.png)
Real practical gear vs Hollywood
Picture this: You’re watching your all-time favorite war movie or action movie. The movie’s climax is approaching, and our seemingly invincible and unshootable protagonist is outgunned and out of time. They check their ammo - two mags left. They fire a suspiciously large number of rounds from their rifle, perform a split-second mag swap, and simply throw the old magazine away. When the second magazine is empty and the stakes continue to grow, they simply toss the gun aside, seeing no more use out of it. Finally, they resort to hand-to-hand combat against an enemy that apparently decided to follow the same thought process, until they finally prevail.
While these types of scenes are badass to watch, I hope they always annoyed you, avid firearm enthusiasts, as much as they annoyed me - and not just because of the lack of trigger discipline that always seems to be prevalent.
Something is to be said about the resourcefulness being displayed in these types of scenes, however. Even, in reality, each unique mission will call for unique gear and (especially) unique tactics, which can mean getting resourceful in particularly bad situations - so keep that in mind. But please don’t throw your gun away. Unless of course you’re in Saving Private Ryan and have to resort to using your helmet as a projectile weapon.
Dump Pouches - A gimmick, or a tactical necessity?
If you are in a sticky combat situation, or if you’re not the one paying for your magazines and other gear, perhaps you won’t be giving as much attention to where those spent magazines are going when dropped. But even then, you will not often see people just littering empty magazines everywhere in most situations. Time-permitting, you will generally swap an empty mag for a full one in your mag pouch, and re-index the empty one; or if you are in a vehicle, you will let it drop to the floor and pick it up later.
However, a fair few of you reading this are neither LEO nor military (we are stoked that you are here, by the way). As such, there is a decent chance you protect your magazines a little more carefully, empty or full. Much more carefully than John McClane did, anyways. And you should! This is where dump pouches, our topic for today, absolutely shine.
And I will leave this here - there is a reason the majority of units and companies, regular and private military alike, have introduced dump pouches as standard-issue. If you are the type of person that appreciates versatility and “do-it-all” gear setups, a dump pouch is an absolute must. Or, if you are simply needing a convenient place to store various items on a hiking trip, you will be surprised how much you appreciate having one.
Your new favorite dump pouch has arrived
At Predator Armor, we don’t just make top-quality body armor; we also strive to make equally top-tier tactical gear and equipment for any and all missions. We spent a notable amount of time designing our dump pouch to fit our brand’s quality and overall mission. To that end, it warms our hearts to see friends and acquaintances trying out our prototype dump pouches over the last few months and geeking out over them. We could not be more thrilled or honored to be able to introduce these beauties to the market for everyone to enjoy.
So let’s get on to the important stuff:
The Predator Armor folding dump pouch is constructed from durable 1000D Cordura and is both MOLLE and belt compatible (belts are generally the more common method for using dump pouches). It folds up to a mere 3"x2"x2” when not in use, just 1-2 columns of MOLLE, and utilizes velcro to remain secure in that state. Unfolded, it can hold up to 9 AR magazines or other similarly-sized items. It also has a strong bungee cord lock on top for secure closure and protection of your personal items. As with all of our products, Predator dump pouches are made in the USA.
The pouch is currently available in black, coyote tan, and Multicam colors, matching all of our current plate carrier options for a uniform look. The front features our embellished Predator logo for a badass, unique aesthetic. Just because it’s a dump pouch, doesn’t mean it can’t look good, right?
It’s rugged, it’s reliable, and it’ll even hold your ice-cold refreshments.
What more could you ask for?
But are you sure it’s for YOU?
As with all gear, remember to think practical, not just tactical. The beauty of dump pouches lies in their simplicity. Truth be told, I’m surprised I’ve been able to say as much as I have about them. But let’s go over a few other key advantages to having one. And as a heads up, not all of these are just for cool tactical stuff.
First and foremost, reload speed. You’ve probably noticed a recurring theme of magazines and ammunition when talking about dump pouches, and that’s because it is what most people tend to use them for. Assuming you are in a situation where you have time to return a spent magazine to a secure location, your reload time will be notably reduced when using a dump pouch. With one, you do not need to consciously re-index an empty magazine into its specified mag pouch - which can cost crucial seconds if you do not manage to get it on the first try. Not to mention the need to memorize where your spent mags are - you don’t want to grab an empty magazine when the seconds count.
A second advantage is inventory management. This can be a tactical help, or it can be a quality-of-life improvement for someone on a hike. A dump pouch will allow you to survey your gear situation with ease - taking a mental note of how much ammunition or other equipment you have left, what you have already used, and so on. This can be an indisputable advantage for lengthy combat operations, where resupply is not guaranteed in the near future and you have to manage equipment more efficiently. Again, it’s another simple feature, yet a vastly under-appreciated one.
Tactical advantages aside, the number of other practical uses for avid outdoors fans is numerous. I personally love to use them for shotgun shells more than anything. They are great for your spent brass after a day at the range. As they are most commonly attached to belts, many individuals prefer to use them for hiking trips or backpacking trips due to their small size when folded, and their large, secure carrying capacity when unfolded. They are a great way to manage gloves, ear pro, first-aid, snacks, cool rocks you find on the trail, other small items, you name it.
In essence, you are never going to regret bringing one on an excursion. The possibilities are quite endless.
Whether you know it or not, you probably need one.
For me, investing in a dump pouch was like adding memory foam to my bed. I got by relatively fine before, but I didn’t realize how much better I could be having it, or how much I was missing out until I actually had it. Every time I throw a magazine or some other item into my pouch, I think about how glad I am that it’s there and how inconvenient it would be if it was not. Don’t take my word for it though - Talk to people who run them often, and you’ll see what I mean.
Like we always say, the key to success is versatility.
In a world growing more and more unstable and unpredictable, we see many individuals looking for this in their equipment and setups. “Do it all” options are becoming all the more popular, and for good reason: People need to be ready to adapt. If I was going for such a setup - something I would recommend to everyone - I wouldn’t be caught dead without a dump pouch.
Check ours out at predatorarmor.com today. Did I mention it can hold drinks and snacks?