Sometimes you a need a bag that has the open space to carry larger items and sometimes you need a lot of organization features to carry smaller items. Thankfully, with Blue Force Gear Dappers you don’t have to choose between wide open storage capacity and fine tuned organization. These hook and loop backed pouches can be moved easily to configure your pack exactly the way that you need it for your specific mission.
My typical Dapper layout in a BFG Skye Pack.
Blue Force Gear (BFG) has discontinued their DAP Packs this year in favor of a new direction for the DAP line in 2012. Some of the DAP packs are still available at great prices on the Blue Force Gear Last Call page). They will continue to offer the excellent Dappers that will work in any hoop and loop lined bag which are becoming more common. They have also introduced a couple of inserts that are designed to make Dappers work in just about any bag that you already own. This new approach will only add to the versatility of the Dapper line.
Blue Force Gear graciously provided me with a Wall Street Warrior Kit and Skye Pack (now discontinued) to check out. Since the pack has been discontinued, I’ll focus on several different styles of Dappers individually.
The excellent but now discontinued BFG Skye Pack
Admin Pouch Dapper
The Admin Pouch Dapper is easily my favorite pouch in the line. It has the perfect combination of small organization features and a larger storage area.
The Admin Pouch Dapper has no shortage of organizational features.
The front of the Admin Pouch Dapper has been improved for 2012. The fabric organizer loops have been replaced with the same heavy duty elastic material that is used on the Ten Speed line. The result is an organizer that can stretch to accommodate nearly any pen, flashlight, multitool, or a number of other items. There is also a small flap covered pouch on the front that can hold something as large as an Altoids tin, digital camera, compass.
Behind all of the organization features is a large zippered pouch. This pouch is large enough to hold larger and bulkier items.
The new elastic organizer is very versatile in terms of what will fit.
Mesh Pouch Dapper
The Mesh Pouch Dapper is just what it sounds like. The front of the pouch is made from heavy duty mesh which lets you see the contents. The interior back of the pouch is lined with hook material so you can add other Dappers for internal organization. The top of the pouch has a small webbing loop that makes the Mesh Pouch Dapper a great pull out type pouch that can be separated from your main pack.
The Mesh Pouch Dapper is a large pouch that can hold bulky items.
The interior of the Mesh Pouch Dapper can accept other Dappers.
I like to keep my winter hat and gloves in it since it is large enough to hold bulkier items and the mesh front allows them to dry after spending a day in the snow. If you have a BFG Skye or Overlord pack with the hook and loop lined beavertail, you can mount the Mesh Pouch Dapper to it on the outside of your pack to let wet items dry out through the mesh without getting the contents of your pack wet.
The mesh makes this Dapper great for drying items like winter hats and gloves.
Ten Speed Pistol Dapper
The Ten Speed Pistol Dapper is designed to hold pistol mags and it does that very well. However, like the rest of the Ten Speed line, it makes use of heavy duty elastic which makes it useful for holding a wide variety of items.
This versatile Dapper works for more than just handgun mags. Here it is holding a Multitasker TUBE, a large Sharpie, and 2 chemlights.
I had no problem fitting Glock 17 magazines. I could even fit Glock 21 magazines. The Ten Speed Pistol Dapper is also great for storing pens, markers, chemlights, and tools like the Multitasker TUBE.
The Ten Speed Pistol Dapper is compact enough to fit inside the Mesh Pouch Dapper. This adds some organization to an already useful pouch.
Large Laptop Sleeve Dapper
The Large Laptop Sleeve Dapper is another one of my favorite Dappers because it solves a problem for me. Backpacks that have padded laptop sleeves are great, when you are carrying a laptop. If you aren’t carrying a laptop, all of that padding is taking up useful interior space and adding weight. BFG solves that by making their laptop sleeve removable. You can simply remove it when you don’t need it.
Not carrying a laptop? The Laptop Dapper lets you remove the bulky sleeve when you don't need it.
The Large Laptop sleeve is padded all the way around. It features a large flap that secures the contents of the sleeve. My largest laptop is about 10×15 and it fits easily. The entire front and sides are covered with hook and loop so that you can add more Dappers to the exterior. I have also found that it works as a hydration pouch in a pinch.
Other Considerations
These are well made pouches as I have come to expect from Blue Force Gear. The materials are top notch and the construction is probably heavier duty than is needed for pouches that are designed to be used inside a pack, so they should last quite a long time.
It is becoming more common for packs to have interior hook and loop panels so it won’t be hard to find places that the Dappers will be useful. Makers are recognizing that hook and loop is a fairly light weight and completely customizable way to add organization to the interior of a pack. I have owned packs that have internal MOLLE webbing but that tends to be heavy and for more restrictive as to how you can layout the pouches. I hope that we will continue to see more gear makers adding internal hook and loop so that we can leverage the very complete line of organization tools that the Dappers represent.
This M4 Triple Ten Speed Dapper is being used on the front of a BCS Low Profile Plate Carrier.
Dappers aren’t just for inside a bag. I use an M4 Triple Ten Speed Dapper on the front of a low profile plate carrier that I helped design with Beez Combat Systems.
Conclusion
I have just scratched the surface of the Dapper line. There isn’t a more versatile or customizable organization system on the market. The Dappers are also easily the most complete line up of hook and loop organizers. With a nice selection of Dappers, you will never again have to choose between having enough space and having enough organization.
You can see the whole line of Dappers on BlueForceGear.com.
