EVERGOODS Civic Access Pouch 2L (CAP2L) Review

Ask frequent flyers, hikers, and day-trippers about the most important thing to keep in mind when packing is, and they’re almost always guaranteed to arrive at the same answer: keep things organized. In this regard, EVERGOODS has done well to keep their ears to the ground since their Civic lineup has consistently earned our praise for organization.

Next in the lineup is the Civic Access Pouch 2L, and EVERGOODS hasn’t been coy about this one. The name “Access” alone shows how confident they are that they’ve successfully injected the Civic lineup’s organized DNA into this pouch. But have they succeeded? Or do glaring compromises await us? Let’s jump in and find out.

Materials & Aesthetic

The CAP2L is an unassuming, tall, and boxy pouch that doesn’t draw any undue attention. At the time of this review, EVERGOODS only offers it in one color: black. The subdued aesthetic is nothing new in the context of the Civic lineup, and we honestly don’t mind as long as it doesn’t hinder functionality.

In case you want to personalize and liven it up a little, you can always slap on a custom patch over the EVERGOODS one since it’s made of velcro material. We prefer the GLOW patch for extra visibility in low light conditions and because we dig anything glow-in-the-dark. Patches are available as a separate purchase, or you can always make your own.

There are two sets of external YKK metal zippers: one on top for the “3D pocket” and a pair for opening up the main compartment. The latter pair of zippers bisect the CAP2L into two wedge-shaped top and bottom parts that bridge nicely when fully opened.

On the outside are two front pockets that you can use for more relatively trivial items such as coins, candies, extra patches, and random flyers handed to you on the street. We struggled to find a use for these pockets during our time with the CAP2L since we usually stored it inside a much larger bag when on the move. But these pockets can be useful for the previously mentioned loose items if the CAP2L is used as a stand-alone pouch.

One thoughtful feature we appreciated during testing was the bottom handle. This way, whether you put it right side up or upside down inside a crowded bag, there’s always something to grab and pull on when taking it out.

Flanking the sides of both top and bottom handles are utility loops that can be used for hooking on key chains, key organizers, carabiners, or for securing it on hardpoints in your car or your room.

Inside The Pouch

Whereas the CAP2L’s exterior is as straightforward as they come, inside is where things get interesting. Starting with the top pocket, or “3D pocket” as EVERGOODS calls it, this is where most of your most-used items will go, such as earphones, charging cables, lighters, pens, etc. The floor of this pocket is a mesh material that can be opened via a zipper. The material easily conforms to whatever’s inside the pocket, maximizing the available space while still providing separation. As a bonus, the pocket also has a red built-in key clip that can hold a few of your keys. It works well as a tech pouch, too.

Once fully opened up, the CAP2L reveals the bottom half where the main compartments are. There are two rear pockets that can fit small items like a smartphone charger, a power bank, or a computer mouse. The main middle section accommodates most of the bulk. We’ve been able to get away with fitting some of our mid-sized camera lenses. Things like Bluetooth headphones, mirrorless camera bodies, or laptop chargers should be a cinch to fit, provided that the surrounding pockets are unoccupied.

There’s a smaller pencil case-like pouch here as well, which itself has one credit card slot inside. The great thing about this pouch is that it’s not stitched to the floor of the CAP2L, and can freely move forward or backward as you need it to. It can even diagonally position itself if you needed to fit a wedge of cheese on one side and a door stopper on the other.

Lastly, the area in front of the divider pouch is the same as the one behind it, perfect for extra slim power banks, make-up kits, pocket mirrors, or pads of sticky notes.

Usage

We’ve come to appreciate just how versatile the CAP2L is during our review. The way it opens and transforms into a neat little desk caddy is a great trick. Professionals like us who travel a lot no longer need to clutter their hotel coffee tables. With the CAP2L, unzip, unfold, and behold your pens, cables, chargers, lenses, earphones, and other knick-knacks you’ve fitted in 2 liters.

We’ll admit, it probably excels more as a desk organizer more than it does as a pouch. So much so that we found ourselves enjoying it more as a portable way to keep our gear organized than as merely a means to carry things around. The nylon’s stiffness and the padding give structural support allowing the CAP2L to stand even when emptied. Thanks to the great visibility of the contents when it’s opened up, not only do we know what we’ve packed, we also know where they are.

Further still, we even toyed around with the idea of hooking up a spare strap into the utility loops to use it as a compact sling bag. It’s just a neat little hack for those trying to squeeze every ounce of usage out of their stuff.

Going back to our question at the start, does the Civic Access Pouch 2L earn the same commendation in organization like the others do in the lineup? Has it made life on the go easier? The simple answer is yes, and probably even more so than its other Civic brethren.