Redball Magazine plate carrier and pouches

I Modified my black horizontal Redball 20rd magazine chest rig into a basic plate carrier complete with back plate bag; and then I decided to build a couple pouches, first pouch was an attempt at doing a vertical, side by side pouch with bungee cord retention, hated it.. so made a 2nd pouch that is much more conventional; holds 4 20rd magazines in a boxy pouch that is kinked on the sides, and has a center divider, and two 3/4 coverage flaps over each pair of magazine.

Front of 4-mag plate carrier

Back of the front carrier

inside of both carriers

Side view of front carrier

View of outside of both carriers; the rear carrier has MOLLE strips for attachment of hydration pouch or small gear; or even butt pack on bottom row.

The plate carrier will fit up to 9×12 plates on both front and back. It is basically a simple armor carrier with magazine pockets sewn to the front , and utility/first aid pockets sewn on the sides.

My first attempt at a MOLLE 995 20rd pouch for the 20 rd Redball magazines; the idea was to have elastic retention and not a lot of fabric, but it is a failure here, due to the extreme splay and sticking far out away from the platform it attaches to.

Side view of pouch showing the kink and how far away it sticks out

good view of how far it sticks out from a MOLLE belt; due to being bottom heavy and not having a lot of retention up top other than the elastic cordage

Mounted to the MOLLE belt I have, it is not really good here.

Back view of the pouch showing Tactical Tailor styled MOLLE webbing for use with TT  Short MALICE clips.

pattern blank cut up, then hemmed with edge tape for 2nd MOLLE pouch in Coyote Brown

All done except some details; 1″ ITW buckles in Tan-499 color, khaki webbing straps

Mounted to the MOLLE belt

Finished 3/4 coverage flaps on the top using 1.5″ webbing.

Another view of the top half; mounted by the same MALICE clips and same style webbing on the back of the pouch, as the pouch retains the magazines better; the whole thing is far stabler and easier to use.

Side view showing the kink in the side panels to accommodate the Redball magazine shape

 

 

 

Been busy with life, two new rigs!

Been busy with life lately…. here are a couple updates!

Indy style 500D Coyote brown double sided Satchel/Bandolier, carries up to 10 20rd magazines, and 12 10rd magazines for Hi Point carbines, but can also be used to carry SMG/Glock stick magazines if they can fit in the elastic loops.

Front section view; very low profile, simple.

Back section

Interior shot; 6 slots for 10rd mags up top, with Redball 995 magazines on bottom row

Close up of the bottom row elastic loops for the 20rd magazines

the space in between the two sections, useful for flat items and small items

 

Next up, a Split front MOLLE chest rig out of 1000D Woodland Cordura scraps that weren’t perfectly cut; using IDF style spring loaded cam buckles for closure, and ALICE LC-2 Enhanced ruck straps for the shoulder straps with 2 additional spring loaded cam buckles, all of which came from scavenged/surplus ALICE LC straps. SPecs of the rig; 8 MOLLE columns and 7 rows, with no gap, or 4 rows plus 3 rows in between the 4 main rows

MOLLE Split rig clean mode, simple LadderLoc buckle for rear cross strap

Close up of the buckle attachments

With IDF style single pull cord knotted into both buckles. Very quick release on the straps, and easy adjustments for size

Showing one set up; 12 AR magazines in 4 pouches, and 2 medic pockets, the rig is capable of accepting both MOLLE and ALICE attachments, as well as Bianchi’s UM84 clip system

showing another set up; with the front closed up. again, 2 Tactical Tailor Universal Mag pouches, 2 TT grenade/small utility pockets, 2 canteen covers, and 2 IDF small pouches connected via ALICE clips, and finally, one large 200rd SAW ammo pouch for dump pouch duty.  I am on the look out for two more of the TT Universal Mag Pouches in Woodland, but may be able to just use two USGI M4 double pouches, or just get more short MALICE clips and tie ALICE pouches on there.

 

Coyote tan 8-cell 995 rig and black Plate carrier rig

Built a Coyote tan 8-cell vertical mag rig for 4 Redball 20rd mags, and 4 10rd Factory 995 mags, and then built a 5 20rd, 5-10 10rd vertical Plate Carrier clip-on rig for two customers!

On olive green fabric, showing the tan X harness, tan webbing and mags loaded.

Compared to fishing belt kit with Coyote pouches

Against 330D Multicam fabric

I also modified a customer’s black slick plate carrier to accept the black 8 cell vertical rig, and built a new 10 cell direct-attach rig. I added 4x Fastex buckles to the Plate Carrier, this was the least invasive method for the user, did not need to rip seams to attach buckles

Front of Plate Carrier showing the two upper buckles

 

Back of plate carrier, showing the top 2 45 degrees buckles for the diagonal webbing

Loaded up and attached to rig on mannequin. Front view.

Back 3/4 view, the user utilizes the standard back strap of the chest rig, and the diagonal webbing from the black 8 cell rig goes up to the two 45 degree buckles. THe 8 cell rig is capable of being used on its own with its H harness, and the carrier can keep the buckles fastened/unused.

I made a 5 cell plate carrier rig next, with no snaps, but velcro attachment, back strap attachment, and a simplified upper strap attachment, for direct attachment to the black plate carrier. I overestimated the size of the dividers needed, and now the 5 front cells can have up to 2 9mm Hi Point mags, OR 1 double stack pistol mag in each cell, and the back 5 cells are generously sized for the Redball magazines. With this cleaner panel layout and the size, it does not extend past the edges of the plate carrier.

Clipped directly and attached to the plate carrier

Back view of rig, showing the velcro strip for attaching to plate carrier and reversed buckles up top, adjusts from the inside, so as to hide the straps for a clean appearance

Front 4 cell panel showing velcro flaps and velcro attachment. It looks like I was off on the bottom stitching, but that is a result of not loading the cells with weight, it is even when loaded.

The material used is 500D Cordura in both black and coyote tan.

Chest rigs for Redball 995 mags

Made a couple chest rigs in black 1000D vinyl backed Cordura for the new Redball Magazines for the Hi Point 995/995TS 9mm carbines; First one is a horizontal carrier, with utility pouches that fit 100rd organizer boxes, or other small stuff. The other one is a vertical 8-cell carrier that accommodates 4x 20rd Redball magazines and 4x 10rd factory magazines.

They are based on traditional chest rig designs from China and South Africa, but tailored for the particular magazines.

Horizontal 4-magazine chest rig with utility pockets on ends, single layer construction and layout is based on a SADF chest rig but with horizontal magazine pockets as opposed to vertical;

Unloaded, You can see how the magazine shape is unique and does not lend itself to other magazine pouch designs or normal retention methods

Close up of magazine retention system; hidden snaps and doubled over 1.5″ webbing. I got the idea after looking at one of my knife sheaths and figured that since the ends and mid plates are larger than the magazine body, it would be useful to have a similar retention method, and so far it has worked beautifully.

Straps snapped in place. I did this set up to make it easy to open and draw with the left hand.

Detailshot of the utility pocket. They are shallower than the usual SKS/Shotgun ammo pockets I have made, but fits a 100rd 9mm organizer box with some room to spare for tools or keys or other things. Can be used to carry first aid kit as well.

With my MOLLE MIcro chest rig for pistol magazines and the prototype bandolier made of 420D pack cloth scraps. Yes that is my 995 Classic carbine with Primary Arms 1-4x scope on it.

My other chest rig, vertical 8 cell magazine carrier, next to the Horizontal one. It is based on a combination of Chi-Com and R.A.C.K. chest rig designs (R.A.C.K. rectangle panel, Chi-Com one piece magazine/clip pocket panel) with two different fastening systems; a simple wrap around retention strap for the 4 Redball magazines, and a narrow flap strap for the 4 factory 10rd magazines. I only own 1 factory 10 round magazine at the moment.

Close up of the short pouch showing the factory 10 rd magazine. I can also put in a Leatherman multi-tool in the same size pocket. bonus!)

Detailclose up of the chest rig panel with the Redball magazines fastened in. The flag patches on both of them are from Universal Shooting Sports Forum , wherein I am a member.

Unloaded except for the one 10 rd magazine. It is a simple rig. I will be making about 6 of these rigs in Coyote Brown with either tan binding tape and webbing or dark brown binding tape and webbing.

MOLLE II Ruck on Large Coleman frame!

Picked up a vintage Large Coleman PEAK 1 backpack with the large frame; and then got a MOLLE II pack with Main Ruck and Modular Sleep System carrier on Gen 2 MOLLE frame; decided to see how the MOLLE bags interface with the large Coleman PEAK 1 frame…. it works beautifully! I have extra space on the frame for the lashing of other things, or if I remove the MSS carrier, another Main Ruck bag!

Coleman Peak 1 pack, it is roomy, and very nicely made, just very old. (1989 date on the hardware)

Side view of the thing.

Suspension view, the straps and belt are not comfortable at all for me.

So I put the MOLLE II suspension from the stock MOLLE gen 2 frame on the far right side, onto the large Coleman frame on the far left, in the middle is the small “Junior” Peak 1 frame that is useful with the ALICE series of bags but cannot interface with the MOLLE bags due to the MOLLE bags attachment points being much wider.

Frames without bags, one could lash a lot of items to the frames if so desired.

MOLLE Main ruck, with MSS carrier attached to the bottom, and MOLLE Sustainment Pouches attached to the sides, I’ve had the Sustainment Pouches for a long time, going back to my old bike packing system..a few years, and they are still holding up very well!

bare side to attach to the frame

Upper pack bag’s attachment points, a short strap on the top, and a metal tab thing midway

Another view of upper bag’s attachment, mid tab, then bottom tab by the shoulder strap attachments

MSS carrier bag’s attachments, all 4 of them are in use, and again, they are the metal tab system, and they fit the frame as if the frame was designed for it

Complete MOLLE II backpack on the Large Coleman Frame; there’s about 9-10 inches of space between frame bottom and bottom of MSS bag for the lashing of items.

Suspension side showing how the pack looks with the frame attached, theres another gap between top of frame and top of pack, again for lashing items, or as a very convenient carry handle.

Sideways view of pack on frame, you can see how it is rather large and bulky, but should be excellent for winter trips or group camping! Or long travels as well!

The MOLLE Suspension system is very comfortable, and effective…although it is very heavy, it gives one a feel of being bombproof and able to take on just about anything short of shrapnel damage or flames.

I paid $10 for the Coleman Peak 1 backpack system, plus $50 for the MOLLE main ruck, and I think $15 for the pair of Sustainment Pouches, so the total invested would be around $75, for what amounts to two complete backpacks, and the results is that I now have a very comfortable, very sturdy backpack system, and due to the metal tab attachments, I can quickly remove the pack bags if I need to just lash things to the frame.

Bushcraft USA 10×10 tarp set ups and one tree hammock hanging system!

Recently acquired a Bushcraft Outfitters, USA (BCUSA) 10 ft by 10 ft coyote tarp in a forum deal! It was damaged with a tab broken off, I got the tab repaired… anyhow…

Coyote Brown BCUSA tarp in brown stuff sack next to el-cheapo pencil organizer that houses my lighter smaller Long Ogee tarp.

Damaged tab repaired, I used 1″ Cross- Grain ribbon as the reinforcement material and stitched lines to make sure it aint ever coming off!

Initial set up, Diamond fly configuration with ski poles, 2 stakes only! a little slack in the material but that’s expected of nylon fabric..

With two hammocks, more than enough space in there…. I know, I hung the hammocks too low like low hanging fruit but it’s just to give one an impression of the space available..

And with this tarp, I’ve decided I wanted to see how it would look in a vastly different configuration than most of the normal square tarp set ups…the basic layout is the same for the next 3 set ups, just the differences are all in the ridge line tie out location and the configuration of the front opening.

Front view of the tarp tent set up;

Back view of the set up, What I did is to stake the back wall down first, and then square up the side corners so that the tabs, which are evenly spaced at 2.5 ft between tie out tabs, are able to be staked down at the same locations, and then from that point between the center and the outermost stake, line up the front corners of the shelter to make a rectangle floor print of 5 ft wide and 7.5 feet long.

Side view. After I stake the sides/corners down, I then raised the front peak up as far as I could do, and then attached the two tarp clips at the points where I wanted to raise the roof/wall points on the back, to make for a nearly vertical rear wall, and then ran the lines to the ski poles and staked them down. Finally, I run the clothesline ridge line through the ridge seam tabs on the tarp and raised the rear peak up, and tied the end of the line to an overhanging branch. This in effect gives the shelter a house like roof from which rainwater will shed very well, and with the vertical walls, gives one a feeling of increased space compared to a typical A- frame.

Having seen something similar on a same size tarp, I decided to see if it would work with the ridge line peak tie out moved back 2.5 feet to the next tie out tab on the ridge seam..and bungee’d the resulting corners to bring the front down as far as I could… I disliked this set up because it robs the interior of space, and essentially makes it more a shelter you can only lay diagonally, as opposed to straight up and down.

Another view of the terrible layout. It might be OK if I had done this with the back being a normal A-frame back though.

So, keeping the same ridge line tab tied out, I decided to see what would happen if I pulled the corners the other way..and supported them with leaning poles and guy lines… this was the result. A much much better set up, and one that gives me the most spacious feel of the interior, PLUS the protection from almost all angles, the front opening is only 2.5 feet tall and 5 feet wide, a poncho or a small 5×7 tarp folded in half would have provided a great awning/door..One could also put a small piece of bug netting on that area and be fine for bug season…

The side view of it. It is essentially now a doghouse shaped shelter, and with the amount of room up front now that the gable is pulled further out, one could have a good space for cooking/gear and still be protected from the elements inside.

Rear view of the Doghouse shelter, again it is showing the rear wall layout, but also, you can see how much more open the front part looks to be compared to the first triangular opening shelter.. And the only two changes from that is the relocation of the ridge line peak tie out point and the addition of two tie out/pole points on the front sides.

With the tarp clips relocated to exactly 2.5 ft from the corners and in line with the side tabs and the ridge tab, I would say the shelter is basically a small wall tent with a front opening.
And now for something quite different! Here’s the one tree hammock stand!

First, these are the materials you need, from top to bottom;

a hammock obviously, with suspension.

an USGI General Purpose, Medium Tent center pole, telescoping, and it goes out to 10something feet, so if you ever need to have a visual cue on “not touching this with a 10ft pole”, this is it!

then the camo straps which are for both the hammock attachment and a ridge line in between the one tree and the pole,

then finally, a set of 4 cargo straps with 10″ nail style stakes larksheaded to their ends and tied to each other at their centers.

Hook up the ridge line with the camo straps, then position army pole, only extended halfway, then run the 4 green straps down to the ground, and nail them securely at a 45 degree angle.. the pole is not vertical, because that is not what you want, you want as much of the hammock load to be on the pole, and less on the lines, so angling the pole out that its around 50-60 degrees from vertical, and then make sure its not going anywhere.. then stake the lines as far as possible.. this in effect gives you a tension based system..

finally, hook up the hammock to the pole and tree strap.

Another view of the system, with my massive lumbar pack hanging off a steel hook I mounted on the tree strap. Sharp eyed readers will note that I have a whoopie sling in between the two straps on the ridge line, this is to make it easy to maintain tension…

With the 10×10 tarp set up in an almost ordinary set up… first I put the side up with the poles, then I staked the center of the other side to make a half-diamond shape..then I staked out the “door” sides on the covered side. This gives me a good balance of wind proofing from one side, and yet a nice porch mode on the other side… with the amount of space in there, I can have a 2nd hammock underneath if I dare do so, or an army cot, or a camp chair or two..

Side view of the set up. I did not stake the lefthand door as close to the ground as the other side is, but it still works here. With the short hammock ridge line, the 10 ft tarp covers me very well…only problem is the gear hanging out in the rain, but a poncho over it will give it the protection it needs.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

MOLLE Yucca Pack, modded to a big Lumbar pack!

My small MOLLE Yucca daypack is now doing duty as a beefy lumbar pack on a MOLLE waist belt set up and H harness set up… the main modifications involved were very extensive, basically a whole panel of MOLLE webbing on the back of the pack, plus 4 Ladder-loc buckles at specific locations to function better as a lumbar pack.. With some adjustment on how I attached my MOLLE Sustainment Pouches, I found that it functions better, and gives me some space in the main sack and on the outside… instead of taking up all 12 MOLLE slots on the perimeter for the two Sustainment Pouches, I have spaced it so that each pouch only takes up 5 slots each (for 10 slots), and a gap of 2 MOLLE slots in between for my Nalgene carrier and small misc item pouch. This also provides me with a convenient route for the flap straps..

The pack. The top stuff sack houses my hammock and bugnet and suspension, while the MOLLE Sustainment pouches each hold the kelty topquilt and the hammock under pad insulation, and the main sack holds my clothing. The nalgene carrier in the lower middle houses an IKEA kitchen caddy turned into a wood burning stove, and the Buschraft Outfitters 10×10 silnylon tarp in Coyote brown.

View of the waist belt set up; the large pouch holds my food and cook set, while the smaller pouch holds my first aid kit and fire kit, then between the canteen and the pouches are two modified 40mm ammo pouches, one holds my 4.5″ blade knife, the other holds a small 2AA Angle-head flashlight. Obviously there are two water bottles on the belt at the kidney positions.

Belt opened up, you can see how there’s quite a bit of padding, the belt pad is size Medium, and is basically perfect as a waist belt on this pack system. You can also see the suspension straps for the pack.

The MOLLE panel for the back, Instead of a normal method of alternating straps, I decided to fill the whole panel with butted straps so that I have basically as many options for attaching it to whatever I want to.

The upper harness attachment system, what it is, is essentially a load lifter system, the pack’s D-rings are the anchors, while the harness adjuster only serves to locate the top point, and the Ladder-locs on the flap is the main adjusting point.. because I do not have internal stays on the pack, this method is needed to get the pack to ride as close to the back as possible.

For those wondering how’d I attach the pack to the waistbelt… these are the 4 5″ long MOLLE straps I made up from the scraps I have on hand.

A pic of the modified 40mm pouch, the only mods needed is the addition of a snap below the original snap to enable me to securely close the flap for better retention of the knife.