Best Load Carrying Options to save the knees! Advice needed.

[Tommikka]

Yep... I've done the Homer Simpson spinning on the floor dance many times because of the pain and not being able to stand up.  LOL

We’re a fine example to the younger generation 

But is the best advice to try to take more care of yourself in the younger years, or just sod it as bodies fall apart anyway ?

 

[Davegolf]

The best advice is definitely have an active job that doesn’t involve you being in stress positions for hours every day.

Like others I’ve got one weaker knee from work, it suck’s sometimes.

Luckily I think I cottoned on to it pretty soon, and as such I make concerted effort to strengthen it by doing rucks and taking joint supplements, collagen peptides look very interesting (not the fillers, they look interesting for sure ?), but as a powder supplement, it plays a big part in joint cartilage repair which falls off a cliff naturally once in your 30s I believe.

 

[Tommikka]

…..collagen peptides look very interesting (not the fillers, they look interesting for sure ?),

Try being subtle in a corner of Waitrose car park when the guy who was bringing a prop has just called to tell you he’s ill and no longer coming, and you have about an hour before picking up another couple of guys and still need to reproduce the prop 

This prop being a briefcase needing to be filled with clear sandwich bags of flour

 

[Dan Robinson]

But is the best advice to try to take more care of yourself in the younger years

Certainly when it comes to knees and general weight.  But then with age comes all sorts of regrets about what could have been in one's youth.  Its one of the frustrations of being a father to a grumpy teenager.

Mind you, I don't think the current generation of teenagers and twenty something's even know how to have real fun.  Certainly when I look back to the shenanigans I got up to some 30 years ago LOL.

 

[slipperysquid]

Thanks all for the replies! I do like the cosplay side of airsoft hence carrying everything but the kitchen sink My knee is looking like cartilage damage (3 weeks and still slighly swollen on the outer side) so deffo need a visit to a professional ? I'm not seriously overweight though losing a couple of pounds wouldn't go amiss (6ft 13  Stone 8 if I breath out ) . Looking at my rig and the positioning of the mags etc a lot of the weight is directly over my left knee so redistribution is on the cards I think. I use HSGI double tacos, so may switch to singles or just take two mags out. And 2 TRMR'S is just overkill I think? I have two SWAT tactical timed grenades that I gave to my lad and they are so much lighter I may have to sell the TRMR's and get a couple more of them...Still toying with the idea of the chest rig though as that should reduce the amount of stuff I carry by not giving me the space to carry it

Thanks again everyone for taking the time out to reply, really appreciate it!

 

[Dan Robinson]

If you are looking at cartilage damage, the operation is minor, btu can take an age to get on the NHS - best get yourself in the system for an MRI so they can pick it up early and take out minimal material.

My first time round I left it so long that I was losing serious time out of the working day waiting for the damn thing to reset itself.  Ended up getting a private scan in Japan to speed things up as the NHS wanted to wait 6 months just for the scan.  Once that's done, the operation, if needed, is often scheduled quite quickly.

Speaking from the perspective of having it done twice - once the day before the 7 7 bombings. Then the second time, I was got my operation done literally the day before the first lockdown.  Any later and I would have been fecked.

 

[Davet]

Be cautious of transferring all that weight you’re currently carrying into a chest rig - you’ll end up with back problems instead! Lighter is better whether that’s belt, chest or vest. During my service I’ve gone through the full cycle of what’s ally - NI chest rig, massive belt kit, battle belt, shooter’s belt, back to chest rigs and belt kits and my knees and back are fubar regardless.

Somebody else referenced Project Payne, it’s been around for at least 10 years, and eventually spawned the current popularity of shooter’s belts.  But… There’s a lot more to Payne than just carrying less kit in the assault. The problem is/was the inability to properly resource the unit logistic chain and the lack of mechanical mobility in the British Army. Virtus addressed some of the kit issues but logistic and mobility problems persist, plus the ever increasing amount of battery hungry electronics, which is why some troops have gone back to full belt kit.

 

[Lozart]

But then with age comes all sorts of regrets about what could have been in one's youth. 

Reminds me of a line from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy:

Arthur "It's times like these I wish I had listened to my mother when I was younger"

Ford "Why, what did she say?"

Arthur "I DON'T KNOW, I DIDN'T LISTEN!"

 

[The Waco Kid]

My firing position always favours the left leg forward so that takes the most strain, I run a battle belt with yoke and I'm just curious to whether a chest rig (Mayflower or Warrior Assault 901) would distribute the weight better?

I usually carry 4 hicap mags, 2 TRMR, pistol, bottle of BB's water bottle, pistol and two pistol mags and radio. I know this seems a lot but some of the fields I play the games go on for a long time and reverse so you can be out for well over an hour.

 Okay options.

Do you actually need the pistol?

Do you use 4 hi caps in rapid order?

Remove excess tat from rifle. Just optic if you use one. Sling if you are using pistol. If not ditch the sling and consider a stock mag pouch for reserve hi cap. Reloading from this is likely strong hand so no sling makes it easier.

(I actually think you gear list isn’t very much. But I’ve been know to fill out an Arktis Battle vest and carry an M16 with M203….. ? and a patrol pack ??).

Combat trousers often have mag slits in the cargo pockets these days. If yours are decent one hicap each side. Empty slot is for spent mag.

Grenades etc and pistol if kept are on belt.

Runners pack or camel back. 1L of water, bb’s, radio go in this. Potentially this could be left at spawn point or central location in game field.

Police up mags between contacts so weak side leg pocket is ready and either stock mag or strong side pocket is empty/part used.

As an alternative a low riding minimalist chest rig could carry the few items left on the belt OR the mags.

Any kind of plate carrier is just excess weight and will raise centre of gravity above the hips. Not ideal.

A proper belt order, ie sitting on the hips with a yoke is good. It also has the utility of being ditched and put on as a single item.

 

[gavinkempsell]

Great advice, I've been looking at chest rigs too but the reality is I'm too tall & round for most of them but I can adjust a belt rig to any size I want, over the past couple of weeks I've set up a set of PLCE to what I consider milspec(in my inexperienced mind) & then proceded to add & remove pouches every few days to save weight & to try not to be an obvious newbie, I've decided to simply set it up to suit myself as I'm gonna be a newbie regardless of what I'm using & the 2 tone Scar gives it away anyway.
The advantage of being a fat lad is I can wear dozens of pouches if I wanted but I'd just fill them with crap I don't think I'd need unless I went on a 2 week exercise on Salisbury plain, so... I've fitted a PLCE rig with 2 double ammo pouches for mid cap mags( I've a few high caps but prefer to use mids) 2 water bottle pouches which I'll only fill one bottle & keep the other empty a dump pouch(if needed) & 1 extra double ammo pouch to carry spare lipo's in 1 and a bb bottle in the other.

As a fat lad I'm more concerned with my trousers falling to my ankles half way through a game so on my right side I've rigged up leg holster that connects to my trouser belt & a quick release buckle on my plce belt(braces ordered but not yet delivered)... sure my knees & ankles will be aching and heart deciding if it's worth beating for another day, I'll see what kit I actually use on the day and adjust the weight accordingly for my next game day.

 

[Davet]

Maybe consider attaching the drop leg to the PLCE belt, especially when you get the yoke for the kit - it’ll take the weight off your trouser belt and alleviate any mid-skirmish “bear shitting in the woods” impressions…!

As far as “Milspec” PLCE set up, the generic used to be one double ammo on the left and then 4 utility/water bottle pouches filled with useless crap! At least, that’s what my skinny frame fitted.

 

[gavinkempsell]

Maybe consider attaching the drop leg to the PLCE belt, especially when you get the yoke for the kit - it’ll take the weight off your trouser belt and alleviate any mid-skirmish “bear shitting in the woods” impressions…!

As far as “Milspec” PLCE set up, the generic used to be one double ammo on the left and then 4 utility/water bottle pouches filled with useless crap! At least, that’s what my skinny frame fitted.

it can be attached to my plce belt which will take the weight of both the pistol, holster & my trousers  (braces arrived yesterday courtesy of Cadetdirect), the plce in my research was 2 double mag pouches, 1 e-tool carrier, 1 water bottle pouch & 1 utility pouch. As I said my kit has changed every couple of days as I've put too much thought into it & is now kitted out as above.

I only ever wore 58 pattern in the TA, so will keep that 100% for any skirmishes in the future, any other webbing I have (too many & osprey mk4 on the way) I'll play about with as it's mostly modular.