Roaring Fire Smolder Waxed Canvas Organizer Pouch Review

We dug the waxed canvas exterior, durability, and functionality when we tested the Roaring Fire Pioneer New Mini Tool Roll Bag. After looking at their Smolder Waxed Canvas Organizer Pouch, we see a lot of similarities between what we liked about the former and what the latter presents. Will we enjoy this smaller package as much, or wish we had more space? Let’s dive in!

External Components

The exterior of the pouch is crafted from waxed canvas. In addition to being durable and water-resistant, this fabric offers a heritage vibe that we’re here for. It looks like a pouch that’s been used for 20 years with no signs of slowing down. However, you don’t have to put in two decades of work to make it look like that; it was born this way. We think that’s pretty fun.

The logo doesn’t match the heritage styling of the exterior, but over time, we think it will. It appears to be durable PU leather, which looks sleek but is the only shiny thing on the pack’s exterior.

This pouch utilizes YKK zippers, the best in the business, so we don’t have much to say. They work well, have solid pulls that are easy to hold onto, and don’t get in your way. You shouldn’t have to think about zippers when they’re installed correctly, and that’s the case here. Just grab your gear and go!

There are two zipper heads on the main compartment, which is handy so you can place them on whatever side you want. Since there is a flap and two carabiners inside of the main compartment, you can let those hang out if you want, but we’ll get to that later.

The front of the pouch has a hook-and-loop fastener, so you can attach a patch if you want to. If not, it doesn’t look out of place. The change of color matches the vibe of the pouch and offers a subtle contrast.

There’s a small handle on the top of the pouch so that you can carry it around when need be. It’s a small handle; an average-sized hand can only fit three fingers. It isn’t terribly comfortable to carry around all day. Still, you’re meant to slot this into your daypack, sling, travel backpack, glovebox, or another storage area, not carry it around all day.

There are two loops on the bottom of the pouch at either end of the zipper track. You can use this to attach the bag to things, hook a carabiner onto it, or connect something else. They’re handy and stay out of the way if you don’t want to use them.

On the back side, we have a more robust attachment system. The pouch has backpack-like straps with buttons on the bottom. You can use these to attach it inside or outside a bag or anywhere you wish. Additionally, you can use it to attach the pouch to a belt. Behind those are four PALS-style attachment loops. You can stuff the ‘shoulder straps’ behind them or use the loops to attach the pouch to something else using a strap. Similar to other aspects of this pouch, these features don’t get in the way if you aren’t using them, which we dig.

Inside The Pouch

We’ve got one secondary compartment to work with. It’s small and accessible from the pouch’s front face. It isn’t large enough for a phone, not that you’d put one there anyway, but that’s a solid size reference in the 21st century. It’s wide enough for a phone but not tall enough, so it’s is a reliable place to stow items you need often, like electrical tape or a soft tape measure. If you like to keep little candies as a treat after a hard day’s work, this is a solid spot for those.

The main compartment opens like a clamshell, so you can lay it flat when you open it all the way.

A large pocket and some elastic organizers are on the front side. The pocket is big enough for a larger tape measure, a phone, or similar-sized items. The elastic daisy chain has two large, medium, and small loops: six in total. This is ideal so that you can stow gear of all sizes. If you typically carry many small items, you might not have use for the medium or larger loops. That said, the elastic is tight and stretchy, so you can fit a lot of gear here. There’s a carabiner on the top of this side that you can use to hang the pouch up. The carabiner isn’t high quality; however, it works for this use case, and you can remove it and replace it with a better one, like a Nite Ize S-Biner SlideLock.

The back side has the same organization, but a flap covers it. It’s only attached by two small pieces of fabric, so it’s easy to manipulate and move out of the way to get to the organization below.

The flap has a mesh pocket with a zipper down the middle. This is the only area with a closure inside the main compartment, so it’s an excellent spot to lock things down. It’s a solid place to stow adapters, screwdriver bits, or other small items you don’t want getting lost in the cracks.

There’s a carabiner on the zipper, which we haven’t figured out the purpose of. Using it to hang the pouch causes the zipper to open because of the direction of the head and track. You can stow the entire flap behind the large liner pocket behind it; however, there’s still a chance that it pops out and the zipper opens. That said, you can remove or not use the carabiner, and it doesn’t affect the use of the pouch, so we don’t mind the inclusion.

The rest of the organization on the back side is identical to that on the front side, so you know what you’re dealing with.

There isn’t much depth between the two sides of the pouch. Still, if you don’t have it overstuffed, you can fit more oversized items between the two and still close the zipper. This will depend on what you bring and how you pack it.

Overall, we dig this thing. It’s handy, rugged, and has versatile uses. Whether you’re looking for a unique way to carry tech and cables, your everyday carry tools, or the equipment you normally have bouncing around your glove box, the Roaring Fire Smolder Waxed Canvas Organizer Pouch has you covered. It’s time to scuff up that logo to match the rest of the pouch!