January 13, 2012
Over the years, I have been to numerous airsoft games and I found the common mistake that airsofters make (including yours truly) is not setting up your gear properly. A lot of airsofters imitate military operators (Navy SEALs, U.S. Marine Force Recon, etc) and do not realize there are reasons why military operators set up their gear a certain way. Setting up your gear correctly can increase your efficiency and minimize the chance of you getting shot.
After years and years of T&E (Testing & Evaluating, courtesy of my boss :D), I found out that keeping it simple is the best way to go. Obviously, I am not telling you to go out there and copy me or anyone else. I am telling you to test out your gear before you spend your hard earn money on unnecessary gear. There are a few things that are extremely important for me when I am looking for any tactical gear. First thing I look for is the material. Since I use the same gear in airsoft and real steel, 1000 Denier Cordura is a must on all my tactical gear, especially my plate carrier. 1000 Denier Cordura is more durable, more reliable, and more tear resistance than any other nylon out there. Every products Specter Gear, J-Tech, and Pantac manufactures is 1000 Denier Cordura. Second thing I look for in my tactical gear is stitching. Believe it or not, I have ripped a MOLLE loop from mounting a pouch. It is heart breaking when you thought you had bought a decent piece of gear. Stitching on Specter Gear and J-Tech (Taiwanese Military) is good, since it is designed for the military and law enforcement community. Pantac made its reputation a long time ago as the top of the line Airsoft gear. Third thing I look for in my tactical gear is modularity. I need to the ability to customize as much as possible. Therefore I do not like any type of cross draw vests. With MOLLE plate carriers and most chest rigs, I have the ability to customize where I want my gear, such as pouches, hydration, etc. The final thing I look for is comfort, especially on my plate carrier. Since all the weight is on my plate carrier (ballistic plates, fully loaded magazines, even airsoft magazines eventually get heavy), it is smart and logical to have a little bit of comfort when carrying all that weight. Setting up for success Currently, I run a low profile plate carrier and a battle belt to hold all of my life support equipment ( mags, med kit, etc). First, on my battle belt, starting from left to right, I have 3 pistol magazine pouches, followed by 3 rifle magazine pouches. After that, a utility pouch sits right in the middle of the back side, followed by a rip away IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit). On the 3 o’clock position (right hand side), I have a G-Code R.T.I. holster which contains my secondary. The reason why I have a battle belt (first source of ammo) is because if for some reason I have to ditch my plate carrier, I still have my basic life support equipment (3x pistol mag, 3x rifle mag, utility pouch, medical pouch, and my secondary).
