Revamped my 1st and 2nd line fighting gear

[izzyscout21]

So I went back and did a little shakedown and revamp of my fighting load. I had way too much stuff that I really didn't need, so I condensed and re-prioritized my gear. SInce I'm already at my BOL, I'm not really focused on sustainment/ 3rd line gear

for my 1st and second line gear I actually added one sublayer. I took the holster from the battle belt and put it back on my leg. That way, I can drop EVERYTHING and still keep the handgun. I also retained the 3 mag hip panel on the left leg for an extra 3 mags. I kept this simply because I only run 3 mags on the plate carrier.

Next most important thing I did was add coms to both the belt and Plate carrier. Smaller radio on my belt is UHF band for team/ around the BOL coms. Since it is UHF band, this radio has more of an advantage in urban areas as well.
The second radio attached to the PC is VHF band and is primarily for longer range communication. It is programmed for HAM freqs as well as MURS. It also has the handy dandy freqs of NOAA weather.

Heres the breakdown:

On my person:
SERPA dropleg platform for my Desert Warrior 1911
Blackhawk 3 mag hip panel (not shown, I'll get a pic up)

Battle Belt:

VTAC Brokos battle belt
VTAC Cobra inner belt
ATS lo-pro suspenders
2 1911 mags in Blade-tec pouch
AR Mag in 5.11/ VTAC pouch
Motorola Radius P110 Radio/ mic (local and team coms, throat mic on the way)
GP pouch with extra batteries for radios and lights, 50 extra .45 rounds, and 1 day of MREs
Tactical Tailor Nalgene pouch and Nalgene bottle
Surefire G3
Cuda CQB-1 combat knife
GPS in Condor Pouch


Plate Carrier:

Level 4 SAPI plates

Front:
Tactical Tailor 3 mag pouch for AR
Tac Tailor Magna Mag 3 cell pistol pouch
HSGI bleeder kit (CAT, quick clot, Izzy bandage, shears)
Admin pouch with map tool and map of AO

Back:

TT kangaroo hydration pouch
TT med pouch filled with survival gear (firestarters, strobe, batteries, chem lights, water purification, ETC)
Motorola Saber 2 Radio for long range coms ( just ordered a hand mic)
ADS GP pouch (more survival gear and MRE's)

Brings me to a total of 8 AR mags (3 on PC, 3 on hip, 1 on belt, 1 in gun) 240 rounds total
6 1911 mags (3 on PC, 2 on belt, 1 in gun) 48 rounds total
This setup has alloowed me to streamline my gear and believe it or not, doesn't weigh a ton.

questions or comments?

[ak474u]

I like it, I was looking at the battle belts the other day, and can see more use with modern pouches (MOLLE) than trying to adapt to the old fashioned, yet more modern with fastex buckles LBE pistol belt. Do you have enough weight on the belt to need the attachment straps to the plate carrier like the old fashioned vests attached to pistol belts?

[izzyscout21]

the BIG advantage to the Brokos belt is that you can use molle and regular belt mounted pouches. The molle on the belt is made into 2 rows by 2 rows, that way if you want to add a belt mounted pouch, you just skip one panel of molle and thread the belt back under the next panel.

[mitunnelrat]

Nice! I'm going to have to remember this.

Have I ever mentioned I wish you were about 700 miles closer to me? lol

[izzyscout21]

Nice! I'm going to have to remember this.

Have I ever mentioned I wish you were about 700 miles closer to me? lol

no, but you have now.

come down and visit some time..... or if it ever gets bad enough, come down and join the group!

[mitunnelrat]

Cool! I'll have to do one or the other this year

I really do like how you're set up there, and I definitely believe you on the weight. I don't have the comms setup you, do but my FLC only weighs 11-16 pounds (depending on how full my Camelbak is) without it.

My belt is the heavier of the two at 21 pounds, but then its also the base of my bug out gear vs. being a dedicated fighting component. I do like the idea of the pistol holster as a subload though. I never thought of doing that.

All told I'm at 9 rifle mags (six on the vest, 2 on the belt, 1 in the rifle), 252 rounds since I'm at 28 per mag. I was having too many feed issues to go with full loads. I also have the HSGI bleeder kit, set up as a BOK, and though its a moot point right now, I can clip my motorola FRS radio alongside my left most mag pouch if I ever get teamed up and can use it. I'll be interested in seeing that hip panel though. I want to upgrade to an actual chest rig or PC, but for now - and once/ if I get to radios like yours - the MBITR pouch would require removing one of my mag pouches.

[izzyscout21]

Thanks, MTR. Give me a PM. I can get more radios

Hip pouch will be up in a sec

[izzyscout21]

Cool! I'll have to do one or the other this year

I'll be interested in seeing that hip panel though. I want to upgrade to an actual chest rig or PC, but for now - and once/ if I get to radios like yours - the MBITR pouch would require removing one of my mag pouches.

Hip pouch. Not a drop-leg, but not quite a belt pouch either. It's somewhere in between

[mitunnelrat]

Interesting. I'm guessing it sits pretty close underneath your battle belt?

[izzyscout21]

^^yes it does. they aren't *fast* to get to per se, but if I'm feeding from that setup, I prolly have time to do so.