Plate carrier and light belt: What I use
Starting with the belt we’ll go L-R (counter clockwise around the user’s waistline) You’ll start by finding a pair of HSGI TACO mag pouches, with the one further forward carrying a pair of Mechanix slim gloves because I’m very picky about gloves - they’ve gotta fit just right, I hate bunching up. These work very well. Next after the mag pouches is a dump pouch, which isn’t much more than a folding bag you dump empty mags into, this saves time, rather than sticking an empty mag back into a pouch and potentially trying to reload on empty down the line. After a couple empty MOLLE rows you’ll find an HSGI Blowout kit, intended to treat minor traumatic wounds (bullets, stabs, etc) but it’s by no means a fully-fledged first aid kit. Behind it is a pair of trauma shears (which can cut through a penny) which are intended to cut through clothing to get to the wound. Strapped to the side is a CAT tourniquet. Next is a Russian 6x4 model bayonet hanging on an aftermarket frog, it took me a long, long time to find a frog of this design, and when I did I bought 5 or 6 just for future kits.
Next is another TACO rifle mag pouch, and then an oldgen Eagle Industries dropleg holster. I tend to prefer a mid or low-ride holster than a dropleg but currently this is the only one I’ve got that fits +every pistol I drop into it equally well. It has a mag pouch sewn to the front which I don’t usually use, just because it’s not in a place conducive to quick-access. Would be a good spot for a handheld flashlight though. In final place on the belt is a sideways mounted pistol mag pouch, also by Eagle Industries. Although it was originally designed to hold 40mm rifle grenades for M203/M320 grenade launchers, these pouches also fit virtually every kind of pistol mag, flashlight, or, in my case, a multitool.
Mounting it sideways takes up a lot of space on the belt line, but it makes it very easy to access, and doesn’t dig into the leg when kneeling like it would if mounted vertically.
You’ll also see my Russian issue patrol cap in EMR “Digiflora” camouflage, my sunglasses (which double as safety glasses) and ear protection, which I usually wear with this kit.
Looking at the plate carrier we see three rifle mag pouches on the front, with a pistol mag pouch in front of each. There is a pair of trauma shears stuck into the webbing at the wearer’s right side, and on his left is an industrial felt marker, handy for of course leaving messages for people who may be following, to signal, or mark whatever else. Above it on the wearer’s left shoulder is a fixed blade knife, specifically my CRKT First Strike Tanto. I love that knife to death, it’s an absolute brute of a blade at nearly ¼" inch (nearly 6.5mm) thick it could theoretically be used as a small prybar should the need arise.
At the 6-o'clock position on wearer’s back is my Eagle Industries (See a theme?) MAP pack, which you’re probably already acquainted with if you’ve paid attention to my gear posts in the past. It’s a small backpack that affixes to the rear of a plate carrier like mine, and I absolutely love it. Indispensable piece of kit in my opinion. On the left side (wearer’s left) is a mid-size black General Purpose pouch, and on the right is a Russian surplus “Egg” canteen in an elastic retainer. Let’s look inside the black pouch.
Not much to find inside the padded pouch, which is intended for small, delicate items like phones. In it I keep small items that I don’t need immediate access to like ammo or first aid gear. Inside it are 10 batteries (stuck into a 12ga Shell card for organization) for my earpro and night vision, a chemlight (like a militarized glow-stick), a bottle of Glasswax (for my glasses), Neosporin antiseptic, water purification tabs, a lighter, another marker and a binder clip. I’ll probably add some light duty wire and electrical tape to this eventually.
In the outside pocket of the MAP pack I keep some nonperishable foods and my beloved VDV paratrooper’s combo messkit/canteen. If need be I can use the canteen system to distill water, in addition to eat out of it. Very cool piece of kit, and I see why they’re such prized items among soldiers.
Finally in the main compartment we find this:
On top of the stack is enough ammunition to refill 3 rifle mags, underneath it is a warm weather balaclava, a watch cap, and my EMR fleece gloves. Next is a sniper’s net, which provides some camouflage but can also be seen through from underneath. I also have a hard plastic case labeled “Creature Comforts”, 2 pairs each of undershirts, socks and underwear wrapped in a plastic shopping bag and tied off for water resistance, and 3 extra large adhesive bandages (like a giant band-aid). Up next is the hard case’s contents:
I got this box a few years ago at an old job, they were available in two-packs. The smaller of the two I got holds 7.62x51mm 168 grain Match grade ammo for my precision rifle, and travels wherever the gun does.
This box travels with me.
On the top inside you’ll first find two packets of moist towelettes and lens-saver cloths for glasses, screens etc. Underneath is a pile of band-aids, the expensive fabric ones. I love myself too much to use those awful plastic ones. I’d rather just bleed than use that trash.
Finally, at the bulk of the kit is exactly as the name implies - creature comforts. There’s a weather-resistant canister with some aspirin, some tums antacid tablets, three books of matches, a travel-sized can of “Burts Bees” lip balm, some small zip ties, an Industry spork sealed in plastic, another marker, more neosporin, another lighter, a couple more band-aids, a small bandage, two packets of cherry Kool-Aid, a single 9mm round and my Titanium folding utensils.
With all of this smartly packed (and depending on exactly what I plan on doing, this is just the default) I can take care of myself out of my MAP pack alone for several days as it is. To show how all of this fits and works together I’ll include a few pics of this combination taken at my old house (I’ve not had an opportunity to take such photos since I moved):
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