Condor Chest Rig: "Medium Duty LBE" by Nutnfancy

The Condor Chest rig is very comfortable in use. It rides close and low profile to the body and can carry a medium level of mission support supplies for the civilian or LEO. It would make a great minuteman vest if properly configured (crossdraw option usually better in this role however). The Condor Modular Chest Rig however will usually be carrying a Defensive Loadout (DL) 2 level unless stacking is employed. About four rifle mags, some pistol pouches, and maybe accessory pockets will complete most dudes' loadout with this rig. The shoulder straps are well-executed, padded in closed cell foam, quick detachable, and thankfully they lack any buckles on their face to interefere with shoulder weld with the rifle. MOLLE webbing and some weak elastic retention loops are provided on the shoulder straps. The bib (sternum) portion is snap attached for access of shirt pockets which is an unneeded feature. The bib rides securely. It also provides more MOLLE area which is very helpful for chest mounted pistol or some small pouches (watch for interferences as you configure your vest). Fit and adjustability covers most body sizes; make sure you snug up the straps, double secure them (shown) for maximum rig stability. The POU of rifle plate carrier can also be served but the plate carriage is poorly-executed: a loose retention strap, the bib is too small to accommodate a SAPI hard plate, and the plate is uncovered (allowing dirt to scoop into and ingress the pocket from prone shooting). Lacking a MOLLE backside or water carrier integration, the rig could have some balance problems if fully loaded with a hard rifle plate or lots of rifle mag pouches. To give the bib area stability, I rec' use of plastic plate (show) if armor isn't utilitzed. A comfortable and lightweight soft armor option using the Custom Armor Technologies LTA-3A-1 soft plate (for FAPC Gen II inserts from www.diamondbacktactical.com) is shown. Several pockets are integrated but are of marginal utility unless very thin items are carried; they are hard to access while rig is loaded. The MOLLE adherence and quality of the webbing is good. The Cordura-knock off fabric in this generation of Condor rig is good, avoiding the vinyl-backed very heavy crap nylon that much of the lower cost Chinese tactical nylon uses. But it's not to the level of the genuine Cordura product. Webbing and stitching quality is good too which surprised me. One minor failure of stitching did occur. Buckle quality is suspect to me but endured the 6 month test without any failure or problems of any kind. Available colors include OD, Black, Coyote Tan, and ACU as of 2010 (all subject to change). The cost is very reasonable, usually under $40 and the value is high. Because of limited MOLLE real estate and possible hard use failures I do not recommend the Condor Chest Rig to soldiers. But for occasional use in the civilian and LEO roles, it will excel. /////////////// Nutnfancy Likability Scale: 7 out of 10 (extra .5 added for high comfort level)////////////////////////// Great Music from a great TNPr, used with specific permission:    / bryanisms