Problem:  Split-front chest harness losing useful space up front that AK-type harnesses take advantage of

Solved: My first vest designs I made back in 2001 addressed this in a simple way.  Here's the one I've been using since early 2008.






Problem:  Widespread adoption of Camelbak leads to snag and routing issues of the hose, as well as superior trapezious muscle infringement when rucksack straps bear down on improperly-routed hose.

Solved with the same vest designs, to the point you don't even know there is a Camelbak in it unless you know what you're looking at or are shown.

Problem: Utility pouches lack integral protection for optics, electronics, and Night Vision Gear.

Solved: The very first SAW pouches I made addressed this back in 1997.

Problem:  This is something I have wrestled with for decades now, never happy with what the military or market has to offer, and that is magazine pouches.  The age-old challenge is how to provide protection and storage for loaded magazine, as well as quick access for reloads.  We started out emphasizing full protection of the mags, with fully-enclosed pouches using various closure methods.

The old M-1956 ammo pouches actually weren't a bad design, but were made of cotton canvas which rotted in high humidity.  Then came M-1967, then LC-1, TLBV, LBV, and finally MOLLE.  MOLLE simply used the LBV pouch design, with MOLLE attachment rather than directly sewn.

Different units with more flexibility in gear modification and design tried a number of approaches to carrying M16 mags.  SOG, for example, used BAR belts, AK harnesses, modified SKS harnesses, and locally-sewn solutions, in addition to the standard issue M-1956 LBE.  



One technique with the AK chest harness-type vests was to tuck the pouch flap of at least one pouch behind the mags, so the mags in that pouch were your emergency/speed reload presentation.  Eventually, people started favoring no pouch flaps at all in units where actions on the objective were measured in seconds, after a nice ride in on an AH-6 or MH-60.  In the 1990s, 2nd Ranger Battalion spec'd out a specific chest harness for their needs, working with Logan Coffee (aka the Tactical Tailor), which was the 2/75 RACK.  It had open-topped pouches, inspired by some home-grown rigs seen being used in a unit 2/75 worked with a lot.  The magazine retention method on the original RACK was binding tape with Velcro tabs.

Open top mag pouches may be fine for short-duration mission profiles, but the moment you go prone and have to low-crawl, or ride in vehicles in a high-dust environment, or work in arctic conditions, things start to go wrong.  A fully-enclosed pouch provides more protection when riding in high dust, low-crawling, or in icy rain and sleet.  

The current trends seem to lean heavily in favor of pouch designs that aren't really intended for what most mounted and dismounted Infantry, SF, and other combat arms soldiers are doing.

Can you have a fully-enclosed pouch that also provides rapid access to the mags, without the problems of each?  Yes
Can you have adjustable retention tension methods that don't leave shock cord exposed?  Yes
Can you provide additional protection in the pouch to impact, abrasion, and extreme temps?  Yes
Can you make a relatively small pouch that fits NATO STANAG 5.56, as well as 40rd 5.56, SR25, and AK mags, without being a pouch that is mediocre at them all, but instead, seems purpose-built for each?  Yes

This pouch will hold:

3 30rd PMAGs  (90rds)
1 40rd and 2 30rd PMAGs  (100rds)
2 7.62x39 AK mags
2 SR25/M14 20rd Mags
2 SR25 25rd Mags

I never intended it to hold SR25 mags, but it adapts to basically whatever box mag you want to put in it that isn't longer than a 7.62 NATO mag, (longer meaning cartridge length, not magazine height).

3x30rd PMAG






1x40rd PMAG + 2x30rd PMAGs




2xSR25 20rd Mags




2xSR25 25rd PMAGs

Damn you weren't kidding when you said you could build me a pack in that other thread.

That is crazy awesome skills man.

I'm jealous. That is seriously impressive.

How much generally would a custom radio pack cost me?

Looks very cool.  A suggestion is to add the Velcro mat on all sides internally and make a few dividers that you can move around to either accommodate mags, electronics, etc.

Thanks.  Already there.  You can see it clearly in the open pouch picture.  Pile tape is present for open architecture tailoring per user wants and needs.

There were a few times when I used SAW pouches for mags, and that was for AK mags on rare occasion.

I usually carry sustainment items in them now, along with optics/electronics.

One will have energy bars, a micro stove, Nomex, black marker in one of the chem light slots, lip balm in one of the battery slots, my spoon.

These are padded with a nice high density foam, which was an issue I addressed early on for jumping and general abuse.

We would lower our suspenders on the ALICE gear so we could fit it all under the T-10 parachute harness, so when you hit the ground, anything sensitive could end up being damaged.  I knew I wanted better protection for my NODs, BINOS, and LRF, so my first from-scratch SAW pouches had padding between the Cordura and tarp liner.  They were really heavy duty, 1000D Cordura, HMMWV tarp, and padding.

I use saw pouches to hold Colt and uzi stick mags. Can you make something better for Glock 33 rounders?

nice work

i actually need something like that for NODs and also for my LRF.  I have many pouches for each, but they all suck.

What is your base platform?

Vest
Plate Carrier
Battle Belt
AK harness

These pouches are fully enclosed inside of at least 3 layers:

Cordura
High density foam
Nylon internal liner

One of the first things I added when I started modifying SAW pouches in 1996 was foam padding, and an internal liner.  I wanted the pouch to be able to accommodate linked 7.62 NATO, Steiner binos, MELIOS LRF, and NODs, as well as SAW drums, foreign mags, 203 rounds, etc.

I've jumped most of that without ever having damage to my sensitive items.  The 82nd had this retarded SOP where they wanted us to bubble-wrap NODs, then tie them to our button hole on the BDU top, and stuff them under our BDU top on our chest.

I just tied them down securely inside my SAW pouch and didn't worry about it anymore.

Let me know how I can help you get your stuff squared away and you'll be able to check this off as done and dusted.

hmm...   i'd like to molle attach the NV goggles to a pack (currently eberlestock lo-drag and phantom).   need lots of protection, and don't need quick access, as i'd only get them out and put them back once a day.

the LRF (PLRF10c with tripod adapter) I need to access quicker than i used to, so i need to either keep it on a belt (CR Speed velcro belt) instead of in a molle pouch on the back of the pack.  the problem with the current pouches is they fit too closely.  very difficult to pull it out and requires two hands

LRRP i got a feeling your gonna end up with alot of my money

I've made a few SAW pouches over the years, starting by modifying the older ALICE OD Green nylon SAW pouches with Fastex, grenade carriers, then internal improvements.

I gathered a lot of data over the years from deployments, training, and improving them along the way.  The biggest, most practical improvement is how the pouch is insulated from impact for your optics and electronics, like LRFs, binos, and NODs.  I put a trauma shears pouch on this one on the exterior.  Elastic retention is present inside the pouch for your batteries, chem lights, and spoon.  I learned after a few years that MRE spoons are only good for field-expedient antenna insulators, so I started carrying a metal spoon from home.  They slip right into one of the elastic loops.

This is where I'm at with my latest design:

Access to the mags in the mag pouches is as fast as a taco with shock cord and pull tab, but the mags are protected from debris ingestion like with a fully-enclosed pouch.

That is bad ass well played....

I took apart one of my utility pouches, and made some mods to bring it up to speed like I did with my older woodland MOLLE utility pouch, plus a few more features.  I added padding, pack cloth nylon liner, elastic loops in multiple locations, First Aid dressing/curlex/gauze retainer under the pouch flap, and provisions for a divider.  I've used this pouch for years to carry my Kestrel, Petzl, Sharpie, Density Altitude cards, super glue, electrical tape, gauze, and mini binos.  When we first got MOLLE back in the early 2000s, I took my woodland equivalent pouches apart and added padding, elastic loops, and tarp liner material.

This one still has provisions for your AAA and AA batteries.

Very cool

Good shit. On mag pouches, there are several thing that play into the level of retention you need. MFF? DA with a pistol to transition to? Line grunt slugging your way through the swamps and desert? I'm personally not a fan of bungees and I no longer run mags stacked 2 deep. Were I still on the line, a single mag pouch with a velcro flap and stout elastic band would be my go to. Utilize the flap for infill and tuck it behind the mag relying on the elastic for retention on patrol.
Currently using KYWIs.

These mag pouches don't open the way they look.  They are totally different, and are very deceiving in initial appearance.

I considered MFF and certain extreme vertical entry methods for some units.  There are actually 3 aspects of retention with them, to include snap closure.

So far, it is faster for me to pull a mag from them than it is from a taco, starting from snap closed on these, and shock cord moved to the side with the taco, they are that fast.

After grabbing the first magazine, the remaining magazines do not fall out.

You can also grab a magazine from the prone without having to lift your torso up, and you can low-crawl using the mag pouches a skid plates.

Your work is impressive. I'm just starting to make my own stuff. I can run a stitch, but getting the mesurements right for everything is a pain in the butt.

Thanks for the kind words.  If you spend some time with paper models, you can simulate before you assemble.

Basic seamster techniques really come into play with getting things to match up the way you want.

Instead of pinning heavy duty fabrics, you can use a combination of clips and fabric glue that is machine-friendly.

A binding tape adapter really helps with binding.  

Learning to maintain and balance the tension in your machine is another fundamental.

I've been sewing since I was a kid.  My mom taught me how to hand-sew.

2 hand-sewn Ghillie suits taught me that I need to learn how to run a machine, or I would have gotten arthritis in my early 20s.

I machine-sewed all my Ghillie's and those for my Platoon-mates from then-on, including back ventilation, sleeve pockets with internal elastic loops, Cordura frontal and elbow protection with optional padding, retention loops, rear pockets, and compression roll-into-self design for clean stowage when not worn.

Started making my own slings, SAW pouches, vests with integral snag-free hydration and commo routing, had been doing rucksack mods since my first Recon Platoon.

I'll post up some really good tutorials when I get a chance, maybe film some as well if I can.

Here's a SAW pouch with all of the flat work finished, starting to do final assembly.  Basic math and seam allowances will help you get things aligned nicely.





Here's a Utility pouch, with internal customization for elastic retention and removable spacer wall.





Both pouches finished:

Just stumbled across this thread. That's awesome work!  Still taking orders?

GLOCK 33rnd stick mag multi pouch.

Can you do something with a SAW pouch that allows 33rounders to fit?

What's the height of the Glock 33 rounders?

I just made a triple CZ Scorpion mag pouch for SCW, fully padded with 3 vectors of retention, and quick access.

I just happened to see this, LRFPB&J52 needs to use the @ symbol