tactical vest?

I'm in the market for a nice tactial vest I'm not well verst in the vest market so I need a little help. I know I don't wont a molly vest and I'm looking for one with a cross draw rig. So where should I look?

 

I've got an NCstar cross draw that I've liked so far. http://www.vism.com/products/vests.html#

A couple cons are that the mag pouches for the pistol are better for subcompact mags than they are for full sized mags. They also hold double stacks better than singles.

The rifle mags are on the right which can be awkward if you have a gut. I do, so I don't use the one furthest on the right.

I lost the fabric holster for a blackhawk serpa which I really like. I also added a first aid kit and a dump pouch on the belt.

I like it for range trips and it fits good and breaths well in the heat. For the price it's worth the money. It's been durable and the stitching seems to be tight and holding.

You might also want to look into the PALM USA plate carriers.

 

OT for ST&T - moved...

 

Do you want MOLLE or fixed pouches?

-Jenrick

 

I like the Blackhawk bare MOLLE vest - I purchased the pouches I needed over time, making the purchase a little less painful. I get to put the pouches I need where I need them, and as my needs change, the vest changes.

Mark H.

 

I'm quite a fan of the Rhodesian style, I think it provides a good balance of carrying what I need it to carry while not being hot or cumbersome. It doesn't really work with rifle plates though, so if you need those you'll probably need a dedicated carrier (which is how I'd want to go about it personally).

If you don't mind me saying this, I think you should decide exactly what you want and need the vest to carry, and then find a specific vest that fits that profile. Then consider price. There are some fantastic vests out there that start around $400 and only go up from there... As far as names, Blackhawk is usually good (kind of a known quantity, you're not going to get absolute junk), Eagle has good reviews and OSOE (very expensive, but reportedly very good as well).

How many mags are you wanting to carry and for what rifle? AR mag pouches are everywhere, but if you want to use an AK, you'll have a little bit more difficult time finding suitable pouches, especially if you want 2 AK mags per pouch. (Typically, 1 AK mag will work in a pouch made for 2 AR mags. 2 AK mags will work in a pouch made for 3 AR mags.)

What other gear absolutely has to be on the vest? Those mags are gonna be heavy, so resist the urge to throw everything you can on the vest. One thing I would definitely recommend though, is a IFAK/combat first aid kit. Hell, I have two just in one full gear setup. You may also want a medium sized pouch to hold things like cell phones and car keys and a few other small things. I completely forgot about one of those the first time I started putting a vest together

I'd also recommend reconsidering the MOLLE decision. A MOLLE vest allows you to change your gear layout as your opinion and preferences on its use change. I can almost guarantee that at some point you will say "I really wish that pouch was a bit lower/more to the right" or something like that. I don't know a single person who has the same gear setup as they did starting out. MOLLE lets you do that without having to buy another vest.