Battle Rattle
Let me start off by saying, my experience is in Search & Rescue as a Ground Team Member with Civil Air Patrol (no military service) and I’m not a gear shill/snob. Just going to touch on my gear evolution over the years;
I started out using a mix of surplus gear, pouches and components of M1967 MLCE, M1956 LCE, ALICE LC-2....eventually leading to a relatively standardized ALICE LC-2 rig.
When I started as a CAP cadet, I had nearly the full ALICE rig consisting of the LC-2 suspenders, LC-2 belt, LC-2 magazine pouches, and LC-1 entrenching tool carrier. Eventually I bought a commercial MLCE style Butt Pack to carry miscellaneous items like my poncho in.
I used the ALICE rig for quite a few years, eventually moving onto an LBV-88 when I became a Senior Member (18+), just migrating my existing ALICE attachments over and adding a Camelbak MULE onto the integrated shoulder webbing on the LBV-88, which I ran until I left CAP some years later.
Having no real use for her, except the occasional camping trip, extended day hike, or the rare airshit (airsoft) excursion the LBV-88 pretty much was a closet item for years.
One day I decided to get a rig for shits and giggles, some fantasy and innawoods use. I knew a guy who’d bought a plate carrier and had a generic Condor Commando chest rig he didn’t want, so I gave offered him $10 for it and it was mine and I set out to make my shotgunners rig. I was quite pleased with the rig, it was decent material, I like the bungee retention over the mag pouches, the GP pouches where generous, and it had a convenient map/admin pouch built in. Eventually I wanted to integrate a radio, but there wasn’t really a way to do do with the rig due to the permanent pouches and it didn’t have any incorporated MOLLE. So, once again I set out looking for something new. I looked at the LBV-88 as an option, but I wanted something newer (there is absolutely nothing wrong with LBV-88 or ALICE), so I hit up my local surplus stores, looking over the FLC, but I didn’t have any armor that fit (it can be wore without armor) and didn’t want to run it without any. I looked into getting an IBA, but the local shops wouldn’t sell any with the soft or hard armor in the carrier, because they’re afraid of selling to a felon and didn’t want to violate ITAR..so IBA was out of the question because I couldn’t afford to buy any soft armor off Fleabay.
Eventually during one of my trips, I spotted a Condor MCR-4. I had the Condor Commando rig and it worked just fine, it had plenty of MOLLE, it’s in Multicam and it says it’s “modular”...well why the hell not?! So I purchased it.
Then I spent months changing the layout, buying this pouch and that pouch. Eventually finding a layout I was happy with managed to leave it that way for a year. Then the inevitable happened, I grew displeased with the layout and again started changing it again. Finally I decided I was going to get some of the modular pieces to this rig and discovered most of the Condor MCR line had interchangeable parts...pretty nifty. I look over their options and see the Hydro Harness, which offered some more MOLLE real-estate, the ability to carry an integrated hydration system, and provided a backing, rather than just the webbing straps across the back.
So I decided I was going to get it, but as I pursued I saw other accessories for the MCR line, deciding I was going to make a list and save up to just do a big bulk buy of what I wanted. So my list grew.
Wouldn’t you know it, tax season was right around the corner! I could save and maybe use some of the tax return.
So, we managed to get a decent return (I’m married and have progeny) and I got the Hydro Harness, some facos, a large GP pouch, GPS pouch, legit shotshell cards, a card velco mount for said shotshell cards, and some other little miscellaneous bits.
Again, started changing the layout, eventually I put the large GP pouch on the hydro harness as a miscellaneous carrier, radio pouch on the right, mag pouches center, IFAK on the left...a nice minimalist setup (well what I consider minimalist) and this is how I’ve been running it since. I gear stack, so the rig goes over armor comfortably or I can just don it by itself.
The important thing to remember is, it’s a balancing trick. Get what you can afford, but what you’re happy with. I moved onto MOLLE because of the modularity, the ability to change the layout, be it STALKER innawoods opr8ting or just a camping trip, I can add and remove what I need.
There is always room for improvement and gear mixing, if it’s compatible it isn’t a horrible idea.
If all you can afford or all you want is Condor...then go for it. FLC with some SDS attachments...hey, it works. Not everyone can afford LBT or Crye (yes, yes, we know, save ze shekels), but the gear doesn’t make the man.
Improvisation and adaptation will help you not only learn to make due, but gives you an appreciation for different rigs in different configurations, different strokes for different folks.