Team EPIC gear reviews

TMC Gunfighter belt UPDATE

I’ve used this belt for quite some time now. I’ve used it with my DA setup in urban environments and with my sniper/recce setup in a woodland environments. I’ve used it in all sorts of weather conditions, and I have one thing to say..

This belt f’ing works!

It stays put and DOES NOT SHIFT. I have run, jumped, crawled, climbed, rolled, fallen over with it on, and it stayed put.

I still LOOOOOVE that I have the ability to remove the outer belt when I don’t need it, and still have the inner belt to keep my pants up. I’ve even found out that the inner belt is stiff enough itself to support a pistol and a couple of mag pouches.

No loose stitches or anything that indicates that the belt will fail anytime soon.

Since I got the belt I’ve made some small changes to the setup. I’ve changed some of the pouches and removed others, and recently I made it so I can change between my WE M&P and my KWA Glock 19 quite quickly.

A few days ago I received my new OWB Glock 19 holster from Björntactical (http://bjorntactical.com/).

(Review on this holster and my other new AIWB holster from Björtactical coming)

It holds my Glock + XC1 light and mounts directly to a Safariland MLS fork.

This enables me to switch from my M&P holster to my Glock holster easily.

I also got some extra Bladetech Tek-lok platform to mount on the back of my pistol mag pouches. That way I can swap out the type of pouch i need to accommodate the type of pistol I’m running.

Kit list:

– TMC Gunfighter belt

– Safariland UBL platform + MLS platform where I can mount either my:

– Björntactical (previous Predatorgear) Mongoose holster for M&P + X300, mounted with an EPIC custom adapter plate on a Safariland MLS fork.

– Or my Björntactical OWB holster for Glock 19 + XC1 mounted on a MLS fork.

– CRKT NECK with MC wrapped sheath (is there on trial)

– HSGI pistol TACO

– Björntactical Jackal M4 pouch

– 2 x Björntactical M&P mag pouch + Bladetech Tek-lok platform

– Or 2 x Björntactical Glock mag pouch + Bladetech Tek-lok platform.

A small update on the ghillie.

I used it at a small game this past sunday. I wore it (without the backpiece) over my Warrior Assault Systems DCS.

First off. It requires some practice getting on, when you have your gear on. I’ll guess I have to work on that if I want to put it on and take it of in the field.

It held up quite nice to some light to moderate use. I crawled, ran, jumped, and moved through bushes and branches and no rips or tears so far.

I must say I like the cut of the ghillie. It fit like a glove and allowed me full range of motion in everything I did. The hood stayed put the whole time. Big plus in my book.

I’ll keep on testing it, and I’ll try to keep you updated.

A few pictures of my loadout for the day.

Emersongear “Compact Assault Ghillie”

On EPIC we love doing sniper and recon stuff. Therefore we all pretty much have a sniper/spotter/recon setup each.

I have a modded Web-tex concealment ghillie hood I use when I go full sniper retard. It works very well and it’s built like a traditional ghillie with jute attached to it.

But… It’s quite bulky and heavy, plus it’s hot to wear (= not very well ventilated)

This makes it (IMO) ill suited for lighter recon work.

I wanted something I could put on/pack away semi-fast. It had to be lightweight, and it had to be able to pack down small.

Ever since I saw Crye Precisions “Compact Assault Ghillie” back in 2012 I’ve wanted one.

I liked the idea of having some sort of extra concealment for light recon work.

There were a lot of different options in lighter ghillies. Crye had theirs, Realtree had some options, and some other companies as well. But I kinda liked Cryes option the best.

I just couldn’t justify spending +$150 on it… especially after reading some places that it was a bit fragile and prone to tear.

In comes the “Emersongear Compact Assault Ghillie”. A direct copy of Cryes offering, but at around ⅓ the price.

I thought, “Hey, I’ll buy it, and if it falls apart no big deal”.

So I did.

When I got it, it came with a carry pouch. You can mount the pouch to MOLLE, a belt, a carabiner or just carry it in a pocket. When the ghillie is packet it takes up as much space as a 330 ml soda can.

The ghillie itself consists of two parts: A hood and a backpiece. When the pieces are combined the ghillie covers your head, shoulders, arms (down to your forearms), and your back (past your lower back/butt). If you seperate (by unbuttoning three buttons) the hood only covers your head, arms, shoulders, and your upper back. The backpiece can then be used to cover your rifle or backpack, or cover a small hide/OP or something similar.

Without the backpiece.

With the backpiece attached

The backpiece attaches via three buttons.

You close the front of the ghillie with two almond-shaped buttons (don’t know what they’re called..). They make quite easy to button and unbutton the ghillie, even with gloves on. I like that a lot!

When you wear the ghillie your movement isn’t restricted in any way. Because of it’s light weight, you hardly notice wearing it.

BUT… I am a bit worried about the construction. It’s made of a very light rip-stop’ish fabric with a fine mesh liner. I imagine that it would tear under hard use. But we’ll see.

I’ll keep you updated as I get to test it.

For now, I’m quite pleased with it.

Here’s a few more pictures.

Here’s a small update on my Warrior Assault Systems DCS.

First off, I got a new triple M4 pouch on the front. It’s the Predatorgear inc. (Bjorn tactical) Jackal pouch. It’s a cordura multicam pouch with a kydex insert/wedge inside. I’ll post a review of it as soon as I can test it.

Second, I wanted to try out some kind of “Dangler pouch”. But before I bought one I decided to make a prototype so I could test out the concept of a dangler pouch. I got to test it out at a recent game, and I’ll post a few words about it soon.

Here’s a couple of pictures of the updated rig.

Predatorgear Mongoose holster and Sabercat mag. pouches (Multicam)

A few years back I attended an annual local airsoft game (Riot in Rørdal).

Between games there was a couple of competitions. I won one of them, and the prize was a voucher for a holster and two mag. pouches from Predatorgear inc. (Now Björn Tactical).

I chose the multicam wrapped Mongoose holster for my WE M&P9 with extended barrel and X300 light. The mounting platform I chose was the one for a 4,5” belt (if I remember correctly).

First off, I gotta say. John from Predatorgear is a great guy. I wrote him because I had some questions about the holster. He was super helpful and very quick to reply. Top notch customer service.

I can’t remember the exact number of days from when I ordered to when I received the holster and pouches, but I think it was around 3 weeks.

Sadly, I don’t have pictures from when I got the holster. But when you get the holster, it comes with a small instruction on how to mount the mount to the holster. Nice and clear instructions.

Here’s a picture from a couple of days after I got the holster.

The holsters tension is adjustable, and the holster “locks” on the mounted light. That means you can’t use the holster without the weapon mounted light it’s made for; in this case my X300.

When you holster your pistol it clicks in very nicely. The pistol is very secure and I have not yet have it come out unintentionally. But still, I have a secondary retention – a simple piece of shock cord with some webbing.

I’ve made some other changes to the holster. I’ve changed the mount to a custom Team EPIC adapterplate + Safariland MLS fork. This is so I can use it on my Safariland UBL platform.

The holster itself mounts directly to Blackhawk Serpa platforms as standard.

The Sabercat mag. pouches mounts to Predatorgears own belt platform and to MALICE clips. Another smart feature is that you can flip the pouch so you can carry bullets forward or rearward. Very useful feature.

I’ve used the holster and mag. pouches for the past couple of years and it’s honestly one of the best combos I’ve ever used. The pistol draw is not quite as fast as with my Safariland 6378 ALS in my opinion, but other than that it’s an awesome holster.

I highly recommend checking out Björn Tactical on facebook. He’s got a lot of cool stuff.

A couple of my teammates also use holsters from Predatorgear and they’ll give their opinions in a follow-up review.

Back in 2011 I was searching for a new plate carrier. At the time I was a lot skinnier than I am now, so it was hard to find a plate carrier that fit.

I had tried a lot of different types of plate carriers and vests, but none of them worked 100% for me.

I tried everything from Eagle Industries CIRAS to their EPC and their MBSS. I tried the Flyye FAPC (DBT replica) and I even tried the PACA + chestrig combo for a while.

I needed something with a slimmer profile. Something that would fit my (back then) smaller frame.

I started looking at the LBT 6094 series. They seemed to have what I was looking for.

They were plate cut and they looked as they would fit me. But the price at the time was way over my budget. So I got a cheap TMC replica to see if this type of plate carrier would fit me.

It did. So I started making plans to get the real one.

But then Warrior Assault Systems came out with their DCS. I seemed to have a similar cut to the 6094, but with the addition of 3d mesh on the inside of the plate carrier for ventilation.

That, and the price was a lot lower than the LBT (about 900 DKK incl. shipping)

So, long story short. I got one.

This is what it looked like when I got it.

When I got it, it came with two side-plate pockets that fit in the cummerbund (on the left in the photo).

You also get two foam plates with the DCS. If you don’t have real plates for the vest you can use these as a substitute. They make the DCS sit more comfortable than without any type of plate.

Other than that, that’s pretty much it.

As I mentioned earlier the DCS has 3d mesh on the inside of the vest. It also has this mesh on the shoulder pads. This makes the DCS extremely comfortable to wear and helps with ventilation.

I sweat A LOT! So the 3d mesh is a big plus in my book.

Other than that the DCS is made of 500D cordura and all the webbing, velcro, and stitching is all mil-spec. This makes for a light, but solid plate carrier.

Over the years I’ve been through many different setups with the DCS. And whatever task I could throw at it, it performed well.

Right now it’s setup as a DA’ish doorkicker setup. My setup has been tweaked and revised countless times over the past 6 years. And now I have a setup that fits my needs and role on the team.

Two other members of the team also have the DCS. They have different setups and roles on the team, so they’ll give some other perspectives on the DCS later in the review.

Right now my setup looks like this.

As you may have noticed I’ve changed the original cummerbund out with a Crye Precision 3-band skeletal one. The original one that came with the DCS was fine, but I wanted just a bit more ventilation. That’s why I got the Crye. Other than that the DCS “base” is as when I got it.

I won’t go into too much detail about the setup and choice of pouches (maybe in another review). So for now I’ll just list the setup.

Front:

Tactical Tailor triple 5.56 pouch

Blue Force Gear Ten-speed triple

Replica U-94 PTT

Right side:

Tactical Tailor 1V small GP

Leth side:

Tyr Tactical Multitool pouch

Unknown CP-style pistol mag pouch

(Inside the cummerbund) Crye Precision radio pouch

Back:

TMC CP-style hydration pouch

2x LBT 40mm pouches

M-Beck rip-off IFAK

Inside the DCS I have a set of weighted replica medium SAPI plates. They don’t fit perfectly in the DCS. The DCS is made for Nexus plates. These plates are a bit shorter than the SAPI-plates. Because of that, the velcro that closes under the plates dosen’t line perfectly up. It still keeps the plates securely in, though.

Other than that the DCS is fantastic!

I’ve put the vest to the test over the past six years and it has not failed me once. When i look at the stitching and the materials nothing has given up. There is some fading in some places and a small amount of wear where the vest touches/rubs the body/other gear. But other than that it’s in great shape.

Awesome plate carrier and great quality for the price!

I’ll continue to give updates on the DCS, and as soon as I get the feedback from my teammates about their DCS’ I’ll make an updated post.

Warrior Helmet Cargo Pack (HCP) in multicam

I got this pack a couple of years ago when Warrior released it. At the time I was looking for a pack that could serve two purposes.

To use as an everyday pack

To use it on the back of my Warrior DCS (that need changed over time)

I had been looking at Eagle Industries Yote pack, but I couldn’t find one in my price range at the time.

When I saw that Warrior had released their HCP in A-Tacs I hoped that they would release it in multicam… and they did!

I ordered one from uktactical and paid around 1000 DKR incl. shipping.

A little info on the pack and the materials

The whole pack is made of 500D cordura and that makes the pack nice and light.

The pack has five compartments (not counting the helmet compartment)

There is a main compartment with room for a 2l hydration.

Two outside pouches with pals on.

A zippered pocket on the top of the pack.

A zippered pocket on the front of the helmet “flap”.

The shoulder straps is well padded and contoured. This makes the pack sit nice and snug on the back. Furthermore the straps can be removed so that you can mount the pack directly to almost any plate carrier via the MOLLE on the back.

There is a couple of rows of MOLLE on the helmet compartment “flap” and a couple of velcro squares for your standard nametape/morale patch.

There is also a few rows of MOLLE on the bottom of the pack. This fits a small horizontal utility pouch perfectly.

I was very pleased to see that Warrior had used UTX buckles on the bag. This means that I can integrate my Mayflower chestrig directly with the pack. Warrior have earlier used all sorts of weird buckles that only worked with other Warrior products. So the change in buckles is a smart move. Good job Warrior!

The helmet compartment fits a lot of different helmets. I’ve tested it with MICH 2000, 2001 and Ops-core FAST helmets. They all fit with room left over.

So far I’ve used the pack in different scenarios. I’ve used it in airsoft games, on trips in the woods and at work.

The pack was my everyday pack for two years. I used it to and from work and at work. I ride my bike to work every day, so the pack got exposed to all sorts of weather.

Here’s a look at and description of the pack in my everyday setup.

The main compartment holds my lunch, tablet/laptop, calendar, A4 folder.

The helmet compartment holds my gym clothes, shoes, nalgene and shaker.

In the right side pouch I have the case for my glasses. In the left I markers, AAA flashlight, extra batteries and some paracord and strips.

In the top zippered pouch I have som wet-wipes, bike lights, some sweets and/or a protein bar.

I have mounted two extra pouches on the pack.

The one in RG on the bottom holds my rain overpants.

The one in multicam holds a small MED-kit.

I also have a Benchmade strapcutter mounted on the pack.

This setup took me about a year to perfect. I have everything I need for everyday use.

I never got to use it on the back of my DCS. The reason for this is that I preferred to have only a few essential pouches on my back (hydration, FB pouch, IFAK). And the HCP didn’t fit that need.

But if you need a light everyday pack or a RECCE-type pack for shorter games where you need to carry a little extra, then this is a great choice for the price. Great “bang-for-the-buck”!

For a long time I’ve been looking for a chestrig to replace my old BHI CHCR.

I needed a chestrig for scenarios where my Warrior DCS would be too big and unhandy.

I made a list of things I needed in the chestrig:

It had to be light

I wanted it to have built-in pouches (minimum 4 M4 mag pouches, a utility and a radio pouch)

It had to have a H-harness or the ability to attach one.

It needed to come in Multicam

It had to be low-profile

It had to be light and low-pro because I would be using it as a sniper or when I had to wear a backpack for a longer period of time. I wanted the chestrig too small so that it wouldn’t take up too much space in my bag going to and from games.

The reason I wanted built-in pouches was to keep the weight down. And the H-harness was a preference over crossed straps.

I looked at a lot of different chestrigs before I chose the Mayflower one.

It checked all the boxes, and it had another plus. The ability to attach it to a plate carrier via Swift clips. Nice to have that option, should I need it.

Here’s a picture of the rig.

Some info about the rig:

It has four M4 mag. pouches

Two large GP/utility pouches

Two smaller GP/utility pouches

Four small pouches to hold pistol mags, flashlights and similar sized items.

The H-harness and waist strap can be removed by unclicking six buckles.

There is some elastic straps one the H-harness to route hydration tubes, comms etc.

There is also some elastic on the two large GP’s to hold a TQ/CAT or similar item.

There is also some elastic under the M4 mag. pouches to route comms, hold strips etc.

First impressions of the rig.

This rig is light! Just a tad over 500g without anything in the pouches. The rig uses a mix of 500D and 330D cordura.

The construction is awesome. Although, at first I was afraid I would rip off one of the pouches because I wasn’t used to the light 330D (I’m old-school 1000D! 😀 ).

But, you will not be able to rip anything off this rig. It is built to last! It’s reinforced in all the right places. A lot of thought has gone into the making of this rig.

The rig is built for real world use. The M4 mag. pouches are made for RS magazines. Real magazines are a bit longer than airsoft AEG magazines. Therefore you might run into some problems with grabbing the magazine under reloads. I have ranger plates on my magazines so I don’t have that problem.

The adjustment straps on the rig are quite long. I assume this is to make sure that you can wear the chestrig over armour. So, if you intend to use this rig as a stand-alone you might run into some problems if you’re on the skinny side.

I’ve used the rig several times now. I’ve used it as a stand-alone, with a plate carrier, and with a backpack.

As a stand-alone setup.

Attached to my LBT 6094a slick via QASM buckles.

With my Camelbak backpack

My complete sniper/recce setup.

So far the chestrig has performed great. The only problem I’ve had was with the M4 mag. pouches. Even though I have Ranger plates on my mags I still wished the mags sat higher.

My solution to this problem was to cut and tape up a strip of hard EVA foam and put it in the bottom of the pouches. That was enough to raise the mags up to the level I wanted.

The next step is to get some Haley Strategic MP2 mag inserts. I’ve heard that they work perfectly with the Mayflower chestrig and the help with my issue.

I’ll give an update when I get them.