Building my First Load out

[Overkill]

Okay, I'm assembling my first gear load out, hopefully in time for the spring season.

I'm running into issues at the moment: what to get, whats functional, practical, etc. I was in boy scouts so I have that be prepared stuff drilled into my brain to the point where I want to carry everything + kitchen sink on me. Then I realize, the whole point is to be effective in combat, and I can leave all that at the spawn point.

Ill run down the stuff I do have, so if anyone has some experience with that kind of gear they can hopefully supply some gear that complements it nicely.

Role: Standard Rifleman

Main Weapon: CA CA8 - 2 (un-upgraded, still shooting at 350fps)
-5 midcaps (I don't suppose Ill need all of these? 130Rd's each)
-2 low caps (these just came with it, but they aren't too shabby)
-Sling (was hoping fr some sort of sling management, but I don't really NEED it, do I?)
-Large and Small batteries, I have a battery bag on the gun that can hold two small, one large. Will I need to bother carrying more?

Secondary: KJW 1911
-one Co2 Mag

Rubber Knife

Radio

Speed loaders (debating over whether or not to carry more magazines or more speed loaders.
-more magazines = more reloading at re spawn, downtime, bulk, better ammo accessibility
-more speed loaders = less bulk, lower profile, less cost if lost, easier to refill, more in field reloading

Small first aid kit (band aids, small gauze roll, antiseptic stuff)
-basically for nasty cuts, this thing is seriously compact, I figure its worth carrying
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So, now to decide what to carry it all with.

I found a really good deal on a drop leg platform, so I bought it in case it might eventually come In handy.

I like to be mobile, and I'm also the kind of guy who likes to crawl around and maintain a low profile, so I'd like to be comfortable going prone, kneeling, or lying against some cover. This however, cannot come at the cost of accessibility of my materials (example: sidearm, knife, magazine, etc.)

I'd like to maintain a certain degree of expandability or upgradeabiity to move things around as I amass more gear, weapons, items, etc into my collection.

I'd like my items in Olive green to complement green based camouflage setups.

A hydration bladder seems like something I would like, but I don't really have the experience to know how necessary it might be. What would you recommend?

I have some serious budget constraints, like sub $200 for the whole load.

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So, what do you think? Thoughts, suggestions, questions, tips, tricks, etc?

[Thor]

My best suggestion? Look at the load outs of people in the Gallery to get ideas. Most people post up what brand of gear they bought. You may want to look particularly at people who are using G36's, since they use the same mags as you.

If you want to be mobile and plan on doing a lot of crawling and/or diving, I'd stay away from leg mounted platforms, as they can get in the way.

If you're looking for a particular brand of gear, Condor makes what is in my opinion decent gear at a decent price.

[Explosives On Hand]

For mobilities' sake, I was going to recommend a chest rig of some sort. They're usually lightweight, almost no limitation on movement and don't usually get in the way when shifting to a different firing position. The problem of course is that these have very limited 'real estate' for MOLLE pouches and such. In addition, most have no back to them, and would restrict your hydration options to a canteen.

Ideally, a low profile plate carrier that doesn't wrap around the body would be your best bet. It would have slightly more space for pouches then a chest rig while allowing similar flexibility and versatility. In addition, these would have a back surface that would allow the use of a hydration bladder and such.

Something like this:

www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?cPath=28_96&products_id=1731

I have never been a fan of drop leg attachments for gear or dump pouches, but that's just me. I do use a drop leg holster, which I would highly recommend. Holsters that attach to a vest generally take up a wasteful amount of space.

Other then that, you can basically use the dimensions of the pouches you're looking at to figure out what you can fit on your vest.

[GrinchBiscuit]

Lose the extra batteries and speedloaders. Laying off full-auto and learning trigger discipline help. You will only need around 8 mags, keep the speedloaders in your gear bag or gun case at respawn.

A sling would be one of my bigger reccomendations if your using a large rifle like the SL8. A tactical two or three point would suit your needs well.

I have no experience with drop legs, but most people dislike them. I will let one of them chime in on that issue.

If your looking for a low-profile rig, LA Police Gear is having crazy sales on the BHI Rhody rig.

www.lapolicegear.com/blackhawk-strike-commando-recon-chest-harness.html

As per pouches, 2 G36 mags = 3 M4 mags. So AK pouches or 3x M4 pouches are where you want to be.

Once again, LA Police Gear is having crazy sales on gear. Mind you, this is real deal stuff and guarenteed to last.

www.lapolicegear.com/specopspouches.html

Jan 24, 2009 16:38:40 GMT -5 Explosives On Hand said:

In addition, most have no back to them, and would restrict your hydration options to a canteen.

Wrong, thats nothing a standalone Hydro carrier wouldn't solve.

Such as this: www.lapolicegear.com/casa70oz.html

Hydro is one of the most importanat things in Airsoft, especially the Summer. Don't overlook it.

Hope this helps.

[Zorak]

Instead of a hydration backpack, you could also get a hyrdation setup that clips on to the straps of your chest rig. The Spec-Ops HUMP is a good example.

When I'm setting up my gear, I think in terms of speed. The more quickly I can reach a given location with my weak arm, the more valuable it is. That means that the strong side of my chest is absolute gold, and I reserve it for mags. The weak side of my chest is almost as good, and I usually carry mags there too. The area under my weak shoulder and above my waist is awkward to reach, so I keep useful bulk cargo there, like batteries and granola bars - stuff I can use but that I'd never need in a really huge hurry. My weak side thigh is easy to reach and I keep my dump pouch there - it's not a perfect location, as it gets awkward when the dump pouch is fully loaded, but I think it works better than any other option would. Under my strong shoulder, the space is almost useless in combat, since I can only reach it with my strong hand. That makes it the obvious location for a sidearm on the belt or on a drop leg, and for first aid and other stuff that I'd never use while shooting.

Other tips: Get MOLLE, so you can tweak your setup as you go. Don't spend your entire wad at once - build up gradually. That way you're less likely to spend all your money on something you won't be happy with.

[Overkill]

I've looked around a bit and come across a few vest types that I think Ill be choosing from, the first is what seems to be a preety decent chest rig, something like this...

www.skdtac.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=243

Just for a resource, I found this HUGE site with hundreds of vests on it, good for reference...

www.wgcshop.com/

I think most people already know about it, but I didn't.

[Zorak]

WGC is one of the premier overseas airsoft retailers - they're linked off the main page. I wouldn't recommend buying tactical gear there, since a) it's all replica gear built for airsoft use, and b) you'll eat huge shipping charges getting it to the US. You can get better final prices on replica gear from US shops, or get real gear from domestic manufacturers for not a whole lot more than replica gear + shipping from WGC.

SKD sells real steel gear, built to be worn in actual people getting killed action. That means it's going to cost more but be built and supported to a higher standard. If you like what's on those pages, I suggest also considering the Tactical Tailor MAV. I really like the fact that the basic MAV is very affordable (relative to its quality, anyway) and can then be augmented with the X-harness, bib, or more MOLLE pouches.