Specifications:
- 1000 Denier Nylon
- 3 Exterior Pockets
- 1 Interior Pocket
- Removable padded Center Divider
- Hideaway/Detachable Pack Straps
- Removable Shoulder Strap
- 11 1/2" H x 50" W x 5" D
- Colors: O. D. Green, Black, Coyote Tan, ACU Camo
- Street Price: $79.97
Supplier:
I purchased my example from CheaperThanDirt.com. While not exactly "cheaper than dirt" it was the best price I could find from a reputable dealer, and their return policy pleases me.
Packaging:
There really wasn't much packaging to speak of. It was just a plastic bag covering the case, then crammed into a cardboard box along with the rest of my CheaperThanDirt order. This isn't really a bad thing. How much protection does a drag bag need? It arrived in perfect condition.
Initial Impressions:
When I slid it out of the plastic bag I couldn't have been more impressed. The material feels substantial. All the hardware looks good. The webbing for the handles and tie down points is heavy duty. The zipper pulls are all the silent paracord/plastic fob type that will not rattle like a pocket full of change. The zippers are stiff, but that is to be expected on a new bag. The padding is substantial even around the perimeter of the bag. This is especially nice since it serves to protect the crown of the rifle at the muzzle end of the bag. The shoulder straps are well concealed when dragging, but easily deployed should you need them. They come configured for "muzzle up" wear, but can be swapped for muzzle down. Muzzle up is my preference since a good fall will not spear the muzzle into a rock. While this will probably not hurt anything due to the padding, it's still not a good thing. Also the "cap" on the muzzle end of the bag would tend to collect water and debris if carried muzzle down. The zipper of the bag is designed in a manner that places the padding between it and your rifle. This works well for a couple reasons. If you are worried about scratches on your weapon this will keep the zipper off the finish. It also keeps the load from pressing directly against the zipper, possibly causing it to separate. The storm flap over the exterior of the zipper is heavy duty with many snaps. While I usually keep these unsnapped for transport/range duty you can snap them in inclement weather and provide an extra level of protection. In the event that you manage to "blow out" the zipper, the snaps allow you to continue to use the bag as intended until you can get it repaired. The long front pockets are well laid out and will contain your average tripod and spotting scope without problems. The outer pockets are NOT padded, so make sure anything you put in them can take a hit, or use care when slinging the bag about. The lower pocket is large enough for binos, poncho, snivel gear, etc. There is also a slash pocket on the outside of the lower pocket that could be used for a rifle book, map or other flat items. There is a inner pocket that would be suited for ammo, scope tools, etc. I really like the pocket layout. I have used other bags that had one large pocket instead of the two narrow pockets. The narrow pockets work better for organization and holding spotter and tripod.
My 46.5" Remington SPS-V will just barely fit in it. I would say that if you have a rifle with a barrel longer than 26" you are going to have problems.
Operation:
Currently the bag is protecting my SPS-V well from the dust bunnies than abound in my closet. The weather has not been conductive to stalking. I have been hauling it back and forth to the trunk of my squad car to at least get some wear on the case. It may not seem like much but sliding around inside of a trunk for 8 hours a day as well as the strain on the handles and stitching from carrying a loaded bag to and from the car every day has led to the demise of lesser bags. As soon as the weather improves I will get some actual "dragging" done and post some follow up photos.
Update (11.14.08):
After numerous trips to the range and a week long rifle school, the case is still holding up well. The zipper pulls for the main compartment frayed. They still worked, but looked like they would tear through soon. I replaced both of them with 550 cord. Other than that, there is noting wrong with the case. It gets used to transport the rifle (and sometimes my .22 trainer as well). Serves as an improvised shooting rest and also as ground cover if I don't bring along a dedicated mat. It works well for this purpose and keeps you clean and dry. The padding is thick enough that items in the outer pockets don't dig into you.
Overall I still feel that this is an excellent value. If you can afford a US made bag (like Eagle or SO Tech) you should get one. If the decision is between a lower end bag or ammo to shoot with, then the Condor will work well. I have no doubt that this bag will outlast most recreational shooters.
Update (04.01.09):
I have been using this bag for about a year now. It rides in the patrol car every day. It goes from the house to the car and back each day. The backpack straps get a workout. My new shooting spot requires me to hike uphill with the bag loaded with all my shooting essentials. I have opened it completely flat and used it as a shooting mat on several occasions. It works well for this when the pockets are almost empty. If there are items in the pockets, take care not to drag the bag with body weight on it. I made the mistake and caused the damage below. I had a hard plastic calculator cause a friction point when I slid the bag across a concrete porch. You will also notice that the color looks a little lighter in places. This is due to a liberal application of Krylon Fusion paint to break up the outline.
Update (06.28.09):
I have finally had a zipper slide fail. One of the zippers on the large square compartment will no longer close the zipper chain. There is a second pull, so it really doesn't affect the utility of the bag. When both slides fail I will check into replacing them with YKK hardware.
Update (11.12.09):
This bag recently accompanied me to the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy's Advanced Observer/Sniper School. This was a two week school that covered patrolling, concealment, stalking and long range shooting. The bag served me well through the stalking phase. One stalk was a true sniper school 1000 yard crawl over varied terrain, under observation. This is one situation where a drag bag is needed. It can be done without, but it will quickly wear you out attempting to hold onto the rifle and keep it snag-free.
During the stalking portion of this phase I frequently used the bag to contain the rifle and haul a couple bottles of water, tripod, rangefinder, compass and pruning shears. It could have held much more, but weight is the enemy when dragging. My preferred method of dragging is to tie a length of 550 Cord from the drag loop on the nose of the bag to a small carabiner. I keep the 550 Cord just long
enough that when I am in a belly crawl the tip of the bag is at my ankles. This way when you need to change direction you can steer the bag with your feet. If you get hung up, then you can use your feet to try to free the bag.
With all the straps and loops stowed the bag drags very smoothly. There is little to get hung up. It's best to load the bag so it drags smooth side down, but if it rolls (and it will) the pocket design seems to work like skids. The skirt around the nose of the bag was well designed in that it allows brush to smoothly flow over the bag. Throughout the stalk the bag did it's job. The rifle was well protected and dirt/brush free when it came time to setup the FFP.
At the end of the two week class the bag had some new character marks but was fully functional. When completely soaked the bag dried in a reasonable amount of time (overnight).
In conclusion, this bag performs as advertised for a reasonable price. You will constantly hear the internet peanut gallery profess that the cheap import bags will never hold up to operational abuse. Of course most of those who will give you this advice have never been and never will be operational snipers. I am here to tell you that this bag works. If you have the cash for an Eagle bag, then there is no reason not to go that route. If you have already spent until it hurts on your rifle, optic and other more important equipment, then this bag will suit you well.
  
  
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