Tactical Vest

[45nut]

I finally got one and have 2 single magazine pouches for .223 and one that hold 4 .223 mags. It also had i small pouch and 2 canteen / utility pouches.

Question: What do you have on your tactical vest? I know I want a holster for my pistol, knife and flashlight. What else guys?? I need suggestions.

[FTK87]

I wish I could help you, but the closest thing to a tactical vest I have is my dove hunting vest lol.

I've never really been into vests, I think I would perfer a good set of web gear. But it could be nice if it had some larger pockets to stash some bigger gear, oh and magazine pouches for the pistol of course.

[TranterUK]

I had a couple, one I bought back from the mid east that was military only, I mean bulky and big with room for cake. I sold it. I still have an American one with lots of pockets, If I can find it I may post a picture. Thing is unless your going to war, they have very limited use. Where and when would you use it?

[45nut]

Tranter,

This is a military style web vest. It has nylon webbing and horizontal nylon "belts" to attach pouches in different arrangements.

This link is the vest I have. here

I have it so I can keep a SHTF amount of ammo with my rifle.

[Doc1911]

Two things many do not think about is water (camel bak) and a first aid kit.

[45nut]

I have a large Bass Pro First Aid Kit in my truck, but the camel bak is a good idea. It might not hurt to get a kit for my vest too. Maybe one like this

[islenos]

otis rifle cleaning kit with a broken shell extractor
compass and map of area
pencil, paper, mirror, whistle, first aid, knife, etc
packed all neatly in a butt pack

[TranterUK]

Originally Posted by islenos

packed all neatly in a butt pack

I once had one of your American butt packs. It was one with a handgun holster behind the Velcro held front pocket. I was wearing it when arriving at an airport. Once my wife had finished laughing, which took a surprising amount of time and almost required the attention of a paramedic, she told me to remove it and never wear it again. She explained it was not 'me', apparently.

[delta13soultaker]

Originally Posted by 45nut

I have a large Bass Pro First Aid Kit in my truck, but the camel bak is a good idea. It might not hurt to get a kit for my vest too. Maybe one like this

Don't waste your money on that. Band aides? For real?

A 1st aid kit needs a tourniquet, preferably a CAT style for disposable, or better yet get SOFTT's. Bleeding is your #1 threat to your life.

You need a pair of Isreali dressings, also called Isreali trauma dressings. Old US Army field dressings are okay but not great.

You need a couple or four cravats for splinting.

You need a 16GA trauma IV needle for chest decompression. Not that valve BS in movies. You just poke above the 3rd rib until you here a hiss, advance the catheter and toss the needle. (This is the #2 killer on the battlefield, tension pneumothorax, or trapped air collapsing the uninjured lung.)

You need duct tape. Medical tape is okay for little stuff. Duct tape will hold on a sloppy bloody limb though. Not 100mph tape; that stuff on the market is crap. I mean Ace Hardware duct tape.

I'd tell you to keep a nasopharyngeal airway in there too but these are hard to self-administer.

BTW...get training. A 1st aid kit is only as good as the dude giving aid.

On the vest.....less is more. Keep your sidearm on your body and water on your back. 300 rounds for the rifle. Don't forget a pouch for licky chewies and tobacco treats.

[Pistolenschutze]

What the heck, Delta, we'll just get you an Alice Pack. Nothing like lugging one of those around in hot weather.

[islenos]

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

What the heck, Delta, we'll just get you an Alice Pack. Nothing like lugging one of those around in hot weather.

suddenly my back is experiencing a long ago pain from the frame of miss Alice.

[Pistolenschutze]

Originally Posted by islenos

suddenly my back is experiencing a long ago pain from the frame of miss Alice.

Yup! The manufacturer guarantees you will feel pains in places you didn't even know you had!

[45nut]

Originally Posted by delta13soultaker

Don't waste your money on that. Band aides? For real?

A 1st aid kit needs a tourniquet, preferably a CAT style for disposable, or better yet get SOFTT's. Bleeding is your #1 threat to your life.

You need a pair of Isreali dressings, also called Isreali trauma dressings. Old US Army field dressings are okay but not great.

You need a couple or four cravats for splinting.

You need a 16GA trauma IV needle for chest decompression. Not that valve BS in movies. You just poke above the 3rd rib until you here a hiss, advance the catheter and toss the needle. (This is the #2 killer on the battlefield, tension pneumothorax, or trapped air collapsing the uninjured lung.)

You need duct tape. Medical tape is okay for little stuff. Duct tape will hold on a sloppy bloody limb though. Not 100mph tape; that stuff on the market is crap. I mean Ace Hardware duct tape.

I'd tell you to keep a nasopharyngeal airway in there too but these are hard to self-administer.

BTW...get training. A 1st aid kit is only as good as the dude giving aid.

On the vest.....less is more. Keep your sidearm on your body and water on your back. 300 rounds for the rifle. Don't forget a pouch for licky chewies and tobacco treats.

Delta,

THIS is the type information I'm looking for. Thanks a bunch.

4 cravats
Isreali trauma dressings
CAT
16ga Trauma IV needle
Real Duct Tape

I have 300 rounds, flashlight (headlamp & hand held), binoculars and 2 pouches for licky chewies & smokes.

Let me know if you are going to make a run through Texas. I'd love to buy you a round!

Hey Pistol,

I have an ALICE pack and two web belts w/ fanny pack & shoulder harness. One is my Survival / Field kit and the other is empty awaiting orders.

[USMC-03]

I have no old tac vest put away in my box if vintage military gear. I'm not sure exactly what it is but seems to be a forerunner to the current U.S. military issue. It's OD green with four M16 mag pouches on the chest (2 mags each) and a SAW ammo sized pouch over each hip. I'll post a picture when I can dig it out of storage.

For the most part, I've never been a fan of tactical vests. For general field use I've reverted back to my roots and for my last few years in the reserve I used some old H-suspenders on a cartridge belt with mag pouches, butt pack, 2 canteens, a SAW ammo pouch on my off side for binos and other gear, knife on the off shoulder, mini-mag light, cleaning kit and first aid kit on the butt pack, and then a couple of other small pouches also (compass, Leatherman, etc.). The H-harness is much better for wearing with a ballistic vest and doesn't retain body heat like a vest in hot weather.

For a SHTF/bail out kit I much prefer a smallish patrol pack with most items either attached or inside. I clip my basic pistol/cartridge belt around it and then everything is right there to grab and go…

[Powderhorn]

Who needs a vest? Only SISSIES use vests!

[islenos]

[LurpyGeek]

I have a cheap Condor brand tactical vest in ACU digital that I use occasionally out in Utah's West Desert. It has three rifle magazine pouches on the chest (two mags each) with a leg rig with two more double mag pouches for a total of ten 30 round mags = 300 rounds. Plus six magazine pouches on chest and belt, a pistol holster on the abdomen, several other pouches and pockets and MOLLE webbing on the sides and back for the addition of other items like a hydration pack.

The pouches and holsters can all be removed / reconfigured to preference as well. Knee pads help as well.

It's a lot to carry and I've only done it all a few times. Usually I just use the leg rig mag pouch since I have my truck bed as a work bench.

I know a lot of people who consider tactical vests overkill / too hot and prefer using chest rigs.

[Kieran McCaig]

hey 45nut check out www.lebaron.ca they be a canadian company they have a 15 pocket tact vest that will hold a camelbak and lots of everything got one myself all adjustable and 2 snap closure on front

[bizy]

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/BJR825-1.html
has vests that have a right or left hand pistol holster and pouches for 6 AK or 223 mags. I use to sell the vests on Ebay. These vests are very well made. Shoulder holsters, army training manuals, ammo and much more.

[delta13soultaker]

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

What the heck, Delta, we'll just get you an Alice Pack. Nothing like lugging one of those around in hot weather.

Pistol, notice my ALICE ruck beside my MOLLE II ruck.

Yes this is going somewhere....

Notice my ALICE is packed and used. In fact, I think that rucksack, not that frame but the sack, was on my back for a 4-day 100 mile walk back in '98 or '99.

Notice the MOLLE is still in the wrapper. Better believe I plan to give it back just like that too. Cause if I put 90 lbs in it it'll break...

I like the First Defense assault pack or an ALICE. But I'm hard headed.

[USMC-03]

Delta, is that a medium or large ruck? My old large Alice is still together and mostly packed, if not organized.

[delta13soultaker]

Originally Posted by 45nut

Delta,

THIS is the type information I'm looking for. Thanks a bunch.

4 cravats
Isreali trauma dressings
CAT
16ga Trauma IV needle
Real Duct Tape

I have 300 rounds, flashlight (headlamp & hand held), binoculars and 2 pouches for licky chewies & smokes.

Let me know if you are going to make a run through Texas. I'd love to buy you a round!

Hey Pistol,

I have an ALICE pack and two web belts w/ fanny pack & shoulder harness. One is my Survival / Field kit and the other is empty awaiting orders.

You can just get me a Pepsi. I'm a cheap date these days.

On that list, you left off training

Some learning goes a long way. Like a chest decompression: seems easy enough, so long as you ain't squeamish. But ya know, if you read "above the 3rd rib" as "between the 2nd and 3rd rib", you could find that detail painfully important, as the big nerves run just below the ribs, thus you insert above the 3rd. Then there is angle; you jab 90 degrees to the chest, not 90 degrees to the ground as is common for untrained jabbers. And then you also tape the catheter down. And you must rest in a position where the catheter is skyward, never down. And before all that you need to recognize when to even do this as opposed to making and applying a flutter valve from plastic and tape.

Then tourniquets. There's lots of old bad info about them. People are reluctant to use one. But they are often the best first response. Then if they do, they think they can save some of the limb by applying it low. But in practice, the most effective place to apply it is above the knee or elbow. Remember, your lower limbs have two bones in them; it is easier to pinch the arteries shut on the upper limb where one bone is. And when it's all said and done, if you save the life you save the limb because rarely will a tourniquet cause the amputation anyways, despite what is usually said. I like CAT and SOFTT's. I saw a dead dude with 3 improvised tourniquets on his leg. One CAT would've worked. Improvised things are good to know but as a rule don't always work well.

These are things that should be learned. It will keep your 1st aid kit small, for one thing. But two, everything that looks easy will be hard and everything that looks hard will be simple.

I'm just guessing you aren't assembling kit to go observe butterflies or chill beside the pool or something. You're probably plotting on something a bit more serious or you'd not be motivated to bother. So take this with a grain of salt maybe, but gear is just gear and etc. Without applied knowledge, the equipment is just extra weight. With that, the aid kit you probably want is an Army IFAK.


Speaking of weight. Make effort to only put what you can live without if worse turns to worst on the vest. If you must flee, get dunked, are wounded, captured (it'll be off way before you can escape), whatever, the vest goes bye-bye. Drop what you don't need and get out. I have to put a lot of stuff on my IOTV, but if I'm in a hucklebuck, and have to pull the release string to lose weight to get away, the only thing I absolutely need on the vest is the radio and/or IFAK, and I accept I may have to leave that too. My sidearm, knife, fire, compass, etc is on my person. I adopted that reality from seeing what doesn't pan out in hard training, which becomes twice as true when it's not training. So manage that urge to put all your eggs in one basket.

[delta13soultaker]

Originally Posted by USMC-03

Delta, is that a medium or large ruck? My old large Alice is still together and mostly packed, if not organized.

That is the large. It looks like a med. next to the MOLLE because the MOLLE is a good amount bigger, especially when packed.

[1 CAV]

Originally Posted by delta13soultaker

That is the large. It looks like a med. next to the MOLLE because the MOLLE is a good amount bigger, especially when packed.

I'm surprised you're using anything standard issue Delta. I hate my Alice pack, the doggon quick release will always let go exactly when you don't want it to and the frame is guranteed back pain. I understand your dislike of the MOLLE pack though. Have you considered a pack from the Kifaru guys or some other aftermarket military pack that will hold all of your gear? There's quite a few good aftermarket packs that will serve you a lot better than that old Alice pack or that MOLLE pack.

[delta13soultaker]

I used a bergen on and off several years. That's all I've ever needed for an extended mission sack. My ALICE has always been a faithful bag though. She's used up many frames. They are not standard issue anymore in most places. I'm down to my last one and I don't think you can even DX them anymore.

The trick to the straps is keep them new. Once you sling on a heavy ruck, you don't want to take it off anyway until you're done, so I cinch a knot in the strap.

If you wear out a release, they are still good enough to make quick-release rifle slings, V-Tac style, unless it's just totally stripped.