3 CHEAP Chestrig type set ups.

[Moab]

No excuses for not being able to afford what you "need" to carry all your tactical stuff. 

Three levels of poor. 


https://youtu.be/QInDQE3mqdA?si=d-_A6NeSi7WWWn2F

[MacWa77ace]

I wonder if hot glue would work for those fold over tabs he's making using tape. I don't like tape on stuff like that.

[Moab]

Why not epoxy?

[MacWa77ace]

No clamps needed, no mixing, no smell, or ventilation needed. No cleanup.

Think i'd sew them before epoxying them.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Honestly, you can just buy a nice chest rig knock off complete on Temu for about $25-50. You can also get a four pack of new iiia PE plates for $97. I've shot some of the plates, and they are legit iiia. If $100 is too much I'd save my nickels

[Moab]

No clamps needed, no mixing, no smell, or ventilation needed. No cleanup.

Think i'd sew them before epoxying them.

Well ya. Sewing would be better than tape or hot glue or epoxy. 

[Moab]

I like that he's obviously studied customizing cheap web gear (and old Marine term.) to make it closer in functionality to the real/new stuff. I like those USMC chestrigs ($40?!) and he further customized it to make it so much better. I like how he showed how to set everything up with quick real video clips of each step that you could pause on. Especially the pack. Those are a bitch to put the frame back on. And watching those short video clips was way easier to follow than a forum post or white paper (another old term - fuck I'm getting old!).

This is along the lines of putting together a bug out bag in a grocery sack with the crap you already have. 

So simple,  easy and cheap tactical rigs to buy and set up. That for the money you can afford to go order right now. Without a ton of research or time wasted. While your figuring out and saving up and looking for deals on the stuff you actually want. I've spent so many years poorly set up. Or not set up at all. Waiting on the right time to get the stuff I really wanted. 

Plus if you had a family. You buy 3 or 4 cheap ARs. At least with these simple cheap rigs you've got something set up that is at least functional. Maybe not high speed. But way better to have a minimum requirement set up for the whole group or family. Than to be without, while the perfect stuff goes on sale or your making up your mind, as the world falls apart. And you wonder why your sitting there with your ass hanging out with no set ups at all. 

I feel like each plan and recommendation needs to include three levels - 1) "Right now - While you make up your mind." 2) The Good Enough load out. AND 3) The optimal load out for your budget and use case. 

The last one you spend your time researching, planning, budgeting for, and waiting for sales. Which takes you a good year to put together. Otherwise your buying crap to quickly that you'll later regret, or paying to much because you couldn't wait for black Friday or that other yearly sale. That will save 30% of your budget you could have spent elsewhere in your preps. 

I like this guy's video a lot. Screw you if you think it's crap for crap people. Which if you read the comments (I haven't) probably is full of alot of that. But it really is smart to just buy a cheap load out right now that is at the very least functional. And gives you the time to research, plan and buy what would be ootimal. That's a lot smarter than just going out and buying the "best" or whatever crappy advice you find online in the first days you start looking. Without any considering for your own use case or overall budget. 

Meanwhile the other two thirds of preppers are probably sitting around with nothing. While they plan and look for sales. At least you didn't over spend on crap your going to have to replace. Or just as bad sit around with nothing while the perfect plan, gear and price all comes together. 

It's not complicated. You need a rifle and a means to carry mags and other basic gear. Again, that isn't high speed. But it's functional. Otherwise your not even functional. You've got a rifle and 4 pockets. Or crap buried in a backpack. 

[MacWa77ace]

I feel like each plan and recommendation needs to include three levels - 1) "Right now - While you make up your mind." 2) The Good Enough load out. AND 3) The optimal load out for your budget and use case.

This is how I started.

I wonder if I can put together my 'right now' from years ago before I knew what I was doing? I think I still have some of the stuff I had in high school. But it wasn't purposely acquired for survival/prep. It was just life interests at that time.

I don't have my bandolier anymore I know that. It was a 30cal mil style belt bandolier made of nylon with elastic cartridge holders that I had my mom sew each elastic loop in half to fit my 22LR's.


But I still have the guns, knives, comms [similar but not the exact ones]. Don't have the canteen anymore or backpack anymore either. My stuff back then was mainly for hunting, fishing, and camping. I hadn't even heard the term bug out bag yet. LOL.


Right now I budget to advance each of the following categories to get them to 'optimal' for my AO and situation. 

Food
Water
Shelter
Power/fuel
Security
Communications
Medical
Finance
Training
Knowledge
Skill

Youtube has this new in app [AI Generated?] Year end summary they sent me this year that is in a video style presentation that tells you what you where watching etc. And then gives you a 'personality title', mine was 'skill builder'. LOL.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Ah, here we go. For the same amount of money, a complete 1000D plate carrier with pouches. Comes in multiple color schemes, no dye pack or shock cord needed. 

https://www.temu.com/-vest-new-quick-release-multi-functional-breathable-durable-field-training-uniform-1000d-polyester-g-601099604656834.html?

[MacWa77ace]

Those plastic shoulder QD clips look a little high. The top of the carrier is supposed to be at your clavicle level. They may rest on [dig into]  your shoulder. I actually think that's backwards but those are QD clips meant to be access from the front by the wearer. I don't don and doff my plate carriers that way, I leave the shoulder straps alone and detach the cummerbund on right side front and lift over my head. That way when putting it on it lands on me aligned and all I have to do is reattach the cummerbund in place. IMO easier technique than trying to reattach that QD shoulder buckle while wearing the heavy plates. But you do have to lift 30lbs over your head with 6 mags and IFAK and comms attached that way. My technique is to use my legs a little and bounce it over my head sort of. Maybe that QD clip is only for emergency removal? But if its for say a medical emergency and done by a medic and not the wearer, then the buckles being in the back make more sense.



All my plate carrier's shoulder straps or padding is in the front and the QD buckle is in the back. if those plastic buckles land on your shoulders that'd be really uncomfortable. YMMV



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[Uomo Senza Nome]

The top of the carrier is supposed to be at your clavicle level. They may rest on [dig into]  your shoulder. I actually think that's backwards but those are QD clips meant to be access from the front by the wearer.

Those clips at the top are to allow material to slide making the shoulder straps much larger to adjust for size. You should be able to move them out of the way. Doffing is accomplished by the QD pins on the bottom on either or both sides. Unless you have over a 60" chest the shoulder pieces should be out of the way. 

My work armor, that hangs in my office and I seldom wear these days, is a Safariland zip up style vest. The plate side slides into a pocket on the other side and I pull them together. Wish I had that when I was in the military, the Army 65lb+ armor and gear set had to go over the head every time.

[Moab]

We aren't seriously discussing something from Temu are we? 🥴

I'm in the Phillipines so my price quote is probably way off. But it's roughly $62 in Phillipine pesos. For $62 I would stick with the USMC issue multicam chestrig. And that's $30 for the chestrig and $30 for extras. Just my humble opinion. But I am allergic to Temu as well.

I buy about 200 items a year from AliExpress. So I no stranger to and a big fan of buying from China. But have been ripped off about every time I ordered from Temu. You got lucky IMHO. Temu has a terrible reputation too. It's not just me.

I did buy a large collection of chestrigs from AliExpress to test out. But most were of to poor a quality to seriously consider. Seriously inexpensive Condor and Voodoo tactical stuff is much better in my opinion. Just to prove I'm not a gear snob. Lol.

There is a thread here in the last couple weeks about a minimalist chestrig. Where I posted up a bunch of lower priced chestrigs. Nothing that would hold a plate tho. But there is a great many low rent chestrigs out there off the shelf. I agree that a cheap but serviceable rig is better than nothing. For sure.

I'll try to find that thread. It kind of falls in line with this discussion. As the OP posted about a $50, 8 mag sling. And then we went along discussing the lack of a minimalist 8 mag chestrig for a reasonable price. Nit wanting alit if bells and whistles. Just something to carry mags. Maybe a couple additional small items.

If someone built an affordable 8 mag chest rig. That would be great. I like the idea of a minimalist chestrig as it fits under a backpack and a buttpsck or fanny pack. And I like the strategy of having modules like that for various types of movement, it's easy to carry together, and you have levels of stuff to ditch in an emergency. You not ditching everything in your main pack. You can ditch the main pack. And still have your chestrig and fairly well outfitted last ditch kit in something like the huge and way well built USGI fannypack.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

We aren't seriously discussing something from Temu are we? 🥴

There isn't anything significantly wrong with it. Basically they just copied something like this:

https://www.uspatriottactical.com/agilite-k19-plate-carrier-3-0?

or this

https://www.rtstactical.com/products/rts-tactical-hst-quick-release-plate-carrier?

Just not as nice and slapped some nylon pouches on it. Probably all made in the same factory. 

What I'm saying is, for the money, If I had to pick between that and some pieced together GWOT junk surplus gear I'd pick that nine times out of ten. Now if I had the surplus gear on hand and I had the time to mess with it, and didn't already have half a dozen other options, I might go with the pieced together stuff so that is an option. 

Tell you what, I'll order one up and when I have time to play with it I'll post a mini-review. If it survives the play or not, I can always send it back. 

[MacWa77ace]

Those clips at the top are to allow material to slide making the shoulder straps much larger to adjust for size.

Are we talking about the same clips? I'm talking about the ones on the shoulders with that little pull cord. That's a Quick disconnect, not a slider. The shoulder size adjustment sliders are under the shoulder pad.

[MacWa77ace]

This Agilite, which is really expensive, and I almost bought one off my guntrader website, has a pad that runs under those quick disconnects. Clearly seen. There's no padding under the clips on the TEMU.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Sure, it is $200 more and like I said, not as nice. But now we are in whole different ball park. 

My agency paid nearly a grand for my Safariland vest (with armor). I would pick that over anything in this thread. 

[MacWa77ace]

If someone built an affordable 8 mag chest rig. That would be great.

The only decent 4 across rig I know of is made by ESSTAC. Their QUAD Daeodon Front Panel 5.56 Tall KYWI Pouch. And if you get it with molle you can add 4 more mag pouches on top of that. But that's to thick for me. [I used to do it that way, hard to go prone, so adapted] I just run 4 across the front and two on the side cummerbunds for 6 now.



This one placard costs more than that entire TEMU rig. $75 plus shipping.

All the plate carriers these days only have enough molle or laser columns to mount 3 across. You need 8 columns to do 4 across. They all have 6 columns. 

ETA: The Daeodon mounts with velco and hangs by the buckles so it doesn't matter how many columns as long as you have velcro and an upper buckle on the platecarrier.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

I spent a lot of time in theater and never "needed" more than two magazines. By my third tour I was only carrying three spares with a big box of extras in the vehicle (or in the room as needed).

Three magazines is pretty much the standard for police patrol officers. My current agency only issues three magazines and ammunition enough for one full reload. I've studied a few gunfights over the years and with a single digit number of exceptions no officer or guardsman has fired more than 50 rounds in a gun battle in the US in the last 70 years. Although the exceptions have been notable, it is akin to hitting the lottery type odds and no situation I am ever likely to be in.

Some of the situations; say the Las Vegas Police Officer mag dumping through his windshield are inadvisable. Other situations such as the North Hollywood shootout or the sieges in Waco or the New Orleans Hotel are going to involve dozens of officers and probably otherwise uninvolved third parties.

The shotgun is of course going the way of the Dodo, but I do have a setup for one as well. But carrying thirty shotgun shells seems silly in the days of the semi-auto rifle.

[MacWa77ace]

Yeah, but remember, as a prepper/civilian, you don't have backup you can call in for resupply. So the loadout is different. You have to consider that all you have is what you're carrying. [and like you said, you don't have to have them all in pouches for easy access, you can keep some in a backpack or bandolier or close by]

You're dead on with mag count, in a single one on one encounter, if you don't win within 1-2 mags, you died. And there's really no suppressing fire scenarios in an individual's playbook either. But in the scenario where you did win, is that the last situation you'll encounter before getting back home or to your car to resupply?

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Yeah, but remember, as a prepper/civilian, you don't have backup you can call in for resupply. So the loadout is different. You have to consider that all you have is what you're carrying. [and like you said, you don't have to have them all in pouches for easy access, you can keep some in a backpack or bandolier or close by]

You're dead on with mag count, in a single one on one encounter, if you don't win within 1-2 mags, you died. And there's really no suppressing fire scenarios in an individual's playbook either. But in the scenario where you did win, is that the last situation you'll encounter before getting back home or to your car to resupply?

If I don't have any friends with guns to call for help anymore I am staying the hell away from everything and everyone.