Stupid Newbie Question...

[Seamus449]

I wouldn't think that there would be any surplus Tacvests floating around out there but I did see one in a surplus store a few days ago, where it came from I don't have a clue. I won't have a tacvest issued to me until after my courses this summer and I know I should just suck it up and put up with the webbing, which I will do, but is there a remote chance that IT IS surplus and wouldn't be a bad thing to purchase? Please don't flame me because I'm stupid and have poor ethics hahaha.

 

[Lerch]

Well...seeing as you'll get one issued soon, and any Tacvest will usually sell for more than $400...just wait.

 

[Seamus449]

I won't get one until next september unfortunately, and I have a good amount of training to do before then. If it cost $400ish I wouldn't even consider it, but it only costs $80 and has minimal wear and tear.

 

[Munner]

First off, it would probably be difficult to find an authentic "surplus" tac vest.

Second, it's not difficult to find used tac vests, some are more expensive than others but they are out there. That being said, I don't think it would go over to well if you showed up to course wearing a Russian or whatever countries tac vest. Stick with your webbing. Buying a tac vest when you will have one issued is useless.

 

[Seamus449]

Hahaha thats my concern, that it isn't actual surplus. I asked where it came from and the guy at the counter said it was a sale to the store by an individual... It certainly worth the $80 that it costs though, works out to about $10 for every week I'll be using it this summer, and I'd certainly pay that to have a tacvest instead of webbing.

 

[George Wallace]

Hahaha thats my concern, that it isn't actual surplus. I asked where it came from and the guy at the counter said it was a sale to the store by an individual... It certainly worth the $80 that it costs though, works out to about $10 for every week I'll be using it this summer, and I'd certainly pay that to have a tacvest instead of webbing.

Do you think it is worth the Fine and possibly having Criminal Charges laid, should you be arrested for wearing Military kit that is illegal to own?

 

[Grunt]

The webbing is a fine piece of kit for the field if worn correctly and is more modular then the TV, there is no way I would pay 80 dollars for the pos tacvest.

 

[orange.paint]

Plus showing up the ONLY guy with a new tacvest on may draw some unwanted attention to yourself.

Another example of the next generation of individuals....?

 

[COBRA-6]

The webbing is a fine piece of kit for the field if worn correctly and is more modular then the TV, there is no way I would pay 80 dollars for the pos tacvest.

+1, if you're going to spend your own $$ on kit, it should be an improvement on the issued junk... and hold off until after your course 

 

[Bomber]

Your goal on course should be to blend, wearing the nice camoflage uniform will heplp to make you appear more like a member of the herd to your instructors.  Wearing the only cadpat vest when everyone else has webbing is an easy way to get noticed, responding to "pretty lucky, getting the new kit eh?  Private?" with "Don't worry Sgt, I bought it from the surplus store" will ensure that your course mates have someone to talk about 10 years from now when this question comes up about hover boots, and issued nuclear gerbers.  The cycle will continue, until 60 ytears form now, when the new ruck roles out, and someone asks if they can bring the one they got from the surplus store onto thier BMQL234JLCPLQ6ADP2A2BPara course, though it won;t really matter cause the whole thing will be done as Distance learning, from your home office.......

Sorry, got carried away.....

Hulk tired

 

[mudgunner49]

JMNSHO, but anybody who would pay $80 for a TV deserves whatever bad things happen to them.  A stellar example of bad judgement...


blake

 

[Seamus449]

Do you think it is worth the Fine and possibly having Criminal Charges laid, should you be arrested for wearing Military kit that is illegal to own?

No I don't, and thats why I asked because I know gucci kit is quite common, not so much on course, but its certainly widely used on ex's, although I guess a tacvest would probably cross the line, even if it wouldn't really be gucci kit.

Plus showing up the ONLY guy with a new tacvest on may draw some unwanted attention to yourself.

Another example of the next generation of individuals....?

If I were the only one that was going to be wearing a tacvest it would be foolish to do so. That isn't the case though, no one else from my unit will have tacvests but the course is a mix of troops from many units, all of which have tacvets issued to them even before BMQ, which I finished last summer.

Thanks for all those who gave good responses, atleast some people understand that it doesn't hurt to ask, even if the question being asked may seem stupid to some individuals.

 

[NL_engineer]

Your goal on course should be to blend, wearing the nice camoflage uniform will heplp to make you appear more like a member of the herd to your instructors.  Wearing the only cadpat vest when everyone else has webbing is an easy way to get noticed, responding to "pretty lucky, getting the new kit eh?  Private?" with "Don't worry Sgt, I bought it from the surplus store" will ensure that your course mates have someone to talk about 10 years from now when this question comes up about hover boots, and issued nuclear gerbers.  The cycle will continue, until 60 ytears form now, when the new ruck roles out, and someone asks if they can bring the one they got from the surplus store onto thier BMQL234JLCPLQ6ADP2A2BPara course, though it won;t really matter cause the whole thing will be done as Distance learning, from your home office.......

Sorry, got carried away.....

Hulk tired

WTF

Seamus,
If you show up to the course in the ac Vest, and all the other recruts from your unit, don't have one there is a good chance you will get asked where you got it. BTW one of th instructors on your course may be from your unit, and he/she will probably know that your unit QM doesn't issue the Tac Vest to new recruts.

Most of us on the form have done our BMQ and basic triads course in the webbing, and as was said above it is not as bad as you may think. Just use zap-straps and gun tape, and you will never have a problem.

 

[Seamus449]

Exactly the kind of advice I was looking for, thanks.

 

[Hopkins]

Seamus,

I know for my BMQ right up until the end we had the old webbing...

Think of the tac vest as a present when your an actual "troop."  You wont have any other use for it because you wont have a rifle, mag, bayonet, not even a BFA...So there really is no reason for you to have that particular peice of kit until your qualified.  Webbing carries more anyways   

And, as everyone is saying, if you show up at course with a Tac:

1) You'll get jacked up before you know guy spittin all over your faces rank is
2) Your Tac will be thrown in the Q and you'll be issued webbing

Good of you to ask the question though 

 

[c_canuk]

initiative is a strange beast in Basic Training...

taking out the trash without being told... good, Deciding what load bearing system you will use without any expiriance... very bad

trying to make things uniform without being told... good, going out of your way to be different... very very bad

basicly go in with the thought that you know nothing and you will be taught everything you will need to know b your instructors ie should I buy a TV? I don't know, my instructer will tell me if I should, if he doesn't tell me, then I shouldn't even think about it if I like breathing.

On My basic training a guy got put on extras for saluting an officer before he'd been taught how to properly.

 

[Grunt]

Personally if I had a choice I would go back to using my webbing for the field.

On your webbing just be sure to secure the velcro straps on the back of all the pouches with guntape, and zip ties through the plastic attachment pieces, this will help keep the plastic fastener tabs from undoing, and if they do the pouch wont fall off.  Try to keep your magazine pouches on your hips and away from the centerline of the body, this will stop them from banging around on your knees/legs when running, and keep your belly free for when you are in the prone position/crawling.  Since you wont be able to use a magazine dump pouch with the webbing either drop your empty mags into your left pants cargo pocket, or wear your combat pants belt tight and throw them down your green under shirt.  For carrying your flashlight and you dont want to lose it, keep it in your left side C9 pouch, but dummy corded (tied off with paracord) to the suspender attachment point.

 

[Gayson]

You can string boot bands through the holes, providing some nice elastic rings that will hold the old D-cell flashlight nicely.