Pattern 57 webbing,

[Jaylordofwaargh]

So I have taken a deep dive into Cold War filmsim, being booked in for the next Red Mist game in October. Due to its added rp nature I thought to myself "go whole hog" go kit crazy ? 

But then I started looking at prices of the pattern 58, and damn that can get expensive quickly.

Then come many days of ebay trawling, thinking "you know, I have the 80's rig, maybe that'll be fine" 

Then the worst thing happened, I find a full set (-belt), with rare extras....

Starting bid £10....

£10! When all of the other partial sets had gone for £30+ 

So I did what any "sane" individual would do and took a punt. £15 (postage inc) and a few days later I have this mess of pouches and straps in front of me that I spent last night trying to get into some semblance of usefulness. 

What I found out? Oh my Gods what an awful setup, yes I picked up a belt to get the c clips in but still! The kidney pouches are almost unreachable and more so with the pack on. Had to move them round to be slightly unbalanced to be able to reach one of them effectively.

SO much time fiddling with one strap or another to get things to stay still. It's madness and heavy! The damn thing weighs more than the kit I'm going to be putting in it.

Next gripe, pistol holsters, these seem to be heading towards hen teeth level rarity and sellers don't mind charging crazy amounts which I may also have to suck up due to the "no s95" kit so if there are any other suggestions....

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk

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[Enid_Puceflange]

My mate loves all of the gear from that era

Whilst we were sitting having a beer on the Sunday night at NAF last year, some kind soul had put a message on one of the WhatsApp group chats that they had left a bin bag full of webbing and belts 

I did a drunken March to the What3Words location and snagged it for him 

free beers for me that night ?

 

[Davet]

You think it’s heavy now, wait til it gets wet… ?

 

[DerDer]

As regards the holster, some of the Commonwealth gear could be a decent sub such as a Canadian or Australian ones. Alternatively if you are patient sometimes the 58 pattern holster can show up listed on the bay as canvas holster or old army holster rather than 58 pattern.  

 

[gavinkempsell]

What issues are you having?

the odd bit of kit can be difficult to souce but not impossible.

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Rifleman Moore on YT has a few video's posted about pattern 58 set up's, they weren't really meant as a modular bit of kit short of some units doing their own thing.

 

[Jaylordofwaargh]

You think it’s heavy now, wait til it gets wet… ?

I wanted to "sad" react but I can remember if it has negative response on your profile. 

I am personally hoping for a very long hot summer....

What issues are you having?

the odd bit of kit can be difficult to souce but not impossible.

View attachment 129425

Rifleman Moore on YT has a few video's posted about pattern 58 set up's, they weren't really meant as a modular bit of kit short of some units doing their own thing.

This is very useful and I have encountered Rilfleman Moore and his "setup" video, the alternative setup discussed and the comments were very enlightening, I have swung the kidney pouches round, so only one linked to the yolk, the set I came across had 1.5 pouches so I have kidney pouches both sides of the ammo pouches. 

As to what I'm missing, just the holster and attachment aids. All (some) of the ancillaries will be added slowly. And I may even get it comfortable....

 

[gavinkempsell]

Why have you moved the kidney pouches? Taking the kidney pouches away from the back straps will just make them all floppy ( a revision from earlier versions was made so they could use the back straps for added support).

A revised set up from the first gulf war seemed to be no kidney pouches but 4 water bottle pouches attached to the rear with the two ammo pouches in the usual places.

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Get going to games, and you'll find stuff for sale pretty regularly.  Cold War Farcebook groups are a better source than Ebay too.

 

[Jaylordofwaargh]

Why have you moved the kidney pouches?

To reach/be able to close them...

As to the modified set ups, they do seem to focus on not using kidney pouches and just adding water and ammo pouches instead, but this then hits the other conundrum I have with finding bargains - I don't see the value in spending the same as I did on 1 pouch as I have just done with the whole setup ?...

It's a real issue!

 

[gavinkempsell]

Fair enough, are you planning on carrying a heap of mags?

Water bottle pouches are under £7 each on fleabay or £4.99 from https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/water-bottle-pouch-58-pattern-232862.html, only realised one of my sets is missing a bottle pouch so went looking.

You'll find pistol pouches from about £20 each but that's the cheapest I've seen. https://elliottmilitary.com/product/58-pat-pistol-holster/

 

[Tackle]

@Jaylordofwaargh 58 pattern was my issued kit, the kidney pouches were meant for your sustainment kit, mess tins/ratpacks etc, & socks/footpowder etc, essentially for when the shit hits the fan & you have to leg it, you've got enough in your battle order to survive independently for a few days, but as far as pouches go, the kidney pouches were only ever meant to be accessible when your rigs off.

But unless you're planning on doing 36+hrs milsims or similar, they're totally unsuitable for airsoft skirmish days, same goes for the poncho roll, just annoying when it slaps on your arse when running (we used to clip ours above the kidney pouches, much more stable).

As for the holsters, they were hardly ever issued because very few had access to pistols anyway, literally you signed out a pistol if you were on guardhouse duty etc, & you were handed a belt with holster attached, which went back in to the armoury with the browning at the end of your stag, so it's no wonder hardly any made it on to the surplus market.

But there was a shoulder holster issued too, not leather, same material as your webbing & designed to be worn over your smock, you might get lucky & find one of those ?

 

[Jaylordofwaargh]

@Jaylordofwaargh 58 pattern was my issued kit, the kidney pouches were meant for your sustainment kit, mess tins/ratpacks etc, & socks/footpowder etc, essentially for when the shit hits the fan & you have to leg it, you've got enough in your battle order to survive independently for a few days, but as far as pouches go, the kidney pouches were only ever meant to be accessible when your rigs off.

But unless you're planning on doing 36+hrs milsims or similar, they're totally unsuitable for airsoft skirmish days, same goes for the poncho roll, just annoying when it slaps on your arse when running (we used to clip ours above the kidney pouches, much more stable).

As for the holsters, they were hardly ever issued because very few had access to pistols anyway, literally you signed out a pistol if you were on guardhouse duty etc, & you were handed a belt with holster attached, which went back in to the armoury with the browning at the end of your stag, so it's no wonder hardly any made it on to the surplus market.

But there was a shoulder holster issued too, not leather, same material as your webbing & designed to be worn over your smock, you might get lucky & find one of those ?

Yeah, that poncho roll really is an awkward place. That makes sense that it is bug out kit rather than acessable stuff. 

Pistols as well, I may just bite the bullet! 

@gavinkempsell great recommendations holster, hadn't seen that store yet. 

It's not a hard core milsim more filmsim with day shooting and evening social. I will need the grab a hex burner for tea but that'll be the limit.

I have volunteered to be medic so was hoping to shove those supplies into the kidney pouches. 

But I might play around strapping and such like to see if I can get the pack to work over one shoulder instead.... 

 

[gavinkempsell]

There may be a specific medic pouch for the pattern 58, over the past few years I've added rifle grenade pouches & an slr loop pouch to my collection. I can imagine water bottle pouches or respirator bag being utisilised as medic pouch/bag tho.

 

[Tackle]

As @gavinkempsell said, nylon respirator pouch makes a great first aid bag, you can attach it to your belt order or clip a strap to the handily positioned D rings on the back, probably one of the best bits of kit in the 58 pattern loadout.