I’ve used an OC Tactical Kickass Grocery Bag (KGB) for years now to carry just about anything. It’s a great do-all bag for everything from firewood, to gear for a range session, to groceries (which, ironically, I have never carried in it). I have come to love the simple utility of that bag so when OC Tactical rolled out a new and improved KGB 2.0, I couldn’t resist trying it out.
Overview and Improvements
The KGB is kind of like those reusable grocery bags available at a lot of higher-end grocery stores… except its actually made in such a way that the handle won’t blow out on the second time you use it (or ever). The original KGB featured 1000D Cordura Nylon construction with a one-piece, seemless Vinyl Coated Polyester bottom that is completely waterproof. The handles are made from 1.5″ wide webbing and are long enough to put on your shoulder.
The new KGB 2.0 has all of that but also has some additions. It has a removable shoulder strap (the strap is included). It also has an internal lanyard clip so you can hang items like keys inside the top edge of the bag. Finally, OC Tactical added a slip pocket on one side and a zippered stash pocket on the other so you can organize smaller items.
Observations from Use
I have similar overbuilt grocery/carry-all style bags from other makers and the KGB and KGB 2.0 stand out among them for one big reason – the waterproof bottom. The bottom of this bag is totally waterproof (really) which means you can set it down on wet snow without fear of water soaking through. On a recent adventure with Ivan at KitBadger, I used these bags to carry firewood for a pack stove, placing the bags directly on nasty, wet snow without fear of dampening the wood inside.
The waterproof bottom also has another benefit which is probably my favorite thing about the KGB. The vinyl bottom is stiffer than the 1000D Cordura used in the rest of the bag and it gives enough structure that the bag will actually stand mostly open and mostly upright on its own. This makes loading the bag a lot easy than bags with no structure.
These bags are extremely durable and versatile. You can basically store whatever you want in them within reason. I’ve used them to store winter gear like gloves and hats, as range bags, to pick up brass on the range, to carry gear like a chest rig and belt to a carbine course, as totes inside a pulk sled, to carry firewood, to carry river rock from the creek on our property for landscaping, to hold recovery gear in the bed of my truck, to hold emergency winter layers in a winter vehicle kit, and basically anything other than carrying groceries. If it fits and you can lift it, it probably won’t hurt the bag.
Wrap Up
Think of these bags as a big Cordura bucket. They are as versatile as can be and just about bomb-proof. I review a lot of gear that I “like” and some that might even be my favorite pieces of gear of a certain type. The OC Tactical Kickass Grocery Bags are among my favorite pieces of gear, period, regardless of type.
Check out the KGB and KGB 2.0 here:
