Critique my setup please

[GunnerMax]

Ok guys, after 6 months of deployment and getting some damn good gear, I have finished my setup. It fits, but is untested and untried. I have not perfected the drawing and stowing of the SOG Axe. I have not filled the buttpack yet.

http://s11.postimage.org/d90bhl3yn/IMAG0170.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/d90bhl3yn/)

http://s9.postimage.org/pcijv6smz/IMAG0171.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/pcijv6smz/)

Vest:
I have a Spec ops brand Over armor vest to go over my armor with Sideplates.
I have 6 OSOE AK/M4 pouches loaded with 12 AK mags.
I have a North American Rescue IFAK with a broken case extractor and 2 extra Izzy bandages in it.
I have a 2L camelBak set in a Specopsbrand H.U.M.P pouch, and the tube lined with a Marpat tube cover.
I have a SOG tomahawk with sheath. I am still improving the function of this.
I have 5 Eagle Industries single pistol mag pouches.
I have a OSOE trama shear pouch that isnt filled yet because I dont have any scissors.
I have a HSGI "short bus door gunner" patch
I have a Benchmade Nimravus Tanto knife on my left shoulder for easy draw. A Benchmade hook/safety cutter is connected to the front of the Nimravus.

Battle Belt:

HSGI ATACS sure grip padded belt with An Emdomm CM belt. HSGI suspenders.

2 double pistol mag pouches, Specopsbrand.
Tactical Tailor dump pouch with 2 eagle industries single pistol mag pouches connected.
1 specops brand flashlight holder on the left front to put my flashlight.
Eagle Industries buttpack (not filled)
Safariland 6004 dropleg holster, OD color for the Glock 19.
1110gear.com kydex CAT holder (matching OD) with a CAT in it

I plan on putting a folding knife, CRKT M-16 in a pouch on the right side of the belt as a backup.


I have tried on the setup. Its really heavy, but manageable. It is wide, and bulky, but having armor, and needing the armor seperate from my personal setup is a must. I have to be able to grab the armor and my helmet in a moments notice and head into work. There is no tolerance of AK mags on my issued armor :P

I have a total of 13 AK mags, and spots for 12 Glock mags (I only own 10.... so far)

Remember this setup is for me to put on and never come back home, thus ammo and mag heavy. Its not a micro chest rig and a hip holster. It is what suits me, and will probably be changed in the future.

Thoughts, suggestion, comments?

Thanks, Gunner

[izzyscout21]

can you actually move?

not being a smartass.

have you had it all on and tried to run around? does the belt interfere with the vest? can you access your gear efficiently?

[Gearhead]

Aye, you got a lot of stuff there. Looks pretty heavy, and IIRC AK mags weigh 1.5 pounds each loaded up. 19.5 pounds of gun food should get the job done, though.
On your Battle Belt, do you have your pistol mags on the same side as the pistol itself?

[apssbc]

I like the set up. I am abig proponent of keeping a light weight as possible, remember we are out numbered. Sometimes the answer to that seems a ass load of mags. I have foung Im happy in the six mag area. I cant kill al of them so I need to be able to hide, maneuver, and be silent. For us we need stealth to survive. We dont have long supply trains and what not to sustain us.

I like how your kit is set up. But my two cents is to keep it slim on the chest portion, if you need to go prone and crawl you cant easily with mags stacked up, nor can you comfortably lay there and get a good comfortable firing position. Just my opinion.

The only other thing I can say is get out there in the mud, snow, sand, and briars and try it out. Test it hard, you will find out real quick what works and what dosent. Training is key.

[LUNCHBOX]

Without putting a ton of thought into it right off....The weight, I would make sure I have extra webbing/550 cord if something breaks. It seems you have this line of defense in place. Do you have a bag set up as well? If so, have you tried the bag with the gear on? (I ask cause you didn't mention food/water)

[The Stig]

The only other thing I can say is get out there in the mud, snow, sand, and briars and try it out. Test it hard, you will find out real quick what works and what dosent. Training is key.

This...I'd be interested to see how that axe feels whaping against you as you run. Also, how does it feel if you have some sort of backpack on? Also curious about that knife mounting. Could the haft of the knife slam into your jaw if you fall/move suddenly?

But as apssbc said....try it out in all conditions. You find out quickly if it's set up well or adjustments need to be made.

[The Stig]

Remember this setup is for me to put on and never come back home, thus ammo and mag heavy.

Do you have separate pack for sustainment items like food, maps, extra batteries, any comms, extra clothes, etc ?

[Gunfixr]

I think I'd run a few less mags, especially pistol mags.
Pistol secondary, if you need 12 pistol mags, you're done. You're rifle isn't full auto.
I'd still have the ammo, just some would be to replenish mags after. Realistically, if you needed 13 rifle mags and 12 pistol mags, by yourself, what you've taken on will get you before you got that far.
You can probably get ammo on less belt real estate, make room for other important things, or just to have some room. It would also drop weight.

I have a nice tomahawk, but I have yet to figure out a good way to carry it. The sheath, well, drawing the 'hawk is measured with an hourglass. And, yeah, it flops. Now that I have it, it almost seems a bit limited in its uses. A good knife with a good machete might be better, I'm not sure. I think it would excel for CQB, but once to the field, where it's more survival, maybe not so much.

Still, a very nice setup, indeed.

[GunnerMax]

Thanks for the inputs. I am tweaking the setup on mine. I dont have the time to reply to every question.

I do realize that I overdid it on the pistol Mags. I am trying to get a good balance of items on my 1st, 2nd and 3rd line gear.

I am setting up a INCH/BOB now, and I have some more MOLLE weaving to do. I will try it out after my lil girl is born, as funds are pretty much frozen until that happens, and thus cannot fill my BOB/INCH bag, or my wife's. I am setting up my wife's setup. She will have 6 AR15 mags, and room for extra .357 rounds, as she is determined to only have that revolver.

Keep the suggestions coming, and I will update as changes are made and tested.

[Gunfixr]

My wife prefers her revolver, no big deal.
What is important is that she carries what she can effectively use.

[GunnerMax]

Ok, I did some tweaking. I took your comments to heart. I took out the front row of AK mags, and now I have a single row of 6 mags, plus one in the gun. so 210 rounds, with the option of refilling the empty 6 slots.

I do have a dual pistol mag pouch on my weak side, and one on my strong side. 2 reasons for this. 1, I ran out of room on the weak side, and 2, I leave myself open for use of my gun on my weak side, and strong side reloads.

I took the mag pouches off of the TT dump pouch. I added a old Alice pouch with 2 Izzy bandages right over the pistol holster. I also added a pouch for my folding CRKT, because when its extended, it is a fixed blade bit of whoopass. I added my Leatherman MUT just next to my buttpack. I added a pistol Lanyard, with the quick release hook.


I took all 5 pistol mag pouches off of the vest, and put 2 back on it, on my left side above the rifle mag pouches, near the centerline.

So, total of 7 pistol and 7 rifle mags. I took off my SOG axe, because it will be a pain to have that on and my BOB/INCH bag, which I am pimping out now. I will decide on a better system to have that on my setup somehow.

Thats it for now.

[Gunfixr]

Sounds good. Don't know if you'll ever need 7 pistol mags, but it is your setup. I like 4. A friend who is ex-special forces had told me they carried 4 (15rds ea.), and not even extra pistol ammo. He said if you were carrying ammo, it should fit the most powerful weapon you have, the rifle. Out of curiosity, how is the pistol carried? I may have just missed it earlier.
Reason I ask, is that of course you'd want extra pistol ammo in the pack, but after that it's the fighting load.
So, if your pistol is on the belt, and the mags are on a vest, but you ditch the vest, then the pistol mags are gone. If the pistol is on the vest, and it's ditched, then mags on the belt serve no more function.
These are things to think about as you figure your layers of gear, and what you still have (and don't) as you may be forced to remove layers.

It's sort of a "what does the belt do" and "what does the vest do" kind of thing. Kind of like 1st line, 2nd line, 3rd line.

Or are they just considered together, and you either have both, or have ditched both? If you ditched both, would you still have the pistol?

[The Stig]

He said if you were carrying ammo, it should fit the most powerful weapon you have, the rifle.

Well said. Very well said.

If this is a Mad-Max, never coming home, we've gone all Serba circa 1990's then I'd rather dedicate as much ammo to the main gun as possible over the last line of defense.

[GunnerMax]

Pistol mags are light as hell, and I am, right now, more comfortable with my G19 than my AK, which BTW, I tested today with AWESOME success. It is an IO Inc dark earth sporter from royaltigerimports.com (but its a Made in USA rifle). I only could test 45 rounds in it before the cops were called :P But it is a joy to shoot, BUT I find that I am not comfortable using the iron sights at anything more than 20 yards. The sight completely covers a target at more than 20 or so yards, its a crapshoot to hope to hit on target.

Here is an updated pic. It is much more comfortable, lightweight, and maneuverable . I added 2 ziptie handcuffs, which slide out with deliberate force. I figgure they will come in handy.

http://s16.postimage.org/sjoy91irl/IMAG0173.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/sjoy91irl/)
http://s8.postimage.org/boe2x70lt/IMAG0174.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/boe2x70lt/)

Oh, I added on my ESS Sawfly pouch. Since I wear glasses, I have the prescription inserts in them. I have a clear lens main lens and a sunglasses lens. Overall awesome. I still need some shears