lightweight loadout
 

So I'm looking to put together a really lightweight loadout for quick movement in relatively dense forest. So I want to keep things off my legs (I think) as well as keep it light in terms of vests. I usually don't run with much, maybe 4-5 VN mags (which can fit in a medic pouch), a grenade or 2, my pistol and a dump pouch is propably all I will be needing.
I was thinking of running with just a platform belt or something along those lines but wanted to see what other peoples thoughts were first.

So what have been other peoples best findings for a really lightweight loadout. Thanks in advance.

Webbing my friend, if you wish to stay light, look at a webbing setup, personally I run a vest but I've tried the old CF 82 Pattern webbing and loved it for the lightness.

Tactical Tailor MAV.

what about one of these?
http://www.condoroutdoor.com/modularchestpanel.aspx

I would grab one of this if I happen switch back to AR. This Chest right combined with So-Tech Go Bag would be perfect for outdoor skimirt for light load out.

http://www.tacticalandhuntinggear.ne...strig_body.jpg

RRV vest. You can attach a good amount of pouches to the front. Fold the bib in if you don't run plates or don't need the MOLLE space. It's a very light, versatile setup. And it's cheap. I bought a real one from London Bridge Trading that costed me bellow 200$ with shipping. A replica can be had for much less.

I've got an OPS chest rig, and it dominates every other chest rig I've seen.
You can pay 120$ just for a molle chest rig with no pouches, this thing is built well and all the pouches are really useful.

http://www.ur-tactical.com/index.php...mart&Itemid=29

get a belt with a butt pouch- other then that your pockets on your bdu or w.e will hold when the butt pouch doesn't. That's really light.

+1, I own a Mav and Mav2 this is a great light system with fantastic manouverability, comfortable, and balanced.

5.11 chest rig

Much like the mav i got one on hand and it's really light.

I kinda like it but unfortunately, it has only in Multicam which I'm trying to stay from it now.

Actually they come in coyote brown as well! :D
But their site is weird, when an item is out of stock, it's no longer listed.... but it'll be back up there eventually!

Personally, next on my list is the SOE Gear MWR 8 Mag, shown here. http://www.optactical.com/osmwrli8magw.html

Google, it, it's a great rig. :)

Why not just use a blast belt.

+1

Blast belts hold a surprisingly large amount of gear, and you could always run a small chest rig such as a Spec Ops MOUT rig on top of it if you need a bit more space.

Thanks, That's on my buying list. I will check it out back asap.

+1 to a belt. MOLLE belts are slightly bulkier, but offer a little bit more flexibility and stability of pouch placement, AFAIK.

If I were to choose a mini chest rig all over again, I honestly have to say I'd have gone with a mini-MAV. I don't need as many midcaps as I carry right now... but then again, being able to carry 8 midcaps and have dividers between empties and fresh mags is kinda nice too.

If it weren't for me having an excess of 10 mags per AEG plus 4 mags per pistol... I'd just stick with a belt. Unfortunately, I've become somewhat of a mag whore?

http://www.oneshottactical.com/Merch...ry_Code=BlueFG

$90 in Canada, tough to beat.

Or you could buy the Blue Force Gear pouches like in the featured chest rig and put them on a blast/battle belt!

(Reference to Pouch: http://www.optactical.com/blfoge10spma.html )

I find that when using my belt I can get enough gear on it to make it worth my while. It's quite easy to fit about 6 AR mags, and 3 pistol mags, toss a dump pouch on the back and voila! I don't find that I need any more then that.

I use the blackhawk! belt due to it's unique design for the molle webbing. Slip a serpa drop leg on there as well and its usually all I need for a day of skirmishes.

The only problem I find at that point is hydration, so a camelback is required. :)


Edit...
I'll try to find my camera and take a picture of it.

Looks like you plan to do a lot of running, all day long, when playing airsoft. Maybe you should change your name to Forest Gump? Lol

I find a Blast Belt awkward for carrying a lot of gear on. I cut mine down to pistol mags, dump pouch, and one utility pouch. I wear suspenders with it also. It's part of my heavy rig that I run with a plate carrier that has the rifle mags, radio, water, and pistol.

For absolute light weight ditch the Molle, a setup with sewn on pouches will be lighter and lower profile.

Yeah, I have to agree Danke. They can get very heavy, but I find that I don't have many problems. If I'm using plastic mags it's all good, but if I'm using GBBR mags it's game over.

have to agree... for low profile, light and versatile you can't get better

I use a Tad Gear bandoleer like this, but with less shit hanging off of it.

http://soldiersystems.net/blog1/wp-c...andoleer_1.jpg

wow thats actually pretty cool, does it swing around a lot? or is it nice and secure to your chest?...also where did you find one?

I would not recommend it .. these type of rigs are for short term operations.. or bug out situations for non first line operators.
As an Add on to up your light loadout to support an assault it makes sense but as a "first line" not a good option

it's not secure.. and it is not balanced.. and 5 hours in it will be hurting you.

for airsoft you want secure, low profile and light.. in that order.

awesome thanks for the advice.

And on that note, I've used it for hrs over top of a plate carrier and just over a bdu with 6 rifle mags and 2 pistol mags on the front, radio up on the sholder and a dump pouch low on the back. I never have any issues with mine sliding around or shifting, but it can get heavy on your 1 sholder if you over load it. It's a bug out rig mainly, but I do like it.

light loadout
 

hey so i know theres already a couple threads on light loadouts, finally decided to do it but i have some questions.

option 1.

one of those little chest rigs. id probably go with the condor one just because it is cheaper. my only concern is whether or not i can tighten the back tight so its close/tight on my body. im asking if anyone has had any experience with these because i had a condor rig, a little bigger one and i couldnt tighten it as much as i wanted.

my other option is to run one of those molle battle belts. just wondering to those who use them, can u use them with a dropleg holster without using the harness? will it be able to stay around your waist or will it keep falling down?

thanks for the help.

I use a padded molle belt without a harness and a drop leg holster. I attach my drop leg holster to my BDU belt so it is independent for the molle belt itself, it allows me to turn the belt around to access my back pouches more easily if I need to. Also, the padded molle belt fits very well without the harness, just make it tight enough so it doesn't move down.

Overall it's a very nice light loadout, since all the weight is on my legs my center of gravity is lower, which is nice because it doesn't impact my movements too much compared to a fully loaded vest. It's also very convenient when you got to crawl if you don't put big pouches in the front part of the belt.

I sometimes run a blast/battle belt with 3 double m4 shingles (6 mags) and 2 double ak pouches (4x 3 m4 mags) for a max of 18 m4 mags. Usually will put a radio in one ak pouch, supplies (bb's/ loader) in another and sometimes a pistol instead of mounting a holster (the Velcro flaps are enough retention to hold most pistols) so typically there will only be 9 x m4 mags.

Most belts have a slot where you can feed your drop leg platform through to mount to the inner belt.

I tried fielding as it is and it kept sliding down on me so I got a cheap H-harness for cheap from ehobby. With a harness, you can wear it a bit higher and take extra weight off your hips especially if you're running GBBR mags!

Ive been using a TT belt rig for about 3 years now...I love it. I have the ability to carry over 10 mags, with ammo radio and a pistol. I have NEVER had a single problem with the belt falling down in fact I have had more trouble with chest rigs and vests.

I have a gas mask pouch which I mounted sideways and I can stack mags in it or use it as a utility pouch, I cant remember for sure but I think I paid about 220 or something at the start and I bought a pouch or 2...so I think about 250 or something like that. The gear has been well worth the money I paid for it and I have never needed suspenders...in fact i think they would be a bit of a hindrance

I originally bought this as a sniper loadout and it is perfect for that but it also suits the other rifleman roles that I play... anyway heres a pic!

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...C/DSCF2262.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...C/DSC_0013.jpg

Really light loadouts would be MOLLE belts.

Another really light chest rig is the Blue Force Gear Ten Speed chest rig and the new Maxpedition chest rig.

An RRV vest with a bare minimum amount of pouches is pretty light too.

Padded molle belt is good, you can load it up with very little or alot. TT mav is a pretty good option aswell. It all depends on how many pouches you want to put on the rigs.
Ive posted this a few times , I no longer have the actual rig but I do have some of the pouches.
http://www3.telus.net/lupo/gear/tanmavsm.jpg

I've started running a riggers belt with 4 Kydex m4 mag pouches on it, I don't think there is any way to get a lighter load-out then that. More than 4 mag pouches gets to be a little much on the belt, I haven't found an elegant place to mount pistol pouches in this set-up yet.

-Grant

thanks for all the replies guys helped a lot and think i have the info i need. but more info/opinions are of coarse always welcome.

Anyone tryout a Condor Chest Panel yet?

tt for the win...i love their gear

I have one, it's super rad. The straps are low-profile enough that I don't notice them under my pack, and the swivi-lockster buckles on the sides keep it nice and tight when I'm maneuvering. I usually run it with three mag pouches or two and a smoke. Everything else that would otherwise be on a rig (medical kit, radios, flashbangs, etc) is of secondary importance and can be out of the way on my pack. A few weeks after I got it, I found a TT MAV in the $5 bin at my friendly local tactical store, but honestly I prefer the chest panel.

Oldschool Light
 

of course the lightest rig.. is just a good quality Smock

I mag in each pocket.. no rattle .. and about as low profile as you can get.

when rolling fast and light I find it is unbeatable..

For a cheapo light loud-out I've been using a typical Chicom chest rig and this SKS rig to store smaller goodies, tools, snacks etc: http://image.sportsmansguide.com/dim...0,300&cvt=jpeg

Personally, I've had good results with this setup :)

One of clutch's original questions wasn't answered which was that of using dropleg holster/platform.

What are peoples thoughts on this? Do you really want to keep gear off your legs (and use a belt instead) or could dropleg platforms be another option for lightweight loadouts?

Leg platforms are a pain in the ass to reload from a prone position, and with any real speed when standing upright.

Using it as a tertiary carriage point, in my opinion, is the only place for leg rigs. After you run out of space on your chest and belt... put it on your legs.

This does not apply to holsters... I find that a high ride thigh rig to be very comfortable for a holster (such as a modified Safariland 6004). This is also true for dump pouches.

I use my leg platforms for my dump pouch, and pistol if I had one :p

I don't like Pouch leg rigs for your mags though as like Shelledpants said, it is a pain in the ass to swap mags if you are lying down

In my opinion subloads make no sense for low drag loadout.

you want light and low profile.. why would you bulk up and encumber your legs?

Add to this the fact that everyone that I have even known to loose a pistol in the field was running a thigh rig.

Here is the priority of loading...

Pockets - belt- body- pack

Subloads ( thigh rigs ) make sense in CQB where transition to a Secondary is frequent and urgent.. and where crawling / prone positions are less likely.

A light low profile chest rig ( 3-6 mags ) is your #1 friend if your are going low drag... and want the best bang for your buck..

I used to run what I would consider a "Light" loadout, just mags and a holster, I used to run a chicom style chest rig, and put my pistol in one of the mag pouches (It still holds 6 AK mags). If you want an even lighter rig you can do what Brian is suggesting and just use a smock, its very effective. As for leg holsters, I tried it and was not comfortable with it, I was always worried about having my pistol drop out or always messing around with the tightness around my leg. I now run a regular plate carrier, with the holster mounted to the vest. I find this to be the most effective setup.

i use droplegs mainly as utility pouches, i find them useful for carrying extra ammo, loaders you know, extra room for random junk that you dont need to get at in a hurry.

and this is exactly my point... Why would you encumber your legs to carry stuff you don't need RIGHT NOW. a properly positioned subload places critical gear at hand. it makes no sense what so ever to bulk up your legs with stuff you don't need.

Subloads ( leg rigs ) trade off low profile and Agility for accessibility.. This makes sense for things like ... a 2nd weapon that you will need to access quickly and often.
Ammo
a gas mask ( useless for airsoft)
Grenades

All of these requirements and properties point to Short sharp high speed engagements such as those found in CQB situations and environments where having to run or move long distances or move through close bush are unlikely

same here with a chest rig and holster mounted on it, nothing but kneepads on legs

absoslutly
it's like the super-low rigs with holsters almost on the knee.It looks 'gunslinger-bad-ass' but is pretty terrible to run with.
Also I've stopped using the dump pouch, too noisy.

I think this comes down to personal preferance in the end, I like having the gear i need to acess fast on my belt and I use my dropleg for other reasons. Again I have never played cqb, only forest

I do agree with having my pistol in my dropleg, faster more natural draw.

stay away from dump pouches

I agree , you prefer to encumber yourself uselessly .. I do not.. I prefer to optimize my loadout for the specific role I am doing at the time.

Ill don or doff gear according to the specific objective of the sortie.

ill try out ur idea, i can see what you mean

Ferro, why say stay away from dump pouches? What do you do with your empty mags?

when in doubt...squeeze em between your cheeks

If you're wearing a H-harness setup stuff them down your shirt or smock. If you end up with a belly full of locaps, that just means you're trigger happy.

My Lightweight outload
 

I also have a Light Weight loadout as well, i use a tactical belt, with dump pouch at the back and 4 fast mag pouches on the side, i carry 4 highcap mags so it should be more than enough for a game. Oh i use a M4 Btw so yeah, i have a picture i can show you but not be clear as in what im carrying though

These were taking during a game

By the way im the guy in black

You won't see many hicaps in Ontario. :)

Man... you look like a proper hardcore contractor..... but maybe it's cause I was just at an (American) thanksgiving party (held by the American international students) and have been drinking since 5 in the afternoon (almost midnight right now.... man I have a sad life if I go on forums after a party like that lol....).

82 pattern webbing gets my vote, light and comfortable

Lolyup, 4 Hicaps is a bit excessive, but I think that's how slot of gamesin HK are based on the YouTube videos I've seen.

true that, but we dont use 4 hi caps PER ROUND, lol i use around half a hi cap to 1 hi cap per game, and usually only have to change mags once during each round from then on, but yeah thats how most ppl do things in HK, but theres still lots of ppl that play mid caps there not many real caps tho

Would these work for you?

http://www.tacgirls.com/images/stori...age-single.jpg
http://www.djdrthq.com/images/tactic...rls%20m200.jpg

that isn't a light loadout, look at the size of those ...

Only the bottom one is good looking anyway...

sorries, I don't think she's all that good looking...I think Katrina Hodge is wayyy better looking :D

The intervention is one of the sexiest rifles i have ever seen

Google Searched.
Holy Shit... your definitely right...