Micro Rig w/ Integral Hydration

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  • LRRPF52
    Super Moderator
    • Sep 2014
    • 8569

    Micro Rig w/ Integral Hydration

    A buddy of mine asked me for a solution for his Coyote hunting and CZ Scorpion shooting chest rig. I made him a triple magazine pouch earlier for his Scorpion, but he wasn't happy with his existing micro rig.

    One thing that has always bothered me about the small chest rigs and most other chest rigs is the basic webbing used to suspend them on your torso. It seems to get tangled up, is awkward donning and doffing, and doesn't support hydration routing.

    What I've done on my other vests is to make a padded mesh harness with routing for the Camelbak so that there are no snag hazards common with other designs, and I don't like after-thought loops and Velcro to try to manage the hose.



    For the chest panel, I made 2 layers, one 500D Cordura with a heavy duty mesh backer, forming a pocket for maps, documents, or miscellaneous items, but I included a mounting panel inside for customization by the user. The layers are sewn, bound, and triple-stitched with bar-tacked ends to prevent any fraying or unraveling common on single-stitched gear.






    The front panel also doubles as a simple plate carrier.

    NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

    CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

    6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

    www.AR15buildbox.com
  • LRRPF52
    Super Moderator
    • Sep 2014
    • 8569

    #2
    For my hydration pouches, I use multiple layers to insulate the bladder from thermal loss, and I like to include a SERE pouch for a survival meal. In my personal kit, I take an MRE bag and put a small meal with maybe a bonus energy bar inside, then tape it up.

    The hydration bladder is a good place for this because you don't have immediate access to it when wearing the vest, so you know that meal in there is for real-world emergencies.







    NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

    CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

    6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

    www.AR15buildbox.com

    Comment

    • LRRPF52
      Super Moderator
      • Sep 2014
      • 8569

      #3
      As worn:



      NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

      CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

      6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

      www.AR15buildbox.com

      Comment

      • jonny rotton
        Warrior
        • Dec 2015
        • 358

        #4
        what size water bladder fits in? are you selling these? if you are what is the price?? i think its a great idea! the bladder helps to balance out the mags in front! i have put together something similar already. i do like it very much.

        Comment

        • LRRPF52
          Super Moderator
          • Sep 2014
          • 8569

          #5
          He wanted a smaller bladder for him and his kids, not one that would dangle past his waistline, so this fits:

          50oz / 1.5L Camelbak bladder 11.5" x7" and

          70oz / 2.0L Camelbak 13.5" x 8"

          That's been my experience with AK-type chest harnesses as well, lack of balance in the rear.

          Ever since I started making my own vests from scratch, I have integrated them for Camelbak, including routing through the harness without obvious protrusion.

          This one you can unclip the hydration pouch for ease of re-fill, something I've found awkward when doing with my other vests where the bladder is MOLLE'd on.
          NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

          CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

          6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

          www.AR15buildbox.com

          Comment

          • jonny rotton
            Warrior
            • Dec 2015
            • 358

            #6
            are you going to be selling them?????? if you are what will you be selling them for??????

            Comment

            • LRRPF52
              Super Moderator
              • Sep 2014
              • 8569

              #7
              If there is interest.

              $150 should cover it. Pretty labor-intensive to do the detail work that I do.

              I've got some pouches that I do as well. Everything was on back-burner after I tore my Achilles, so I'm just getting caught up with hat orders and other projects.

              One of the mag pouch designs I developed is a double M4 shingle with triple pistol mags on the front of it. Haven't seen anyone pull that off yet. Fully padded and lined as well so your feed lips don't get impacted as easily.
              NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

              CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

              6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

              www.AR15buildbox.com

              Comment

              • jonny rotton
                Warrior
                • Dec 2015
                • 358

                #8
                i have interest!!! i do not need a big bladder. i need a smaller one to match my own. i am 65 years young.

                Comment

                • JJA Guns
                  Bloodstained
                  • Nov 2017
                  • 34

                  #9
                  Nice, I really like the design. 150.00 is very reasonable. What size plate will the carrier accommodate.

                  Comment

                  • LRRPF52
                    Super Moderator
                    • Sep 2014
                    • 8569

                    #10
                    The front panel fits at least a Large SAPI with a little room to spare. Should fit XL SAPI as well.

                    Difference is 10x13 for LG

                    11x14 for XL

                    I'm looking at some chest rigs from other high quality US manufacturers that don't have the features or stitch count that I do that go for much more.

                    I also do split-front rigs, wider MOLLE count, with an articulated ergonomic fit to the torso, not just rectangles.

                    I've been using my own vests for decades now. I actually started modifying my own gear before I joined the Army as I already identified weaknesses in the LBE (LC-1) and LBV (LCS-88) and took them apart, sewed them with mods that made them more comfortable, balanced the weight better, added magazine capacity, fixed stress points on the Type 8 nylon webbing for the ALICE clips, covered all my snap fasteners with 1/2" OD green webbing tabs, made comfort pads, which eventually evolved into MOLLE belts/Panels and vests years later.

                    I was in some units that got MOLLE experimental kit for Land Warrior before it was issued to regular Army, so I started making my own MOLLE because I could already see the Army was going to approach gear manufacturing with the same garbage, Industries for the Blind approach.
                    NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                    CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                    6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                    www.AR15buildbox.com

                    Comment

                    • LRRPF52
                      Super Moderator
                      • Sep 2014
                      • 8569

                      #11
                      The chest panel in the OP is a 1 x 8 Micro Rig.

                      Here are the 2 x 7 and 2 x 8 split front harnesses.

                      The 2 x 7 allows you to carry 2 x M4 mag pouches and 1 x 3-wide utility or IFAK next to them. With a uniform load on both sides, that would be 4 mag pouches and 2 3-wide utility pouches.

                      The 2 x 8 allows you to carry 2 x M4 mag pouches and 1 x 4-wide, 2 x 2-wide, or 1 x 3-wide and 1 x 1 wide pouches. You can have 2 x M4 mags and 1 x SAW pouch on one panel with the 2 x 8.

                      These have spacer mesh on the back instead of heavy mesh, and allow you to carry a SAAPI plate between the panel and the mesh like the Micro.
                      Last edited by LRRPF52; 01-09-2018, 04:38 PM.
                      NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                      CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                      6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                      www.AR15buildbox.com

                      Comment

                      • LRRPF52
                        Super Moderator
                        • Sep 2014
                        • 8569

                        #12


                        NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO

                        CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor

                        6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:

                        www.AR15buildbox.com

                        Comment

                        • danm
                          Warrior
                          • Aug 2014
                          • 498

                          #13
                          Thumbs up!!!

                          Comment

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