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1cem4n

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My girlfriend wants to buy me a vest and she's pretty determined to get me the best vest that money can buy. I heard that BHI had top notch ones and had a few questions.

 

-Are the vests mesh or just solid "fabric"? some of them look like mesh but I am not sure.

 

-Do they have some padding?

 

-Do they come with belts?

 

I was looking at the Omega Elite Phalanx HSV Vest and I was wondering what the insides of the utility pouches look like and if it is a good vest for airsofting. Another thing is, there seems to be the Omega Elite Phalanx HSV Vest and then the non-elite version, what are the differences?

 

A couple other things, are the neoprene gloves from them(navigunner water ops?) any good? and how do their hydration systems compare to camelbak or such?

 

I don't usually play urban areas although I do play in close quarters sometimes.

 

-1cem4n

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if you are looking for top notch, black hawk is a good way to go. what kind of Gun do you have? how many mags? the BlackHawk Load Bearing Kit is not a bad choice (not to be confused with load bearing vest) its more like an alice gear kind of setup, comes with Alice overalls, pistol belt, black hawk butt pack, 4 mag pouches that hold 2-3 mags depending on what kind of gun you have, and 2 blackhawk canteen pouches. check out www.uscav.com

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m4 and sl-9

well, seeing how those two mags differ quite alot in the way of dimension (asumming you are using normal G36 mags, i would suggest to go with one of their modeular molle systems. Like the recon chest rig ( wich can have a backpanel attachedo or if you are really want a vest, they have those aswell with the molle system.

This way you can get the misc. pouches you need for carrying BB's, etc and M4 aswell as G36 magazinepouches you can switch between depending on wich gun you are using.

Blackhawk have some very well priced molle chestrigs and vests, wich come with a lifetime garantue iirc, plus the advantage of going with a molle platform is that you are not bound by only blackhawk pouches, but you can choose between an array of different brands wich all fit the standardized molle systems.

 

unless offcourse you want different loadouts for each gun

 

anyways,; just my 2 cents :)

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Blackhawk Industries stuff are alright. I have a few pouches from them and Eagle for a few years. The BHI pouches are showing wear and tear while the Eagle pouches looks brand new. BHI stuff is made in Vietnam and Eagle stuff is made in the USA (aka higher quality).

 

You can't go wrong with an Eagle vest. Those are pretty much the exact same as BHI's and are MUCH sturdier in a long run. Plus, Eagle's stuff is warranted for life and if it fails, you just return it for a new one, no questions asked. I had to exchange an Eagle pouch because the stitching was off in one part. Within four days, I had a new pouch in my hands. My friend still hasn't received his replacement M4 mag pouch from BHI after his lid on the first one nearly tore off four weeks ago...

 

Some other good brands that makes nice vests are from Tactical Tailor and London Bridge (now THOSE are the Lexus of float vests!)

 

The Elite versions have MOLLE on the back, rather than BTS. There are also a few minor differences.

 

Between Camelbak and hydrastorm, many people would prefer Camelbak. Head to Lightfighter.net and see the consensus there.

 

Vests are mesh.

 

They do not come with a belt.

 

Navigunner? Aren't those discontinued? Coulda sworn I saw them in the CLOSEOUT part a few weeks back. What's wrong with regular Nomex avaitor's gloves? Those would fit fine. If you have the cash, Wiley's gloves looks pretty hot.

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m4 and sl-9

Hmm...with that kind of settup, I would recommend this for your girlfriend to buy for you :). It's modular, cheap, and is a damn well made piece of gear.

 

http://www.skdtac.com/category.asp?CATEGORYID=216

 

I like chest rigs myself. I'm thinking on getting one myself. It was either this or a FROG rig from BDS (which costs nearly triple of Eagle's).

 

You won't be disappointed.

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Best vest that money can buy? Don't go with BHI stuff. For vests, go with Eagle or Tactical Tailor...

 

I recommend other setups than vests though...

 

Since you have two different weapons, go for a modular vest in the form of MOLLE gear.

 

If money is not a problem at all, I honestly would recommend you look at plate carriers such as the Eagle Plate Carrier with Cummerband (the "next" big thing) or the Eagle CIRAS. Then add pouches as you need. All of these can be ordered from www.optactical.com

 

Or, for a better deal, go on to www.tacticaltailor.com and get their woodland camo "sales" kit. That's gear that's far nicer quality than BHI's and comes complete, ready for a M4. Then all you need are pouches for your SL-9

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I use blackhawk almost exclusively. I like them and their great selection of weapon specific gear. I own 2 different blackhawk setups and love both. It mainly depends on what you want and what look you want. Blackhawk has a lifetime wear/tear/fray/break replacement warranty. and they seem to have good customer care.

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Or the Eagle Plate Carrier w/ Cummerband. Seems to be the nexy big thing, very hard to get hold of just a few weeks ago due to the vast numbers being sent over to the sandbox...

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I heard MOLLE was being phased out soon, is that true? The Eagle vests look mighty expensive and I really don't want a mesh one(personal preference) but maybe if i try on my friend's and play, i'll see it different. Do you guys think I could fit my SL-9 mags into the "utility pouches"?

 

Are MOLLE vests mesh too or are they solid fabric?

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Eagle vests are 1000D Cordura, meaning that it will take whatever ###### you can throw at it and come out structurally like-new :P (almost)

 

In other words, it's nice and solid. Not mesh.

 

As for MOLLE being phased out, unlikely. Crye's newest Armored Chassis (The Body armor that will be used for the US Army of tomorrow) still has PALS webbing and therefore MOLLE. Pouches might become all MALICE clips instead of the more standard MOLLE straps though.

 

As for the SL9 mags, why don't you give Optac. a email asking about it? Give them the dimensions of your mag and I'm sure they can help you out.

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The Eagle CIRAS is so expensive cause it's the second best vest ever created, the first being the Paraclete RAV (800USD without pouches). Yes, the Eagle CIRAS comes without pouches, I'd say atleast 200USD more for a full loadout of pouches.

 

I love my CIRAS, I've sent a few over to my friends in Iraq and they love them.

 

 

Cheers,

Mike

:cookiemonster:

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Eagle has created a non releasable version of the CIRAS called the Law Enforcement Plate Carrier ( I think). It retails for around $300.

 

The reason its so expensive is the stitching work that makes the releasable mechanism work and makes it durable.

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Those CIRAS Vests look really nice, but they're almost 600 dollars and they don't come with pouches?  why are they so expensive?  cause they are quick release?

 

http://www.eagleindustries.com/mainprod.asp?scv=0

 

the eagle sniper vest, is that mesh or solid, does anybody know?

 

p_TAC-SVD.jpg

 

That sure does look like mesh to me.

 

Ooh, and!

 

The TAC-SVD is a versatile, high quality vest. The SVD's body is mesh

 

We do try to help you, but PLEASE do some reading of your own too.

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Eagle has created a non releasable version of the CIRAS called the Law Enforcement Plate Carrier ( I think). It retails for around $300.

 

The reason its so expensive is the stitching work that makes the releasable mechanism work and makes it durable.

 

The plate carrier is a completely different item.

 

The LE Plate Carrier is a Police version of the normal Plate Carrier with Cummerbund, but it only comes in black and ranger green, and the top rows of MOLLE on the bib have been replaced with velcro.

 

There are 2 new cheaper CIRAS from Eagle. One is called the LE CIRAS, and is a releasable Maritime CIRAS with the top 4 rows of MOLLE replaced with velcro, it will come in black and ranger green only.

 

The second is called the LE CIRAS Carrier, and is a NON-releasable Maritime version with the top 4 rows of MOLLE replaced with velcro, it will come in black and ranger green only.

 

 

Cheers,

Mike

:cookiemonster:

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I think I'll just get a BHI STRIKE Omega Gen 4 MOLLE Vest and get some pouches for it.

 

i'm probably going to base it on this vest:

http://www.eagleindustries.com/mainprod.asp?scv=0

except on the right hand side(POV when you're wearing it), i'll probably put some medium utility pouches for my sl-9 mags(they're the 20rnd STAR ones)

 

anybody want to recommend what I should put on the back besides a hydration pouch(i'm going to put in my camelbak reservoir). I will have a thigh holster.

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