going "cheap" on gear?

[kenndapp]

im am looking at getting a plate carrier/chest rig mag pouches and all the usual stuff to load out my mags and other gear. this stuff will only really serve on a civilian level. meaning; range, carbine classes; hunting, playing in the woods, go to SHTF rig. so it does not need to survive the mountains of Afghanistan. my question is.........is okay to go to lower tier gear manufacturers? im talking things like TAG, condor, blackhawk. i see they are much more affordable than pig,tactical tayler, hsgi, ext....
things that are important to me are

-general quality
-general durability
-options of set up
-comfort
-ease of use
-mobility
-ext,ext

pretty much the same things that are important to you. so for my needs/desires, is there any thing wrong with less expensive manufactures like the ones i mentioned? what are you paying for when you spend 300 extra dollars on a top tier plate carrier/chest rig? does the difference in price accurately reflect the difference in quality ?(this is the real question here)


what experience have you have with this situation/decision?

thanks guys.

[SWATcop556]

All of the "lower tier" gear I have purchased in the past with the very very few exceptions of a pouch that didn't see much wear and tear wore out within the first year or so of purchase. Cops are cheap and we hate spending money on anything so I tried everything from Condor to Blackhawk and almost everything in between. This was all at the beginning of my career where big glossy two page ads in SWAT magazine influenced my decisions.

Now that I've had hands on with a lot of the more well known gear out there you can sure as shit tell a difference. From stiching to material to craftsmanship, esc. You can and will tell a difference.

If I had the money back from all of the cheap ass gear I picked up over those first few years I'd be able to purchase whatever gear, kit, weapons, women, drinks I wanted and not touch a credit card.

Don't waste your money and just get good shit that lasts vs buying the same shit several times over. The total will equal out. Trust me.

[kenndapp]

can you recommend a manufacture that wont break the bank but at the same time will offer me more for my money over all the voodoo tactical, tag, blackhawk,condor stuff?

[militarymoron]

tactical tailor has very affordably priced, good quality gear.

[kenndapp]

i liked tactical tailor. can you possibly recommend any more mid-tier manufactures that are gtg yet affordable so i can look around? i am pretty lost when it comes to this. btw thank you for the advice so far!



also, what should i absolutely stay away from?

[ssracer]

I have a TAG Intrepid chest rig, molle drop leg and dump pouch. They came recommended to me by a friend who is in the military and does civilian training classes. I consider the quality to be very good...I didn't consider them to be low tier.

[Moltke]

Good angel on shoulder - If you're hardly ever going to use this piece of gear, and it's probably going to be in a recreational sense, then do you really want to spend the money on it?

Little devil on shoulder - **** it, buy it.

[Bluedreaux]

OP, how often will you be at the range or in classes?

Of you're going to be at the range a few hours a month and in a two day class per year, lower priced stuff can last a long time.

Most people use their stuff less than they realize or want to.

[Mak8080]

It's that whole "buy once, cry once" mentality. A suggestion I can throw out there is to buy stuff on sale. SKDtac runs promos every now and then. Coupon codes are your friends. Some manufacturers run sales during holidays....keep your eyes peeled.

[kenndapp]

i have looked at TAG. i liked them alot but, their prices scared me into thinking the general quality just wasn't up there. thank you, i will give them another look. where does Eagle fall on the spectrum of quality?