Why do a comparison of these two pouches?
Last year I purchased the L3Harris Unfilmed White Phosphor DTNVS (Dual Tube Night Vision System) from Tactical Waffles which came packaged within it's very own peli style case. This peli case is perfect for storage at home or in the vehicle if the DTNVS doesn't need to leave it. Once in the field though or on the range, that's a different story and rather than lugging around a square albeit small but bulky peli case in a pack, it doesn't leave much room in a small day pack. After purchasing my DTNVS, I was on the lookout for a pouch that was lightweight, small, provided protection to the DTNVS and wasn't going to break the bank. I settled on the Crye Precision GP Pouch 9x7x3 as this was touted as a viable DTNVS carrying solution. Fast forward 9 months and after many trials in a number of different environments, I've also now invested in the TwinFalcon NVD Pouch, another small, rugged and bank friendly pouch. This comparison blog covers both pouches in detail and gives you the verdict as to which is the one that would be worth purchasing over the other and why. It's worth noting that as well as Crye Precision and TwinFalcon there are also a huge range of other manufacturers NVD storage pouches available.
Product details
Herein lie the product descriptions from the associated websites;
Crye Precision GP Pouch 9x7x3 | TwinFalcon NVD Pouch |
Link to product on Crye Precision website | |
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Measurement comparison
The below section covers the measurement comparison between the two pouches as there are some slight differences worth noting depending on pouch requirements.
Crye Precision GP Pouch 9x7x3 | TwinFalcon NVD Pouch |
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Width: 16cm Depth (zip): 12cm Depth (full): 22cm Height: 9cm Weight (pouch): 152 g | Width: 15cm Depth: 13cm Height: 9cm Weight: 191 g |
Crye Precision GP Pouch 9x7x3 Details
The GP Pouch is an eye appealing pouch that from the exterior appears to offer a fantastic solution to the carriage of DTNVS and other equipment. Crye details the different types of equipment that will fit into it and it does honestly make the GP Pouch a truly versatile and adaptable pouch for use cross Mission, environment and purpose.
Front
The front of the pouch at the top features an exterior fold over flap that is designed to cover the top opening of the pouch and prevent water / large particle entry. It's worth noting that the pouch is not sealed therefore water and particles (mud, dust etc) are highly likely able to enter the pouch and potentially affect or damage equipment stored inside.
The top flap is also double stitched with a thin band of plastic sandwiched between the material front and back to provide rigidity (as shown below in image one). When opened it exposes the interior flap which is double stitched cordura material with the top having a horizontal spacing filled with what is likely to be paracord to again provide something for the operator to grab hold of when opening the pouch or shutting it (image two).
On the left and right hand side of the pouch at the front are the two main zippers that enabled the pouch to be opened nearly in half from the top down, making access to the interior of the pouch easy and ensuring that bulky equipment is not having to be pushed into or dragged through a smaller opening at the top potentially causing damage.
Across the front middle of the pouch is a horizontal line of stitching joining the front flap to the outer shell of the pouch. The lower third of the pouch is featureless.
The pouch at the front additionally features the exterior buckles which can be used to securely close the pouch and can be used for tightening down on the stored equipment inside.
Left & Right hand sides
Both sides of the Pouch are featureless but are notably manufactured using the traditional Crye stretchy softshell like material to enable some elasticity to the pouch i.e. when a larger / bulky item is stored within the pouch, it enables the pouch to expand.
Rear
The rear of the pouch houses the multiple attachment options. At the forefront are the two MOLLE attachment straps. Behind the straps is the AVS Harness arm attachment loop, enabling it to be securely fitted to the AVS harness, with the loop measuring approx 9.8 cm width. Within this large loop is the smaller belt mount loop, which can accommodate a 5 cm width belt as seen in image three below.
Base
The base of the pouch has a 14 x 4 cm Nylon bonded thick thread material band to provide some defence to equipment in the pouch i.e. prevent rubbing through of material or small knocks. The base further features two drainage holes should water enter the pouch.
Interior
On the rear panel of the interior is a large velcro loop panel enabling patches to be attached or other inserts such as magazine loops etc. The front panel also features a smaller velcro loop panel stitched onto it. Finally there's an elasticated drawstring that runs horizontally around the interior of the pouch (between material layers). This drawstring enables the operator to tighten the pouch around smaller items.
Twinfalcon NVD Pouch Details
The NVD pouch is a simple almost lunchbox style pouch that has some notable features on the exterior but otherwise appears simple. This pouch is advertised as NVD specific but that doesn't mean it can't be used to carry other valuable items or equipment depending upon the situation.
Top
The top 'lid' is made from 500D cordura material, on top of which is a hypalon type material in a bridge shape. This design is not stitched onto the underlying material but sits atop it and is connected to the lid via 6 strong doubled stitched points. The purpose of this section is to enable if stored within a helmet for the helmet straps to be passed and connected underneath the hypalon material thereby preventing it from falling out of the helmet in transit (pictures in section below). On top of this bridge is a medium sized (10 x 5 cm) velcro loop panel for attaching a patch. Obviously worth noting that in this example, the velcro panel is not 100% straight, however, this minor aesthetic issue is of no concern. The lid also as expected houses half of the zip that runs around 3/4 of the lid. These zips are YKK and feature looped paracord material is plastic coated to prevent fraying and snagging.
Exterior
The exterior of the NVD pouch is featureless save for the small velcro loop band running vertically from the lid to the base on the 'rear' of the pouch (depending on how you look at the pouch). This is likely when the pouch is stored in a larger bag and can be used a a minor attachment point to prevent the pouch from moving around.
Base
The base of the NVD pouch is featureless. The base between the outer material panels (top and underside) sandwiches a thin rigid foam board on the topside (interior of pouch) and a lightweight plastic coated panel on top on the exterior providing rigidity to the base.
Interior
The interior of the lid features a full height and width soft velcro loop material enabling the operator to attach patches on the inside of the lid (as shown in image one). The lid between the outer material panels (top and underside) sandwiches a thin rigid foam board on the underside and a lightweight plastic coated panel on top providing rigidity to the lid.
The main compartment of the pouch is featureless save for the two product labels. Running around the interior of the pouch between material panels (inner and outer) is again a similar rigid foam and plastic backing which helps the pouch to maintain its shape. The base of the pouch as with the lid and sides also features the foam and plastic mix.
DTNVS & Equipment carriage
These pouches were purchased to enable me to carry safely and securely my DTNVS and other relevant tactical equipment.
Crye Precision GP Pouch 9x7x3
The GP pouch does require the addition of the foam insert to a) provide further protection to the DTNVS and b) provide rigidity and shape to the pouch. As a standalone pouch it can be attached to the exterior of the AVS harness or other PALS mounting options on other products, however that leaves the pouch and its contents exposed to the environment and damage.
The GP pouch can be fitted into the interior of a helmet that's carried, but it isn't neat, well not in a size S/M Team Wendy EXFIL at least as shown below. The pouch does need to be squashed to fit into the helmet and with just a DTNVS within the pouch, the additional foam does get in the way.
Twinfalcon NVD Pouch
The NVD pouch is designed to either be used in either of two forms; a) standalone and sitting within a pack pouch somewhere or b) placed in the interior of a helmet. Unlike the GP Pouch it has no other mounting solutions i.e. to exterior of plate carrier or packs etc.
Due to the size and shape of the pouch it fits comfortably into the size S/M Team Wendy EXFIL.
Pros and Cons
Having used both pouches for a number of months in a variety of taskings; at the range, on hikes, at a number of events and on different environments, I have been able to test them against each other and have come up with the below table to compare the two.
Comparison | Crye Precision GP Pouch 9x7x3 | Twinfalcon NVD Pouch | Preferred |
Price | $86.20 (£72.16) +$8.20 (£6.86) foam insert | $48.36 (£40.48) | TwinFalcon |
Dimensions | Width: 16cm Depth (full): 22cm Height: 9cm | Width: 15cm Depth: 13cm Height: 9cm | Crye Precision |
Weight | 676g (with insert + DTNVS) 170g (with insert) 152g (standalone) | 697g (with DTNVS) 191g (standalone) | Crye Precision |
Adaptability | MOLLE AVS Harness Belt | Standalone | Crye Precision |
Stowage (helmet / pack) | Helmet - Yes Pack - Yes | Helmet - Yes Pack - Yes | TwinFalcon |
Protection | No standalone padding | Built in padding | TwinFalcon |
Equipment carriage | Large interior Flexible / scalable contents | Medium interior One size for contents | TwinFalcon |
As it can be seen, both pouches have their own strengths and weaknesses and the comparison comes down simply to your personal preferences.
Price - the GP Pouch is almost double that of the TwinFalcon. Understandably the higher price is purchasing the brand, reputation, quality assurance and the fact that damages can be covered by warranties if required. However, it's worth noting that standalone the GP Pouch will likely require the purchase of the separate foam insert to add further protection to the pouch contents.
Dimensions - the GP Pouch does offer a larger dimension interior into which items other than a DTNVS can be stored as advertised on the Crye Precision website.
Weight - of the two, the GP Pouch is the lightest, but protection / padding must be taken into consideration. There is only 40g difference between both pouches when empty.
Adaptability - as mentioned in the comparative write ups above, the GP Pouch is definitely more adaptable thanks to the multiple built in mounting options over the standalone NVD pouch.
Stowage - both can be stowed in an operators helmet or pack. Personal preference was for the TwinFalcon as that sat more neatly in the Team Wendy EXFIL than the GP Pouch.
Protection - the GP Pouch by itself has no built in protection other than the material used to construct the pouch whereas the TwinFalcon has built in padding protection throughout the product. As mentioned above, to make the GP pouch more protected would require the purchase of the foam insert.
Equipment carriage - the GP Pouch can house a variety of products and is more adaptable whilst the NVD Pouch is a one size fits all, however due to its size, equipment can be packed in without worry of it moving during transit.
Thoughts and opinion
The purpose of this blog was to compare both the American produced Crye Precision GP Pouch 9x7x3 and the Chinese produced TwinFalcon NVD Pouch and both whilst offering similar are very different. Both items have pros and cons and it really does come down to the individual operators requirements, taking into comparison; cost, protection, adaptability and use cases. I purchased the GP Pouch initially and through use of it saw some disadvantages and issues with it hence the purchase of the TwinFalcon Pouch. Throughout use of both over the past few months to be able to accurately compare the two, in preference I would choose the TwinFalcon NVD Pouch simply down to the fact that it offers the complete protection option in-built and in one package without additional expenditure or real weight increase. I do understand that the GP Pouch is more adaptable / versatile, but personal preference is for the TwinFalcon. In addition to the use of both pouches in their current 'standard' format I also use half a shemagh on top of the DTNVS to a) provide additional padding and b) prevent dust / particles / water etc getting onto the equipment inside if opening it in a dusty or rainy environment.
As always kit and equipment is down to personal choice, use and experience of and reliability. Whilst Crye Precision is a well renowned brand with a high reputation and comes at a cost, their tactical equipment is second to none, but it's not the only equipment on the market and sometimes price and name isn't everything. I'll continue to put both through their paces over the course of this year and will document any changes with with them i.e. damage, warranty replacements etc. but I have no doubt that both will continue to be useful for a long time. So with the choice of the TwinFalcon for carriage and stowage of my DTNVS and JerryC CE2 COTI, the Crye Precision GP Pouch is going to be used for additional magazine carriage inside of the AVS 1000 Pack, particularly when working in an urban close quarters environment.
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Final Note
I am not paid for my blogs by the manufacturers or companies that I purchase my items from. I am not offered freebies to promote a product. These blogs are purely written from my own experience in truth to help advise and inform others who may wish to purchase the items or understand more about them. If I am sent a freebie to review this will be stated at the beginning to make you aware.
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