days but man absolutely no regrets. It's not nearly as big and cumbersome as I feared. It's the perfect size for travel and carrying my laptop around to places with extra gear like my Kindle, chargers, battery bank, Bose QC45. Best part is my 14" 12.5"x8.9" laptop fits even with the hard shell sleeve I have. The quality is so nice too. The only problem I have now is I am looking at Aer's much smaller slings and my bank account is sweating haha. Thanks for the videos and feedback/comments that helped decide!
I'm glad you decided on a sling. The Aer will last you for years. You will probably want something new before it ever fails. I did laugh a little bit for you bank account 🤣🤣. That will always be the issue. Take a look at their sale page. The upgrades are usually iterations over complete overhauls so you can save a little bit that way. Good luck!!
