{"id":39544,"date":"2019-09-13T15:35:43","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T19:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=39544"},"modified":"2019-09-13T15:35:43","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T19:35:43","slug":"a-review-of-the-red-oxx-hound-edc-pack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/a-review-of-the-red-oxx-hound-edc-pack\/","title":{"rendered":"A review of the Red Oxx Hound EDC Pack"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Long-time <\/strong><\/em>SWLing Post <\/strong>readers know that I geek out about a number of things: radio, of course, but also travel and packs. No doubt my love of backpacks and carry bags stems from my love of travel…and the need to have a radio or two along. In the past, I’ve reviewed a number of backpacks, travel pouches and cases. What follows is a new pack review.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Introducing the Red Oxx Hound<\/h1>\n

Last month, Montana-based company Red Oxx sent me their latest small carry bag for evaluation and review. This small crossbody bag, affectionately known as The Hound,<\/b><\/a> is made to stay by your side and carry your important gear\u2013\u2013just as you’d expect of man’s (or woman’s) best friend.<\/p>\n

Red Oxx is not a new name here on the SWLing Post.<\/i> In the past, I\u2019ve reviewed the Red Oxx Lil\u2019 Roy<\/a> and helped Red Oxx\u00a0 evaluate and review their first-generation Micro Manager pack<\/a>. I also travel frequently with my Red Oxx Mini Boss, <\/a>one of my favorite one-bag travel packs. I have several other Red Oxx brand accessories and travel cubes. All of which hold up very well, indeed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hazel thinking, “Seriously? Another pack?…Okay, I like the name, but are there any treats in there?”<\/p><\/div>\n

In the spirit of full disclosure, this pre-production<\/i> pack was sent to me at no cost for comment, evaluation, and eventual review, assuming no design changes are made before production.<\/p>\n

So what is<\/em> the Hound? I would describe it as a small padded EDC pack with a carry strap, designed to be a stand-alone, to function as a travel pouch\u2013\u2013and\/or to moonlight as a packing cube, since it easily fits inside another travel pack.<\/p>\n

In terms of size, the Hound is somewhere between the Red Oxx Lil\u2019 Roy and Micro Manager. It\u2019s roughly 9\u201d tall, 7\u201d wide, and 3\u201d deep, by my measurements. It\u2019s not quite<\/i> big enough to hold my Microsoft Surface Go tablet, but it holds my eReader and my wife\u2019s iPad Mini with room to spare.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the front exterior panel, you\u2019ll find a zippered pocket. While this pocket isn\u2019t pleated, the pack is forgiving and flexible, so it\u2019ll easily hold a thick paperback book as long as the main compartment isn\u2019t packed out densely.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the inside of the Hound, you\u2019ll find one main compartment with one open pocket opposite the side panel of the external pocket.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The floor and two 7\u201dx 9\u201d side panels are padded and do a great job protecting contents. I like the new super-thin Hyper-Cel padding Red Oxx uses for the Hound because it gives the bag’s contents padded protection without making it too rigid, thick, or unforgiving, if you want to cram a little something extra in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I posted a small teaser<\/a> a few weeks ago when I took one of my favorite radios (the Panasonic RF-B65) and a copy of the WRTH to a local park for some relaxed radio listening. Both the Panasonic and WRTH fit inside with just a little room to spare for small accessories like earbuds, spare batteries, a wire antenna, and a snack. The radio fits perfectly in the interior open pocket and is essentially protected on all sides, save the top, which is no problem if you’re carrying it with the strap.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Like all Red Oxx packs, the Hound\u2019s exterior sports 1000-weight Cordura nylon material that’s available in twelve solid color combos (plus 4 extra “Red Eye” colors for a limited time) . This is a proven, incredibly durable material that will surely outlast this bag hauler’s handling.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hound also features the Red Oxx standard #10 YKK Vislon zipper on the main compartment, and a #5 zipper on the front pocket. These beefy zipper pulls also have attached \u201cmonkey fist\u201d knots made from nylon cording that permit easy zipper operation.\u00a0 The Hound is designed for and ships with a shoulder strap made of durable webbing. Two D-rings on opposite sides of the main zipper insure balance on the shoulder.<\/p>\n

Taking the Hound for a walk<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hound makes for a great bag to protect your portable tech, but also accommodates other items in your everyday carry (EDC).<\/p>\n

In fact, if you\u2019re a bit of an EDC minimalist (ahem…not quite me) you likely don\u2019t want a full backpack or shoulder bag to carry your gear. Something the size of the Hound would make for an ideal lightweight carry companion.<\/p>\n

Red Oxx went through a couple iterations of this bag before adopting its current dimensions; the result is an incredibly useful and accommodating pack.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Hound packed in the top of my GR1<\/p><\/div>\n

One function I find the Hound ideally suited for is as an in-flight kit bag. Being a one-bag traveler when I fly, I only carry one main travel pack that can fit under the seat in front of me. Having this flexibility means that I don\u2019t have to worry about being first during a boarding call to grab that limited overhead bin space, because I know I\u2019ll always<\/i> have space for my bag.<\/p>\n

Thing is, when my bag is stowed under the seat in front of me or especially in an overhead bin, the last thing I want to do is reach for it during a flight to grab a book, protein bar, water bottle, and the like. That\u2019s why I always pre-pack a removable bag for the flight. When I get on the aircraft, first thing I do is open my backpack, pull out my in-flight bag, stow the pack, and keep the in-flight bag at my seat.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On a recent cross-country trip I packed out my GoRuck GR1 backpack and left room at the top to stow the Hound. The Hound made for an ideal in-flight pack. It carried my reading glasses, a book, a Kleen Kanteen water bottle, granola bars, pencil, pen, paper, earphones, adapters, my iPhone, a small battery pack, and an assortment of cables.\u00a0 And there was room to spare.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Hound taking its inaugural flight on an Airbus A321!<\/p><\/div>\n

Another benefit of carrying a bag-within-a-bag? Say you buy your kiddos or spouse some gifts, or someone gives you a cool item that you plan to carry back home\u2013\u2013let’s say, a shortwave radio. By having a separate pack, you can always carry the Hound outside your pack freeing up capacity for the new item(s) in your pack. Since the Hound is designed to be carried over the shoulder, your hands are still free.<\/p>\n

You could even use the strap to tie the Hound to your main bag. Since the Hound is so small, you won\u2019t get charged extra, even by unforgiving low-cost carriers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re into radio gear, then the Hound should easily accommodate most full-featured portable radios (like the Grundig G3, G5, Satellite, Sony ICF-SW7600GR, Tecsun PL-660, etc.) It\u2019s also large enough to hold any HT (handy talkie) on the market, although you might remove long antennas unless you close the zippers around it. No worries, no antenna will poke through this bullet-proof fabric.<\/p>\n

And of course, women readers:\u00a0 the Hound would also make a great casual crossbody purse that would be as comfortable on a hike as touring a European city.\u00a0 In fact, after I received the Hound, my wife nearly walked off with it. I could tell, she was already mentally sorting out how all her<\/em> gear would fit inside. Likely the only thing keeping her from declaring this one hers is the fact that this bag is khaki\u2013\u2013if it were her favorite shade of Red Oxx red, I\u2019d likely have already been forced to surrender it!<\/p>\n

Is the Hound for you?<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If this simple, super-sturdy bag is the size and configuration you\u2019ve been looking for to haul your radios and other EDC (or, let’s face it, dog owners:\u00a0 biscuits and baggies) around with you, then I can recommend it without reservation.<\/p>\n

While I truly enjoy doing product evaluations, beta testing and reviews, my time is very limited. I\u2019m picky about what I choose to invest my time in. When Red Oxx contacts me about gear evaluations, I make time. Why?\u00a0 Because their products have never disappointed me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Red Oxx build and materials quality is second to none. All their gear is designed and manufactured in Billings, Montana\u2013\u2013yep, in the good ol’ US of A\u2013\u2013 and will last a lifetime.\u00a0 Or potentially longer.<\/p>\n

Plus: in the unlikely event your Red Oxx gear is damaged due to rough treatment (or even neglect), Red Oxx will fix it. For free<\/b>…and for life!<\/i><\/b>\u00a0 Their \u201cNo Matter What\u201d warranty requires no receipt and no explanations. No doubt, this is one of the reasons why used Red Oxx gear appears on sites like eBay<\/a> with prices near what you\u2019d pay for it, brand new. These bags not only hold your gear, but they also hold their value:\u00a0 a bit of a rarity in today’s disposable world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This top-notch workmanship comes at what most of us would consider a premium, when compared with mass-produced gear you\u2019ll find on Amazon or a big-box store. But for me, I still find incredible investment value in Red Oxx gear. On top of that, I feel like I\u2019m supporting a company that takes pride in their their simple-but smart innovations, their good work, and their hard-working employees who do it.<\/p>\n

The Hound was announced by Red Oxx yesterday, and they\u2019ll be taking pre-orders until September 23, 2019<\/a>. The price is $95 US, including shipping.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Click here to check out the Hound at Red Oxx.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Long-time SWLing Post readers know that I geek out about a number of things: radio, of course, but also travel and packs. No doubt my love of backpacks and carry bags stems from my love of travel…and the need to have a radio or two along. In the past, I’ve reviewed a number of backpacks, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,6625,129],"tags":[2102,1499,8000,8001,4085],"class_list":["post-39544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-packs","category-reviews","tag-pack-review","tag-red-oxx","tag-red-oxx-hound","tag-red-oxx-hound-review","tag-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-ahO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27870,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/a-review-of-the-red-oxx-lil-roy-an-excellent-radio-kit-bag\/","url_meta":{"origin":39544,"position":0},"title":"A review of the Red Oxx “Lil Roy”: an excellent radio kit bag","author":"Thomas","date":"September 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I posted some photos of the yet-to-be-released CC Skywave SSB and a number of readers had the same reaction as Frank (K4FMH): \"Who makes and sells your canvas bag? Inquiring minds want to know!\" Frank was referring to the bag in the background on many of the radio shots--and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EDC"","block_context":{"text":"EDC","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/edc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/91018-Red-Oxx-Air-Boss-Carry-On-Bag-hero.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":29113,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/a-review-of-the-red-oxx-micro-manager-edc-and-radio-gear-bag\/","url_meta":{"origin":39544,"position":1},"title":"A review of the Red Oxx Micro Manager EDC and radio gear bag","author":"Thomas","date":"November 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Besides being a radio enthusiast, regular SWLing Post readers know that I\u2019m also an avid traveler and, as a result, something of a pack geek. In September, I posted a review of the Red Oxx \u201cLil Roy\u201d--a small, relatively inexpensive multi-purpose bag that I love to haul my radio gear\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Red-Oxx-Micro-Manager-1-of-30.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Red-Oxx-Micro-Manager-1-of-30.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Red-Oxx-Micro-Manager-1-of-30.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Red-Oxx-Micro-Manager-1-of-30.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45188,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/assembling-a-new-compact-field-radio-kit-in-the-red-oxx-booty-boss\/","url_meta":{"origin":39544,"position":2},"title":"Assembling a new compact field radio kit in the Red Oxx Booty Boss","author":"Thomas","date":"September 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've been reading the SWLing Post for long, you'll have already sorted out that I'm both a radio geek and a pack geek. I recently purchased an LnR Precision MTR-3B QRP transceiver. I added it to my collection because the rig is so incredibly compact, it gives me the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Booty-Boss-MTR-3B-case.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Booty-Boss-MTR-3B-case.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Booty-Boss-MTR-3B-case.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Booty-Boss-MTR-3B-case.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Booty-Boss-MTR-3B-case.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4913,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/one-bag-radio-the-way-to-go\/","url_meta":{"origin":39544,"position":3},"title":"One bag + radio = the way to go","author":"Thomas","date":"November 27, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Having just returned from nearly three full weeks of traveling, I'm more convinced than ever that my just-one carry-on bag approach makes absolute sense. In one bag, I'm able to take everything I need, including casual and business\u00a0attire, toiletries, first aid and, yes, of course, my portable shortwave radio (never\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/1-PortableFieldRecordingPack-300x195.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":33461,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/dan-discovers-the-stlth-edc-bag-on-etsy\/","url_meta":{"origin":39544,"position":4},"title":"Dan discovers the STLTH EDC Bag on Etsy","author":"Thomas","date":"August 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares a link to this interesting handmade EDC (Everyday Carry) bag on Etsy: Dan knows well that I'm a certified pack geek, so I love discovering high-quality packs that are designed with organization that suits radios. I'm a very mobile guy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/EDC-Bag-1024x806.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/EDC-Bag-1024x806.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/EDC-Bag-1024x806.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39356,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/time-for-a-little-radio-therapy\/","url_meta":{"origin":39544,"position":5},"title":"Time for a little Radio Therapy…","author":"Thomas","date":"August 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, my calendar was pretty full. Not an uncommon thing these days. I needed a break from all of the running around town, so I set aside the better part of an hour to play radio. I packed up my Panasonic RF-B65 and the latest copy of the WRTH. (I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Panasonic-RF-B65-Red-Oxx-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Panasonic-RF-B65-Red-Oxx-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Panasonic-RF-B65-Red-Oxx-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Panasonic-RF-B65-Red-Oxx-3.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39544"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39544\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}