How did you decide which gear to choose?

[Sgt.Griff]

Fair enough mate

[Doughguy]

threw a dice.

[Basho]

Tried many things.

Went to UKtactical and bought one Warrior piece.

Never looked back.

 

[Chimpy]

Trial and error.

 

Started off back in the day wearing DPM and using a real SAAV. Was utter bonk for the G3 mags I was carrying about but much better when I switched to an M4. Gucci was a Blackhawk Omega vest and everyone wanted to dress like an extra from Stargate. Went through a few iterations of camo from Rhodesian to Desert DPM. Then discovered MOLLE!

 

Since then I've run through a tonne of different rigs and pouch setups. Now I've refined it down to a two-piece TT MAV setup in the same way for the last couple of years. My belt kit has gone through a slight refinement and my wardrobe is a never ending mish-mash of various bits and pieces.

 

I guess my whole thing is based around practicality but also using good looking clobber.

[jingernut]

I thought more people would be basing their look around real work military units / spec ops units etc.

 

Nice to see that people are just wearing what ever fits the purpose.

[Chimpy]

I thought more people would be basing their look around real work military units / spec ops units etc.

 

I've done that once before for a specific event (which ended up looking awesome and fooling milphotos) but don't really have the patience to get all the kit together to do it properly nor climb in and out of it to play Airsoft.

[RSM]

When I started as I was young and foolish and just about out of cadets I had something typical like kevlar helmet, ops waistcoat etc.

 

Lost the kevlar for a boonie hat, which later became a green recon wrap/buffera. Then got in on the COD4 loadouts thing so got a Warrior TMV, black climate shirt with turtle neck and rocked DPM pants and desert boots.

 

Now I just use an DPM UBACS, warrior vest in OD and the buffera again with whatever boots suit where I'm playing and when.

 

Very tempted to put a belt kit together for those days when hydration isn't a top priority but BBs and pyros are still needed.

[Skarclaw]

bit of both really, normally good kit looks cool anyway so it kinda works. I tend to use my russian smersh set as its the best thing I have, but I also use stuff like chicom and 58 patt stuff, so its here and there. Likewise I also have a helmet which isn't practical at all, so whatever.

 

Still suck air through my teeth when I see people talking about the importance of bringing notepads into the skirmish site with them though.

 

PMC/Contractor is increasingly becoming a cop-out term for people who want to give their gear a name but don't have an authentic kit. Its not a dig at people who don't do 'impressions', but people who have a jumble of assorted kit and choose to label it "this is my PMC-ish loadout".

 

5.11's, sunglasses, a baseball cap and a random platecarrier doesn't make you a PMC.

 

 

This a thousand times.

 

If you see a really *suitcasey* "impression", chances are its a PMC one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tome]

To echo the majority, it's just trial and error. Most gear is chosen by keeping in mind how well you think it's going to work and how awesome you think it's going to look

 

My first "proper" peice of gear was a Weesatch, which was alright but I wanted something a bit more substantial with more molle which would look more 1337. So next i bought a CIRAS, which again was good but in the end had more molle than i really needed and weighed more than i wanted. I then had a total change of strategy and bought a molle belt to carry the essentials and BCS plain plate carrier for a super light loadout. This too was great but on milsim games I needed a bit more space to carry things so i added a FAPC on top of the BCS and now have arrived at a scaleable collection of gear that i can chop and change depending on what kind of game it's going to be

 

Long story heh, but the short of it is that it'll takes a while to find what one likes

[Azubi]

I don't really try to replicate specific units or whatever. Only time I have is when I wear the WW2 US stuff I have. Usually I tend to just wear whatever is practical and if camo isn't an important factor at the gamesite, I will just wear whatever I think looks cool. I've got all sorts of camo so even if there is kit restrictions I don't usually have any problems.

[jingernut]

Only time I have is when I wear the WW2 US stuff I have.

 

Do you wear the WW2 stuff on normal game days or just tend to use it on special events?

[Azubi]

Do you wear the WW2 stuff on normal game days or just tend to use it on special events?

 

I use it for normal game days every once in a while. It's certainly a little different to what you usually see on a normal open day and I often seem to enjoy the games a bit more, not sure if it is psychological.

 

I did plan on attending WW2 games but moving to the Middle East killed that idea. I only get so much time back in the UK now so attending these events can be tricky unless I time it right* so I often end up playing a couple of normal open days.

 

 

 

 

 

*I managed to get to PRIII back in April and the Groundzero Weekender this Summer. Not WW2 stuff but one had kit restrictions, other didn't.

 

 

 

 

[ruvon]

Once again another trial and error.

 

I don't really buy into the whole geardo way of thinking...here's a pic of my favorite spec op's, I gotta have everything the same....

 

 

My team Red Dragon Lance has a mandatory team uni, MARPAT, commercial, non issue, Tru Spec or Propper, reason non issue is that, unless you are USMC, you didn't earn the right to wear the globe and eagle.

 

Went with MARPAT originally due to the fact that it works wonders in the area we play in.

 

As far as gear is concerned, I stayed with the idea of true SOC, and use what works for you, not just what looks cool, or what your fave SOC unit uses, cause frankly, I think photo based load outs are rubbish, IE "I'm gonna carry all the same stuff, cause thats what FR uses, or what SEaL's or ODA..." cause, really, you never use any of that ######.

 

I'm going through right now and running into wanting to do a chest rig, but I'm not too sure which one, I ran a KA MPS (satch clone) and although it was a nice little piece, I just wasn't pleased with the way it fit.....

 

I'm thinking of actually heading back to what my first real deal piece of kit was, and that's a Hellcat....

[El_Boomo]

I tried just about everything going before settling on my CIRAS. Although even now I'm considering putting a more lightweight loadout together.

 

I think mixing trial and error to find out what works for you and what you like the look of is the most common way of choosing. although it's not the cheapest

[Stag]

When I first started I chose DPM 'cosI got a jacket and trousers for 20 quid. My favourite site is run by a bunch of ex-forces chaps and they favour UK kit heavily. So do I, now. Still with DPM but the gear is better quality, and over the last year I experimented with various loadouts, Vests, MOLLE, anything I thought looked interesting, before choosing the one I considerd best which appears to be a good belt order (PLCE evolved MOLLE) with an airborne yoke from Dragon supplies. Not really issue as such but all available to HM Forces and very, very practical.

 

Mind you, recently joined a team that's going back to the Falklands look, so pattern '58 webbing, old style windproofs and tropicals and Boots DMS are on the shopping list. Along with an SLR. And an M16A1. And an M16A1 with M203. Oh yeah, and an M733.

 

And an L42A1. Especially an L42A1, if I ever hear back from Shoot 'n Scoot...

[RSM]

Still suck air through my teeth when I see people talking about the importance of bringing notepads into the skirmish site with them though.

 

Heh, whats wrong with that? I sometimes bring one when I'm putting vids together so I can remember what happened across the day if I do a youtube vid or something. Just to note what each team was supposed to be doing an who won each round, can see it being a little over the top at a regular skirmish to carry one for noting stuff actually in game though...

 

[darkchild130]

I use whatever works.

 

Looking cool comes a close second though

 

Darkchild

[DesertFox]

I usually just observe other loadouts, whether it be a real operator or another airsofter. Then I'll try it out and then if it doesn't work I try something else. Honestly its prob 90% looks because for airsofting you barely need any gear, most of the time I run around in my first line.

[jingernut]

Honestly its prob 90% looks because for airsofting you barely need any gear

 

Yeah I have found I only tend to use the mag pouches and nothing else on my harness now.

[Agent Hunk]

What works for me, what I need to carry, and what I like to carry.

 

Used to carry the fake PEQs and radios but left that stuff behind.

 

Still need more then mag pouches though. Not sure how some of you play airsoft but a couple of mags won't get me through an 8 hour scenario.

[jingernut]

What works for me, what I need to carry, and what I like to carry.

 

Used to carry the fake PEQs and radios but left that stuff behind.

 

Still need more then mag pouches though. Not sure how some of you play airsoft but a couple of mags won't get me through an 8 hour scenario.

 

8 hour's.... longest I've played is about 3 hours I think. 8 hours would probably kill me.

[Curtis G.]

I just started out borrowing my friend's gear during games & then got what worked for me later on, lots of trial & error.

[eddy909]

I think "impressions" are down right silly, maybe even disrespectful (donning fire retardant suit now). Because I'm playing airsoft, not Delta/Recon/SEALs work, I tailor my kit to what works for airsoft. When I play I wear

 

Rocky ICBs

US woodland cammies

Hatch Nomex Hood

HSGI multicam ballcap

Eagle Molle belt

TAG Dumper

Condor Triple Cell mag pouch

RAT Cutlery H.E.S.T (where permitted)

 

And really, that's all I need.

 

 

[Azulsky]

If we just were concerned about what works we would all be playing paintball and running around in bright flourescent pajamas

 

I forgive you because your experience is limited in scope and you haven't found fun in the grander scheme of things.

 

Airsoft is not just about the gameplaying its about the experience, and impressions for the right reasons contribute a hell of alot to that experience.

 

The internet is the appropriate place for the showing off and trading information on kit rather than everyone standing around in a circle jerk at the field/event drooling at each other.

 

I will admit that some people are here solely for the collection of gear and airsoft has being an accessory to that collection, in that case just look the other way, no one is making you go into those threads

[Hakkon]

I fall into the collecting gear group. Kinda.

 

The one team I play for does a Russian theme. I love the camo and the gear, but it's fairly limited on what I can use. (At least for me. I'd rather have authentic gear then some china china look alike).

 

The other team I play with (which is surprisingly somehow made up of people from the Russian team... ) wears kind of whatever. Some days we rock the Multicam, and other days we rock the Russian VDVs. For this team it's mostly trial and error with gear. Ive been using a Black Hawk Strike chest rig. A few of my team mates and I have these and we all love them.

 

I've also been looking into buying a Battle Labs Fast Attack Place Carrier. I really dig that look, so I'm going to have to start saving up some monies...