Bronze Supporter
- Messages
- 15,792
- Reactions
- 33,196
Just typing out some thoughts on gear, being that I am a gear-whore, and a gear maker to boot...
Of course the situations will always be fluid, and it will always be a mess of variables.... That said; Here are some examples of gear that may work, or may not work. I am primarily concerned with homestead defense, or base-camp defense, not necessarily for bugging out situations, and definitely not for zombie apocalypses
The first consideration; What do you foresee as primary purpose of the gear?
Is it for...
Sustained firefights without support?
Militia type engagements with small units?
Short range patrols/scouting? By Short range, no more than a day's walk away from your homestead, base-camp, or BOL.
camping?
Long range scouting/BOL travel? By Long range, more than two days walk, possibly farther, vehicle borne or on foot
Urban defense?
Rural/homestead defense?
Secondly, what is your fitness range? I myself am not quite as fit as I can be, though the doctor claims that I am quite healthy .
This will drive the gear consideration.... Would you be able to hump up to 100lbs of gear on your person?
Now for the types of gear, and the uses they can have...
Load Bearing/Survival vests
Can be quite useful and lightweight, if not packed down with too much gear or ammo. The USGI stuff is pretty awesome, the older LBV-88s with the fixed mag pockets can be useful in keeping the ammo count limited, but can be augmented by an ALICE belt kit with additional pouches.
The MOLLE series, currently everywhere, and affordable, AWESOME for modularity.... only problem, it is FAR TOO EASY to overpack them with lots of pouches and pockets, that they become cumbersome, and uncomfortable to wear for long period of times. Do not get into the mindset of "I have the space for it, lets add to it!"
Survival vests/5.11 style "shoot me first" vests.... can be decent, much lighter, much less ammo carriage, BUT usually can carry a concealed handgun and mags...might be OK for some situations. Again, figuring out what you are going to carry is the key here, it is also easy to overload the vests, and look like a fisherman who's loaded for everything except what's in season
Chest rigs
There are many advantages to this idea. Vehicle operations being a key one... interfacing with a rucksack or backpack is another... HOWEVER.. There are many many variations, and many styles to choose from....ranging from the minimalist ChiCom SKS and AK rigs, to the extremely heavy duty, massive chest rigs like the ones available with the ability to carry 12 mags plus misc stuff... I am a fan of Tactical Tailor's MOLLE chest rigs, as I am able to tailor the gear carried to fit my needs, although the negative is.... it can get HOT wearing one with a ruck or backpack...
Load Bearing Equipment(belt kits)
plate carrier/armor rigs
Here, there is a trend and belief that one must be armored at all times in urban situations, and in rural country as well.... many do not run vests or chest rigs, but rather, plate carrier/armor rigs, as the available ones on the market, tend to be covered in MOLLE, or velcro, and can accept magazines, gear, pouches, panels, and whatever you want to carry.....
If you believe that you will engage hostiles on a daily basis, and have support available.. then it may be an option. If you are looking to stay out of sight, and adopt a "gray man" mentality, a concealed armor rig along with covert ammo carriage might be best.
On the other hand, it is again, easy to overload with armor plus gear... I know several troops ended up with far more weight on them than in the past, because they were required to work fully armored, and fully kitted out for sustained firefights. For a non-LEO civilian, this is excessive for the most part, and only in exceptional circumstances would this be expected of a civilian, who is not LEO.
A simple plate carrier rig with up to 6 mags, and a handheld radio for communication, and hydration, small first aid kit, should be sufficient in addition to what's on EDC belt kit. Some like to combine Plate carrier with a "war belt" rig for more ammo, or better load balance.
Load Bearing Equipment/War Belt/ Belt Kit
Here is one option that I am a huge fan of..... that of the tried and true Belt/suspender setup.
It can run the gamut from old school canvas VN era gear, all the way to the modern MOLLE War-Belt rigs.... ALICE is an affordable, popular, and easily set up option... Many of the Cold War Era vets and the in-betweeners can attest to the usefulness of an ALICE rig, and some of the other vets who have served in the UK, can attest to the modularity and usefulness of their PLCE rigs...
It really is a simple basic load, 2-4x mag pouches, 2x canteens, a butt pack if needed, or a medical pouch, and a compass/dressing pouch... all on a wide belt and a Y or H suspender setup. Some people liketo add SAW pouches as dump/general purpose pouches, others like to add Bianchi drop leg panel for their pistols, and pistol mags... An example can be built, 4x mag pouches, 2 of which are dedicated to loaded magazines, 1 is empty, and 1 has medical pull out insert (instead of the old style med pouch), 2 canteens, or 1 2-qt canteen, and a butt pack for misc things. Pads for the belts are available, and in the past, Blackhawk and other companies made padded ALICE belts...
MOLLE belt kits are currently available everywhere, and the nice thing about the MOLLE belt kits, you have a HUGE choice of pouches for your specific weapon/needs. Also, you have a broad range of suspenders/harnesses to choose from, ranging from minimal straps for use under armor, to well padded H harnesses for heavy belt kits... PLCE types of webbing is also quite good, if a little bit limited in what you can get Stateside..... But it is well thought out, and well balanced with 6 points of suspension.
Some MOLLE belts would require the use of a vest panel (1st gen MOLLE), OR modification to enable use with H harnesses, I have an example in another thread for the 1st gen MOLLE belts.
Again, be mindful of just how much gear you carry in the belt kits, however, it is easier to carry heavy loads on your hips, than to carry it all on your chest and pulling the shoulders down.... Another reason why belt kits can be far heavier than usual.
A popular trend with MOLLE "War/battle Belts" is to use in conjunction with armor, and to carry very few items on the belt, with most items on the armor... It is also popular with tactical carbine courses, and you will see competition belt kits with speed load pouches and stuff dedicated to decreasing the time between mag loads. It may not be useful for homestead defense, it might be useful for urban home defense.
Gunslinger belt
For the leather/cowboy/retro people, there is always this option. It may be the most limited option, because there are not many pouches to add to the basic leather gun belt, but it is awesome if your primary weapons are tube-magazine or cylinder fed, as opposed to box magazine fed. It is also awesome if you are carrying just a handgun around the homestead...although I would suggest adding a small first aid pouch of some sort to the belt for incidental injuries. It is a classic set up, and one that would very likely not bring weird looks from anyone out in the country. A certain charm for it can be found by perusing the many western and cowboy action events, in which the belt carries a shiny Colt pistol and ammo for both the pistol and the lever action rifle.
Unfortunately, it is also a quite expensive option, because there are not many companies who makes them. But it should be expected to last quite a long while.
Alternatively, using a police style belt can be beneficial, as there are more pouches available for them, and one can expect it to fit far better.
backpack
Some people prefer the backpack approach, but I find it to be quite a difficult option to use. Because everything is in the backpack, one has to drop it, and open it, and look through it to get to whatever they need; it takes time, and if you are carrying a carbine, or a shotgun, it may not be easy to carry both the long arm and the backpack. HOWEVER, if you are carrying a take-down weapon hidden in the backpack, it can be useful, if your goal is to not look like you're going into combat. It is also decent for those who wish to blend in and leave quietly.
What are your thoughts on these options?
I am personally a fan of LBE/Belt Kits, and also of chest rigs, depending on the situations. If I need to quickly get armed and ready, a belt kit is far quicker and easier to don, than armor. I can have the belt kit hanging at the ready in the vehicle, or already on me if I am on foot around base camp. As I live in a somewhat urban area, a handgun and a few magazines are always at an arm's reach at home. I do not make it a habit to openly carry around town, when I am usually driving and not expecting to run into trouble.
Of course the situations will always be fluid, and it will always be a mess of variables.... That said; Here are some examples of gear that may work, or may not work. I am primarily concerned with homestead defense, or base-camp defense, not necessarily for bugging out situations, and definitely not for zombie apocalypses
The first consideration; What do you foresee as primary purpose of the gear?
Is it for...
Sustained firefights without support?
Militia type engagements with small units?
Short range patrols/scouting? By Short range, no more than a day's walk away from your homestead, base-camp, or BOL.
camping?
Long range scouting/BOL travel? By Long range, more than two days walk, possibly farther, vehicle borne or on foot
Urban defense?
Rural/homestead defense?
Secondly, what is your fitness range? I myself am not quite as fit as I can be, though the doctor claims that I am quite healthy .
This will drive the gear consideration.... Would you be able to hump up to 100lbs of gear on your person?
Now for the types of gear, and the uses they can have...
Load Bearing/Survival vests
Can be quite useful and lightweight, if not packed down with too much gear or ammo. The USGI stuff is pretty awesome, the older LBV-88s with the fixed mag pockets can be useful in keeping the ammo count limited, but can be augmented by an ALICE belt kit with additional pouches.
The MOLLE series, currently everywhere, and affordable, AWESOME for modularity.... only problem, it is FAR TOO EASY to overpack them with lots of pouches and pockets, that they become cumbersome, and uncomfortable to wear for long period of times. Do not get into the mindset of "I have the space for it, lets add to it!"
Survival vests/5.11 style "shoot me first" vests.... can be decent, much lighter, much less ammo carriage, BUT usually can carry a concealed handgun and mags...might be OK for some situations. Again, figuring out what you are going to carry is the key here, it is also easy to overload the vests, and look like a fisherman who's loaded for everything except what's in season
Chest rigs
There are many advantages to this idea. Vehicle operations being a key one... interfacing with a rucksack or backpack is another... HOWEVER.. There are many many variations, and many styles to choose from....ranging from the minimalist ChiCom SKS and AK rigs, to the extremely heavy duty, massive chest rigs like the ones available with the ability to carry 12 mags plus misc stuff... I am a fan of Tactical Tailor's MOLLE chest rigs, as I am able to tailor the gear carried to fit my needs, although the negative is.... it can get HOT wearing one with a ruck or backpack...
Load Bearing Equipment(belt kits)
plate carrier/armor rigs
Here, there is a trend and belief that one must be armored at all times in urban situations, and in rural country as well.... many do not run vests or chest rigs, but rather, plate carrier/armor rigs, as the available ones on the market, tend to be covered in MOLLE, or velcro, and can accept magazines, gear, pouches, panels, and whatever you want to carry.....
If you believe that you will engage hostiles on a daily basis, and have support available.. then it may be an option. If you are looking to stay out of sight, and adopt a "gray man" mentality, a concealed armor rig along with covert ammo carriage might be best.
On the other hand, it is again, easy to overload with armor plus gear... I know several troops ended up with far more weight on them than in the past, because they were required to work fully armored, and fully kitted out for sustained firefights. For a non-LEO civilian, this is excessive for the most part, and only in exceptional circumstances would this be expected of a civilian, who is not LEO.
A simple plate carrier rig with up to 6 mags, and a handheld radio for communication, and hydration, small first aid kit, should be sufficient in addition to what's on EDC belt kit. Some like to combine Plate carrier with a "war belt" rig for more ammo, or better load balance.
Load Bearing Equipment/War Belt/ Belt Kit
Here is one option that I am a huge fan of..... that of the tried and true Belt/suspender setup.
It can run the gamut from old school canvas VN era gear, all the way to the modern MOLLE War-Belt rigs.... ALICE is an affordable, popular, and easily set up option... Many of the Cold War Era vets and the in-betweeners can attest to the usefulness of an ALICE rig, and some of the other vets who have served in the UK, can attest to the modularity and usefulness of their PLCE rigs...
It really is a simple basic load, 2-4x mag pouches, 2x canteens, a butt pack if needed, or a medical pouch, and a compass/dressing pouch... all on a wide belt and a Y or H suspender setup. Some people liketo add SAW pouches as dump/general purpose pouches, others like to add Bianchi drop leg panel for their pistols, and pistol mags... An example can be built, 4x mag pouches, 2 of which are dedicated to loaded magazines, 1 is empty, and 1 has medical pull out insert (instead of the old style med pouch), 2 canteens, or 1 2-qt canteen, and a butt pack for misc things. Pads for the belts are available, and in the past, Blackhawk and other companies made padded ALICE belts...
MOLLE belt kits are currently available everywhere, and the nice thing about the MOLLE belt kits, you have a HUGE choice of pouches for your specific weapon/needs. Also, you have a broad range of suspenders/harnesses to choose from, ranging from minimal straps for use under armor, to well padded H harnesses for heavy belt kits... PLCE types of webbing is also quite good, if a little bit limited in what you can get Stateside..... But it is well thought out, and well balanced with 6 points of suspension.
Some MOLLE belts would require the use of a vest panel (1st gen MOLLE), OR modification to enable use with H harnesses, I have an example in another thread for the 1st gen MOLLE belts.
Again, be mindful of just how much gear you carry in the belt kits, however, it is easier to carry heavy loads on your hips, than to carry it all on your chest and pulling the shoulders down.... Another reason why belt kits can be far heavier than usual.
A popular trend with MOLLE "War/battle Belts" is to use in conjunction with armor, and to carry very few items on the belt, with most items on the armor... It is also popular with tactical carbine courses, and you will see competition belt kits with speed load pouches and stuff dedicated to decreasing the time between mag loads. It may not be useful for homestead defense, it might be useful for urban home defense.
Gunslinger belt
For the leather/cowboy/retro people, there is always this option. It may be the most limited option, because there are not many pouches to add to the basic leather gun belt, but it is awesome if your primary weapons are tube-magazine or cylinder fed, as opposed to box magazine fed. It is also awesome if you are carrying just a handgun around the homestead...although I would suggest adding a small first aid pouch of some sort to the belt for incidental injuries. It is a classic set up, and one that would very likely not bring weird looks from anyone out in the country. A certain charm for it can be found by perusing the many western and cowboy action events, in which the belt carries a shiny Colt pistol and ammo for both the pistol and the lever action rifle.
Unfortunately, it is also a quite expensive option, because there are not many companies who makes them. But it should be expected to last quite a long while.
Alternatively, using a police style belt can be beneficial, as there are more pouches available for them, and one can expect it to fit far better.
backpack
Some people prefer the backpack approach, but I find it to be quite a difficult option to use. Because everything is in the backpack, one has to drop it, and open it, and look through it to get to whatever they need; it takes time, and if you are carrying a carbine, or a shotgun, it may not be easy to carry both the long arm and the backpack. HOWEVER, if you are carrying a take-down weapon hidden in the backpack, it can be useful, if your goal is to not look like you're going into combat. It is also decent for those who wish to blend in and leave quietly.
What are your thoughts on these options?
I am personally a fan of LBE/Belt Kits, and also of chest rigs, depending on the situations. If I need to quickly get armed and ready, a belt kit is far quicker and easier to don, than armor. I can have the belt kit hanging at the ready in the vehicle, or already on me if I am on foot around base camp. As I live in a somewhat urban area, a handgun and a few magazines are always at an arm's reach at home. I do not make it a habit to openly carry around town, when I am usually driving and not expecting to run into trouble.