What model are you working under?

[Ninja_En_Short]

I' discovered blast belts some time ago (with the Crye ones actually) and since then I have always used a front/back PC (molle sides without plates) for light assault and recon.
On the front PC I usually put only single mag pouches so I can get on the ground without having them bitting into me, also wearing the PC higher than most people helps a lot.
I put the rest of my ammo about 60/70% on the left and the rest on the right : I fight mostly as a rightie but keep some on the other side just in case.
The admin and other pouches go on the side of the PC.
Works great and given we statistically spend more time prone than rolling it does not really hinder movements.
Dump pouch ? Yuck ! Makes a lot of noise and as lord Costa said : "Twinkie, Secondary, Twinkie, Cupcake, Primary, Oh ! There it is !"

[Cliffradical]

Great advice guys, thanks!

[Cortex]

Originally Posted by Ninja_En_Short

Dump pouch ? Yuck ! Makes a lot of noise and as lord Costa said : "Twinkie, Secondary, Twinkie, Cupcake, Primary, Oh ! There it is !"

They do make a lot of noise, but the part Costa was going on about is only relevant if you're dumping mags with rounds still in them into the pouch. Otherwise you have time to sort through it after the fact while you're reloading.

Even if you're dumping half-used mags into the pouch to get fresh ones in after a short skirmish, you should have time to organize after the area is clear.

In airsoft dump mags are the fastest way to retain mags that I know of, I carry two. One on my belt and a smaller one on my left drop-leg panel.

[Cliffradical]

Yeah, our requirements for equipment retention and round expenditure are pretty much the exact opposite of Real Life™.

That being said, I really don't like the leg-drop for field use. It's great for indoors, fine for limited engagements, but from my experiences last season I think that I'll need to move to another option.
Hiking, prolonged running, crawling, and bushwhacking just doesn't happen very efficiently.
I'll look into the belts and one of those bags.

[Oborous]

Originally Posted by Cliffradical

Yeah, our requirements for equipment retention and round expenditure are pretty much the exact opposite of Real Life™.

I'd disagree, the modern consumeristic based warfighter may look at many items as use-once & dispose, but there are many models that this would be counter-advantageous very quickly. When you have a poor logistics chain, you will retain your mags unless you're in a Mad Minute situation. Depending on the logistics of PMC corporations, many did retain their mags. There are many Special Operations (note Operations, not forces) that warfighters are operating under much more sterile conditions, some even going so far as to use indiginous weapon systems to conceal their presence further and facilitate battlefield pickup. In that case, you damn well better retain your mags, as you can guarentee the quality and some local may have done strange things to those mags.

(Back when I was working Finance for Law Enforcement, found out the disposal of old vests no longer is a process to donate to third world nations (expired vests are better than nothing, right?) due to the number of complaints about chicken feathers being stuffed into the vest)

[Grizzly0679]

hehe that was a cool read. I enjoy reading people's breakdown of the sport.

I guess I would fall under the Infantry/Special Forces Model, at least that's what I aim for. I like to sneak; get on my belly; and surprise the enemy, but most of all I like the communication/teamwork aspect so that's why i added the infantry model.

I have no pistol yet so my first line gear consists of:

- A Mini Mag Flashlight(you'd be surprised how fast I can whip that thing out and turn it on with one hand) I might end up taping this to my gun but I think in that case I should get a Mag Flashlight that can turn on with the button the back.

- Rubber Knife (if it ever arrives...) Ordered the SF Leatherneck Rubber Knife
2nd Line

- A basic vest with a bunch of ammo pouches. I bring 7 mid-cap mags and 1 in the mag well. I place them evenly on my chest so it doesn't feel bulky and the weight is evenly distributed.

In my vest, other than ammo, I hold a radio, some black duct tape, and some medical tape.

My backpack has a small medical kit, and I have a canteen for water.

No third line gear, even if I'm doing a 24 hour milsim. Will use my pants to carry granola bars, and if need be I have 2 extra unused mag slot on my vest I can stuff some trail mix into. I can function on very few calories so I'm not worried about food. Water yes. Food no.

Only 2 gadgets I see myself getting:

a foregrip
a foregip with a flashlight
Maybe a Red Dot Sight but I really want to become proficient with the iron sights.

Not a big fan of customizations. Correction. I like them on other people's gun, but I like iron sights and basic stuff on mine. It's why I got the M4A1. I enjoy customizations as in removing things to make it lighter or taping things together, not so much the funky gadgets. It's how I play FPS games too. I enjoy stacking the cards against myself because it feels that much more gratifying when you get a kill.

[Cliffradical]

Jumping back in to help others who may be running droplegs.

When I said I didn't like using them, I found out that I had been rigging them incorrectly. I run into a lot of people who don't like using them for the same reasons that I did, so this may end out being useful to a few folks.

Firstly:
Drop-leg platforms attach to your (rigger's) belt, not your pistol belt. This is the belt which also holds your pants up.
The belt which secures your Ops Vest, hip-rig (for pistols) and/ or others (ALICE) has to do with securing things to your torso.
The rigger belt has to do with securing things - along with your pants - to your legs.
If you rig things which secure to your legs up with things which secure to your torso, you can run into problems when your body changes shape, flexes, extends, and generally moves around during a regular range of movement.
Think about how a caterpillar moves; we are essentially a sack full of meat and water, so as we go from being elongated (standing, prone) to scrunched up (shooting stance, crouch, low run) our entire shape and profile changes.
If you can separate the three major sections effectively (legs, abdomen, upper torso/ shoulders), you will have a wider range of movement as well as nearly eliminate push/ pull conflict across your body.

Secondly:
Retention straps for your leg-drop should be secure, but not tight.
Your leg straps are primarily there to keep the load-bearing system from flopping around and moving around on it's own, not as the mainstay of the retention system.
When standing fully upright in a relaxed position, there should be a reasonable amount of slack in the straps. The reason being is that your thigh will change shape and expand while it flexes and exerts, and your leg-drop will naturally want to ride-up while kneeling into a crouch, or raising during a flat-out run.
There is no way to stop this, it's plain human physiology. You want to work with what your body does; not against it.
So the optimal setting for your retention straps is one where you provide enough slack for your rig to move up and down your leg as it needs to, and change shape when necessary, but not more.
Your primary means of stabilizing your leg rig is your belt, which brings me to

Thirdly:
If your retention straps are set properly, but your pants keep falling down, you're wearing your belt too low, and potentially not tight enough.
Your belt is carrying weight, so it needs to sit on top of your hips, not right on them, not below. Feel around in your body and learn the difference between your hips, your waistline, and the sockets where your legs attach to your body.
Ever wonder why properly sized and spec'd BDUs seem to have so much room for ass? Pull them up.

A certain amount of trial and error comes into all this. If you have a stable body weight, find your optimal strap settings and mark them with tape.
If you have massive Scottish meat-hock legs or are a fatty (both like me), always try before you buy.


That's what I've learned, and am now successfully running a drop-leg platform where I carry 2 grenades and 2 pistol mags, or a mini dump/ demo pouch depending on my mood. After playing a few games I am now comfortable and uninhibited while enjoying a full-range of motion (leg-bound dump pouches are still noisy as shit, however).

Any comments, questions, or criticisms are welcomed and encouraged.