In previous articles that I have written about my gear, I said that combat equipment is constantly evolving. If you ever are using your equipment and discover that it is not doing something that you need it to do, either get a better piece of gear or modify it so that it does.
A few months ago I decided that I needed to improve the way that I carried administrative supplies. My previous method of having my map and map tools in my cargo pocket just wasn’t that effective, and relied on my having cargo pockets. I wanted to get an admin pouch that would at a minimum hold my note-taking gear, map pens, protractor, compass, and at least a small strip map. After some searching, I discovered the Condor Map Pouch, which exceeded my requirements to the extent that I am dubbing it “The Team Leader Pouch”
A quick disclaimer here is appropriate. I have no relationship or sponsorship with Condor. I bought this pouch from a local gear store with my own money, and I don’t even have an affiliate link. I have nothing to gain from whether you buy this pouch or not, I am merely sharing what I have found that works well for me.
The Condor Map Pouch is a compact pouch that combines the functions of map case, admin pouch, and (with a small modification) radio pouch. It takes up 3 MOLLE webbing slots, sitting perfectly on the left side of my UW Gear Minuteman chest rig. Let’s start with the main pouch.
The main pouch is zippered shut and contains the main feature of the pouch; the map case. The map case is made of some kind of clear plastic with velcro at one end, and two velcro panels attaching it to the inside of the pouch. It folds out nicely, and can be removed entirely if desired.
I have two complaints about this map case. First, it is clear on both sides, and the white backside of a map is very visible at distance. I solved this by covering the back of the map case with OD green duct tape. Second, I discovered that if any moisture gets inside the case, ink from the map can stick to the inside of the plastic. I compensate for this by popping oxygen absorbers (from MREs, jerky bags, etc.) into the case to prevent condensation. Thus far, it seems to work well. This could also be solved by laminating maps BEFORE putting them into the case.
The main pouch also has a small internal pouch in the back of it which is just the right size for a small radio (like the Baofeng UV-9R that I use). This is where a slight modification to the pouch was necessary. My wife cut and stitched a 1-inch long buttonhole in the top of the pouch for my radio antenna and PTT cable. This solution works beautifully with how I have my intra-patrol comms integrated into the chest rig.
This modification is not necessary, and simply threading the cables through the zipper would work as well. However, this simple buttonhole is just a little bit more ideal for my setup. Don’t be afraid to make little mods to your kit like this if it works for you.
The front of the pouch has a liberal amount of velcro for you to put your cool guy patches on (like the VSTAC patch shown here that you get at my classes). Pulling this flap up reveals the admin part of the pouch. There are three pen slits that I use for map pens, and behind that is a roomy pouch that holds my compass, protractor, notebook, and signal whistle. There is still room to spare, and all this sits quite comfortably in the pouch.
Closing the pouch and pulling down the panel reveals two clear panels that are about index card sized. This is a great place to put communications materials like SOI/CEOI cards, trigrams, message formats, etc. I am now using this as a more comfortable alternative to the quarterback playbook that I used to wear on my forearm.
Summary
As compact as this pouch is, it fills a lot of my needs. The slight modification to fit my radio saves valuable space on my chest rig. From just what I have in this pouch I can navigate a patrol, keep a mission log, communicate to team/squad leaders, and coordinate maneuvers. For this reason I will call this my “Team Leader Pouch” going forward. I have used this pouch on my chest rig for several months now, including a few force-on-force training events, and it’s working very well for me so far.
If you would like to learn how to work alongside other riflemen in a team setting, come to a class. I have a Basic Rifleman Course in Ohio on September 24-25 where I go beyond the flat range to teach fundamental field skills for working within a team of shooters. And October 1-2 is the last Team Leader Class of the year. Send me an email to register.
Von Steuben Training & Consulting 