Is there a benefit to having 6 points of attachment or is 4 alright? Also are 4 point yokes comfortable as they don’t seem to have any padding.
Go for the 6 point - not only are they more comfortable with weight in your belt kit, but if you have a good rummage about you should be able to find one with the attachment points for the Bergen side pockets.
Fleabay is your friend - you’ll get a full set in DPM for £35 in decent nick. I genuinely wouldn’t bother with paying for MTP, firstly because once DPM belt kit is filthy you can’t really tell the difference between it and MTP, and secondly because that £20 is better spent on better boots, or waterproofs or a rucksack.
I wouldn’t worry about the fashion element - loads of people I know how are still in are using DPM belt kit, and if it’s good enough for them…
6 point distributes the weight better, holds it better, and allows a lot more room for adjusting.
Don’t buy into the naff “battle belts” and Molle belts and 4 point “H” harness’. It’s all just naff that’s not good for anything but walts who think it’s “ally” or what SF do. Same with those ridiculous chest rigs everyone wants these days, and then proceed to wear it so low it defeats the purpose. Battle belts really are a waste of time and effort. They are turd.
Go for good old PLCE webbing, you can’t beat it. I still use my DPM set and am trying to find an MTP version that isn’t MOLLE and ridiculous.
The cadet/assault vests are good too. Some people gob off about them, and big up the MOLLE chest rigs. But they haven’t got a clue what they are talking about. If your going to get a Chestrig at least get the good old NI one.
Everyone is obsessed with damn MOLLE. It looks naff, feels naff, and doesn’t take a beating like the old stuff.
I will add to, don’t bother with those naff rocket pouch/Bergman side pouch ones. Naff. Invest in a good day sack. A lot comfier, a lot easier to use, takes a lot more of a beating. Those fiddly little clips and zips always break.
Thin yokes like the ones pictures are for use with body armour. As you aren’t going to wear armour, a regular yoke is much better. The British Tactical ones are quite good.
Not true. They are fine for general load carrying, but are naff for SAA purposes when in the prone position due to the fiddly pouches. It is a bit easier when standing, but sometimes letting go of the rifle is still necessary. The issue osprey mag pouches are far superior. The vests also have an annoying pouch near the left shoulder, which prevents attachment of a PRR in the correct place.
You can stick your PRR wherever you want. It doesn’t have to go on the left shoulder. Stick it in that left pouch of you want. Bungee it to the top of your helmet if you like.
The pouches aren’t fiddly for the prone. Ok well maybe for a young fragile cadet. But for adults it’s fine, you should have no problem getting to them, and you can get to them a lot better than with those MOLLE chest rigs.
The Assault vests are a damn sight better to use than those MOLLE chest rigs. Better weight distribution, the chest rigs are gash in the prone. Gash for hot weather, gash for load carrying.
I cut the mag pouches off and plastic tied PLCE pouch on. Job done. Far supieror to those “ally” chest rigs. Do it with some osprey pouches if you like?
That’s another horrendous way to carry kit, pouches all over your osprey.
The thin straps for under body are is naff too. No weight distribution, hardly any adjustment.
The MOLLE belts don’t hold weight, the waist belt is too thin and doesn’t offer any protection, only 4 mags weigh it down a lot and pull at the belt.
Don’t get me started on those doorknobs that clip belts to their osprey or chest rigs too.
No one wants to admit it, because it’s not “ally” or Gucci. But belt kit is the way to go. It’s reliable and it works.
But everyone just wants to look like an “Operator”.
Back to the topic on hand though, instead of buying a commanders pouch, use an issue utility, and buy an Airborne or Velcro mag pouch. A lot better than those fiddly clips on PLCE, handy for utility, but a pain for the mags.
It won’t fit in the pouch, and if it did you would need to go into the pouch to reach the PTT switch (or fumble around with it through the pouch until you hit the right button. And we only use helmets for the obstacle course and tibua, so that wouldn’t work!
It is the cadets who have the problem. Adults usually manage to find webbing somewhere anyway.
I can see the advantage in the vest when issuing the same one to different people week after week, but if your are buying your own thing or have enough to allocate a set to each person, regular webbing is far superior to a vest.
If you do decide to go for a battle belt and molle pouches. (I use them, have had no issues with it either for Fieldcraft/tactics work or for long distance marching.) You may notice that oddly the yokes have 6 points but the belts only have four attachment points. (My yoke and belt are made by the same company and they don’t seem to have noticed the problem…)
The solution is to ebay some spare T-bar and D-ring attachments, like the ones used to attach the single point Osprey yoke and insert those in the right place.
6 point. With MOLLE. Something to attach your PRR to.
(If we ever See the Harris kit)