Combat Iron Nomad Recon Review: $60 Fanny Pack Turned Travel Sling!

A Fanny Pack That Wants to Be a Sling

The Combat Iron (CMBT) Nomad Recon is sold as a fanny pack, but with a few modifications it can become a compact travel sling. At $59.99 — and often less with a first-time or promotional discount — it's an inexpensive entry point into the topo-patterned bag world. This review covers how it's built, what it holds, how it wears, and who should consider it, based on hands-on use since July.

Build and Materials

The shell is a 500D Oxford fabric, offered here in a topo green pattern with black lines. The back of the shell appears to have a waterproof coating, which adds some weather resistance.

• Internal lining is gray with a slightly plasticky feel to the touch; the manufacturer doesn't specify the lining material.
• Stitching quality is described as excellent.
• All zippers are YKK.
• The website leaves out some specs, including depth and internal lining details.

Overall the materials read as reasonable rather than premium, and the price makes the fabric quality stand out. As noted in the review, it's hard to find a 500D Oxford shell at this level for around $50.

Dimensions

• Width: 9 inches
• Height: 7.5 inches
• Depth: listed as up to 3 inches, but the expandable front pockets push real-world depth closer to 6 inches
• Estimated capacity: roughly 6–7 liters when fully loaded

The two front pockets expand significantly, which is where much of the extra volume comes from.

Organization

The Nomad Recon packs a lot of pockets into a small footprint, and several of the features clearly reflect its concealed-carry origins.

Front pockets:

• A small front pocket suited to items like chapstick, meds, or a nasal inhaler.
• A larger front pocket with a key leash, two mesh pockets, and a zippered mesh pocket at the back.

Main compartment:

• Opens partway but not into a full clamshell — a webbing gusset limits how far it spreads, and there's no way to unlock it for a flat opening.
• Two zippered mesh pockets, additional mesh pockets, a stash pocket, three pen slots, and one multi-tool slot.
• The reviewer noted a slight imbalance, with one side expanding more than the other.

Back panel:

• A Velcro back pocket that reveals a MOLLE and Velcro combination when the covers are removed, allowing hook-and-loop pouches and accessories to be attached.
• An iPad Mini fits in this pocket, though there's no dedicated hook-and-loop retention for a tablet.

Bottom drainage:

• Holes at the base let debris, sand, or water escape — a useful touch for beach or outdoor use.

Comfort and Wear

The back harness uses an anti-slip textured panel, which helps keep the bag from sliding when worn at the waist. The zippers allow largely one-handed operation, and pockets can be staged partway open rather than fully unzipped.

The trade-off is breathability. The anti-slip back works well for keeping the bag in place, but a more breathable panel would be preferable for hiking, walking, or extended travel.

Straps and Modifications

The included strap is the biggest limitation. It offers only 28 inches of adjustment, which the reviewer found too short to wear crossbody comfortably as a larger user.

Combat Iron sells a strap extension separately (reportedly around $10–$15), but the reviewer opted to replace the setup entirely. The modifications made here include:

• A JSD strap system (about 1.5 inches wide) with gatekeepers, swapped in after cutting off the original D-ring attachment. This is what converts the fanny pack into a proper sling.
• JSD zipper pulls in orange and topo green for higher visibility, replacing the more subdued stock pulls. The original pulls were repurposed inside the bag.
• JSD hook-and-loop mods added to the back pocket for extra organization, including a pen loop.

It's worth stressing that the sling conversion relies on these aftermarket parts — out of the box, this is a fanny pack.

Who It's For

The Nomad Recon is a strong fit if you want an affordable, feature-dense pack and don't mind its concealed-carry roots. It suits:

• Budget-minded buyers who want a 500D Oxford shell and YKK zippers around the $50–$60 range.
• Modders willing to upgrade the strap and pulls to build a travel sling.
• Concealed-carry users, for whom several of the pockets and the anti-slip back make the most sense.

It's a weaker fit if you want a ready-to-go sling with a long crossbody strap, or if breathability against your back is a priority.

The reviewer plans to use it as a travel sling for a possible trip to Europe and is enthusiastic about the value, while acknowledging the stock strap and non-breathable back panel as its clearest weak points.