Designing your own equipment do people actually do it?

[IRepoCans]

So I've heard some stuff from reservists from my area that a few people run homegrown chest rigs, packs the whole nine yards. I think its a pretty cool idea to design a piece of kit that could allow you to do a job more effectively as long as no regs are breached of course. So my question is do people actually do it or do I just know some wacky reservists?

 

[my72jeep]

Where do you think CP Gear,Warrior Gear, Drop Zone all came from?

 

[IRepoCans]

I figured those were more of  a mainstream tactical choice, but I see your point.

 

[MikeL]

What he means is that a lot of the guys who started up gear companies were Military before and made their own gear for themselves and other troops. Check out Tactical Tailor, theres a quick write up on the guy who created it and how he got into modifying and making gear for himself and others in his unit while he  was serving in the US Army prior to creating the company Tactical Tailor.

 

[IRepoCans]

Thanks, I'm sort of a person that likes designing stuff that I'd use so I was just curious if it was a small thing or a lot of folk did it.

 

[GAP]

Thanks, I'm sort of a person that likes designing stuff that I'd use so I was just curious if it was a small thing or a lot of folk did it.

So....call the companies and ask them how they went about it...can't hurt...

 

[IRepoCans]

I guess it wouldn't hurt to shoot a email over.

 

[Lerch]

When I lived in Gagetown I had CPGear make a couple things for me, nothing as far as a rig, but some pouches, and minor tweaks to one of my jackets.

 

[GnyHwy]

I think its a pretty cool idea to design a piece of kit that could allow you to do a job more effectively as long as no regs are breached of course.

Unless your a soldier from DLR or DGLEPM which works with industry and attempts to design for the masses, "designing" (modifying) your own riggs is a breach of regs.  If a piece of kit is not authorized for use by our CoC, it is technically illegal.  Yes, I know a lot of people do it, and the CoC sometimes looks the other way, but is that the right thing to do?  If you are injured because of an illegal piece of kit, who is to blame?  You or the CoC that turned a blind eye?

I suspect the reason that it is taking forever to get a good modular rig, and the fact that we have went through several differnet variations in the last bunch of years, is that we will never get the 100% solution.  Letting the troops do whatever they want is not a solution either.

Once we get a good modular rig, I believe the troops should get use to it, and use it to the best of their advantage, without modifying or "designing".

 

[IRepoCans]

Just a question on that modular rig, is it going over the Plate/Armour carrier in use now? Or is it going to be a Plate Carrier with PALs?

 

[Snaketnk]

All the ones in trial right now go over our issued FPV; as it should be.

 

[IRepoCans]

Is there a link for this trial?

 

[Loachman]

There's a "Roll Your Own" forum at www.lightfighter.net. When you register, follow the instructions exactly, especially the one about posting an introduction in the designated forum before posting anywhere else.

 

[LineJumper]

Yes

 

[X Royal]

When the C7 first came out and before the scopes I knew someone who designed and manufactured a sight adjustment tool. It was quite small and worked excellent. He was a machinist by trade. I still have one around here some place.

 

[Miller97]

If you are injured because of an illegal piece of kit, who is to blame?  You or the CoC that turned a blind eye?

Both..

 

[MikeL]

If you are injured because of an illegal piece of kit, who is to blame?  You or the CoC that turned a blind eye?

Injured because of a illegal piece of kit?  Like wearing non issue Ballastic eye wear or chest rig overseas and getting injured/killed by Taliban/AQ actions or referring to something else?

Second hand info, from a few sources is no matter what you are wearing, you are covered by VAC.  As well I know some guys who have been injured overseas and none of them lost any benefits or money due to them wearing non issue gear.

 

[Towards_the_gap]

If a piece of kit is not authorized for use by our CoC, it is technically illegal.  Yes, I know a lot of people do it, and the CoC sometimes looks the other way, but is that the right thing to do?  If you are injured because of an illegal piece of kit, who is to blame?  You or the CoC that turned a blind eye?

Note: Skeletor beat me to it, but we are singing from the same song sheet....


This is something that has irked me for years. Not taking a particular potshot at yourself, but aren't you just parroting the party line because you heard somewhere that, for example, if you receive an eye injury because of an IED strike and you weren't wearing the issue BEW's but rather ESS ballistic goggles, that VAC/DND would not compensate you for any disability you suffer as a result? Army urban myth I say.

I have a lot of friends who are missing eyes, legs, teeth and arms, and not once during their whole ordeal, from Role 3 ==> Landstuhl ===> Sunnybrook and so on, did some bean counter come in and request a swore statement that every single piece of kit on their body had an NSN, nor had any of them been told 'too bad you were wearing non-issue kit, it's your fault you can't see now'. What causes the injury is the friggin IED/Gunshot/Mortar etc, not the brand name of the gear.

As for illegal, please show me the criminal code/NDA act that applies and that I am in breach of everyday.

 

[PuckChaser]

Is there a link for this trial?

I'm currently deployed with that last of the trial rigs, and posted pictures and details of my rig here: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/99830/post-1097312.html#msg1097312

I have issues with imageshack from Kabul, so if the pictures are gone I can take a few more and repost here. The rest of the thread has details on the other 2 rigs trialed.

 

[GnyHwy]

I'm with you guys more than you may think.  I am just trying to state the other side of the argument.  I agree, the type of kit doesn't really matter against most kinetic attacks; you could be wearing a full up bomb suit with all PPE underneath and still be gravely injured.

I think we can all agree that the troops shouldn't have to buy their own, and we should be able to agree that their should be some sort of standard.  I believe the new FFO if it ever gets here will please at least 90% of the masses; there will always be some who will complain no matter what you give them.