Nittany Mountain Works Cordura Ditty Bag

This little itty bitty Ditty Bag makes for a useful and sturdy extra pouch for organizing things. Two different sizes and a WIIIIIIIDE spectrum of color options (190 different possible options) meets the needs and desires of many. No frills, just a pouch made of strong materials and a burly zipper.

Usage: I’ve used the Cordura Ditty Bag from Nittany Mountain Works for about a year now and find myself wanting (and soon getting) more of them. Initially used to store keys, phone, and wallet in one place while hiking, I’ve found other uses, such as a snack pouch for the kiddo, mini first aid kit, and fire-starting pouch. As time goes on, I’m sure I’ll find more and more things to use these bags for.  

Capacity: Nittany Mountain Works offers the Cordura Ditty Bag in two different sizes

• Small = 6.5" x 4" (16.5cm x 10.2cm)

• Large = 8.5" x 5.5" (21.6cm x 14cm)

It should be noted that because the fabric used is a thick 1000D Cordura nylon, there isn’t much elasticity to the fabric, meaning it isn’t going to flex much beyond its original size. If an item doesn’t fit into the pouch, don’t force it.

Color Options: I wouldn’t normally dwell on color options in a review, but in this case, it needs to be mentioned that these bags come in 38 different color options for the fabric and 5 different color options for the zippers, meaning there are 190 different bags to choose from. Why not have one of each color? Or make different bags for different purposes? Or how about each person in your family gets their own color so no one is fighting over whose bag is whose? The possibilities are boundless. 

Organization: The Ditty Bags are single pouch items. There isn’t multiple pockets or hidden stash spots. It’s just a single pouch with a zipper. I like that about them, but I could see where other bags would be more helpful in certain situations. The manufacturer does offer a variety of other bags, including hip bags, roll tops, cycling bags, and tote-style bags, among others, but this one is the basic of all basic bags. 

Construction and Durability: The 1000D US-made Cordura fabric is tough and sewn in Central Pennsylvania in the same factory as Organic Climbing equipment (they are sister companies). I’ve heard that the fabric used for some of the smaller items (like these bags) comes from the scrap material left over from Organic Climbing’s popular crash pad and chalk bags, but I don’t know if that's 100% accurate, but it would make sense from a manufacturer's perspective to limit potential waste. The facility is also solar-powered, which speaks to the company's ethos. 

Hot Tip: If you’ve made it this far in the review, I have a hot tip for you. If you like these Ditty Bags but don’t like the Nittany Mountain Works logo, the company’s sister company, Organic Climbing, sells the same bags in slightly different sizes, for the same price coming from the same Central Pennsylvania factory, but with their logo instead. You choose! 

Background

Always looking for ways to improve on my organization of camping and general outdoors equipment, I've started taking a liking to smaller pouches that are dedicated to holding specific items. I've found this is easier to find, especially when in a bind or emergency situations.