a review: the overland oil bag @broverland #edc #offroad #storage
FUNCTION AND DESIGN
A few weekends several months ago, Jason showed me this bag and I was immediately impressed with its construction and rugged good looks.
The Overland Oil Bag's materials are extremely heavy duty for good reasons; this bag is designed to hold motor oil, gear oil and other dirty auto fluids. Judging by the heavy tarp like interior this bag manages a mess quite well.
I immediately found myself thinking that the Overland Oil Bag was just too nice to throw some nasty oil cans in, so I quickly adapted this bag for every day carry. Blue Ridge Overland Gear was kind enough to supply a shoulder carry strap for this bag. The shoulder strap is very comfortable and incredibly well built; sort of reminds me of a burly seat belt with a really nice padded section carefully stitched to it.
Another nice feature is the paracord weaved to the front; intended for the supplied drop tarp but easily retrofitted to carry coats or wet gear.
OVERLAND USES
Blue Ridge Overland Gear designed this bag to carry fluids and I am starting to understand why. The 4Runner has about 160,000 miles on it now; although it is a Toyota, it's probably a good idea to start being more prepared for fluid leakage.
I also have used this bag for recovery straps and other basic recovery gear to keep handy and organized in the vehicle and ready to grab at a moments notice. My original intent was to incorporate recovery gear into a rear drawer setup but I'd like to keep it more accessible in the event the rear hatch can't be opened; i.e. tree, water, etc.
Lined with vinyl coated polyester, this bag is the perfect companion for dirty bottles, tools and clothes.
DAY TO DAY
I carried this bag for a few months to work and on work trips and it carried notepads and my work tablet quite nicely. Even though its not intended to be an EDC bag, I think it could benefit from a webbing loop stitched inside for clipping accessories, pens and such.
In my eyes, with a simple modification The Overland Oil Bag would make the perfect EDC bag.
The Overland Oil Bag pictured with some fluids I like to keep handy on each trip.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I foresee myself dedicating this bag to overlanding; however, I'm on the fence with fluids or recovery gear - I just remembered Blue Ridge Overland Gear makes a pretty sweet recovery bag too!
I just need to define my needs more and go with it. Whichever route I take, I imagine the Overland Oil Bag will last an incredibly long time and take loads of abuse on our trips. Whatever you decide to throw at this bag will work, its more about defining your needs and committing.
The Overland Oil Bag comes in at a price point of $43.99 and there's really nothing on the market that compares to the quality and craftsmanship that went into this bag. It even came with a tag bearing the signatures of the team that cut, stitched and quality checked it!
As a side note, we can attest to the Overland Oil Bag's water tightness after loading it with brews and ice at the Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival, ha!
