Can you mount a pack directly to a vest? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

[Wook]

I was watching an old episode of Stargate SG-1 and there was a pack that O'Neill was wearing with no shoulder straps that mounts directly to his vest. It was quick release and he could take the pack off while keeping the vest on. I've always thought this was a neat idea and in principle thought it would do a great job of spreading the load over as wide an area as possible.

I assumed this pack was just a prop and didn't actually exist, but after doing some digging apparently the pack and the vest are part of the MOLLE system and were manufactured by Blackhawk. The pack in question is no longer made, but several similar models still exist. I've been unable to confirm that they can be mounted to the vest.

Does anyone have any experience of vest mounted packs? What are your thoughts? Is it as good an idea as it looks? Or is it just tacticool impracticality?

Thanks

 

[sandbender]

Anything O'Neill does WILL be cool (tacticool or otherwise).

But I'm not sold on the idea, I doubt that it would be possible to properly secure a load on ones back and it might get a bit hot after a walk.

 

[NS40]

I remember seeing this many years ago (also on Stargate) and thinking it looked quite practical. From the off, they're not great with heavy loads but for a few fairly light items they do work.

My youngest son (who is army & camouflage daft) got a kid's size military-esque DPM vest a couple of years ago. It had a faux-molle system on the back (but was sewn up so nothing could be attached to it). I unpicked and secured some of the straps so that he could carry our crusader cooking set when out & about. I've also attached a few quick release clips so a PLCE bergen side pocket can be attached which lets him carry a 2ltr camelbak, his waterproofs and some food.

In a similar vein, I've worn modular fishing vests for a few years, some where the rucksack is removable and can then be used separately. In the detachable type, the rucksack was clipped to the vest for stability/comfort but the weight of the pack was still predominantly taken on the rucksack straps/waist belt. I covered mine in q/r clips so it could be ditched quickly if I went for an unexpected swim...

This type I use now (pic below), although not modular, is a similar principle but where the weight of the pack is taken on the vest.

For an idea of weight, I tend to carry 2 litres of water in a camelbak, my lunch, sometimes a 1 litre flask, waterproofs and fishing stuff. Max about 5-8 kilos...anything above that I suspect it wouldn't be too comfortable a load and would probably swing about unless it was pulled so tight that I couldn't breathe.

In short, fairly comfortable and practical but probably not for heavy or bulky loads.

 

[Redwall]

There is the possibility with many assault vests and webbing yokes to clip the standard PLCE pouches to the back. Never used them personally, in tactical situations always found it necessary to be able to dump and pick up pack quickly and there seems to be no easy way to clip them back on without removing vest.

It's quite a common thing in Stargate Atlantis as well, and despite my love for all things Stargate I wouldn't bother.

 

[Biker]

I like that vest a lot and those superwoofer stereo speakers on the front look ace!

Seriously though I like that idea of spreading the load around the front too, if only for easy access to the kit instead of having to take off the pack whenever you needed something.
As for a pack mounted directly to a vest, I'd imagine such a thing would very soon make the vest ride up and pull all over your torso unless it were snuggly fitted, which of course means you could overheat. Having conventional straps and a hip belt set up, with perhaps a ventilated gap between the pack and your back, allows you to radiate heat away and be cool.

 

[sandbender]

When I saw the vests on Stargate I always presumed that they were the 'Tactical Load Bearing Vest' shown in this thread about the Lowe Vector Commando rucksack. There is a pic of one with the backpack being worn.

 

[Andy BB]

I like that vest a lot and those superwoofer stereo speakers on the front look ace!

Seriously though I like that idea of spreading the load around the front too, if only for easy access to the kit instead of having to take off the pack whenever you needed something. .....

Ribz? http://www.ribzwear.com/

 

[santaman2000]

When I saw the vests on Stargate I always presumed that they were the 'Tactical Load Bearing Vest' shown in this thread about the Lowe Vector Commando rucksack. There is a pic of one with the backpack being worn.

I don't remember the particular episode but I would imagine that whatever the vest was, it was a decendant of this. Unless of course it was the MOLLE vest others have mentioned (that's what I always saw on Stargate) that iteration has much smaller cargo compartments and compartmentalization (actually intended for a combat load rather than a subsitance load so you would never "dump" it) and attached at the bottom to some type of combat load bearing belt (the old USGI web gun belt, British/NATO pattern 58 belt, or some more modern padded belt, etc.)

I believe the whole idea evolved from the pilot's survival vests that have been around since at least the Korean War.

As someone said, whatever Jack wears will become popular. His sunglasses probably being the most prominent example over here. That said, most of the gear I saw on the show was actual issue at the time.