Camo Question

[Red (Eazy-E)]

Hello, Im not new to airsoft, but I am beginning to get more serious about playing and have been putting a lot of money into bigger and better things. The question crossed me the other day about gear/camo I have already decided on a MARPAT Digital pattern camo (You can see it www.airsplat.com/Images/AC-APP-BDU-MRPT.jpg) for my base, but then as I was looking throught vests, I was stuck between a few that I was unsure if they would blend well with my MARPAT camo, since I have not been able to find a decent MARPAT vest for under $80. I have found a few vests, that look like they would blend decently, but I wanted a more "Expert" opinion on the subject

Vest 1: www.airsplat.com/Images/AC-APP-CO-547OD.jpg
Vest 2: www.airsplat.com/Images/AC-APP-CO-547WC.jpg
Vest 3: www.airsplat.com/Images/AC-APP-PVC-547U.jpg
Vest 4: www.airsplat.com/Images/AC-APP-PVC-547A.jpg

Thank you for your input, and thanks for the help.

[Knief]

I'm just going to say it, you're looking in the wrong direction for a vest, and in just about every way. Crossdraw vests (they're the tactical vest with the holster on your side that you've linked to) are one of the worst layouts for a vest possible. Your sidearm is almost always a less important tool in a firefight than more ammo for your primary. And your weak side (your left side, if you're a righty) is exactly where you want your most important pieces of gear because you can access them more easily than gear anywhere else on your body. Moreover, by putting a holster on your chest, you're lowering the capacity of mags, and thus ammo, you can carry. No sidearm carries as much ammo as 3 mag pouches stuffed full. Lastly, with any non-modular vest, you lose any ability to customize your loadout.

Modular gear, on the other hand, allows you to fit whatever pouches you like in any configuration that suits you or the specific game you'll be playing in. It can cost a little more (though not always), because you're buying a vest as well as pouches to fit to it, and you're likely to end up with more pouches than you would get if you bought any of the crossdraws you linked to. But it's more than worth it when you realize that just that one vest can fill any role you'll ever need it for. The longer you play, the more you start changing and adding to your gun collection, changing your style of play, changing your tastes in everything, and the more likely to are to need gear to accommodate those changes. If you get a non-modular vest, you're going to need to replace it if you change camo, maybe guns, maybe play styles, anything really. With a modular vest, that vest can suit you through a much wider array of taste.

That just about covers style, so let's move on to color.

Rule #1: Don't mix camo patterns. If you're going to be wearing MARPAT, then don't buy an ACU or Woodland vest. Either buy a MARPAT vest (though honestly, they almost always look terrible) or a solid vest. A solid vest in a color that coordinates will with your camo pattern always looks good. But just like with a modular vest, a solid color is more adaptable. You might have MARPAT now, but next year you might want Desert camo, too. If you have a MARPAT vest, you'll have to buy a new one to go with your Deserts. If you have a tan vest, it'll look good with either.

Rule #2: Don't buy black. They use black in every movie and video game ever because it looks strong and forceful on screen. In the woods, where you'll be playing, it looks like a beacon. Take a walk through the woods some time and look out for large chest sized patches of black. I promise you won't see any because black isn't a color that appears in large patches in nature (outside of volcanic stone, which there isn't a lot of in nature). For that reason, black stands out like a sore thumb. I've been able to hit opposing players on numerous occasions simply because I spotted their black vest through brush. Had they been wearing any other color, I would have missed them completely. But the solid black stood out and made them easy targets.

Anything in olive drab or some form of tan or brown will look good with MARPAT, or any other green based camo. OD, however, pretty much only looks good with green based camo, and a little ridiculous with tan based camo and ACU. Different tans, and especially darker browns like Coyote Brown, look great with both green based and tan based camo, as well as all terrain patterns like ACU, Multicam and ATACS. For that reason, I'd suggest a tan or coyote brown vest. However, an OD vest is fine too, and will work better with whatever your next camo pattern is than a MARPAT vest would.

With all that in mind, and your $80 price range in mind, here's what I would recommend:

www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=1638
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=1963
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=1494
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=3175
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=1967
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=2627
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=2245

Some of these will cost a little more once you add pouches, but again, they're worth the extra money. They're all also made by Pantac, who is one of the best replica gear manufacturers around. Anything from them or FLYYE is top notch. You can get Condor brand gear for cheaper. They make a lot of the same styles, but it's not quite as nice. Still, if you're absolutely set on your budget, it would be worth looking in to. Airsoftgi.com has a good selection of Condor gear.

[Red (Eazy-E)]

Would this work with MARPAT? www.airsplat.com/Images/AC-APP-ST-69-1T.jpg

[Knief]

Probably, but it's ugly as all fuck. The only decent vest I see on Airsplat is this one:

www.airsplat.com/Items/AC-APP-CO-CPC-T.htm

Have you checked out airsoftgi.com yet? They have a wider variety of vests than Airsplat does. Scratch that, their selection has gone way down. Check Evike.com maybe?

[Red (Eazy-E)]

What kind of pouches would I use with that vest? I use 45 round Famas Mags, and a p99 for my sidearm. I was looking at the vest aswell, but I cant find the right pouches i need. Also, i think the OD one matches MARPAT better, what do you think? www.airsplat.com/Items/AC-APP-CO-CPC-G.htm

[Knief]

Well, FAMAS mags are pretty much the same size as M4 mags, so depending on how many mags you have (or plan on having, as the case may be), get yourself some assortment of these:

www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_75&products_id=1375
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_75&products_id=2419
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_75&products_id=1378

8 mags is a pretty standard loadout, and each pocket holds two mags. So I'd get one double pouch and two single pouches, myself. Then for your pistol, however many of these you need:

www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_75&products_id=1237
www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_75&products_id=3213

Then, I usually like some sort of utility pouch for a kill rag, spare bbs, a speed loader, maybe some small tools, that sort of stuff. Something along these lines is a good idea:

www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_75&products_id=1370

You get the idea, though. Figure out what sorts of things you like to carry on you at a game and buy pouches to match. Airsoftsmith has an amazing selection of pouches, listed here:

www.airsoftsmith.com/store/index.php?cPath=31_75

As far as color goes, I personally think that Coyote Brown looks outstanding with MARPAT, as do the Marines. But if you like OD, it won't look bad by any means.

[Red (Eazy-E)]

So anything that is MOLLE will work with the vest? and also, I just ordered a SCAR-L ( www.airsplat.com/Items/ERM-BI-SCAR-01B.htm ) So would the mags, still work with the standard M16 pouch? Also, any suggestions for face protection? im under 18 so most events require me to have full face protection, would just a standard paintball mask work?

[Knief]

Yep, the SCAR L uses an M16 mag, so the same pouches would work with it. The SCAR H uses a larger mag, and you'd want to look into M14 or G3 mag pouches. But for the SCAR L, the M16 pouches are perfect. And yes, any MOLLE pouches work with any MOLLE vest. MOLLE is the type of attachment system. It's sort of like how any USB device will work in any USB port (ignore the operating system compatibility issue).

For face protect, yeah, I'd just get a paintball mask. Find something with a thermal lens, and if it either comes with a fan or can take an after market fan, all the better. Don't get cheap and buy the first $20 mask you see at Dick's. It'll fog like a bitch. Eye protection is important to keep your eyes safe. Quality eye protection is important so you can actually see shit on the field. What you should do is, you should read some reviews on a paintball forum and see what people like to use for their masks, then buy that. They'll know a hell of a lot more about paintball masks than we're likely to. Just, whatever you do, buy an all black version. If you show up to a Hellfish game with a bright blue or red mask, I'll personally smack you in the back of the head .

[Red (Eazy-E)]

Apr 10, 2011 18:42:30 GMT -5 Knief said:

If you show up to a Hellfish game with a bright blue or red mask, I'll personally smack you in the back of the head .

: 0 Sounds good, So I better get a black one because i plan on coming to the hellfish game on the 23 if all my gear gets here before then , Thanks for all the help.