Which is better- 58 Pattern or PLCE webbing?

[Robbo]

I'm planning to modify my LK35 by adding a webbing yoke and belt in place of the original straps, but making it removable.

Basically I'm wondering which is the better webbing?

I have a friend who was 20 years in the Para's who swears by the 58 (though he wore it minus the yoke and with an aircraft style quick release buckle) and claims the PLCE is inferior.

I know the 58 is 100% cotton canvas and the PLCE is Nylon or similar synthetic

I'm just wondering with the current and ex service personnel here think.

Cheers

Andy

 

[copper_head]

heh Robbo I moded my Lk35 by sewing a PAT58 kidney pouch to each side, I think pattern 58 is your best option as you can pick a full set for about £20. PLCE costs the earth!

 

[brasst]

58 pattern has stood the test of time its downside is when it gets wet it is bloody heavy

plce has the drawback of plastic buckles that have a tendancy to break if stood on or jammed in a car door accidently

which i have found is just when you go out into the field and not the return trip ( probly just me being unlucky or careless)

 

[Robbo]

Thanks forth advice, people. I was leaning towards the 58 Pattern TBH.

Copper_head: How hard a job was it to add the kidney pouches to the LK35? and looking back has it made a improvement? Any Pics of the completed article?

Anymore opinions?

Cheers

 

[brasst]

just had a thawt never tried this but maybe its poss to waterproof the 58 patt with waterseal from b & q its for brickwork but says on the tin that it works for canvas and leather may add a little weight but am sure no where near as much as wet webbing

 

[Goose]

I used both but mainly 58, and I knew people who still swore by 44 pattern in the eighties!
I think the 58 pattern was easier to customise, favourite being getting rid of kidney pouches and using all water bottle pouches, with the two ammo pouches at the front. The only downside to 58, after customisation, is getting it wet! In standard form I preffered plce, but given a chance to customise I would go with bits of 58, with pLCE bergen and rocket pouches, or a mix of the two.
Good bits of 58 were the ammo and water bottle pouches, and the poncho roll, when it didn't have to carry NBC suit!
Kidney pouches were a bit sloppy and needed the yoke to hold them up and the large pack was a total waste of space, only good for keeping the webbing in!
In short it depends what you got used to, in Op Granby(first gulf war) the kit was mixed both webbing and weapons, and both lots gots mixed reactions from the troops.

 

[wingstoo]

I have used both, but the yoke is my bugbear with the 58, but as it is designed with combat in mind it was great with the kit-dump pull tabs for transferring from CEMO to CEFO (Complete Equipment Marching Order...Complete Equipment Fighting Order), like most have said though to darned heavy, but very hardwearing.


LS

 

[leon-1]

I have also used both from 1986 - 1999. I started with 58 pattern also having been used to it as an army cadet and when PLCE came in I used that, at first I would of told anyone that my old set of 58 was the very best thing since God made hovis and Ray Mears made the planet and then God, but after a few years of playing with PLCE things did change.

Both have good and bad points, the yoke on the 58 pattern was not as good as the PLCE and at the same time the belt on the 58 pattern was pants and generally got replaced with either a rollpin or one with a quick release buckle. The 58 Pattern shrank when it got wet.

PLCE can feel quite restrictive untill it's been broken in (straps from the yoke that attach to one hundred and one attachment points on both the belt and pouches), I am not a great fan of plastic either, the belt can be quite abrasive at first.

I'll be honest and say that I don't know which one will suit you most, but I would probably lean towards the PLCE in the end.

I hope your search provides you with some good answers

 

[pumbaa]

I still have my old customised set of webbing , its made up of a mixture . It has a roll pin belt and is mainly waterbottle type pouches , but it does have a couple of plce pouches thrown in . One thing the may be of intrest is the yoke , its a 72 pattern yoke (rare as rocking horse dung!) they dont have all those unnessesary straps . My set worked really well for me . Although i dont use it much anymore due to the change in kit i use and the fact i am trying not to look to squaddie like , i dont think i could ever part with it as it is such a good piece of kit , i could fit everything in it other than my sleeping bag witch i carried in a vulcan side pocket .

Pumbaa

 

[Tengu]

Poncho roll for me.

One of these days Im going to make a cordora one to see how it behaives

 

[Ogri the trog]

I'll add my vote for the '58.
Having (ahem) swolen in girth since my time in the mob, I found that it was an easy job to expand the 58 set with some webbing straps from a farm shop. I'm still struggling with the kidney pouches as they allow for larger items than all-round water bottles. I will try out the Waterseal idea though.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[John Fenna]

In my day, we used to put ice-cream tubs in the kidney pouches to stabilize them and their contents. I may be wrong but dont the Irish soldiers use a nylon version of the kidney pouches to this day?
Versatile pouches, though 58 cotton was hell to dry!

 

[kram245]

Ice cream tubs, john? That must have looked nice and er..square.You were'nt a Guardsman were you? But you're right, took ages to dry out. We binned the kidney pouches and as previously mentioned, used 44 patern water bottle pouches etc. The belt is a bad design, as its awkward to adjust in situ, for instance you need to bug out when your in your LUP with all your warm kit on and the belts now 4" too short! As most of Para Reg in those days, we used to blagg a cargo strap from the RAF and get the riggers at the Red freds freefall team to knock up a belt. Happy days.