Review: Platatac FUP pouch

I have a metal water bottle that I carry around wherever I go, but often just want a mouthful here or there and having to rummage in my fairly voluminous courier bag to pull it out, then stuff it back in. I am fortunate that I have a very good relationship with the good folks at Platatac who are very patient with me and my wacky requests. I walked in, waved my bottle at them, and after just a moments came up with a match. The pouch they came back with was their FUP 5.56mm Universal Pouch.

I tested the fit, and was pleased with both the snugness, but also the depth of the pouch. It held the bottle well past the center of gravity, which meant I wouldn't have to worry about it swiveling around to jam me in the ribs in my adventures. The pouch is made of the same rugged Cordura as all of Platatac's gear, and my favourite feature of this pouch is the range of methods supplied to secure it. As well as hook-and-loop, there is a length of shock-cord and two very sturdy press studs. Whilst the flap of the pouch wasn't long enough to stretch over my 1L bottle, I found that by wrapping it sideways, and affixing with the press stud. It gave a very good grip, added to the coverage of the bottle, and kept the flap secure.

I chose the khaki colour, which fits nicely with my colour scheme these days, having moved beyond uni-student Goth solid black. It fits nicely on my messenger bag strap thanks to Platatac's very own PLMRS (Platypus Light Modular Recovery System) PALS MOLLE attachment system, which I love. Having the clip built into the webbing of the pouch means each unit is good to go without a MALICE clip. Each strip had its own press stud closure, and is reinforced with a nylon stiffener. The pouch itself has a drainage grommet in the bottom, always a bonus when you get rained on as often as I seem to manage.

Now, the original use of this pouch is to hold ammunition, and the product page will go into that fully enough. As I've said before, I don't have access to firearms that would necessitate is kind of pouch, but I have every faith that if I did, this pouch would accommodate my needs for carrying clips.

It's rugged, fills my need and fits my aesthetic. I couldn't be happier.