Constructing a War Rig, by TX2Guns
My buddy TX2Guns over at The Tactical Hermit sent in his take on chest rigs after linking to my last post on the topic of gear for low or untrained people. . He knows his stuff, having been on the two way range a time or two. Read and heed. – NCS
No, not that kind of War Rig….
I recently wrapped up an ongoing project to finish all of my “ESG” or Essential Support Gear (The rigs I use to haul mags and other swag). The 2 main rigs that I use are Chest Rigs and a War Belt. I also have Mag Bags (also called Tactical Diaper Bags or Bandoleers) packed to grab when I have to BUG out in a Survival type situation.
Now God knows there are PLENTY of other resources out there on the websites and forums by the gear whores on this subject, so I am only gonna show you what I use and then you can tweek it however to meet your mission specific needs.
- Chest Rigs
Now at the moment, I have two main chest rigs:
My Primary FIGHTING Chest rig is a Gen 1 Shihan which holds (4) AK Mags. There are (4) Pistol mag pouches located in front under the two flaps. In these I keep a multi-tool and light and depending on how I am loaded out, I can keep 2 G21 Mags or a spare folding knife and a swedish fire rod. The radio pouch on the left can also fit most cell phones and what looks like a 7.62 mag pouch on the rights is actually my blowout kit. This Shihan rig also has storage in the back for various small items like pad and paper.
My DM (Designated Marksman) Chest Rig, an ATS Tactical 7.62 Modular which holds (4) AR-10 (.308) Mags, The dual pistol mag pouch on the left can carry either (2) G21 mags or a Surefire G2 and a Multi-Tool. The black radio pouch on the right is identical to the one on my Shihan and can carry most cell phones. My Blowout kit is the small utility pouch on the front. This particular rig also has a middle pocket to store small items that is accessible by pulling two tabs apart.
The one perk with having a rig for each fighting rifle is it keeps your ammo and mags in one location and it also makes it much more “grab n’ go” in the event you have to BUG out.
Being that both of my chest rigs are toting .30 Caliber mags is it does not take long for the rig to start getting REALLY heavy. That being said, 3 to 4 Mags is typically all I tote in either. In both rigs I have the option of using one of the mag pouches as a holster that my G21 will fit in perfect, but that is only if I am not going to wear a war belt or standard holster.
So, beside the mags, what else should you carry on a chest rig? Experience has taught me to go with the “minimalist” school in regards to “other” gear, strictly because I have learned that before you go out into the field, having all this stuff hanging off of it SEEMS like a good ideal, but wait until you are a few hours into training or a long 10 mile hike and you will definitely be re-thinking that “great ideal”. That being said, besides lots of Mags, I typically try to have One of the following: Blowout Kit, Multi-Tool, Flashlight, Radio/Cell Phone. And if the mission calls for it, a couple of extra pistol mags.
Blowout/IFAK
Of all the “other” stuff on your rig besides mags, this is the one piece of kit you should dedicate a tremendous amount of forethought and finance too. I am gonna spend some time on this talking about the contents and positioning and when you are finished reading this, you go do the same with yours!