Ultra HSLD Chest Rig Set-Up - Help!

[PureSilver]

Hi all,
 
I'm looking to buy a completely new gear set to supplement my current 'black' get-up, composed of black jeans, a black long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Flyye CIRAS Land. This gear serves me well in CQB and when I have to play in black, but in woodland I stand out like anything else black at a KKK rally, and receive approximately the same amount of gunfire in response. The CIRAS, while a good fit and not short of MOLLE, is heavy, bulky and impedes my movement - and bluntly, I don't carry stuff that I don't use regularly, so it's also 80% bare.
 
I have therefore decided that it's time for me to invest some money into a decent woodland set-up that actually suits my style of play. I'm not doing any particular impression, so I don't need kosher kit of any sort - what I want is quality, preferably at a not-completely-ridiculous price, in a colour scheme that will camouflage me well across British woodland sites in most seasons. I started with what I need my gear to carry:

• 4-6 STANAG magazines (my usual primary is a TM SOPMOD). I like HSGI's double TACO pouches a lot.
• 1-3 double-stack pistol magazines (my usual secondary is a TM P226). Again, HSGI TACOs all the way.
• 1 pistol holster (currently a left-handed Blackhawk! SERPA).
• 1 Baofeng BF-888S radio.
• 1-2 grenades.
• That's it.
• Seriously, that's it. I don't carry a first aid kit, or water, or a multitool, or a speedloader, or extra BBs or gas, or a rubber knife, or cyalumes, or binoculars, or replica ballistic plates, or a tourniquet, or anything. The necessities stay at the respawn point in a bright orange plastic bag, and owing to a crippling skill deficiency I get shot a lot so I have ample opportunities to access them.

So, what I want is a light, compact way to carry that amount of equipment that doesn't cost the absolute Earth and can be had in a camouflage pattern that will suit British woodland, and that I can buy a uniform in that also doesn't cost the Earth (at the moment, I'm looking at US Woodland and MultiCam options). Looking around online, I'm spotting large numbers of very compact chest rigs that look like they'd be ideal for my use. So far, I'm interested in:

• HSGI AO Small Chest Rig: At $65 with a harness and 8x3 PALS, this looks like it can carry everything I need except the pistol holster, provided I'm prepared to double-stack my magazines, and nothing more. The pistol holster can go on a belt, although I'd rather have it in a shoulder holster (crossdrawing from under my right armpit as I'm left-handed) which this rig doesn't support.
• Original SOE PALS Micro Rig: At $75-80 with a harness and 8x3, 10x3 or 12x3 PALS, this is potentially wider, and I could potentially try and put the pistol holster on the 12x3 and draw it from the right side of my chest - but I think it's going to bump into the magazines. I do really like the look of their padded H-harness ($50).
• Tactical Tailor Mini MAV or Fight Light Mini MAV: At $30-61 with a harness and 8x3 PALS, these look very similar to the HSGI. Does anyone know the difference between the regular and Fight Light versions?
• Haley Strategic D3CR: At $179-183 with a harness and a lot of pouches that I'm not sure I want, this isn't very desirable unless someone can change my mind.
• Crye Precision AirLite Chest Rig: At $45 without a harness (no idea where to get a harness, unless the OSOE one fits) this looks like it's taken the diet to the point of actual discomfort. Again, not hugely desirable unless someone can change my mind.

So - does anyone have any experience with what I'm trying to do, or with any of these rigs? Are there any rigs I should be looking at, and haven't? Does anyone have any advice to offer me before I sink $200 into a rig and a further £100 into camouflage (I'm looking for trousers and a UBACS or similar), particularly on which camouflage pattern they think would best suit British field play?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

[thatguy404]

I have a tac tailor mini mav and a d3cr.

The mini mav is awesome. I run a smoke pouch, a double m4/double stacked and a double pistol on the right.

Works perfect. No space for radio though.

The D3cr is wider. Sits lower on the chest, won't fit a vtg/bfg without modifications.

I'm not a fan of the harness, it drifts off my shoulders. Aside from that it's a good rig, and may fit you better than me.

[hitmanNo2]

You've pretty much covered the main players I think.  My low profile rig 1 is the D3CR but I tend to run it with a Banshee PC.  My proper low profile is an Eagle All MOLLE chest ring but I don't think you can get them anymore

 

https://www.skdtac.com/Eagle-Chest-Rig-SKD-All-Molle-Version-p/eag.569.htm

 

I would stick to something customizable so that takes the D3CR out.  Plus you like TACOs.

 

Something to think about is strap padding.  Most don't really have any and are just straps across the shoulder.  Can be quite uncomfortable especially with heavy GBBR mags.  (Why I like the SKD modded Eagle)  So you might want to look into getting some after market padded straps.

[BigAl]

I would go with the full size TT MAV with the X Harness. Great rig with more space than the mini so you will be able to fit all you want on it. 

[Bovinedog]

Warrior falcon or pathfinder rigs are fairly low profile, not very customisable though. Not practical to mount a serpa, but my pistols fit in the falcon side pouches.

It's a good rig, not used it in a game yet.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[PureSilver]

Jesus, thanks for the fast replies everyone!

 

The mini mav is awesome. I run a smoke pouch, a double m4/double stacked and a double pistol on the right.
Works perfect. No space for radio though.

 

Sweet. I'm thinking about getting the OSOE harness with virtually whatever I end up buying - like hitmanNo2 says, virtually none of the others have a padded harness as stock, and I don't want it biting into my shoulders all day. The OSOE harness has the advantage of having a tiny bit of MOLLE on the back below the neck, where I reckon I could stuff a radio pouch without issue.

 

You've pretty much covered the main players I think. [...] My proper low profile is an Eagle All MOLLE chest rig but I don't think you can get them anymore[.]

 

I would stick to something customizable so that takes the D3CR out.  Plus you like TACOs.

 

That Eagle does look very close to what I want - it's got under-arm space where I could put the SERPA for a shoulder holster, too. I'd prefer it to be only 3 rows tall, but you can't have everything. I think I'll discount the D3CR - thanks for confirming that it's not a viable combination with TACOs.

 

I would go with the full size TT MAV with the X Harness. Great rig with more space than the mini so you will be able to fit all you want on it. 

 

The MAV is actually very close to what I'd like out of the Eagle, being just 3 tall. I'll definitely add that to the list and think about whether I'd rather have the SERPA under one arm and on the MAV, or on a belt and have the Mini MAV.

 

Warrior falcon or pathfinder rigs are fairly low profile, not very customisable though.

 

Hmm, I'll have a look - thanks!

[Katotaka]

Just random thoughts......ever considered May Flower chest rigs?

[PureSilver]

Yup, I had a look at their offerings. I can't see anything that's quite as small as I'm looking for - their 5.56 Hybrid Chest Rig looks to be their smallest, but it's got the same problem as the D3CR from my point of view - it's all integrated, not PALS, so I can't put the pouches I want on there. Are there any in particular you'd recommend?

[Skarclaw]

Platatac chicom? http://www.platatac.com/platatac-chicom-lightweight-rig.html

 

(doesn't really look much like a chicom tbh)

 

If you're going for a woodland set up - would you consider a belt rig? 

 

edit:

 

 

 

 

The MAV is actually very close to what I'd like out of the Eagle, being just 3 tall. I'll definitely add that to the list and think about whether I'd rather have the SERPA under one arm and on the MAV, or on a belt and have the Mini MAV.

 

 

 

Go with the belt set up tbh. holster on the chest rig would be accessible but not easily so - depending on your proportions etc. unless you had it mounted sideways - barrel pointing behind you??

[PureSilver]

Platatac chicom? http://www.platatac.com/platatac-chicom-lightweight-rig.html

 

That looks like it's in the same vein as the AirLite, but a bit heavier. Cheers, I'll add it to the list.

 

If you're going for a woodland set up - would you consider a belt rig? [...] Go with the belt set up tbh. holster on the chest rig would be accessible but not easily so - depending on your proportions etc. unless you had it mounted sideways - barrel pointing behind you??

 

I do already have a belt rig (Tactical Tailor Fight Light Battle Belt) that I use for sniping, but I find it a bit inconvenient when it's fully loaded with 6 STANAGs, 2 pistol magazines etc. - it's not well-supported for all that weight even with braces. I think I am gonna put the holster on my belt, but yes, you're right - I was going to put it barrel pointing down/behind me under my opposing armpit. I've tried it with my primary slung, though, and it gets in the way, so it'll have to go on my left on the belt.

[Skarclaw]

Yeah. I think a lot of the molle "battle belts" etc are obviously designed to be worn under plate carriers whereas I think for best weight distribution the buckle needs to be over the navel, as you would wear webbing. I only suggest this cause in my experience of playing woodland I prefer having the front of my torso clear as I spent a lot of time prone. The inverse is useful for cqb/ urban etc etc. YMMV!

[shmook]

If you want camouflage in British woodland, don't go multicam. It's far too light for the UK and you become a beacon!

[Katotaka]

Yup, I had a look at their offerings. I can't see anything that's quite as small as I'm looking for - their 5.56 Hybrid Chest Rig looks to be their smallest, but it's got the same problem as the D3CR from my point of view - it's all integrated, not PALS, so I can't put the pouches I want on there. Are there any in particular you'd recommend?

 

No, just "random" thought, I had even imagined an LBT 1961, just not light enough though.

4-6 AR mag means your frontal area is full, and you probably want your pistol and radio under your arms, few more pockets/pouches for grenades and pistol mags, well this pretty much is a 1961!

 

 

For HSLD setup you may end up assemble your own rig based on a MOLLE platform, how about BFG or WTF ?

Similar to CP offering ( laser-cut, crazy lightweight laminated material ) but I think CP one is designed to worn over a MOLLE PC.

[PureSilver]

Yeah. I think a lot of the molle "battle belts" etc are obviously designed to be worn under plate carriers whereas I think for best weight distribution the buckle needs to be over the navel, as you would wear webbing. I only suggest this cause in my experience of playing woodland I prefer having the front of my torso clear as I spent a lot of time prone.

 

Yup - I wear my belt nice and high, and use it mostly when playing marksman or sniper (when I'm spending a lot of time prone). When I'm running an assault rifle I only go as low as a crouch/knee most of the time, so I'd prefer to have it up on my chest. There'll be an 'Ultra HSLD Belt Rig' thread as soon as I work out how to rob another bank...

 

If you want camouflage in British woodland, don't go multicam. It's far too light for the UK and you become a beacon!

 

I was worried about this! My play environments are pretty varied. I play at a lot of urban sites, and some field/woodland ones, and would like this kit to fit as many of those as possible. To me that means some variant of 'green', and the reason for choosing MultiCam is you can get everything in it - uniform, chest rig, pouches, sling, helmet cover. My other options seem to be very limited - basically to getting all my gear in OD or US Woodland (the two non-MultiCam 'green' colours I can get TACOs in) and putting them on top of some other uniform. What do you recommend?

• HSGI AO Small Chest Rig: These are available in MultiCam, Olive Drab, and US Woodland.
• Original SOE PALS Micro Rig: These are available in MultiCam or Olive Drab.
• Tactical Tailor Mini MAV or Fight Light Mini MAV: These are available in MultiCam, Ranger Green and (Mini MAV only) Olive Drab.
• Haley Strategic D3CR: These are available in MultiCam, Ranger Green, and Kryptek Mandrake.

4-6 AR mag means your frontal area is full, and you probably want your pistol and radio under your arms, few more pockets/pouches for grenades and pistol mags, well this pretty much is a 1961!

 

I'm aiming to just have the pistol on my belt - everything else needs to fit in a small pack on my chest or in an equally small area on my back. Ideally I'd put the radio on my back (I don't need to fiddle with it once in play) but only the SOE Padded H-Harness seems to support that.

 

For HSLD setup you may end up assemble your own rig based on a MOLLE platform, how about BFG or WTF ?

 

I think those are in the same vein as the AirLite - a bit further than I want to go in the weight-loss department. I'll definitely be picking up another VCAS from BFG, though.

[Katotaka]

I think those are in the same vein as the AirLite - a bit further than I want to go in the weight-loss department. I'll definitely be picking up another VCAS from BFG, though.

 

Didn't tried any hypalon chest rig but a friend got a BFG plateminus, feels better than I expected and makes my CP JPC look heavy.

 

BTW I did struggle about similar problem before and went the belt route, end up with a belt that could go alone, with slick PC, chest rig, or even "full PC when I feel like it. It has nothing from 10 to 2 o'clock positions allowing me go low, and has a inner belt like competition rigs that spreads the weight and improves stability.

Pic if you're interested how it looks

 

 

That leaves you just the "extra" stuff on torso area.

[TheFull9]

Where to begin...

 

Personally I think for the amount you're wanting to carry you'd be better splitting some of it down on to a belt for quicker access, then topping up the belt pouches from the chest rig.  6 rifle mags, 3 pistol, a radio and 2 grenades all on the chest rig won't make for a low profile end solution and it won't be as fast to access stuff, comparatively speaking.  I settled on running 2 pistol mags and a rifle mag on the left side of my belt a long time ago; experimented with maaany other combinations stored in a wide array of pouches and mounted on a wide array of setups; not found one that was a fast and distributed the load as well in terms of keeping everything flat to the body (I pretty much never use pouches that stack mags on top of each other myself).  

 

With 1-2 rifle and 1-2 pistol mags and maybe a grenade on on your belt (whichever you prefer, but keeping the numbers low means less stuff 'around' the mags and faster reloads) you can store the other 4 rifle mags, a pistol mag, grenade and radio on your chest easily and keep everything low-profile.  Pistol should definitely be on the belt, no doubt about that.

 

It's hard to beat the latest F-L iteration of the 2-piece MAV in most areas that count and if you add the X harness it'll allow you a bit of PALS space on the back should you so desire.

 

http://www.optactical.com/tatafilimav2.html

http://www.optactical.com/tatafilixha.html

 

I also rate these 2 highly:

 

http://www.optactical.com/fispmochrisp.html

http://www.optactical.com/blfogespchri.html

 

But Whiskey Two Four WTFix straps would be highly recommended for using on any pouches that come with MALICE/HSG Clips; doubly so on the BFG.

 

I find HSGI's construction quality to be lacking far too frequently (not so much in the pouch line admittedly) and original SOE.. well in my opinion they simply don't deserve your money.  Emdom will custom manufacture lots of stuff in US Woodland to compliment the HSGI pouches.  If you dig around Tac Tailor and Grey Ghost you can find pouches and stuff in Pencott GreenZone and Kryptek Mandrake.  UR-Tac do a *suitcase* ton of things in MC Tropic but the pouches from them I bought some years ago were the worst I've ever bought; no idea if they've improved in the mean time.  ATACS-FG is a bit more widespread and particularly easy to find pouches given how much WAS stuff UKTac stock in the pattern.

 

Camo wise, multicam LBE will make your life easy in terms of purchasing (as you've noted) and works decently in most places (despite the hate it receives because it's cool to hate the popular thing).  Given that your equipment won't cover up much, you can then buy uniform to suit your environments better.  But as mentioned in the previous paragraph, there's lot of options for woodland camo pouches which you can always stick on an OD base rig and then find uniforms to match the pouches for a pretty consistent overall look.

[shmook]

For me I would be picking OD kit and hitting it with some spray paint, although I appreciate not everyone wants to spray their gear. OD works pretty well on its own anyway though

[hitmanNo2]

I'm a big fan of Ranger Green.  Coyote is pretty good too as it pretty much goes with everything. 

[PureSilver]

BTW I did struggle about similar problem before and went the belt route, end up with a belt that could go alone, with slick PC, chest rig, or even "full PC when I feel like it. It has nothing from 10 to 2 o'clock positions allowing me go low, and has a inner belt like competition rigs that spreads the weight and improves stability.

 

That's pretty nice - I'll definitely take some cues from yours for when I revamp the sniper/marksman rig I run.

 

Personally I think for the amount you're wanting to carry you'd be better splitting some of it down on to a belt for quicker access, then topping up the belt pouches from the chest rig.  6 rifle mags, 3 pistol, a radio and 2 grenades all on the chest rig won't make for a low profile end solution and it won't be as fast to access stuff, comparatively speaking. [...] It's hard to beat the latest F-L iteration of the 2-piece MAV in most areas that count and if you add the X harness it'll allow you a bit of PALS space on the back should you so desire.

 

I'd rather cut the number of magazines I carry on my chest to 4-5 than have to put much more than the pistol (and maybe the grenades) on my belt. I'm quite happy with magazine pouches that stack magazines on top of each other, though - and I definitely would prefer to put the radio on my back. The two-piece MAV doesn't look as appealing as the single-piece; do you recommend the regular Mini MAV, or not?

 

I find HSGI's construction quality to be lacking far too frequently (not so much in the pouch line admittedly) and original SOE.. well in my opinion they simply don't deserve your money.  Emdom will custom manufacture lots of stuff in US Woodland to compliment the HSGI pouches. If you dig around Tac Tailor and Grey Ghost you can find pouches and stuff in Pencott GreenZone and Kryptek Mandrake. [...] ATACS-FG is a bit more widespread and particularly easy to find pouches given how much WAS stuff UKTac stock in the pattern.

I want to stick with the TACOs, unless there are similar semi-rigid pouches available elsewhere. They're very flexible (they fit SVD magazines, M14 magazines, SCAR-H magazines etc.), they retain extremely well while being easy to extract, are adjustable, and I'm very happy with the black ones I have on my CIRAS. What's wrong with OSOE - not high-quality? Emdom don't seem to make rigs - but are you giving a vote of confidence for US Woodland?

 

Camo wise, multicam LBE will make your life easy in terms of purchasing (as you've noted) and works decently in most places (despite the hate it receives because it's cool to hate the popular thing).  Given that your equipment won't cover up much, you can then buy uniform to suit your environments better.

This is a bit more reassuring. As before, I'm pretty set on the TACOs, so for pouches (which I want to match the rig) my choices are MultiCam, Olive Drab and US Woodland. If MultiCam really won't work in the UK, I can go for an OD rig and OD pouches, which will have the added advantage of suiting more types of camouflage. My inner operator is complaining loudly that MultiCam everything would be much cooler, though.

 

For me I would be picking OD kit and hitting it with some spray paint, although I appreciate not everyone wants to spray their gear. OD works pretty well on its own anyway though

Looks like it's increasingly likely to be OD gear over some green camouflage, unless I ignore everyone and go ahead with the MultiCam anyway.

 

I'm a big fan of Ranger Green.

It's a shame I can barely get anything in Ranger Green, because I agree with you that it's more woodland-y than OD. Coyote's a bit too deep a brown for me, I think.

[Katotaka]

 

That's pretty nice - I'll definitely take some cues from yours for when I revamp the sniper/marksman rig I run.

 

Belts are called first line gear (most of the time) for some reasons.

 

Talking about "first", I think you could rearrange the gear you have on the belt first, before making any purchase.

[TheFull9]

I'd rather cut the number of magazines I carry on my chest to 4-5 than have to put much more than the pistol (and maybe the grenades) on my belt. I'm quite happy with magazine pouches that stack magazines on top of each other, though - and I definitely would prefer to put the radio on my back. The two-piece MAV doesn't look as appealing as the single-piece; do you recommend the regular Mini MAV, or not?

 

The 1-piece MAV is still a great chest rig, especially the latest production model, but personally having used split-front rigs since I started out I can't stand not having the ease of on/off that a split-front gives you.  I find them immeasurably less hassle at a skirmish and generally make my life better.  However looking at the 1-piece MAV and X harness on the TT site I'm fairly sure you could fit said harness to the fight light mini-MAV (not the original version in 1000D though).  I'm not 100% that the fastex buckles are the same widths (between the mini and 1-piece) and the site doesn't say the 2 are supposed to work together, but if you asked TT I'm sure they'd help you out.  I'd get the F-L 1-piece over the mini personally, but if you are stacking mags and therefore don't need as large a footprint, the mini is a fine option.

 

I want to stick with the TACOs, unless there are similar semi-rigid pouches available elsewhere. They're very flexible (they fit SVD magazines, M14 magazines, SCAR-H magazines etc.), they retain extremely well while being easy to extract, are adjustable, and I'm very happy with the black ones I have on my CIRAS. What's wrong with OSOE - not high-quality? Emdom don't seem to make rigs - but are you giving a vote of confidence for US Woodland?

 

Yeah I own a few TACOs  Emdom make their own versions, as do Tyr Tac.. possibly some others I can't recall at this exact moment but they're all basically HSGI clones with perhaps the exception of the G-Code scorpion line.

 

OSOE is run by a monumental d-bag who's bestest buds with James Yeager.  Their products are archaic in design and construction compared to Crye and particularly FS.  I'm pretty sure they're only still in business because of the many YouTube shooting celebrity endorsements and the ignorance of the alot of shooters when it comes to how kit is constructed; the prices they currently charge for their stuff given the materials used are a joke IMHO, everything looks straight out of 2005.  Gear has moved on since then, a lot.  It's probably well put together, but to my mind there's no point in investing in DVDs at this stage in the 4k game.

 

Camo... well what do you like the look of?  US Wood as with DPM is rather dark and old-school.  I like the aesthetics of it a lot and it does work in very very dark green/dark brown environs, but having black in a woodland camo scheme is rather out-dated.  Given the fact that HSGI and others actually make pouches in the pattern (which is a very recent development since it's seen a big resurgence in the last 12 months or so) I'd say it's a good contender.

 

This is a bit more reassuring. As before, I'm pretty set on the TACOs, so for pouches (which I want to match the rig) my choices are MultiCam, Olive Drab and US Woodland. If MultiCam really won't work in the UK, I can go for an OD rig and OD pouches, which will have the added advantage of suiting more types of camouflage. My inner operator is complaining loudly that MultiCam everything would be much cooler, though.

 

Nooo, if you wanna be operator, you mix camos.  MC gear on US Wood apparel is alllllll the rage on instagram recently.

 

As for what works in the UK, just depends on your woodland sites.  Long, dead grass (or grass in general), bracken, evergreen trees, lightweight/light coloured bushes, dry or sandy soil, lots of leaf litter etc - MC works a damn treat and I've seen it fade away many times.  If you're talking heavy, clay, wet soil, bramble bushes with dark green leaves, oak trees, no grass - Then your darker camo schemes like US Wood and Olive Drab come in to play.

 

Don't listen to anyone who generalises, that's the main point.  Anyone who says MC 'doesn't work in the UK' actually means 'I haven't seen MC work in the UK' because in most instances they've only played a couple of sites where the colour palettes were all wrong for transitional colour schemes.  I can show you plenty of pictures of DPM and US Wood utterly failing in dense woodland because the palettes were just totally wrong; then show you a bunch of pictures of tri-colour, arid MARPAT and DDPM working a treat in UK woodlands.  Just take a minute to look at pictures of the sites you mostly play and you'll quickly figure out what will work.

[Leshy]

Bfg molle minus is a fantastic rig been using mine for 3 years now for my tm mp7 gbb. 3 fast mag 4 bfg ten speed and a whisper dump pouch.

Glock 17 serpa and 2 mags blade tech on my belt. Though my pistol is never used, it will probably be replaced with bfgs' and 2 more mp7 mags.

 

I agree with ck on multicam, great in the south of England but dayglow in Northern Ireland. Use were applicable.

[Skarclaw]

Tropical multicam top and multicam bottoms would be a p.sweet combo.

 

Bit off topic really it not being a chest rig... But I suppose it counts as HSLD? 

 

Tacticool russian camo: 

 

http://grey-shop.ru/index.php?route=product/product&path=90_80&product_id=818

 

http://grey-shop.ru/index.php?route=product/product&path=90_79&product_id=440

 

http://grey-shop.ru/index.php?route=product/product&path=90_79&product_id=660

 

 http://grey-shop.ru/index.php?route=product/product&path=90_79&product_id=618