A good buddy of mine rocks the JPC 2.0, and picked me one up as well, so I have been busy doing some mods on them.  I added slotted SR buckles, then modified the existing panels so they are now like micro chest rig panels.  Instead of having to Velcro them down with straps, you merely click them in and out, which is good for a Bravo, if you're switching between different weapon platforms.  I also decreased the Velcro on micro panels to 2" across the middle.  Between this and the SR buckles, the mags now have a bit of a stand-off, which allows you to get a thumb behind them for withdrawal.  The molle panel I made into an open top mag panel, with Esstac kydex inserts.  Go Stu.  The top flap panel I modified with my tuck tab closures.

I am now adding First Spear Tubes on the cut down webbing cummerbund, or just side straps now, if you want.  Saw the Down Range Gear tutorial on it and figured why not.  First Spear will now sell you the Tube sets separately.  You just have to sign a non-disclosure agreement and promise not to sell them to the Chinese or whoever.  I think this will be a real game-changer, as you can now mount side pouches for radios and what-not, with a quick mount/release system, with no gap, and get rid of all that Velcro flap business.  Smokin'.

Any body else doing this?

Nice, I luv me some tubes, I don't think I could go back to anything else

This.

I used the cumberbund to upgrade my PC. Well worth the money.

Same here. LBT 6094s with FirstSpear retrofit cummerbunds. Super fast on/off.

I have a First Spear Cummerbund with tubes on my JPC but would love a separate set of tubes alone to integrate with the factory cummerbund. How do you get tubes separate from the cummerbund? I did not see them listed on the Fisrt Spear website.

They're not on the website yet.  You have to call up, request the disclosure sheet, sign it, return it, and then they will sell you individual sets of Tubes.  They are serious about you being the "end user" and not re-selling these things to a third party.  Especially do not want these things going overseas.

You can get 2" or 4", std or slotted, in CB, foliage green, tan, and black.   Kind of a PITA but worth it.  There is some sewing involved, so get your local rigger a case of beer and talk him into it.

Diz,

You might putting some pictures up? I just picked up a 2.0 and it’s on it’s way to AFG. When you say you cut the nylon off, Did you cut the nylon that houses the E doff handle on the 2.0 cumberbund where the skeletal cumberbund ends and Velcro meets? This first spear tubes mod sounds awesome.

I picked up the Esstac placards as well for m4 and then an AK set up I’ll make.

These various cummerbund QD mechanisms have always been interesting to me, but the loss of the PALS "real estate" right next to the front flap has always been a non-starter for me, as I use that space, and being a smaller framed guy, having to bump stuff back to accomodate the cummerbund release can cause some items to be out of reach (at least not without some contortion).

It'd be interesting if someone could find a "real estate neutral" way to integrate something like this, but until then, I'm pretty much stuck with the flap.

~Augee

I'll post some pics when I can.  I'm kinda techno challenged though.  Haven't been able to find a good way since photobucket went to shit.

On the mods, yeah, you un-pick and remove the Velcro panels on the side webbing.  Then depending, you either just sew something right back on, or, if you're like Augee or me, you might want to consider shortening the webbing to a more custom fit.  What I have in mind is shortening the webbing about 3" per side, then adding a new web vertical "fence post" if you will, that will cover the web raw ends, as well as the web loops for the "Tubes".  So, yeah, you're just shit-canning the Velcro panels and adding some additional webbing structure to support the new "female" Tube closure.

I wasn't real big on those ditch handles myself, so I just shit-canned them.  You won't need them with the Tubes.

The "male" Tubes will have web and Velcro tails which will rig into the existing Velcro on the plate carrier front, just nestled under the mag panel, so there's virtually no loss of real estate, if you want to add pouches around the sides.

For me it's more about ditching and donning.  I want to be able to get in and out of it quickly, without all the racket.  I know, a lot of guys say this is a non-issue, but for me, it is.  It's not something I wear every day; it's something I may have to throw on quickly and fight, if necessary.  Also, if I had to travel overland, I might carry the plates in the ruck, until rigging out for actions in the objective area.  Then, once the mission is complete, I might want to take them off again to exfil the area.  So I wouldn't want all that racket in the ORP.  I know that's an extreme example, which for some is considered highly unlikely, but to each his own.

I'm interested in seeing the swiftclip placards. I'm running a 2.0 overseas right now as well.  I tried an esstac placard but it looked pretty narrow, leaving exposed Velcro on the sides.

I modded a 1.0 like this a couple years ago. Downrange Gear did the mod. At the time I had to buy the entire conversion cummerbund to get the tubes. That hurt. I loved it, probably my favorite simple PC. As we started using PCs more and more, I ended up selling it to a team mate because of what I saw as the limitations of the JPC vs the AVS as a full service carrier.

What width do you like the placards or panels to be?  Some guys roll with a 4-mag format, others a 3-mag.  I prefer 3-mag, but a little more width on the sides, which covers the Velcro, as you mentioned.  So I think I ended up around 11" wide.

Why do you prefer the AVS format over the JPC?  Does that just fit your load out better?  Mine is just basically a 1st responder rig, so the JPC fits the bill nicely.

need some pics of these setups!

Looks like a very cool solution. I ain't scared of a little sewing.

Hers one Downrange Gear did, you can see the cut ends of the old cummerbund on the plate side.
Seems simple enough.

Yeah it's not something too complex, you just need good machine, usually an industrial, to punch through webbing n shit.  I like what Down Range Gear did, but I am gonna wrap a piece of webbing or binding tape, vertically, around the outside of the whole joint, on the "cummerbund" webbing side.  That way all webbing ends will be covered up.

On the PC side, since you have a whole bed of Velcro, all you need to build is web and Velcro "tails" that will attach the Tube to the PC front, positioned so they just clear the mag panel sides.

It's been slow to get the Tubes out of First Spear, but in fairness, I did not have an account set up, and this isn't exactly a big priority order.  So you jump through the hoops and wait for your shit to get here.

I'm kinda surprised more guys aren't doing this.  Maybe the word just hasn't gotten out yet.  This is a huge leap in technology for PC closure systems.

I don't see how that doesn't have a gap as compared to the stock velcro.

Well I mean it does have a slight gap.  How much will depend on how deep underneath the mag panel you set the male buckles on the PC front.  But it's a helluva lot less than SR buckles.  So yeah you can hang a reload or radio there and still reach it.  So in field use, you now have a 4-5 mag format instead of 3, then a gap, and two more.  I've seen guys use them in classes and they work pretty good.  Much more like a 5-mag chest rig, or really a classic Rhody chest rig with armor.

But more than that, this system gets rid of all that fucking Velcro.  It is quick to ditch and don, and does so silently.  It will not loosen in water immersion, or clog with mud or snow.  For those that have a need for any of these things, it's a vast improvement.  But just for everyone, getting rid of the fiddle-factor of mating all that Velcro really simplifies taking it on and off, especially with a full mag panel.

You could probably recess the "male" end of the tube that's attached to the front flap a bit so the tube part sits just under the flap.  It would make it a sight bit more involved to release the tube, as you'd have to dig under the side of the front flap a bit, but it would "hide" the tubes and get the cummerbund PALS all the way forward like the original configuration.

The edges of the front flap bellow out a bit anyway when you use the flap's mag pouches, so I'd image there's room to tuck the tubes in there a smidge.

Yeah that's exactly how it works.  You can balance gap versus quick detach.  Also keep in mind, on a mag or radio pouch, you're usually talking a 3" wide pouch, with two molle straps that are approx. 1/2" from the edge of the pouch.  So the pouch itself will overlap the attachment point a bit, and cover up the female or cummerbund side of the tube.  So if you cheat the male side under the center mag panel a bit, and the female side under the side pouch a bit, you will have very little gap, practically speaking.

But I am running mine slicked down with just a 3-mag panel and PTT on front, and a radio pouch on back.  So for me, the tubes are all about getting in and out quickly, and quietly.

I supported that. Is there such a thing as a laser cut cover to support that on top a modified JPC cummerbund? Looks like it requires laser cut slots on a First Spear cummerbund, which I have, but Id prefer to get extra tubes and modify my original cummerbund to stay cooler.

As an update, I have modified a couple of cummerbunds, a JPC and a Mayflower w/Crye cummerbund as it turns out.  The Tubes work really well.  Getting in and out is really simplified.  And fast.   If that is a factor for you, then it is definitely worth it.

What I have found is the "male" tubes on the PC front, need to be placed far enough outboard to "hinge" or bend to meet the cummerbund.  Since this is usually where things bend to fit around your bod (unless you're a fat-body), it has to make almost a 90 deg bend here.  So cheating them inboard is not really an option.  You are stuck with whatever gap you have, which ends up being approx. 1".  So for those of you that just can't live with this, you might be SOL.  But then again, maybe not.

But if you want a rig that is fast to get into, then this is definitely a system to consider.  I have never liked all that friggin Velcro on the standard plate carriers.  I understand if you are the type who puts it on in the morning, and takes it off at night; you probably don't care.  But if you are someone who might have to put it on quickly in an emergency then this is what you want.

I originally re-built the cummerbund so the molle loops go as far forward on the outside as possible.  Some folks may want to reverse this, putting the last loop on the inboard side, if you plan on carrying a pouch on the inside of the cummerbund.  Even better, if you are running comms (single or dual) inside the cummerbund, the Crye pouches still work well underneath the cummerbund.  You simply put them on the PC first (they Velcro in place), then add the male tubes over them.  It's perhaps a bit more fiddly to connect, but with the radio pouches connected to the front plate, the Tubes will mate right over the top of them- with no loss of real estate.  So this might be a solution for those of you with this concern.

If you want to run a pouch outboard, then yeah, the Raine piece might work for ya, but since most guys I've seen run pouches on the inside here, I would use the Crye radio/mag pouch, or make your own.  You simply add a Velcro wing to one side of the pouch that mates onto the PC front.  The cummerbund then mates over the top of it, holding into place.  The Tubes don't change this from the original Velcro.

The funny part was the cummerbund attachment is fairly straight-forward, but the smaller shoulder attachment is a pain in the ass.  You have to figure out how you want to cut the tube attachment in, as close to the PC as possible, while at the same time, figure out how much webbing to remove to allow for the full length of the assembly.  However, since most PC shoulder straps are grossly over-sized (pun intended), this does give you the opportunity to shorten them to stud length.

Oh, and after my bud was issued the AVS, I now understand the difference between it and a JPC.  Different missions, different gear.

Not to derail this here thread guys.....but wtf are tubes?

Thanks.

They're a very strong thin and cheap way to eliminate needing a cummerbund flap. There are a lot of "upgrade" kits with them floating around. Thelose kits are neat and all but I think that eliminates some of the awesomeness of the system because you still have the bulk of the Velcro and the flap. First spear' s tubes and laser cut products are likley the new direction that gear is going. There are certainly better laminates for cutting than the one they use. I've been messing around with WTF.inc's ACRONYM and if i could get some BTY I'd love to play with ULTRAcomp. I've looked into Matblok's GHOST material, I'd love to a quote a yard or two for testing but they don't sell BTY and their gear is too pricey for me to play with.

It's a cummerbund attachment mechanism designed by FirstSpear.

Well yeah, First Spear came up with a really good closure system.  It's a quick release buckle that replaces the pads of Velcro, to mate cummerbunds to plate carrier fronts.  I've seen it around and wanted to lay hands on, but you couldn't buy it separately, as in a repair item, or a mod to another carrier.

But now it is available to add onto practically any system you care to mention.

It may look strange but it's actually very easy to use.  You simply pull outboard on the lanyard (which would be through the hole you see there in the middle of the female piece), and pull upward on it to release the cummerbund.  Or, to don you simply push it back down onto the male piece, until it snaps in place.  It has detents, which you release when pulling out on the lanyard.  If you decide to run shoulder Tubes, they are similar, as you pull out on the lanyard and then pull the strap outboard to release.  Or push it back in to don.  So it gives you lots of options, as to how you want to rig your gear.  Whether you just want something quick to get into, or also something quick to get out of (or give the medic something quick to pull off you without cutting the straps.)

I think the problem was one of timing.  People really liked them when they first came out, but you had to buy their replacement cummerbund to get them.  By the time they decided to release them for individual sale, the buzz was gone and nobody seems to give a shit.  If they had done that upfront, a couple of years ago, probably half the PC's out there would have had them by now.

As far as all that Velcro still being there.  That's a pretty easy fix.  If it wuz me, I'd shit-can the flap for starters, then replace it with a good micro rig.  That way you could damn near have a concealed carry rig, if fer nothing else, to wear BA under insulation layers, with the chest rig outside yer parka.  If that's something that you can relate to.

The best cummerbund closure system made. Made by First Spear.

https://youtu.be/vkDMbq9x9os

The best things about them is they are super fast on, super fast off, allow for perfect tightness and consistency each time you put em on, and allow for swing rotation while being super secure. They are gross motor skill friendly, even better than Austri Alpin buckles that sometimes fail to close completely when you think the connection was made or can be a little fiddly to disconnect under tension.

Thanks all.

Getting ready to snag a set of tubes and an extra Crye Skeletal Cummberbund for the mod to be sent to Downrange gear. Ill be sending it to them soon. Maybe Ill be able to use it out here before my time is up.

I think that will be a very shit-hot rig.  Down Range Gear is good people.

Would not be surprised to see 1st Spear bring out a skeletonized cummerbund themselves.  I mean if yer not sporting side armor, why carry the extra weight/bulk of a full cummerbund?

Where can you order and extra skeletal cummerbund?

I was curious, too. First response on Google is Crye's webpage:
https://www.cryeprecision.com/ProductDetail/avs06202lxl_avs-3band-skeletal-cummerbund

That's the way to go, I ordered one direct from Crye to use with my APC.

Yeah this is kinda the Reese's peanut butter cup of PC's.  If First Spear would use Crye's design on a cummerbund, GTG.  If Crye would use First Spear's Tube design, GTG.  I'm sure there would be licensing agreements and what-not, but yeah, that's what were all building here.

Definitely subscribed.  I like the tubes and I want a JPC 2.0

Maybe a vendor would come up with a package deal on this;  a crye skeletal cummerbund, and a set of First Spear Tubes.  Plus custom shop mods to close the deal.  Bam!

Thing is, you end up paying a lot of money for something that should be available as a stock item, judging from the response/feedback I've gotten.

This would be an excellent opportunity for a new gear maker.  Anybody interested, let me know.  Be glad to help out.  I'm working on my own prototype with this combination.