Who runs a chest rig? What do you use?

Spiritus MK5
Minimal but can be built out. Inserts for M4, MK11, and AXSR.
Simple, lightweight, and modular.

Note: Even though I have one, I believe that modular micro rigs don’t/shouldn’t replace a dedicated rig. (Ex: Haley Heavy for a MK11 vs an expanded micro)

M8541Reaper said:

Spiritus MK5
Minimal but can be built out. Inserts for M4, MK11, and AXSR.
Simple, lightweight, and modular.

Note: Even though I have one, I believe that modular micro rigs don’t/shouldn’t replace a dedicated rig. (Ex: Haley Heavy for a MK11 vs an expanded micro)

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Dammit man, I don't need to hear that... I'm buried in various rigs & fairly lightweight options over here, but somehow up until now I've been able to talk myself out of something like a Haley rig... Then you come along, doin' what you do...

Varusteleka LW18. Lightweight and decently priced.

J-Ham said:

Dammit man, I don't need to hear that... I'm buried in various rigs & fairly lightweight options over here, but somehow up until now I've been able to talk myself out of something like a Haley rig... Then you come along, doin' what you do...

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I mean his shop is 3hrs north of me… I’ll stop in April and send you pics of it…and videos of me slowly inserting mags…and yanking them out. You want the rig. You can taste the rig…be the rig you want to see in the field.

I mean it’s cool though.

Such a douche.

I use the Haley Strategic chest rigs. Easy to swap out the placards for different setups.

Let’s be honest, who has just one chest rig? CRs and plate carriers seem to multiply over the years. As do placards, mag punches, belts, pistol, med kits, etc. etc…

Match/mission dictates the kit…. Learn your weaknesses and if you can’t train through it, carry more ammo…

I second a Haley micro

I run a full Tacticon Battle vest, minus plates. Carry 6 full mags, small med kit, comms, some odds and ends I think might be needed. Pretty well ready for any SHTF scenario.

Most important for all this is constant gun training.

Haley dc3rx

I have a SADF Pattern 83. It was given to me, and it holds things. Can't complain. I've never used one of these new-fangled fancy ones; I blew that budget on plates/carrier.

Definitely would like to try a different one. Glad I've tagged in so I'll see the reccomendations

Here’s something to ponder

A chest rig can trap all that body heat right across your torso

You start doing gangster shit in high humidity/high heat you can become a heat casualty.

Kinda why the battle belts/jungle rigs are making a comeback…

Chest rigs work I just know they suck, especially with armor, in high heat and humidity.

YMMV

I never liked chest rigs and am old timer. I liked either the old LBE harness or carrying my magazines in a carrier on the side.

This guy makes darn good magazine pouches. I have several of them and really like them. However, he's out of stock on a lot of his products. He's a one-man show.

So I keep checking his website to see if he has anything, back in stock, that I like and order it right away.


I also like the bail out bags that Midway sells.

TheBigCountry said:

Here’s something to ponder

A chest rig can trap all that body heat right across your torso

You start doing gangster shit in high humidity/high heat you can become a heat casualty.

Kinda why the battle belts/jungle rigs are making a comeback…

Chest rigs work I just know they suck, especially with armor, in high heat and humidity.

YMMV

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Each kind of rig has a plus and minus associated with it.

For my situation and location, I stay with the battle vest. In addition to comms, ammo for the AR, I carry my .45 and 3 mags..

Water and an IFAK med kit is mandatory especially in high heat. A few energy bars as well.

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it IMO.

Whatever works for each person's situation.

Tracer Tactical Scout rigs. Build it how you want it.

Haley.

smacha538 said:

I second a Haley micro

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Third.

Trying to do too much with a chest-rig is a mistake. A micro will give you 3 AR15 mags or 2 AR10, which is more than enough for most usages (simple range day exercises, matches, etc). You also get an admin pouch to put your phone or kestrel in, and two pistol mag pouches. I have other chest rigs, but they've all just sat in the storage closet since getting the micro.

I run with too much crap in a small hydration/assault pack. Together with my chest rig - the combo is my recce rig.

When using a chest rig with the pack - the straps are never comfortable when compared to running the same pack on top of any of my plate carriers. The 8# penalty of the PC means nothing when compared to relative comfort of the combined PC and Pack vs Chest Rig and Pack with the same load out and mag pouch setup for both. I think it’s because all the weight is spread evenly. Now if I could just manage some AC to fix the heat problem. (I’m in AZ)

I would love to get the same “comfort” while I lose the extra 8 lbs and maybe even run cooler - with the RIGHT chest rig. Thank you all for your suggestions for the OP. I’ll take a look at them to see if I can come up with a better solution.

RIP_K9_Ravi said:

I was looking at their X Chest Rig as I prefer to have at least 4 AR15 mags or 3 AR10 mags within reach. The micro just seems a bit lacking for me though I do like the admin pouch.

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Just food for thought:
I have the D3CRH and haven't worn it since getting the micro. Short of SHTF, there is no real-world situation where I need more than 2 spare mags + the one in the gun on my AR10 rig(s). It's significantly less weight, especially when carrying 6.5/308 ammo, and traversing long distances + terrain that has elevation changes. I'll carry spare ammo in my bag that I can drop, and remain light with a smaller rig. It doesn't take long to reload AR10 mags.

RIP_K9_Ravi said:

Definitely with an AR10, I agree with the 2 mags in the rig and 1 in the rifle as being adequate for most everyday scenarios.

I’ve considered an interchangeable rig for AR15/10. With the AR10 setup, run 2 mags in the rig with a pistol stowed next to them. Have 2 pistol mags on the rig. Then 1 mag in the rifle and 1 in pistol.

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FWIW I think the rig you have right now is a good starter rig. When I got my first chest rig, I bought a decent but cost effective rig and used the crap out of it. It taught me a lot about what I like and what I don't like in rigs. How much stuff can go unused/untouched (like I don't need 6 pistol mag pouches), and how much I appreciate other things (like the aforementioned admin pouch, great for keeping my Kestrel and DOPE cards in).

If you get the Haley, look to change it to an H harness. IMO the X harness is uncomfortable, especially if you have a wide back and lats.

I ran a Haley with an Eagle Yote Saturday in the TENET Midnight madness run and gun. Round count was 61 rifle, 47 pistol on a dry range (no loaded weapons in course). A micro would not have had the space for enough ammo, though in retrospect chest pack plus belt did and I could have easily carried a couple spares (which I also did) in my backpack. Belt had a 20 round AR mag for emergency reloads and two pistol for the same. Last thing I want to do is run out of ammo, though at this point I can certainly cut down on rifle ammo…

Not “real world” at all but I figure it’s a hell of a lot easier for me to train and compete heavy and then just drop shit out to lighten up if I don’t need it. Same reason I still run in plates most matches.

FatBoy said:

Round count was 61 rifle, 47 pistol on a dry range (no loaded weapons in course).

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You're firing 100+ rounds on just one stage?

Esstac trimmed bush. It's comfy, well made, and easy to tweak if need be.

like this?

FieldGaugeFailure said:

You're firing 100+ rounds on just one stage?

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LOL, No. 7 stages over 4.6 miles. I carried a bit more ammo than I normally would as it was a night run/shoot. These usually have KIMs games, obstacles, sometimes passive work with Ham radio for tips, light land nav, med tests, etc., you never know so some (I) carry extra shit and I need space for extra shit.

Again, I’m not advocating this approach, but this is what I’m referring to when I say mission dictates kit. If this was a 10-15k with half the required hits, I would have run something like a Hill People chest bag and a slick belt with just a pistol, one speed reload and a dump back with any “extras” in a light hydration pack.



I have no experience on a two way range, so take this for what it is.

MadDuner said:

I run with too much crap in a small hydration/assault pack. Together with my chest rig - the combo is my recce rig.

When using a chest rig with the pack - the straps are never comfortable when compared to running the same pack on top of any of my plate carriers. The 8# penalty of the PC means nothing when compared to relative comfort of the combined PC and Pack vs Chest Rig and Pack with the same load out and mag pouch setup for both. I think it’s because all the weight is spread evenly. Now if I could just manage some AC to fix the heat problem. (I’m in AZ)

I would love to get the same “comfort” while I lose the extra 8 lbs and maybe even run cooler - with the RIGHT chest rig. Thank you all for your suggestions for the OP. I’ll take a look at them to see if I can come up with a better solution.

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Check out the Haley Flat pack. It integrates with their chest rig. Loooks like a slick setup for those running a chest rig and a back pack. I’m pretty sure it should also integrate with other chest rigs with similar fastex buckle configurations…

FatBoy said:

LOL, No. 7 stages over 4.6 miles. I carried a bit more ammo than I normally would as it was a night run/shoot.

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Ah ok, I was about to say that it probably sounded like D-Day if you had 100 round stages, not to mention how expensive that could have gotten for folks running Heavy Metal/Ironman/He-Man/whateverclasstheclubcallsbattleriflesand1911s

I snagged a Haley strategic during Black Friday very nice has 4 pistol magazine holders. comfort-wise, it's hard to beat

I have a spiritus systems thing 2 but never really have used it. Have a spiritus systems alpha 34 as well built out to wear over a slick carrier and carry a loadout for machine guns and it’s a good rig, pretty much a modern take on an Alice clip LBE. That’s probably my favorite chest rig style setup. I believe there’s a video on YouTube going over it.
Used the mayflower pusher rig a lot at work and I like it, just isn’t ideal for trying to make into a clip on placard.

Spiritus Bank Robber. 3 mags, radio, CATtail.

FatBoy said:

LOL, No. 7 stages over 4.6 miles. I carried a bit more ammo than I normally would as it was a night run/shoot. These usually have KIMs games, obstacles, sometimes passive work with Ham radio for tips, light land nav, med tests, etc., you never know so some (I) carry extra shit and I need space for extra shit.

Again, I’m not advocating this approach, but this is what I’m referring to when I say mission dictates kit. If this was a 10-15k with half the required hits, I would have run something like a Hill People chest bag and a slick belt with just a pistol, one speed reload and a dump back with any “extras” in a light hydration pack.



I have no experience on a two way range, so take this for what it is.

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I have experience with a two-way range... you are approaching this in the best way possible. Just because someone has military experience doesn't mean they have the best opinions, and just because someone doesn't have military experience doesn't negate their line of thought and common sense... in many cases I prefer the ideas of those without military experience

Didn’t know anyone did chest rigs anymore. Battle belts FTW. Seriously though, if you’re not in armor putting a chest rig on doesn’t do anything other than make it hard for you to get over an obstacle and chafe your nipples.

Mission should drive equipment selection. What do you reasonably need to do the thing you want to do? How important is it to have that equipment on your body vs in a pack? Figure out the on-body necessities and find gear that fits just that and maybe some contingency gear.

Personally, my hips bother me so I like a lighter belt. This means I need to move more of the necessities into pockets or onto a chest rig. For competitions, anything shy of ammo, meters, and range finders is in a pack. For work, I need more things on my person so it’s a different rig/placard.

Do I really need that dump pouch? I like it so I keep it. Personal preference. Do I really need two pistol mags on belt or two relate rifle mags? Dunno. How many rounds in gun and spare mags combined? Is that enough to get through a round of completion or a rifle-to-pistol transition, solve problems, and then get my rifle running again? Would I be best served by a spare of each and then to bump mags up from my pack as needed? Mobility is life if this is a sharp-end conversation.

Anyway, this isn’t what to carry but more like how to think through the problem and arrive at a solution that works for you. Everyone sees their mission differently. Define yours and back-plan from there.

Since you asked, at work I use a Mayflower Gen IV split front. It doesn’t what I need it to do though I don’t load it full.

For warm weather comps, HillPeople gear Kitbag with inserts that hold mags, etc. Pistol belt. In cold weather, smock. Judge me

Does Haley ever run any sales? Would like to grab one but really would like to try and grab a promo somewhere.

Yes but few and far between. I’d say twice a year at best they do a 15% off from what I remember.

I will say if you want a Haley to just buy it. If you wait for a sale you may wait a long time. Maybe even Black Friday type of time frame.

Haley stuff on sale at Primary Arms.

Simonsza1 said:

I will say if you want a Haley to just buy it. If you wait for a sale you may wait a long time. Maybe even Black Friday type of time frame.

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Also of note, some of them will need the inserts for mag pouch retainers. These get sold out from time to time.
Pro-tip, check airsoft supply sites if the retainers are sold out elsewhere, as I've found them on them all the time (sites like Evike and such).

Mine is set up pretty niche for hunting, primarily pigs at night. No longer going overseas and doing cool guy shit, ran plenty of different setups in my glory days. For ME and MY mission, have been extremely happy with a Crye JPC 1.0 for probably six or more years now. No plates in my hunting rig (have separate one with plates for SHTF stuff), and run it concurrently with a battle belt lightly kitted up. The light weight, and way it distributes the load more evenly than a chest rig, makes long nights walking/riding much easier on my old ass. Has enough room to carry what I need without getting in the way. Haven’t changed anything on my kit in probably 4 years and hunt roughly 65 nights a year.

1911hombre said:

Haley stuff on sale at Primary Arms.

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Thank you!

I have a Spiritus Thing 2 but I'm looking at belt systems like Wildfire, Platatac, and Onward Research.

I've been looking into belts as well, not as familiar with brands/reputation/quality on those though.