The Hawkepaks ITOA is one of the great bargains of the tactical gear world. It is simple, useful, bomb-proof, made in the USA, and very affordable. While the ITOA was originally intended for use as an active shooter response bag for patrol officers, it also makes a great home defense response bag, truck gun companion, and even a modern “possibles bag” when paired with a .22LR carbine.
I have been using one for years as a place to stage gear for home defense like spare magazines, first aid items, a Sharpie and paper, and more. It is far faster to don than a chest rig and easier to access than a backpack. A bag like this is especially useful when you like on acreage and your bumps in the night may take you away from your home.
The design of the ITOA is simple. It has a top zip main pouch with some interior organization features (a series of elastic loops and two slip pockets). The exterior of the bag has two single AR-15 magazine pouches with adjustable flap covers. The back of the bag has a Velcro closed belt loop that can be quickly fastened onto a belt to keep the bag from swinging on the provided shoulder strap.
The original ITOA is excellent but Edge/Equipped was able to work with Hawkepaks to offer an exclusive variation with some additional functionality in the form of the ITOA Mod. E/E. It features an interior loop Velcro field for use with hook backed accessories like holsters, first aid kits, mag pouches, and more. This gives the home defense user the option of staging their handgun in the bag. We also added heavy duty elastic loops to the exterior so that items like tourniquets, chemlights, pens, and more could be secured where they are immediately accessible.
This bag is made from 1000D nylon right here in the USA by Hawkepaks and costs less than most cheap imported brands. Edge/Equipped sells the original ITOA for $27.95 and the ITOA Mod. E/E for $33.95. They also carry the larger HTAS if you need more space for your gear. Use code JTT to save 5% at Edge/Equipped.
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