Now that we have learned almost everything about tactical gear, we surely cannot forget about tactical chest rigs. In simple terms, your chest rig has been designed to carry the ammo you need during combat-like situations along with similar supplies. The use of chest rig gained prominence during the Vietnam War. These China-made canvas rigs of Type 56 dominated the inventories for carrying the AK-47 magazines all day long during the war and similar scenarios.
Chest Rig: The History
With a hazy past of the chest rig, we can date this tactical gear as far back as the times of Edward Teach, the famous pirate. He was also popular by the name Blackbeard. He used to carry several pistols close to his chest, which points out to the fact that chest rigs existed even back then.
The chest rigs again gained prominence during the two intense World Wars with a need to store some extra ordnance, such as spare clips or grenades. You must know about migration and immigration while changing your country.
Benefits of a Chest Rig
- Chest rigs help conserve energy, given the fact that carrying things higher on the torso provides a decisive advantage while traveling over uncertain terrain.
- Easy-to-access gear with things being right ahead of you
- Sitting becomes a lot easier with nothing on the hips or your backside
- Gear mounted on a high level doesn’t get in your way of kneeling, crouching or when walking uphill
Hazards of Chest Rig
- Chest rigs are notoriously popular for hindering your heat management situation. Your torso, as well as the head, is a region with a high amount of blood flow that helps in ventilating the heat away from the body. With chest rig covering one among your critical heat release areas, you might risk overheating.
- Mounting gear higher on the chest tends to put additional strain on the core strength. From any load-carriage viewpoint, the chest rigs need better core strength as compared to the belt kits. If your kit is too heavy, you might have to balance it out with a back rug in order to prevent any strain on the body.
- Chest rigs tend to increase your body silhouette while making it harder to stay hidden. Additionally, the inclusion of gears to your chest increases the overall chest profile making you prominent and noticeable.
- Explosives can be a hazard to carry. This is because of the fact that storing them inside your chest rig can blow them straight on your face and brain during combat-like situations, causing fatal injuries.
- Remember to pick materials that are highly breathable and yet combat-ready. You surely would not want to sweat yourself tired when trying to avoid the enemy or dealing with some other situation that requires you to invest yourself completely.
Conclusion
When it comes to carrying combat gear in an easy way, tactical chest rigs can be the perfect go-to option. However, the thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that loading them more than their capacity would work adversely. Also, keep in mind that the chest rigs need to be worn high enough so that it doesn’t block your movement in any way, or wear you down.
Last but not least, it is important to note that every carrying technique such as battle belts, load-bearing equipment and chest rigs have some advantages and risks associated with them. Combining one or two techniques can help in reducing the individual drawbacks associated with each component and sometimes you just need to commit to the situation you are in.
