So i've been pretty dissatisfied with most gear I've tried. My requirements were this:
- Must be minimalist as possible (ie no plate carrier if I don't need plates)
- Mag pouches must hold no more than 2 mags per pouch (3 is too thick and results in a teeter totter effect when prone)
- Mag pouches must close all the way. Shock cord retention = pouch&mag full of dirt when crawling.
- No velcro. Velcro makes noise, collects shit in it, and wears out.
- Must allow easy use of a backpack (pretty much limits me to a chest rig)
I had been using a chicom vest for the longest time. Why? Cheap as fuck, meets my requirements, and absolutely combat proven in several wars. Basically the equivalent of the AK-47 when it comes to tactical gear. The chicom, an alice belt for a pistol and a small bag for gear, and the option of a patrol pack for milsim is the perfect combo for me. The wood toggles can be a pain in the ass sometimes on the chicom (tangling) and the accessory pouches are quite insecure for most items. I recently got my vest back from the tailor with some mods I felt I would share.
I got all the materials from
JT's Top Shop. Canadian company and has every raw material you could ever want dirt cheap. Buckles, webbing, snaps.. you name it. I got a bunch of DOT brand snaps, 1" OD nylon, some fastex buckles, and 1" sliders for about 4$. Ships with CP so fairly cheap shipping.
I had installed: pull tabs with snaps on the mag pouches, an improved back strap, loops on the shoulder straps, and a custom multitool pouch made out of an old ALICE M9 pouch. The pouches are stretched to easily hold 2 mags by boiling the chicom in hot water, and putting mags in with spacers (I used markers). This got 2 mags to fit snugly. When dry, I rammed water bottles in the pouches and shimmed with as much cardboard as I could fit in. I then froze the entire vest in my freezer. The expansion of the water stretched the vest enough to give clearance for easy removal and replacement of the mags. The snaps were originally black but I just gave a quick coat of krylon to dull them a bit.
Cost: About 5$ worth of materials. My tailor super ripped me off and charged 100$ so I don't recommend going to Holland Tailor in westmount mall in London. If you know someone with a sewing machine or a tailor who won't rip you, this SHOULD be able to be done for less than 50$.