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Posted: 8/7/2014 4:54:05 AM EDT
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I am in the market for a chest rig. I already have a PC. Do I still need a chest rig?
What are the things I should be looking for aside from fitment and comfort? I notice TAG have a lot stuffs in their clearance dept. And for me, they all look the same. But you guys have the experience on the better rigs. Thanks. |
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It depends on what you're looking for. Are you planning on adding pouches to a MOLLE rig or are you looking for a rig with everything already included? How much stuff do you plan to carry on your rig? What weapons platform are use using it with? 5.56, 7.62, AK or other?
Here are some links to great American-made Chestrigs. They're more expensive than buying a Condor made in China, but you can't beat the quality and customer service. Buy once, cry once. http://www.blueforcegear.com/micro-rack.html http://www.blueforcegear.com/ten-speed-m4-chest-rig.html http://haleystrategic.com/d3cr/index.php http://www.first-spear.com/product.php?productid=17594&cat=273&page=1 http://www.mayflower-rc.org/store/7034/31/5.56-Hybrid-Chest-Rig.html |
| I just about have 5.56 pouches and gears I need on my PC and warbelt. However, even the PC rig without plates used in replacement of a chest rig is very uncomfortable. I already have my PC all geared up for SHTF. Chest rig would be lighter and have more freedom of movement? Correct me if I'm wrong. |
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A good quality chest rig would be a good option to have. It's lighter, more comfortable, easier to put on and is generally more low profile. They're great for when you don't need plates but do need to carry gear.
As for companies? Eagle, TAG, LBT, SOE all make good rigs. |
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Quoted:
I am in the market for a chest rig. I already have a PC. Do I still need a chest rig? You question is kind of backwards... do you need a chest rig? Yes, a chest rig is going to be lighter and usually offer more freedom of movement than a plate carrier, and be more practical/comfortable. The real question is - do you often find yourself in situations where you need the amount of gear suspended from your PC, but not the plates? Keeping in mind the whole "train as you fight" thing - are you ever going to need that much gear, but not want your plates? That's not a snarky or rhetorical question - but some people plan for longer dismounted patrols, recce, etc. where a chest rig might be called for, but a plate carrier is not. Some people like to "dynamically shoot tactically" and prefer to pull from/use a chest rig in classes/running drills, but don't necessarily want or need the PC thing all the time. Remember that that much weight over a long period of time/impact on joints can potentially have effects, too. On the other hand, some people have a "turtle up" plan, wherein they reason that if they're ever going to need as much equipment on their person as they might have with a plate carrier, they're going to want the plates, too. Which are you, or are you in a different category altogether? What's your "plan" for how/when/why you intend to employ this equipment? Meanwhile - what kind of PC do you have? If you determine that you do in fact want a chest rig, there are a couple different ways to do it: The simplest, but likely most expensive way to do it is to simply have two sets of gear - one PC setup, and one chest rig setup. On the other hand, you could use an "over armor" vest/suspension system - allows you to get by with one set of gear, but it can often shift and move when worn with armor, and constantly needs to be readjusted based on whether you're wearing armor or not. Another alternative is to go with a "panel" type setup like the TAP, DC3R, or one many others that can be quickly attached or detached from an armor carrier, and has a separate set of straps for use as a chest rig - some PCs are better equipped for this kind of setup than others. A small recommendation if you're not sure whether you want/need a chest rig or not is to go look at the USGI FLC II thread and pick up a cheap, used FLC II and some spare pouches - set it up in "chest rig," not "vest" form - and give it a try for a little while and see if there's any utility in the concept for you. If there is, you can upgrade (if you feel the need to) to a more purpose designed piece of kit with a good idea of what features you want - or you chalk it up as a lesson learned, and forget about it. ~Augee |
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Quoted:
It depends on what you're looking for. Are you planning on adding pouches to a MOLLE rig or are you looking for a rig with everything already included? How much stuff do you plan to carry on your rig? What weapons platform are use using it with? 5.56, 7.62, AK or other? Here are some links to great American-made Chestrigs. They're more expensive than buying a Condor made in China, but you can't beat the quality and customer service. Buy once, cry once. http://www.blueforcegear.com/micro-rack.html http://www.blueforcegear.com/ten-speed-m4-chest-rig.html http://haleystrategic.com/d3cr/index.php http://www.first-spear.com/product.php?productid=17594&cat=273&page=1 http://www.mayflower-rc.org/store/7034/31/5.56-Hybrid-Chest-Rig.html Add this to the list of contenders? http://www.skdtac.com/PIG-UCR-Universal-Chest-Rig-p/pig.667.htm If you want to use the plate carrier just to carry armor, then you could keep the PC slick and just swap out chest rigs depending on what you're doing. It's quicker to swap out chest rigs than it is to take pouches off a plate carrier and attach different pouches to the plate carrier every time you're doing something different. If you don't want the armor, for whatever reason, you could just use the chest rig. I'm using a plate carrier and have pouches set up the way I like them. But I might do things differently if I were starting over again. |
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