S.O.C.P. Tactical Fanny Pack

A couple of years ago I was visited by a Warrior Angel who issued an OPORD to me with a mission to bring back the fanny pack in the style of function of the most manly of men. I accepted this mission with the understanding that I would be breaking down the walls of fanny pack prejudices rightly conceived due to fat men wearing fanny packs while wearing crew socks and sandals. The Warrior Angel told me this would be no small undertaking and during the process would likely come under much ridicule and stank-eyes from the Men who Hate Fanny Packs Haters Club (MHFPHC). So many started my journey. The Vertx S.O.C.P. Fanny Pack was at the top of my list but was not my first Fanny pack. I experienced less than stellar experience from another Fanny Pack seller, Combat Iron, and from that experience knew I needed to execute a rapid purchase of the Vertx SOCP, because **** just got real. I have several averts products from clothing to packs, to tactigami holsters and mag pouches, so I am familiar with their level of quality. I bought the SOCP fanny pack when it was on sale at WPS and felt it was a good deal at around $49 bucks leasing tax and shipping. I also purchased MPH holster and some mag pouches but will get to that later: the overall quality, material and workmanship of the SOCP Fanny Pack is really good. It definitely has that quality feel about it, the straps are sturdy (a major fail on the combat iron fanny) the buckle is sturdy and it’s really the right size if you’re like me and looking to have a grab and go back with your EDC+ gear at your fingertips. The SOCP has 4 main “compartments” for sticking stuff in. It has the phone compartment, which I found less than ideal with my size phone (iPhone 13), but I think with a larger phone it would ride much better. My iPhone was too small and so it moved around. You can use your device and have your maps loaded, ATAK or whatever and you can use touch gestures even behind the clear plastic cover. I found that my phone hung down a little too low, and would have preferred some adjustability as to the angle, when I deployed my phone from the front pouch, it was more than 90 degrees which left the face of my phone tilting outward more than inward. It’s also a bit of a PITA to get your phone in and out of the phone pouch so that feature rarely gets used. The 2 zippered compartments are well built and designed. The front compartment has a smaller zippered net pouch for storing smaller items, I usually keep a small Streamlight, spare battery, pen, lighter and a spot of 100 MPH tape and about 10’ of 550 cord. The zippered net pouch is as deep as the compartment and has plenty of room for that. It’s also easy to swap items in and out such as hydration packets or Snickers bars as your mission/EDC requirements change. The zippers used on both compartments are high quality and come with the usual Vertx zipper pulls and are really the perfect length to make it easy to grab and easy to open. Even the inside zippered net have good zipper pulls, but they can also get stuck outside the back when you’re zipping the main compartment up. It would be relatively easy to redesign that zipper pull so it doesn’t do that, but it’s not a big issue, through using the fanny pack you train out that deficiency. The front compartment also has 2 pockets, I use all the time for my wallet and passport or wallet and Rite in the Rain notebook. All fit perfectly in that pocket. The inside compartment is loop lined on both sides and also comes with a smaller hook backed zippered net pouch that you can use or remove. It’s about 1.5” deep and ideal for a decomp needle or your favorite pen, booby bandaids or whatever. As mentioned before also picked up the Vertx MPH sub holster and a couple of Vertx MAK mag pouches. Here’s where the beauty of Velcro comes in. If you’ve worn or wear a war belt, chest rig, or plate carriers over the years you know getting your setup just right can involve a lot of attaching/unattaching/reattaching the molle pouches on your PALS webbing and that my friends is a time consuming PITA, but must be done - at least initially to know what works right for you. The loop & hook setup takes all of the PITA from that exercise. It did take me several attempts of positioning the MOH (holster) and 2 MAKs (mag pouches) before I got it “Just Right”, and that involves working through standardizing the zipper position so you aren’t looking and hunting for it, to the position your weapon is and the position of your mags, and what angle if any will you use. I worked through it and I still run dry fire drills with my SOCP fanny pack on to ensure I’m keeping my memory muscles fit and GTG. Although I usually shy away from specifics regarding weapons etc, I will tell you what I’m running so you can get an idea concerning size and figment of your own firearms. I have a G43X in the MPH, and originally 2 MAK pouches for my mags. Both work great. Tactigami is the perfect word to describe the MPH because you’ll feel like an origami pro after getting it set up properly. It is an extremely well thought out design, that’s for sure. Could you use a Velcro holster from Shamazon? Probably, but I wanted to configure it using the parts made specially for my bag. I am currently testing a Maxpedition double mag pouch that is used with their sling bags and it is working perfectly well, albeit it’s a tight fit, but holds my 2 Shield Arms 15rd mags with the Shield Arms +5 mag extenders. No problem fitting the 2 mags pulse my 43X in the back compartment. I am planning a n getting the larger MPH and testing my G19 out, but I am concerned about torment with an RMR on it. So all the above mentioned works outstanding. The primary issues I have with the SOCP fanny pack is the retention of the waist strap. If I’m wearing it around my waist and driving my truck, OR wearing it while I’m walking around, the right side waist strap invariably loosens up. EVERY SINGLE TIME I wear it while driving or wear it while walking, the right waist strap will loosen up and my fanny pack will start hanging further downbeat front of my junk. Not a super huge deal as it doesn’t loosen up to the point it will fall off, but when it does loosen up, it’s not as tight around my waist as I like and that lack of “security” irks the crap out of me. I do have a workaround in mind for it and I think putting another tri-glide on it or maybe a ladder-loc will correct it, but this should not be something I, RTX, and HMFIC of this Fanny Pack mission should have to do, but I’ll fix that problem. Also there are certain positions the zipper can be placed in, that under certain circumstances, will allow the zipper to open a little. Now this is primarily due to where I put the zipper pull. My zipper pull SOP states it should be in the far most right position that gives me the fastest openings by where I am getting a good grip on my weapon. Just like pulling up your shirt can be part of your draw stroke, carrying concealed in. Fanny pack means actuating that zipper efficient and quickly is also part of my draw stroke, so it does need to be standardized. 9/10 times it stays where I put it, but if I’m not careful and position the zipper at the crest of where the bottom of my pistol grip is, then it can potentially love to the left or right. Not optimal from a physical security aspect, nor by revealing the goodies you have nestled way inside your fanny pack. Again not a deal-breaker for me, when I do my part. So is the SOCP Fanny Pack a good purchase? Absolutely. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, and the quality of the pack is just spot on. If the situation dictates the SOCP can be rocked cross body as well. If it’s a quick grab n go, I will usually throw it on cross body and when I get a breather will switch to the manliest form of gfnny pack wearage and that’s what the front. Oh also usually wear it cross body when I go to church because as my wife said, “It makes people look down at your junk, and I don’t want our church friends looking at your junk during church.” Point well taken my beloved, and like any good warrior I obliged my Bride. 3 things before I end. First and foremost I hope WPS doesn’t have some lame character limitation on reviews and all this 2-thumb keyboarding will be a waste. 2nd, I hope this review fixes you an idea of the rest silty and versatility of the SOCP fanny pack, and 3rd, I hope you got a smile at some point. I do believe there is a newer version of the SOCP Fanny Pack, and maybe the Warrior Angel that set me on this mission will mention to them how awesome (in my own mind) this review was and send me one to begin my arduous testing and usage.