Chest Rig & Belt - Layouts and Suggestions

[Kha0s]

Hi! I'm putting together a new loadout based around a RRV (with back panel) and a shooters/gunfighter belt and wanted to get peoples input around the optimal way to set things up? Before I picked up the back panel and belt, I'd loaded the RRV up with 6 mag pouches (HSGI Taco clones), a double pistol mag pouch plus pistol holster mounted at 45 degrees across the chest area. The mag pouches aren't too much of an issue if I'm running an M4 setup, with when using my AK I found the taller mags get in the way a little in the mag pouches furthest to the left/right.

 

I'm thinking it might be worth moving 2 of those down to the belt along with the holster and pistol mag pouches? Then adding a folding dump pouch to the rear of the belt and an admin pouch where the holster originally lived on the upper chest area of the RRV. I had tried double stacking the rifle mag pouches on the front of the RRV but felt it was a bit too bulky.

 

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions on the best way to arrange things? Or any other pouches/attachments I should be considering? I see a lot of people running dangle pouches from their chest rigs/plate carriers but I feel like this would either interfere with the belt or flap about too much for my liking. Generally I prefer to keep things light weight and mobile.

Edited Monday at 23:42 by Kha0s

[Jacob Wright]

I've found that chest rigs and belts can be a difficult combination. Mostly this is due to any pouches (or magazines) on the belt sitting too high and fouling any pouches that sit at either side of the chest rig. For that reason I don't tend to use a belt any more, other than one to hold my holster which sits in a mid-ride holster so low enough not to be an issue.

 

The best way round it I've found is to wear the chest rig as high as practicable, and mount pouches low on the belt if you can to buy yourself some space. However, some magazines - like AK ones - might be too high for that to make much difference. I've found that pistol magazines don't tend to be too much of an issue. 

 

As for the dangler, I wasn't sure at first but I've grown to like it, really handy for holding MK5's, pistol magazines, snacks..... Give it a go and see what you think.

[Kha0s]

21 minutes ago, Jacob Wright said:

I've found that chest rigs and belts can be a difficult combination. Mostly this is due to any pouches (or magazines) on the belt sitting too high and fouling any pouches that sit at either side of the chest rig. For that reason I don't tend to use a belt any more, other than one to hold my holster which sits in a mid-ride holster so low enough not to be an issue.

 

The best way round it I've found is to wear the chest rig as high as practicable, and mount pouches low on the belt if you can to buy yourself some space. However, some magazines - like AK ones - might be too high for that to make much difference. I've found that pistol magazines don't tend to be too much of an issue. 

 

As for the dangler, I wasn't sure at first but I've grown to like it, really handy for holding MK5's, pistol magazines, snacks..... Give it a go and see what you think.

Belt pouches interfering with those on the chest rig did cross my mind when I was thinking of dropping some rifle mag pouches down there. Maybe the holster, pistol mag pouches and dump pouch is the limit then - feels like wasted real estate but having pouches I can't easily access isn't much use either! I guess I just need to play around with different configurations and see what works best in practice.

[Jacob Wright]

That's the key really - try out a few different options and see what works for you. 

 

Holster, secondary magazines, trauma kit and dump pouch is the extent of what I did have on my belt.

[Cannonfodder]

When running a chest rig I tend to keep things on my belt to a minimum. At the most just my pistol, pistol mags, a gas bottle and a utility pouch for if things need to be collected.

 

8 hours ago, Kha0s said:

feels like wasted real estate

Its easy to fall into the trap of thinking every bit of molle must have a pouch on it, which leads to finding things to fill those pouches. The next thing you know you're dragging around a load of extra kit you don't actually need it use.

 

[Kha0s]

4 hours ago, Cannonfodder said:

When running a chest rig I tend to keep things on my belt to a minimum. At the most just my pistol, pistol mags, a gas bottle and a utility pouch for if things need to be collected.

 

Its easy to fall into the trap of thinking every bit of molle must have a pouch on it, which leads to finding things to fill those pouches. The next thing you know you're dragging around a load of extra kit you don't actually need it use.

 

Is it a full gas bottle you're carrying or one of those little refillable ones? I'm tempted to do the same but my local site (certainly used to) usually run relatively short games so I'd probably be fine to just re-gas at the safe zone between rounds - the pistol will just be a backup really. 

 

Definitely get what you mean about the danger of trying to fill space for the sake of it and then ending up lugging around a bunch of unnecessary weight. Same principle applies ethical hiking/backpacking, so makes sense! 

[Jacob Wright]

This is my set-up, I have added pouches into both Molle sections, but as I don't tend to use the utility pouches on the outside for anything heavy or large it doesn't get too weighed down. I also find that a well set up chest-rig spreads the weight a bit better.

[Cannonfodder]

19 hours ago, Kha0s said:

Is it a full gas bottle you're carrying or one of those little refillable ones?

It's a full size bottle but the pouch came in a bundle and I found a use for it, rather than buying it specifically for the job. It's definitely way more than needed and is usually only carried for long games or if I'm using the shotgun.