Puding Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Introduction The release of the ares Tavor has rekindled a long lost interest in an IDF loadout. The IDF approach to gear had always interested me, to tell the truth it is the same build philosophy that draws be the Russian gear as well, it has a no frills boot leather practicality built on years of conflict and feedback from the front, the equipment is simply used because it works many of the company's that produce the gear are run by ex IDF and the design ethos is very much driven from a foots of ground experience that is hard to match. In essence its simple, hardworking and works, what more could you want? Purchase Before buying i did a fair amount of research on forums and websites, there are a number of retailers where you can buy IDF gear, all seem to have excellent reputations and all the prices are similar, i choose to go with an ebay based store called ZFI Inc There price included free ems shipping and a free hydration system so i took the plunge. I placed the order Friday afternoon, parcel was shipped Sunday morning in Israel and arrived on my doorstep Tuesday, what more can i say, excellent service, i would recommend them to anyone. Some information on the vest form a retailer; • 4 front lower pouches hold 3 rifle mags (M16/AK 47/Galil) per pouch-(total of 12 rifle mags) or canteens. • 3 single pistol mag pouches 1 on each side of rifle mag pouches. • 3 front upper pouches holds grenades -flares-radio. • 1 front left pouch holds flashlight or baton. • 2-front right pouches holds first-aid, grenades, flares or 4 pistol mag pouches. • Top rear pouch-8.5\"x9.5\"x4.5\"-with internal pouch holds complete radio system or first aid or other gear. • New improvement pouch for carrying helmet at the back of the vest • Mid-rear pouch holds hydration bladder (not included). • Lower rear pouch, holds rope-gear . • Adjustable shoulders straps for perfect fit. • Extra padding at shoulder straps and back for enhanced comfort. • High quality Velcro closures and quick release snaps. • Side adjustable straps to adjust girth for a perfect fit. MAROM DOLPHIN LTD. founded in 1993, develops, manufactures and markets personal military supplies for armed forces, security services, and civilians worldwide. The company's products include body armor vests, tactical vests, gun holsters, accessories and belt pouches, custom-made carrying bags for all personal and military field equipment, and textile equipment for civilian field markets. All products are manufactured and tested in strict adherence with ISO 9002 international standards, the Israeli Institute of Standards, and the Quality Assurance of the IDF. A Wide Spectrum of Products MAROM DOLPHIN offers a broad range of military and security textile Products allowing for highest protection and ergonomic convenience in the field. Other links where you can buy; http://www.israeli-weapons.com/index.html http://www.zahal.org/ Initial Impression Vest turned up in a simple brown box the vest and the hydration system in there own sealed bags, nothing special. Front Back Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Puding Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Adjustment and inside the vest The vest closes at the front with a simple velcro closing and a clip at the top and bottom of the join. At the sides you find 2 rows of 3 adjustable straps, between these and the Velcro shoulder straps, the vest is easily adjustable to almost any size. Most of the straps on the vest are design to be tided away, the have a built in Velcro tags that allow to to fold up the excess material on the strap and secure it in place out of the way The inside of the vest is well thought out, you have to mesh pads on the back that sit either side of your spin, and a two abdominal pouches that hold foam, i might end up removing these in the end if they get to hot, as in air soft we go not carry anywhere near the combat load of a real life soldier. Over all this is one of if not the most comfortable best I've worn. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Puding Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Back of the vest Will start at the bottom and work my way up. The lowest pouch at the bottom on the vest is a a4 sized pouch that has an opening to the side, this closes with velco, im using the currently for the hydration system. The middle pouch is strange one, it has opening at both ends that are have Velcro closings again, i believe it is for rope but im not 100% on this, the pouch is about 80 - 100mm in diameter. There are also 2 sets of straps , these can be used to secure equipment, i used a section of foam as an example, the straps are fully adjustable and used a buckle system. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Puding Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 You then have a pouch for helmet storage that rolls away, seem to be a better design than the strap system i've seem on the older vests. Another large pouch sites at the top, has an inbuilt radio pouch and openings at the top for aerials and wires, the opening are held in place with velco. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Puding Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Front 3 grenade sized pouchs. 4 magazine pouchs, can hold 3 m4/m16 mags or 2 ak/galil mags without issue Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Puding Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 There are a number of pouch on the side of the magazine pouches, the larges is ideal for a gps/phone/small first aid kit, there as the others can fit a multi bang grenade(can not remember there name)/torch/multi tool. Id / paperwork / map holder Field Report Coming soon.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sayeret Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I love these vests, they are the real thing and that is why they are a bit pricey. When I have some money I will definitely be getting one of these. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay7 Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 (edited) Excellent review Do you think it would be possible to carry a pistol on the vest ? Edited July 8, 2009 by Jay7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Puding Posted July 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 you counld use the outermost pocket on the rigth of the vest as a holster for a pistol but you would need a lanyard, i will see if i can get a picture for you Quote Link to post Share on other sites
-Angel- Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Great review, thanks for putting it up. I've been trolling through Zahal recently and wasn't sure which vest to go for, this has helped a lot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Puding Posted July 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Thank you, i know the review is not going to have that big a draw, but i had been looking thought zahal for some time as well looking for information and could not find much so i thought i would do somthing about it myself, just putting up the kind of information i was looking for myself Quote Link to post Share on other sites
-Angel- Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Just one thing. How small does it adjust down to? I'm building 2 IDF kits alongside each other, for myself, and a lady friend (IDF girl ). She usually wears a 'small' in BDU size, not sure how many inches that runs to... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ValenJ Posted August 10, 2009 Report Share Posted August 10, 2009 So how's the vest holding up? I found these on ebay too and was wondering how they were compared to Zahal's. I'm piecing together an IDF loadout and want to time the purchase for the release of TSI's Tavor. I've never seen these come in black. And wondered how they differ from the CQB type vests I've seen in a few IDF urban pictures. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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