SA survival gear

[Cpl Punishment]

Hey Jeff, just wondering, I notice a lot of packs of various descriptions in your pics of survival training in South America.

Does anyone ever rock a vest?
Seems that since you don't need a big sleeping bag or other stuff, everything could be carried on a vest, either military style, or civvy, can be comfortably worn in a plane or car. Any ancillary gear can be carried in a small pack to be worn over the vest, if it can be gotten to after a crash or whatnot, but all your needful things could be on the vest.

 

[MikePerrin]

We wear vests sometimes with lots of pockets and they are handy for getting an extra "carry on" onto the plane since you wear it and don't carry it. But vests have a disadvantage in that they get heavy as shit when wet (and we do get wet) plus now days they slow you down at securtity check points in airports or third world road check points. They tend to add 'attention' to you sometimes in places where you would rather be unnoticed. But on a regular bush trip for fun I still would wear one and I did wear one on a trip to Colombia recently. If you use one avoid the all cotten or cotten blends since they tend to hold onto water more than the synthetic materials.

 

[PayetteRucker]

what I hate about vests is sometimes they are TOO practical.
I tend to stuff things in random pockets and I'm constantly forgetting where I put something important, feeling around frantically to make sure I didn't drop it. I've been looking more and more at these Maxpedition hip bags because everything is right at your hand level, makes it easy to grab navigation stuff, your sidearm or a water bottle.

 

[bearthedog]

Some vests from my last trip with the RAT Team. You can see the star of the show wearing his!

-RB

This vest I think was a gift to Jeff from Percy.