i just ordered this vest from ranger joe's.  i've tried a few different LBE type harnesses and nothing feels right.  i thought i'd give this one a try.  it's a shame i have to spend $100+ every time i want to "try" something, but oh well.  i'll be happy when i find the right one for me.

what do you guys think of this one?

I know how you feel.


But that looks very TacTiCal![:D]

All depends on what you are using the vest for.  Vests of this "Family" are nice, the reason I gave it up are:

1.  No place to put a strobe lite.

2.  No place to put grenades.

3.  You are stuck with that setup.  Molle has made it so that you can tailor your setup.  I now run a Hellcat over a molle plate carrier and am much happier.  

psywar, i agree that M.O.L.L.E. set-ups are definately a hot ticket.  the reason, i chose to try this one instead is 1) it's cheaper. (i know, not if i keep buying them like candy!) and 2) it seems to be set up for what i need to carry, and 3) having the gear pockets sewn directly to the vest makes it a little more streamlined than pouches on alice clips.  so we'll see what happens next week when it gets here.  hopefully i'll like it and be done.

btw - tell me where i can buy some grenades and i'll reconsider the molle gear!  LOL

Hell just go to the bunker outside your hooch, thats what I do :-)

I have an almost identical vest made by Blackhawk.  You will like it.  My vest has a opening in the back to insert a camelback.  works good.

I share your pain on the trial/error method.  As usual with these issues, there a gazillion variables, not the least of which being personal preference, climate and application.  For SRT Missions I GENERALLY prefered LBE vests or, depending on my assignment sometimes the classic LABP Point Blank Ballistic LBE Vest.

But you've got to remember, USUALLY, those are very short duration operations.  Take a look at how much of your upper body is covered by that kind of gear.  It is streamlined, but it covers a whole bunch of the surface area of your torso.  Which, if it's 30 degrees outside and your essentially going to assault a single family dwelling, you get some insulation while your positioning for the assault, and usually it's over with in 20-45 seconds before you're "Code IV."

Conversely, if it's 100 degrees outside and you're mission is more of a military orientation, I definitely prefer the old fashinoned military web gear with the Vietnam Era "H" suspenders.  Packed pouches on your belt and in your butt back aren't obviously as streamlined (advantagous in moving through doors and hall ways), but a enormous area of your torso is exposed to dissapate heat.  

So in "my world" there is no "one size fits all."  Both systems are great.  Vest wise, you're probably in the ball park for having a pretty effective set up.  For field deployments in desert summer heat, I'm going with the proven old "stand-by" ALICE gear, and leaving the kevlar, ballistic ceramic crap in the truck.  

Just something to think about?