Best Accessory of SHOT is a big deal! Is the DAKA Grid Organizer going to take the top spot?
If you’re a member of the Stockpile Insiders Group on Facebook, you’ve seen our daily recap videos. Here we’ll be going into detail on just one of the products we talked about in our recap video.
How Did MagPul Industries Start?
MagPul Industries initially started in 1999 with exactly what their name is- MagPuls designed to improve speed and controllability for tactical magazine changes. They quickly became a titan of the industry with their PMAG magazines – which happen to be on sale right now on our site!
Ten years into the business, they released their MOE system, but it was overlooked by the industry in favor of KeyMod (designed by Eric Kincel who is now head of R&D for BCM- the main competitor to MagPul). Fast forward to 2014-2017, MagPul’s MLOK attachment system was adopted by military groups, and is the standard for manufacturers to date. Now, 24 years after the inception of MagPul Industries, they’re still an innovative company with new products being released. MagPul is one of the most well-known companies, and visiting their booth at SHOT Show 2023 did NOT disappoint!
DAKA Day 1
The DAKA line of accessories from MagPul Industries was initially introduced around 2016. Starting with the pouches made from reinforced polymer, these have an anti-slip texture and water repellent zipper. Quickly, these became a necessity for range days, backpacks and travel. Watch out though- these are at high risk for being stolen. I’ve heard from more than a few people that their wives love these for makeup brushes and other things. Pro tip: buy some extras, or get yours as dirty as possible on day 1 to avoid losing them to your significant other!
The Evolution of DAKA
Quickly after the original DAKA pouches were released, the industry asked for more! MagPul came out with some wallets based on the DAKA design, suppressor storage pouches, and window pouches. SHOT Show 2023 brings a jump jump in the evolution.
Introducing the DAKA GRID Organizer!
The DAKA GRID Organizer is designed to be moved and adjusted to fit your needs. As you can see in the photo below, it’s truly designed as a grid system, almost like my favorite childhood toy, Lincoln Logs! The system comes with GRID base panels, replacement base foam and 8/10 triple and double blocks depending on which Pelican you’re buying for.
The DAKA GRID Organizer system is offered for the Pelican Vault V730 and V800 as a complete system. These are the two of the most popular cases under the Pelican brand for users carrying 2 long guns and a handful of accessories for weekend range trips or hunting trips. Both of these Pelican brand cases come standard with 4 layers of protective polyurethane foam. When you purchase the DAKA GRID Organizer, you’ll remove the polyurethane foam, and replace with your new EPP (Expanded Polypropylene Panels). The new system is resistant to chemical and liquids, so no more sunken, deteriorated and stained foam.
As you put your gear on the base panels, you can simply pop in the blocks to keep your firearms and accessories in place, without having to add bubble wrap, range rags and other obsolete packing material. No tools are required for adjusting the foam blocks, you just pop the blocks into the base foam, and re-adjust as needed.
So you’re packed up, but realize you forgot your box of ammo? Simply re-adjust your GRID blocks to keep it in place.
Alternatives & Where They Fall Short
Yes, there are TONS of alternatives to this system. You can buy custom laser cut foam for specific firearms or pick and pluck foam. The issue we have with custom laser cut foam, is 1. It’s expensive as all hell and 2. It’s specific to one firearm or firearm platform in 1 configuration. As new products are released,
Flying With Firearms
Securing and protecting your equipment can be tough. If you flew into SHOT Show this past week, you probably saw, and possibly got ran over by, a case or two going through the airport. If you fly out of a small airport, you may have seen manufacturers opening up their cases for TSA to inspect. BTW, Flying with firearms is always interesting. Almost every airport and airline has different ‘rules’ which can change by the day/staff member working.
Final Thoughts
We’re excited to try the MagPul DAKA Organizer for future events. We’ll see if airports are flooded with these at SHOT Show 2024. Hopefully the MagPul DAKA Hard Cases will be on the market by then! Coming soon doesn’t always mean soon, as we all know, but we have high hopes!
This is just one of the great finds we found at SHOT Show! Do you think this deserves the ‘Best Accessory of SHOT Show 2023’?
Keep an eye on our blog this month as we’ll be posting from SHOT show, and after with the products we’re most impressed with going into 2023.
Hoping to see the grid organizer on the shop.