Spyderco byte November/December 2025 - Edge-U-Cation® Spyderco® x Vanquest®
Edge-U-Cation® - Spyderco® x Vanquest®
People who like knives tend to like similar items, like pocket tools, flashlights, pens, prybars, wallets, and lighters. Not surprisingly, these “everyday carry” or “EDC” enthusiasts are also passionate about pouches, backpacks, and bags to keep their kit organized, easy to carry, and close at hand.Many members of the Spyderco Crew travel regularly. Whether we’re exhibiting at trade shows, visiting our global network of manufacturing partners, or meeting with key dealers and distributors, together we log hundreds of thousands of travel miles every year. As such, we have both extensive experience and strong, hard-earned preferences when it comes to EDC bags. Several years ago, we noticed the bags carried by most of our Crew shared many of the same qualities and the decision-making processes that led us to them were remarkably similar. That epiphany—and our strong presence in the “EDC space” of the consumer market—gave us an idea. We decided to offer EDC bags that were not only consistent with our hard-won wisdom, but would allow our customers to demonstrate their pride in the Spyderco brand with exceptional quality and style.
One of the true marks of an “expert” is knowing the limits of your own knowledge. While we knew what qualities and features we wanted, manufacturing bags to those high standards was outside our wheelhouse. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, we went in search of a manufacturing partner who was already an established industry leader in that field. Just as importantly, we sought a partner who shared our commitment to unwavering performance and uncompromising customer service. After extensive market research, we chose Vanquest® as our preferred industry partner.
Vanquest History
Vanquest was founded in 2011 by two former founding members of the highly respected Maxpedition® brand. Their deep knowledge of developing products for the tactical and security industries goes back much further than that, however, to 2003. That experience is bolstered by the insights of Vanquest’s other team members, which include veteran outdoor gear designers, adventurers, and photographers. Collectively, they represent one of the most experienced talent pools in the nylon industry.
From the outset, Vanquest was determined to manufacture the toughest, most functional, and most logically designed bags, packs, and pouches available. To do that, they combined their design talents, the production resources of some of the world’s best makers of nylon goods, and an uncompromising commitment to using only the finest, state-of-the-art fabrics and materials. The powerful synergy of those elements, backed by world-class customer service and product education, quickly earned them a devoted following and a strong presence as a leader in the industry. In addition to outdoor enthusiasts, adventure travelers, and astute everyday users, their bags soon became the gear of choice of many professional end users, including members of the FBI, the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and the US Secret Service.
In addition to the impressive quality of their products, Vanquest also leads the industry in the responsible sourcing of their materials and component parts. While they are determined to create ultra-tough bags made with military-grade, weatherproof materials, they are just as committed to environmental responsibility. Their premium suppliers of Cordura® fabrics, YKK® zippers, and ITW®/Duraflex® hardware are all Bluesign® certified and adhere to the highest Swiss textile industry standards. Bluesign-certified materials have higher recycled content, are more solution-dyed, and avoid long-carbon PFC water repellents (like Teflon coating) to minimize their environmental impact while delivering the best possible products.
Based on the unparalleled design and manufacturing quality of their products, their outstanding business ethics, and their devoted customer following, in 2018 Spyderco chose Vanquest as our exclusive partner in the Spyderco® x Vanquest® line of co-branded EDC bags.
Envoy™-13 and Envoy™-17
Our first co-branded Vanquest product was the “Spyderco X Vanquest” Envoy-13. An exclusive version of Vanquest’s fourth-generation Envoy-13 messenger bag, it features a distinctive black-and-gray color combination and is proudly embroidered in two places with the Spyderco “bug” logo. Its two-toned color scheme is accented by high-visibility red zipper pulls in Vanquest’s signature “SPARTAN™” design but showcasing the Spyderco brand name.
The Envoy-13 is expertly crafted from state-of-the-art materials including ultra-durable 1000-D and 500-D Cordura nylon, Hypalon®, and YKK zippers. Its advanced design features 22 strategically located pockets and slots for the fully configurable organization of all your EDC items. The “13” in its name signifies it accommodates laptops and tablets with screens up to 13 inches in size. A 10.5-inch zipper on the top of the bag allows direct access to your computer and other items without opening the flap, and the high-visibility padded main compartment is completely loop lined to accept dividers and other hook-and-loop/Velcro® accessories. Both ends of the bag include zippered, collapsible bottle holders that fit travel cups and water bottles up to and including 32-ounce (1L) Nalgene® bottles. They also include Hypalon MOLLE-Air panels for the easy attachment of MOLLE® pouches and other accessories.
To support off-body concealed handgun carry, the back side of the bag features a dedicated concealed carry compartment with a fully loop-lined panel. It allows the easy attachment of Velcro-backed holsters, magazine pouches, and other accessories and is instantly accessible thanks to the bag’s high-visibility zipper pulls. The rear face of the bag includes a luggage handle pass-through that allows it to “piggy-back” on a suitcase handle. A zippered compartment in the pass-through easily accommodates glasses cases, chewing gum, and other small items you want to keep at hand.
The Envoy-13’s front flap features a MOLLE-Air panel that accepts both MOLLE accessories and Velcro-backed patches and other items. The flap can be secured by twin Velcro strips or two UTX-Duraflex® buckles. When raised, it reveals an admin panel that provides easy storage and organization of pens, pencils, highlighters, flashlights, and other small items. Just above the Hypalon light mount panel on the outside of the flap, an embroidered Spyderco bug proudly proclaims the bag’s Spyderco lineage. The flap’s interior also showcases a second, larger embroidered Spyderco bug logo.
For over-the-shoulder carry, the Envoy-13 has a wide nylon shoulder strap, a contoured, non-slip shoulder pad, and a waist strap. All of these are fully adjustable and removable. If removed, you can carry the bag like a briefcase using its twin, padded grab handles, which balance its weight—even when fully loaded—and keep it from listing.
For users with larger laptops and those who need a bit more storage volume, we added the Spyderco x Vanquest Envoy-17 messenger bag. An “upsized” version of the Envoy-13, it proudly includes all the same design features but is scaled to accommodate laptops and tablets up to 17 inches in size.
Envoy-13™ Messenger Bag
Envoy-17™ Messenger Bag
ADDAX-18™ and ADDAX-25™
Although messenger bags are extremely popular, many of our customers prefer the hands-free convenience of a backpack for carrying their EDC essentials. To meet their needs, we chose a co-branded version of Vanquest’s best-selling ADDAX-18. A proud member of Vanquest’s low-profile Urban Series, this 18-liter backpack easily carries laptops and tablets up to 15 inches in size and offers a total of 15 dedicated pockets and storage slots. Its structured body keeps the back upright for quick and easy access to every compartment while providing excellent protection to the bag’s contents. Crafted from 400D UrbanBlend™ Nylon-Poly fabric and coated for superior water resistance, it features a weather-protected padded laptop compartment with YKK AquaGuard™ zipper, ToughMesh™ pockets, collapsible bottle holders, dual luggage handle pass-throughs, and high-visibility loop-lined interior surfaces for easy attachment of hook and-loop accessories. The Spyderco x Vanquest version of the ADDAX-18 also includes an external MOLLE-Air hook-and-loop panel for attachment of Velcro patches, name tags, and other accessories, an embroidered Spyderco “bug” logo, and Spyderco-branded SPARTAN zipper pulls. As a special bonus, it also comes with a collectible Spyderco Velcro-backed PVC patch.
If your EDC needs include a larger laptop or more kit, we also offer a co-branded expression of the ADDAX-25. The largest member of Vanquest’s low-profile Urban Series, this backpack offers an impressive 25-liter capacity and accommodates 17-inch laptops with room to spare. Its construction and features are identical to those of the ADDAX-18 and it comes with a collectible Velcro-backed PVC patch proudly showcasing Spyderco’s Reliable High Performance™ motto.
Addax-18™ Backpack
Addax-25™ Backpack
Small and Large Dendrite™ Sling Bags
Although the classic “fanny pack” never completely faded away, in its modern form it has evolved to the more versatile and stylish “sling bag” platform. These handy bags keep your EDC essentials close at hand and provide a variety of carry options. Spyderco x Vanquest Dendrite sling bags feature a flexible design that allows them to be carried cross-body as a sling bag, worn on your waist, or carried on a belt with their 1.5-inch-wide nylon straps removed. Crafted with Vanquest’s 400D UrbanBlend™ Nylon-Poly fabric, these low-profile bags are exceptionally durable and water resistant.
Available in both 2.8 and 3.8-liter sizes, they include a handy front compartment, a large main compartment, and a concealed rear security pocket—all secured with YKK zippers and Spyderco-branded SPARTAN zipper pulls. Strategically placed elastic webbing and loop-lined panels inside the bags allow easy organization of your EDC items and the attachment of hook-and-loop accessories. A full hook-and-loop panel on the front face of the bag also accepts Velcro morale patches and is proudly complemented by an embroidered Spyderco “bug” logo. The main compartment interior dimensions of the small Dendrite are 5.5” (H) x 8” (W) x 2.5” (D). The large Dendrite’s interior measures 6” (H) x 9.5” (W) x 3.75” (D). Both include a collectible Velcro-backed PVC patch featuring the CPM® SPY27® Shaman®.
Dendrite™ Small Sling Bag
Dendrite™ Large Sling Bag