What do you load up a fighting vest with?

[workinwifdakids]

A friend gave me an Eagle Rhodesian Recon Vest. I kept it in case... well, in case. My question is, if you were using it as it's intended, what would you load on it?

Some ideas include primary weapon magazines; secondary weapon magazines; IFAK; S&R pouch; fixed-blade knife; flashlight; etc. etc...

--one or two other related posts to follow--

[Combat Controller]

I have a similar one from the bad old days called a Ranger Vest. I keep a K-Bar and spare pistol and rifle mags on it. It is for fighting so anything more is superfluous. Your FAK should be larger and separate in it's own case.

[1991A1]

A first aid kit.

[randy]

I guess the first question (especially with CC's comment), do you want a fighting vest, survival vest, or bug out vest?

Survival vest (such as my old aircrew one) is loaded up with survival items (first aid, signaling, shelter, fire starting, water/purification, basic tools etc). It does have a holster attachment and a knife (AF Aircrew Survival type), but it is not optimized for tactical ops (except in so much as "run and hide" is a tactic).

Bug out vest would be a mix of survival and fighting, with the balance being a personal decision based on expected environment and how much crap you can load it up with and still move.

[Netpackrat]

Don't forget the grenades.

[Combat Controller]

I'm more in mind for a fighting vest, just what you need and nothing you don't. I have two, one that has armor and one that is my old issue bib. I try and keep all the extra crap in a pack that I can drop although the argument can be made for having it attached to you. I look to vests if there is a sudden sharp need and all the extra stuff is more for an extended foray. If I had to go walkabout or on regular patrols I would kit one out more like Chris does his but for my needs I go with ammo. I have lights on anything I will grab plus on my person but on the armor I have an extra light and multi tool.

For what you have the load is not very well distributed so I would go for a less is more approach.

[workinwifdakids]

I'm toying with a few ideas right now.

I have the vest. I have a - well, I think the military refers to it as a RAID pack. It's a Blackwater Camelbak Talon.

I also have two subloads (thigh rigs/MOLLE drop-leg platforms). The one for the right has my handgun, and the one for the left is for magazines and a bleedout kit.

The reason for this post - and perhaps a follow-up - is because I want to put everything where it needs to be without looking like a mall ninja on the way to an airsoft convention.

I don't really trust anyone except you guys to help me figure this out, because I'm not at the pointy end of the spear. I'm at the dull end of the spear. In fact, I think I *AM* the dull end of the spear.

[Combat Controller]

IMHO thigh rigs are sub optimal. The reason for them is mostly to clear your pistol from your armor. If no armor try to get the weapon in a more controlled area at the waist (for multiple reasons). Running with a thigh rig needs to be experienced to be understood.

[Rusty Ray]

Don't forget the grenades.

Actually, yes, no joke. On my "everything" vest (not just a fighting vest) I had two IR blocking smoke and two pepper fogger grenades.

As to the original question, I also kept a set of floating mini-flares, a set of mini aerial flares, an IR strobe, a visible strobe, a couple of small LED lights, a medium size tac light, a couple of compasses (a decent nav compas and a zipper pull compass), a map of the AO, a couple hundred feet of paracord, 50 feet of micro-climbing rope with ascenders and descenders and a few 'biners, a spare pare of tac gloves, a bunch of batteries of different kinds, a couple low profile water bottles (my last vest had a hydration bladder as well) full plus some purification tablets, and some gatorade packets, one of my two large knives, one of my two small knives, one of my two multi-tools (if it's a backup or 1 of X, the others are on my belt, in my pants, or in my pack), my mini-FAK plus quick-clot and a couple extra compression dressings, a couple of ace bandages, a set of EMT shears, some extra meds (especially painkillers and strong broad spectrum anti-bs), an EFS kit (as couple of scalpels, probes, clamps, and some pre-rigged sutures), a roll of hockey tape (way better than medical tape), a couple spare pares of nitrile gloves, LOTS of baby wipes, and some cleaning wipes, an orange and mylar space blanket, a roll of hun tape, a roll of electrical tape, a BUNCH of zip ties of verious sizes, and then a number of spare mags depending on the weapon mix.

If I could manage it I would also stick a compact GPS a backup radio, and a local pre-paid phone in there.

I also usually carried some high energy value items, and some heat stable hard candy, scattered around in every pouch I could fine a spare inch in.

Oh and a fuckton of rangerbands. Nothing rattles, nothing snags.

It sounds like a hell of a lot, but it really isn't. Much of the stuff is evenly distributed around the vest, in relatively easy to access locations; and not including the water, the whole thing weighed about 20 pounds.

The only thing I would add to this is a couple of heat pads, you know the ones that are disposable and active for about 6 to 8 hours after you let oxygen into them. I've been stuck out for a night, soaking wet, in mid-Feb in Ireland. It was COLD. I was able to stave off hypothermia by sticking them down the front of my kecks.

Cheers - Rusty

[Denis]

I was able to stave off hypothermia by sticking them down the front of my kecks.

Yes! Keep the essentials warm at all costs!