[i][green]Hey Gunner,
In my unit(USMC SOC), we carried thirteen 30 round magazines on our web gear while serving in Desert Storm. We wore two magazine pouches left and two right of the buckle of our web belts; each pouch holding three mags. The last magazine was in the weapon. We also packed additional ammunition in our buttpack. combine that with at least two grenades, more for some, four one quart canteens, two MRE's in the buttpack (field stripped), first aid kit, knife or bayonet,compass and pistols and pistol magazines for some. That was a fair amount of weight on the web gear alone! You tended to run out of belt space pretty quickly unless you had a thick waist. Since I didn't, I used a leg drop holster from Galco, to pack my pistol. I also wore my knife in a leg drop, off the web belt.
I carry my gear much the same way now, in the Reserves, though I've tossed the H harness and now wear my web belt on a Blackhawk Vest I had made years ago, when they did the custom route. It has my pistol holster with a flap(Can be velcroed out of the way), mounted on the forward left panel, facing the vest, a two pistol mag pouch outboard of that, two smaller horizontal pouches over it, but high enough to allow the pistol easy presentation, while still keeping the shoulder clear and four different size horizontal pouches on the right, with a flashlight pouch(closed to avoid AD) mounted vertically outboard of that. The vest is made of heavy duty nylon mesh, so it's only a little hotter than the H harness, and all the pockets allow much better accessibility than the buttpack, while worn. BH and others offer similar models now, though they didn't at the time. I'm left handed, so this set up works for me. I also tossed two canteens from my belt, and carry a Camelbak, in a back pouch on the vest.
Many of the younger guys have relinquished the magazine pouches all together in lieu of the LBV. Of course this only holds six magazines, so they should probably avoid protracted fire fights...Some of the smarter ones will at least carry a SAW pouch, which holds a half dozen mags side by side, bringing them back up to a proper (IMO) load. We use the 550 cord and tape now. Back then, we just made pull tabs with the 100 mile and hour tape. It worked, though in retrospect, the 550 cord would have been a better option.
Back then, I also had some of the older style mag pouches, that had an internal divider which allowed the pouch to be worn with the top back, tucked behind the belt, for fast access, as the divider had individual flaps which snapped over each mag. These were a superior design IMO, and I was sad to see them go. They helped keep the mags rattle free, as well.
[marines]
[newbie]
Respectfully,
Harry[(:)][/i][/green]