vest versus holster

[m715]

I am thinking when shtf what is the best way to carry magazines.I am thinking a combo of vest and holster.This is what I plan to be carrying.be it not an ar15,it will be an sks with 3 ,30 round magazines.A colt 45acp.I have 10 magazines for this.I am not looking for answers to what would be the better guns of choice. for this is what i have.I know this will be heavy,I am sure some of you guys already have the better vest and belt-holster combos figured out.any suggestions

[USAF_Vet]

We don't do SHTF threads. As such, I don't see many reasons a non-combatant civilian would need to carry massive amounts of magazines.

[rcmodel]

I don't know where you live, or what you expect to need battle gear for?

But its 85 & humid here today, and I'm already sweating like a fool after walking the dog 1/2 mile a while ago.

With just a short sleeve shirt on.

I pity the fool wearing a big thick vest full of magazines running around in hotter weather all day!!

Anyway?
If I can't carry it on a pistol belt and suspenders?
I give up!

They got me!

rc

[mljdeckard]

which SKS mags? I prefer the new Pro-mag 30s. To be honest, I am still looking for good mag pouches that fit them and will match with modern tactical gear.

I am all for carrying a sidearm as backup. I am all for using a 1911. But if I ever actually NEED to use it, I doubt I will make it through more than a couple of magazines before I am either safe or down.

[xxjumbojimboxx]

Why dont we do shtf threads?

Thats like saying we want rock and roll to live on but were not going to tolerate new bands.

Theres a REASON we have more second ammendment supporters these days, and If it stems from zombies, the apocolypse, or who cares, I support it. Because it directly supports our right and grants us "crazy gun poeple" a larger audience.

Most of the new supporters wouldnt even exist without media and television shows such as "the walking dead" or "revolution" or "the zombie survival handguide" or "doomsday preppers"

These social examples are now hand in hand with gun ownership. Little house moms are buying shotguns and AR's because they are scared of the end of days..

Poeple who at one point wouldnt think twice about voting away the right to bear arms.... I say welcome shtf, it may have been the saving grace, and the push we needed to get us over the last little incident we just had.


And to answer your the OP's question, I would say the vest, Theres just so much more room on your torsoe as well as you dont need to worry about your pants falling down because youve got 10 lbs of ammo on your belt...

[Sam1911]

I say welcome shtf,

However, THR does not.

Our focus is on realistic, real-world, responsible gun ownership and use. We consider "SHTF" to fall into the same category as zombie, apocalypse, aliens invading, Mad Max fantasy stuff, and it simply does not fit here. While Jane soccer mom and Jim Suburbia might have gone and bought an AR-15 because they actually think the Canadians will some day rise up and try to slaughter us all, or that suddenly Hostess will stop making Twinkies and the resulting riots will destroy civil society and the rule of law ... ... if they arrive here, we hope to encourage and aid them to mature into reasonable, realistic, and responsible gun owners, more comfortable with judicious critical thinking skills, as well as the ability to shoot well and plan soberly.

While there's always the "dreaded"*** someday maybe chance that some of us will experience some form of civil unrest, the need to arm up with super-dooper weaponry to face hordes of (whomever) really doesn't fit into a sane and sober assessment of reality.

At any rate, the THR community has come to a consensus that "SHTF" fantasy stuff is not appropriate meat for discussion here, so that's that. (What you're into on your own time, elsewhere, matters none to us though. Different strokes, as they say.)

Fortunately, a straightforward answer to the OP's question doesn't require a SHTF discussion, so let's drop the matter.




*** -- (... and there are more than a few in "our" community who have an unhealthy attraction to the thought of such eventualities ... probably under the mistaken belief that they'll survive the end of days to pick over the corpses of their un-preppered neighbors and thus they'll finally start to get ahead in life.)

[xxjumbojimboxx]

This forum has the right to do whatever it pleases... So I will fall in line with the heard because I have really found some very good information here. This forum is full of knowledgable poeple who have real answers to the questions provided. For that, I respect this place... Thank you for clarifying Sam.

[mljdeckard]

I did a little digging because I have been looking for a pouch too. I searched 'sks magazine pouch', and most of what I came up with was guys who have modified other magazine pouches to allow for the duck bill. I did find these, I prefer the promags, but I do have a few Tapcos too:

http://www.strikehardgear.com/sks-mo...ch-double-mag/

[conw]

when shtf what is the best way to carry magazines

I prefer not to let it hit the fan... if you want plenty of spare magazines though, this set-up will work well.

[45bthompson]

LOL!

[smalls]

Back pack.

[shinyroks]

Got an interesting lesson while working as an exploration geologist on belt vs vest. I carried about 20 lb of equipment through Nevada, Utah and southern Arizona. I prefer the belt, as a vest always seemed to pull towards the front or the rear if I didn't balance it just right all the time. Another advantage is that you can always add a backpack if you are using a belt, with the vest this requires some reorganizing of the rear pockets of the vest, or just being downright uncomfortable.

As far as the pants falling down concern, just use a second tactical belt to stow your gear on. This way it can be removed for the necessary nature calls while leaving your equipment well within reach, yet easily picked up when you are done. I used an old duty belt, carried a 66 on the right, a folding shovel on the left, several pouches across the rear along with a rock hammer, and a little bit of ammo on the front with my GPS. This set up also allows ease of dirt biking if necessary...

I of course am the goofy one with the belt. Note how the vest on the Geo to my left pulls on his neck, that bugs the heck out of me and will cause blisters. Don't get me wrong, I like vests, just not as load-carrying devices.

[Mobuck]

I would prefer to have my personal firearm on my body rather on a piece of equipment which might be taken off and end up out of reach.

[stumpers]

This is what I do for a general purpose platform. It is very similar to what I did on active duty when deployed, but in places where the conflict was low intensity. Something of a battle belt, if you will.

Glock 19 in a Raven holster, a 3x mag pouch for 20rd AR mags, double pistol mag pouch, single pistol mag pouch.

It is light enough that it works well without the suspenders, but I plan to add an IFAK, a liter of water, and a flashlight pouch - the suspenders may be of use as it gets heavier.

[stumpers]

I want to add:

If you do want a vest, at least get one that carries plates.

Plate carriers are cool and so are vests like the Eagle MARCIRAS, but I don't plan on taking rifle fire in America, so I'd rather be able to move and breath...

Also to add: 10 magazines for a 1911 is alot. Most guys I knew who carried 1911s in Iraq had 4 or 5 mags on their body armor and 1 in the gun. The long gun is primary and the most bang for your buck with weight and space would be to carry less sidearm ammo and more rifle ammo.

[xxjumbojimboxx]

"Also to add: 10 magazines for a 1911 is alot. Most guys I knew who carried 1911s in Iraq had 4 or 5 mags on their body armor and 1 in the gun. The long gun is primary and the most bang for your buck with weight and space would be to carry less sidearm ammo and more rifle ammo. "


+1 stumpers, I guess the same goes for those rifle mags too, While i sit in my house i think, man its a good thing I've got 45 full mags for my ak... Meanwhile, even with a chest rig your looking at maybe lugging 12 of them... tops...