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Old August 8th, 2008, 08:46   #5
Drake
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Montreal, QC
Honestly if you're on a tight budget (like $200) I think you'd be better off getting repro gear than trying to put together something for that price using real gear: in the end the functionality (or lack thereof) will bite you in the ass.

First off all, it's ill informed to just to lump all repro gear into the same pile. There are quality repro items, some parts aren't subjected to as much wear and tear as others (e.g., mag pouches vs. a hydration carrier), etc.

You're using a lot of BHI (Blackhawk) in your setups. While the quality is acceptable (I'd call it "Duty Grade") it's generally considered lower quality than "Combat Grade" (I made that one up, too) gear, like Eagle. Eagle's nice, but it's also really expensive. Your life will not depend on this and the wear you put on it in a year of gaming is probably less than the gear would see in a month of real combat (probably more like a week for most players, who still have pristine gear after several seasons of use). So if you can drop a wad on it, sure, but it's not an absolute necessity.

There's a psychological factor, too: a lot of people (perhaps unconsciously) avoid subjecting their gear to abuse because it's expensive, whereas you don't care as much if it's a cheap item. So in a sense, better gear could potentially be holding you back (specially if getting it really hurt you, money-wise).

As for repros, there are repros and there are POS repros. You really need to do your homework before buying something (there are usually reviews available, but caveat lector you also have to be mindful whom is writing the review).

The bargain basement Chinese clones off eBay usually aren't worth more than what they're going for (shipping not included). Yes, those will usually fall apart pretty fast and functionally probably won't serve you that well. But there is some higher quality repros which are probably comparable to BHI: it's usually made of 1000D nylon/Cordura, features acceptable stitching and is usually a really good (if not perfect) clone of the original. A great example of this was the Guarder FSBE. I have a real issue (SDS-made) IBA, and the quality of my Guarder FSBE kicks it's ass. I just recently picked up a Phantom/Pantac plate carrier, and the quality of the material and built seems neither better nor worse than my BHI MBSS. Flyye repros are also being reviewed as decent (also BHI-grade) but I haven't checked one out for myself yet.

But point in case, you can save money in some cases and still have adequate quality gear, but have a much much more functional setup.

Things like mag pouches WILL suffer a lot of abuse. The vest itself, usually not as much. So you can easily save a lot by getting a good repro vest/armor, but spending a bit more for quality mag pouches that won't fall apart after a season.
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