REVIEW – Every hobby I have comes with a pile of small gear, and none of it ends up in the same bag twice, so the Flipper Zero is in one backpack, its cable is in another, and the spare batteries are anywhere but where I need them. Spec-Ops Brand makes gear for military and law enforcement, and two of its pieces landed on my workbench together. The Spec-Ops Brand Pack-Rat is a zippered organizer pouch that opens flat like a book, with 14 slots and compartments inside. The Stretchy Belt is a stiff nylon and Lycra belt with a plastic buckle that adjusts without holes. Both are made in the USA. I’ve used the pouch for my tech kit, on flights and on coffee runs, and worn the belt camping and at the range, for about a month. The pouch is $58.95 and the belt is $35.95.
Note: The Spec-Ops Brand Pack-Rat and Stretchy Belt were sent to me by Spec-Ops Brand at no cost. They had no editorial input and did not see this review before it published.
Photos and video by Gregory Morley.
The Basics
The Pack-Rat is a 10 by 7.25 by 3 inch pouch made of 1000D Cordura nylon, with a zipper that runs around three sides so the two halves fold open flat. Inside are 14 separate slots and compartments, a 12 inch leash for keys or a light, and a pocket with a clear plastic front that could hold an ID. The Stretchy Belt is 1.75 inches wide and stretches about 10 percent, and its Battle Buckle clamps down anywhere along the strap.
What You Get
- Spec-Ops Brand Pack-Rat organizer pouch (black)
- Spec-Ops Brand Stretchy Belt (black)
By the Numbers
- Pack-Rat
- Price: $58.95
- Dimensions: 10 x 7.25 x 3 in (217.5 cubic inches)
- Material: 1000D Cordura nylon outside, nylon pack cloth lining, seam-taped interior
- Storage: 14 compartments and slots, 12 in gear keeper leash, inside pocket with a clear plastic front, outside mesh pocket
- Hardware: Carry handle, outside accessory loops, D-rings for an optional shoulder strap
- Colors: Black, coyote brown
- Stretchy Belt
- Price: $35.95
- Width: 1.75 in
- Material: High tenacity nylon and DuPont Lycra, about 10% stretch
- Buckle: Battle Buckle, non-metallic, non-sparking acetal
- Sizes: Regular, Large, Extra Large
- Colors: Black, tan
- Both
- Made in: USA
- Warranty: Repair or replace for defects in materials and workmanship
Design & Build
The Pack-Rat is stiff, heavy nylon, and it feels like it was made to be thrown in the bottom of a bag and stepped on. The zipper runs around the top and both sides, so when it’s unzipped the two halves fold out flat and everything inside faces up at once. Spec-Ops calls this the inside-out design. I can open it while it’s still sitting in a backpack and see every slot without digging.
Keys go on the 12 inch leash. It clips inside, so they can’t fall out when the pouch is open. On the outside there’s a mesh pocket, a row of accessory loops, a carry handle and D-rings for a shoulder strap, which doesn’t come with it. One of the inside pockets has a clear plastic front where an ID or a business card could go, in case the pouch ever gets separated from its owner. Mine would be returned to an apartment with one guy and one dog in it.
The Stretchy Belt looks like a plain black nylon belt until you pull on it. The webbing has Lycra woven through it, and it gives a little under tension and snaps back when you let go. It’s still stiff from edge to edge, with enough body that it doesn’t fold over under weight. The buckle is a hard plastic clamp. You feed the tail through, pull it snug and press the buckle flat, and it grips the strap wherever you stop, so there are no holes to line up.
Three Jobs for the Pack-Rat
Its first job was my hacking kit. The ClockworkPi uConsole, the Flipper Zero, all of their accessories, extra cables and spare batteries now go in one pouch, and each piece has its own slot. When I grab the pouch, the whole kit comes with it.
When I travel, I empty it out and repack it for the plane. My Kindle, headphones, hand sanitizer, snacks and a notebook go in, and the whole pouch comes out of my backpack and sits in the seat with me. Nobody in the next seat has ever tried to start a conversation with me, so everything in it is there to keep me busy for the whole flight.
The third job is the coffee shop. When I walk down with my dog and don’t want to bring a whole backpack, I load the Pack-Rat with keys, phone, wallet, sunglasses, a power bank and a pocketful of dog treats, and carry it by the handle. It holds everything we need for the afternoon, and at 10 inches tall it’s small enough to set on a cafe table without taking it over. My dog gets most of the attention at the coffee shop anyway, and most of the treats.
The stiff Cordura keeps its shape even when the pouch is half empty, so the slots stay open and easy to load. Nothing I’ve put in it has shifted into the wrong slot or fallen out when I unzipped it.
Wearing the Stretchy Belt
This isn’t the belt I wear to look nice. I put it on for camping, when I know a tool or a knife is going to hang off my hip all day and I need a belt stiff enough to hold it up. It has carried tools and larger fixed blades on camping trips, and an OWB holster at the range once or twice, and none of them sagged or pulled the belt over.
The stretch is what makes it comfortable to wear all day. A rigid gear belt digs in every time I crouch by the fire pit or sit down in a camp chair, and this one gives just enough that I don’t notice it, then pulls snug again when I stand up. The buckle took a couple of tries to get the tension right the first time, and after that it’s quick. Because it clamps anywhere along the strap, I can loosen it a little after dinner at camp without hunting for the next hole. There’s no metal anywhere in it, so it doesn’t clink when I move.
What Could Be Better
At $58.95 the Pack-Rat costs a good deal more than Maxpedition’s Fatty Pocket Organizer at about $35, although the Fatty is a smaller pouch. There’s no shoulder strap included, even though the D-rings are there for one, and a strap would make the coffee shop runs easier. At three inches thick it also takes up real space in a daypack that’s already full. The Stretchy Belt’s plastic buckle looks like duty gear, which is fine at a campsite and less fine with nice pants. Its $35.95 price is fair for a US-made belt, but it’s still more than a basic nylon belt from a big-box store.
Watch the Review
Video review coming soon. The companion video is still in edit, and it will be embedded right here as soon as it goes up.
Quick Questions
Q: Does the Pack-Rat come with a shoulder strap?
A: No. It has D-rings for an optional strap, but the strap isn’t included.
Q: How big is the Pack-Rat?
A: It’s 10 inches tall, 7.25 inches wide and 3 inches thick, with 14 compartments and slots inside.
Q: Is the Stretchy Belt stiff enough for a holster?
A: It held an OWB holster at the range, plus tools and larger knives on camping trips, without sagging.
Q: Is there any metal in the belt?
A: No. The buckle is non-metallic acetal plastic, and the strap is nylon and Lycra.
Final Thoughts
The Pack-Rat has handled every job I’ve given it. It keeps a whole tech kit in one place, repacks in a few minutes for a flight, and carries everything I need for a coffee run with my dog. Opening it flat inside a pack beats digging through a zippered pocket, and the 1000D Cordura shrugs off being crushed at the bottom of a full bag. The Stretchy Belt is a camping and range belt, stiff enough to carry a knife, a tool or a holster all day and stretchy enough that I stop noticing it. Together they cost $94.90, which is more than generic versions of either one, but both are made in the USA and built to take abuse. If you only buy one, get the Pack-Rat.
Price: $58.95 (Pack-Rat), $35.95 (Stretchy Belt)
Where to buy: Direct from Spec-Ops Brand
What I like: The pouch opens flat so every slot is visible, it handles a tech kit, a flight or a coffee run equally well, tough 1000D Cordura, the belt is stiff enough for a holster but still stretches when you crouch or sit, no holes to line up, both made in the USA
What I don’t: The Pack-Rat costs more than smaller organizers, no shoulder strap included, the belt buckle looks like duty gear and is fiddly to set the first time
