Good Vest With One Weakness
Reviewer: D. Kidd
6/15/2007
I bought one of these vests not too long ago, and I was quite impressed with the quality. Stitching is quite good, I wouldn't say on par with BHI or TAG MOLLE gear, but it is definitely done well enough and strong enough to reliably hold MOLLE pouches as well as those two brands, even if it (the stitching) is a little uneven. The velcro, which is responsible for adjustment and basically holding the vest together, is also surprisingly strong for such an inexpensive vest. It holds quite well, and is easily taken off and put back on. Despite being a little bulky, especially for thin guys like me, it is still pretty comfortable and doesn't move around a whole lot even while moving quickly. The M4/M16 mag shingles built into the side are a bit useless, but since they are only divided by a small amount of stitching, a good idea here is to simple cut away said stitching and turn the dual pockets into a large, single, open utility pouch. I wouldn't recommend storing your car keys in them, but they can hold medium to small objects quite well, and the straps that would prevent the M4/M16 mags from falling out hold whatever you want to keep in there from dropping out when you go prone. The armor pouches on the front and back can reliably hold SAPI plates; at first I was a little dubious about this since it looks like they might fall out easily, but I'm no longer afraid of that. Overall, at this point I'd say its one major weakness is its clips that, in combination with the velcro, hold this plate carrier together. They are far too brittle and cheap to be used for this purpose, and this really pissed me off when one of them broke (the ones on the shoulder seem to be more prone to breaking then the ones on the waist). Thankfully, they can be replaced with stronger clips or repaired with some very strong glue (though I'm not sure how long simply gluing it will hold). Maybe this is just an isolated incident, I certainly hope so, because otherwise this is an excellent vest that is well worth the money. I agree that it doesn't even come close to an Eagle CIRAS or Paraclete RMV (not even close, sorry) but it's a unique and useful vest in its own right and still a good buy on a budget.