Struggling to shoulder RIF with osprey mkIV

[cropzy]

As per title I currently have an MTP osprey MKIV plate carrier, it was my first ever plate carrier and it's all I have ever used.

 

Since owning my Krytac I have had issues shouldering it properly to aim down sights so I figured I would do a bit of research (plus I am in the market for a new rig anyways!).

 

I was originally thinking a battlebelt and a yoke, but then I learned about JPC style plate carriers. Now really what I want is something with good options and plenty of space for molle, but isn't chunky on the shoulders and isn't as bulky. I may be a bit picky I know but heh.

 

I am currently looking at an Arktis rig, looks really good. Does anybody have any reviews of Arktis or can put a bit of feedback on them?

 

Basically what I'm asking is, what would you guys recommend for a rig or plate carrier or whatever that is not chunky on the shoulders and is generally good, preferably in MTP or OD.

 

Mods I apologize if this is in the wrong sub-forum.

 

(budget doesn't really matter as long as it's suitable!)

[Max2000]

I would recomend JPC as i own one and it is very comfortable and easy to shoulder my krytac spr!

Also it is not bulky and great for fast movement!

If you decided to buy JPC than buy plastic dummy plates as they help to keep everything in place.(plastic ones NOT foam)

[jcheeseright]

Seconded, JPC is very low profile at the shoulder. They're not designed to have too much stuff on them though so while the molle coverage is extensive I wouldn't be tempted to overload it.

[Bottledtorment]

Thirded the JPC! or the AVS replicas.

[Bencupra]

I got my plate carrier yesterday and have got a single point sling on it easy to shoulder weapon.

 

 

[cropzy]

JPC it is then.

 

Now which one to get.

 

Obviously I can't afford crye but the only ones I can see in the UK are 8fields or viper.....

[Lozart]

JPC it is then.

 

Now which one to get.

 

Obviously I can't afford crye but the only ones I can see in the UK are 8fields or viper.....

 

TMC, Emerson....

 

 

Does it HAVE to be in the UK?

 

Alternatively you could look at the Warrior RPC which is a similar style. Or even the Condor Sentry http://www.military1st.co.uk/201042-008-condor-sentry-lightweight-plate-carrier-multicam.html

[jcheeseright]

Why pay UK prices for an item manufactured in China? Just buy it from China! Semapo make a really good NJPC replica, not cheap though.

[Mr Monkey Nuts]

I really do rate the Haley strategic D3.

 

Light enough for being a light weight rig, combine with a belt kit for a heavier loadout, it can go over as many layers as you can muster and takes up no space in a kit bag.

 

Pricey, yes and the emerson replica isn't anywhere near as good quality as a legitimate but it is £130 cheaper.

[MrMcG]

I really do rate the Haley strategic D3.

 

Light enough for being a light weight rig, combine with a belt kit for a heavier loadout, it can go over as many layers as you can muster and takes up no space in a kit bag.

 

Pricey, yes and the emerson replica isn't anywhere near as good quality as a legitimate but it is £130 cheaper.

 

Exactly what I run

 

D3CR - H immense quality kit but it is pricey.

I also run the Haley flatpack bag for my full on outdoor game loadout.

[Max2000]

Try this :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1X-1000D-Plate-Carrier-Military-JPC-Tactical-Vest-Simplified-Black-OD-TAN-B-/131089911078?var=&hash=item1e85914d26:m:mNn0ANS35cIxDAdJ2I9_a8g

Or this where I bought mine :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1X-Tactical-Molle-Plate-Carrier-JPC-Vest-Military-Airsoft-Hunting-Paintball-B-/151919894644?var=&hash=item235f21a074:m:ms6DRcJtAu2E7E5Qf0Qk9jQ

 

[TheFull9]

And may this be a lesson to anyone unaware about Osprey. Good for saving your organs from grenades - Not so good for nice, safe airsoft.

 

As for what to use, honestly any chest rig or anything that is a dedicated plate carrier rather than an armour carrier (like the Osprey or the US OTV that have lots of extra bulk for soft armour coverage), they'll all work better. This is the best deal you're gonna find on a top quality PC in the UK right now (short of some amazing ebay deal):

 

http://www.tactical-kit.co.uk/tactical-tailor-plate-carrier-modular-22001-7050-p.asp

 

You can add PALS panels on the sides later. I recommend them fairly often because the price to quality ratio you're getting there is immense, but the "gear" viper and their ilk clone looks more tacticool so nobody every buys one.

 

Otherwise, any Warrior rig will be far better built than an airsoft-only brand, if you can budget for it and are the sort of person that's not gentle on your kit. Definitely get on ebay and all the forum classifieds, there's always people selling solid stuff because they want a different camo this season or whatever. I got one of my FirstSpear PCs for £100, so the deals are out there.

[cropzy]

So I like the condor sentry LCS, the one with the laser cut molle.

 

So it's that vs a jpc.....

 

I know it's personal choice but the condor is a great price for the quality and people rate them highly and people even use it for real steel.

 

What do you guys think?

[TheFull9]

Sorry, buy anyone who uses Condor for actual combat is being straight up insane, regardless of who they are. It's fine for airsoft, absolutely, but trusting your life to that gear (which is not definitely not built for life-saving applications) only shows you're either the craziest risk taker the world's ever seen, or don't have a clue about nylon gear.

 

The fact you can get a Tac Tailor PC for 75 when the Condor costs 60 says to me that actually, the quality to price ratio on the Condor is really pretty terrible comparatively speaking. I'm bound to get flamed for this for daring to say anything against the cheap chinese brands, but when you can get something of far superior construction for such a small increase in price then going with the airsoft kit just doesn't make sense. Long term you'll be saving money with the better quality kit.

 

I get that people have a budget and that £15 might just be going too far, but saving up for an extra month or however long will no doubt pay dividends in the long term.

[cropzy]

Sorry, buy anyone who uses Condor for actual combat is being straight up insane, regardless of who they are. It's fine for airsoft, absolutely, but trusting your life to that gear (which is not definitely not built for life-saving applications) only shows you're either the craziest risk taker the world's ever seen, or don't have a clue about nylon gear.

 

The fact you can get a Tac Tailor PC for 75 when the Condor costs 60 says to me that actually, the quality to price ratio on the Condor is really pretty terrible comparatively speaking. I'm bound to get flamed for this for daring to say anything against the cheap chinese brands, but when you can get something of far superior construction for such a small increase in price then going with the airsoft kit just doesn't make sense. Long term you'll be saving money with the better quality kit.

 

I get that people have a budget and that £15 might just be going too far, but saving up for an extra month or however long will no doubt pay dividends in the long term.

Well i'm in no mad rush to buy it and I do 100% agree with you I am just torn between a few rigs ahah.

 

I am limiting my spending at the moment as I have already spent too much on airsoft in the first week of getting paid.

 

I am thinking the emerson jpc though.

[TheFull9]

If you want something cheap and you want that look, then hey go for it it's your loadout, just make sure you get it for a good price that's not verging in to the territory where you could buy something much better. You're always rolling the dice with Emerson/TMC etc though, some of their stuff lasts people ages, some falls apart 2 games in. Again when you search around the classifieds and ebay my experience has been that chinese gear like that is a really poor choice generally when you can get stuff like warrior much less than retail quite often, or even stuff like old brit issue webbing (PLCE or earlier) for absolute peanuts that might be used but will still literally last through a couple of world wars. You sacrifice looks if you want to be operator, but if you want stuff that'll actually be well built on a budget you sort of have to; a really good plate carrier just isn't cheap to make.

 

To answer something I missed in your OP, yes Arktis is great kit, I just recorded a review on some of their apparel today. Their old chest rigs are pretty legendary.

 

The other option I often suggest for people who want high quality and skrimish practicality on a budget is this chest rig. BULLE stuff is like Warrior, uses mil-spec materials (unlike emerson and condor etc) and they go way OTT with the stitching so it's seriously solid, but being made in china brings the price right down compared to most US made kit. http://www.flecktarn.co.uk/odtmb2nx.html

[cropzy]

If you want something cheap and you want that look, then hey go for it it's your loadout, just make sure you get it for a good price that's not verging in to the territory where you could buy something much better. You're always rolling the dice with Emerson/TMC etc though, some of their stuff lasts people ages, some falls apart 2 games in. Again when you search around the classifieds and ebay my experience has been that chinese gear like that is a really poor choice generally when you can get stuff like warrior much less than retail quite often, or even stuff like old brit issue webbing (PLCE or earlier) for absolute peanuts that might be used but will still literally last through a couple of world wars. You sacrifice looks if you want to be operator, but if you want stuff that'll actually be well built on a budget you sort of have to; a really good plate carrier just isn't cheap to make.

 

To answer something I missed in your OP, yes Arktis is great kit, I just recorded a review on some of their apparel today. Their old chest rigs are pretty legendary.

 

The other option I often suggest for people who want high quality and skrimish practicality on a budget is this chest rig. BULLE stuff is like Warrior, uses mil-spec materials (unlike emerson and condor etc) and they go way OTT with the stitching so it's seriously solid, but being made in china brings the price right down compared to most US made kit. http://www.flecktarn.co.uk/odtmb2nx.html

I literally just watched a review of that bulle on youtube and its you and i didnt even realise haha, I do like that bulle, but it seems a little cheap and their arent many reviews out there haha.

[TheFull9]

It seems cheap, but I've owned 2 myself for many years at different points and seen a fair few out on the field, never known anyone mention having one fail. It's a copy of the Tac Tailor 2-piece MAV so no R&D costs and as I say, made in china but using real military materials and very well stitched. I've got a BULLE backpack here that I've had pretty much since I started skirmishing (probably 9 years old now) and even with all the fancier stuff I've got here, I've no plans to get rid of it because it's showing no signs at all of failing. There aren't many reviews because not many people go on flecktarn.co.uk these days and it's not tacticool to run anything but a multicam plate carrier any more, even if you massively sacrifice quality in order to get 'that look' (not that you really have 'that look' in a £50 rig), something people learn once they've been playing long enough.

 

I could go in to a very long spiel about trends in airsoft and gear over time, but sufficed to say since YouTube got really, really big and forums died down a lot (about 2012 ish I'd say) and SF impressions got big and the militaries and SF dudes all switched to compact plate carriers, people have just been going for a look and not asking around on forums and reading guides like they used to in order to get the best value for their money. Hence why everyone just buys condor, viper and emerson PCs because they assume that's the right thing to do and haven't used any other gear before in order to know any different; which is understandable in the online environment we now find ourselves in. When I started playing there were none of these knock-off £30 multisham amour carriers that you see absolutely everywhere now, most people were in some sort of webbing, belt or chest rig which is completely different to what you'll see on the field these days. MOLLE and Picatinny were only just coming in to popularity in fact.

[cropzy]

I think what I will do is hang fire for now and get one closer to the end of the month and drop a fair bit on it to make sure I get a decent, hell I may even get the crye.

[jcheeseright]

You'll maintain a lot of the resale value if you go Crye.