What is the best way to route wires for an earpiece or headset, so that a rifle sling or other straps around the neck area do not interfere and damage, or rip the cords out of the headset / rip the earpiece out of the ear?

Thanks

I've never put much thought into it and don't ever have any issues. Cant even tell you what I did with mine.  Will look at my best tomorrow if I think about it.

PTT on weak side shoulder, routed up plate carrier shoulder wire retainer on weak side, inside shoulder, close to neck, down the side of hydration carrier on plate carrier on weak side, to radio on weak side cummerbund, routed with wire routed inside cummerbund. Headset plugs straight down into PTT.

Since the sling goes under the weak side arm, you only have the section of sling on your back that can rub and that is mostly just on the hydration carrier. I have been meaning to get some nylon strips with velcro to wrap the wire in as a chaffe guard so I can molle it to the side of the plate carrier back or side of hydration bladder, but not gotten around to it. I have had several wire jacket separations that I have had to repair from rub or connection points on the wire, but that is mostly from using a coiled wire connection from my Peltor PTT to radio, which is weak, instead of a straight wire.

Most guys I know who run an earpiece run it under their clothes.

Neck gaiters.  Simple solutions to seemingly complex problems ??

Even simpler: No sling.

Standard practice taught at the Infantry School 4-83.

I'm not so sure they should even be on hunting rifles. Are you hunting once you step out of the traffic zone? I am. That rifle should be in your hands to use, not over your shoulder to be ignored and make things more complicated.

I get that comz have wires, I'm thinking it is more a snapshot of tech today than a longer term issue. Kinda like Aimpoints with an 8 hour battery life. Yes, the first gen did have that as an issue.

You stood at your stand with it off, thumb on the knob to turn it up, hoping to hear them before you saw them. Size N batts are still rare and not cheap.

There were times in the field when I was seriously considering removing the butt stock swivel. After a while even it is a PITA snagging web gear. At least the FA was on the outside.

YMMV.

The slings being discussed are not over your shoulder carry strap slings. A rifle without a combat sling is like a pistol without a holster. You are a fool to be without it and have to put your weapon on the deck to do anything but shoot. I hope your secondary transition drill is not throwing your rifle on the ground and going to your handgun. I hope, as a law enforcement officer, you do not intend to place a loaded weapon on the ground next to that bad guy you just shot when you render first aid. I also hope you never have to climb a fence or ladder while carrying your rifle.

To the OP:

If you are a civilian, running a HAM, run a shoulder speaker/mic. Run it to weak side houlder. Run your 3.5mm jack from speaker/mic to headset on weak side. That way your sling is over the strong shoulder and not touching, but also under the weak arm, so it cant rip out your 3.5mm jack. The speaker/mic acts as a PTT. The coiled wire from the radio to speaker/mic wont get in the way if you run your radio on the weak side and have enough slack in the coiled wire. If you are a dip out of your 2 point sling guy, you will have problems. I am not a fan of weak side transitions for that reason, among others.

If all you do is stand on a square range for 30 seconds and shoot 2 mags , you THINK you dont need a sling  until you have to walk even an intermediate distance. Or if you have to do anything other than shoot. Try holding a 5 pound weight in front of you for an hour, you cant do it, and thats LIGHTER than 99% of rifles. The point of a sling is to support the weight and keep it attached to your body. Like another guy mentioned, its like a holster to your rifle. Also if you have a rifle attached to your body, its gonna take one hell of a fight for someone to rip that off of you. And dozens of other reasons that everyone who is based in reality uses a sling. I cant list them all.

To everyone else, thanks for the good ideas, i have tested a few out and they all seem to work fairly well (except not using a sling at all), if anyone else has any other methods post them up

I have a hand mike and not an earpiece, but what I do is run the cord through the pouch of my Camelbak Thermobak where you store the straps.  It's only exposed at the shoulder and for an inch or two between the radio and Camelbak.  I also have it on my left side (I'm right handded).  The sling has never interfered with it.