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Tactical vests are a popular item in many survival armories. No doubt, some buy one because it looks “cool,” but others are interested in the true value that a tactical vest can deliver.
Most tactical vests are fully adjustable and come with a holster for a sidearm, up to fix or six holders for rifle magazines, up to four pistol magazines, a pouch for shotgun shells, Velcro for adding more compartments, and another compartment for placing a radio.
They also can come with a belt looped through at the bottom of the vest that holds two pistol magazines. There are an extremely wide variety of tactical vests available on the market, but this is what your standard vest will hold.
Tactical vests were not made to be worn around the homestead all day, but rather are designed for specific occasions.
Here are their pros and cons:
PROS
The immediate advantage to wearing a tactical vest is that all of your gear is in front of you on your torso. You have easy access to your sidearm, a radio, and all of the ammunition that you will need. Yes, this is all going to be very heavy. But is there any tactical set-up that isn’t?
A huge plus to tactical vests is your sidearm. You will have easy access to it and it will be strapped into the holster firmly. Due to your sidearm sitting on your torso, it is kept out of the way, unlike a belt or drop-leg holster.
Another plus to the tactical vest is the easy access to your spare magazines for your rifle. You have five or six spare magazines all within reach, more than enough when you need them.
Most tactical vests come standard with webbing on the front, sides and back for the user to place or attach other compartments and packs, increasing their versatility.
In addition, tactical vests are extremely easy to take on and off. They’re not awkward to wear like some other configurations. As a vest you simply put it over your shoulders and then zip it up. If you need to tighten or loosen it, you do so on the sides. This makes tactical vests rather comfortable to wear.
CONS
The first complaint people will have about tactical vests is that they are heavy when fully loaded. Nearly any tactical system ever invented is heavy. Some people prefer a range bag. Range bags are slung around the shoulder and hold everything a tactical vest can carry.
A major con to tactical vests is that they cannot carry as many magazines as some other chest rigs. Most tactical vests come standard with five to six rifle magazine pouches, but some chest rigs can hold up to twelve. That definitely adds a lot of weight, but some people prefer to carry more magazines on them.
All in all, tactical vests are a great way to go if you need a configuration to carry a lot of your gear and equipment, and there isn’t too much that can be said against them. If you can set aside the money, you should buy one.
