View Full Version : Tactical Tailor ruck mods
looking at getting this one done - http://www.tacticaltailor.com/5pocketcomboplushydrationpocketandallfastexbuckleupgrade.aspx
fastex, 5 pouches added plus a bladder pouch. i'll have to find a new spot for either my e-tool or hatchet, both of which hang off my left and right side panels, but it'd be great to get the neoprene off my back- tired of having a huge camelbak-shaped sweat patch on my back.
Anyone had any ruck work done by TT?
BKB I got a rucksack from them. It took about two months because I didn't send them one. I haven't gotten a chance to hike with it cause of school but it seems great, definitely get the shoulder straps and kidney belt.
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8948/img0154f.jpg (http://img182.imageshack.us/i/img0154f.jpg/)
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/8043/img0153g.jpg (http://img186.imageshack.us/i/img0153g.jpg/)
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/6126/img0152i.jpg (http://img182.imageshack.us/i/img0152i.jpg/)
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/9281/img0151r.jpg (http://img182.imageshack.us/i/img0151r.jpg/)
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3905/img0150g.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/i/img0150g.jpg/)
thanks for the reply, kimbo- you gotta put that thing to use and let me know how you like those straps. i get shoulder fatigue already, even before i'm adding all this extra weight capacity to the ruck.. the Super Straps just don't look like they're enough of an improvement.
i did, just a bit ago, decide, conclusively, that i will not be getting the ruck bladder bag.. so i might go ahead and get the straps with the money i would have spent on that.
that kidney straps is HUGE.. how does it work with an SOP LCE?
ETA- you excited about Kimbo fighting stateside?
No prob BKB. Hopefully sometime next month or Nov I'm gonna hike around Shenandoah with this thing. Also be very cautious about how you pack your gear, it might help prevent early shoulder fatigue. When your talking about SOP LCE are you refering to an LBV? I'm not a big fan of Kimbo, my user name comes from my buddies calling me Kimbo (last name is Kim and it rhymes with Jimbo). He's a big boy and I sure wouldn't want to fist fight him, but he's not a great fighter compared to other guys..
Iraq Ninja
09-12-09, 23:56
I was going to suggest buying a MALICE, but I checked the prices and I can see why you may want to have the mods done to save money.
As for straps, I use the TAG alice straps and pad. Wait for their next half price sale to get them cheaper. The straps have more padding, what I call "puffy padding" because it is puffed out until you put it on. It then compresses and works very well. Their padded belt is very good too.
http://www.tacticalassaultgearstore.com/ProductImages/300_RUCKPADSMC.jpg
I still like the standard frame, but Mystery Ranch makes a good alternate.
For the budget minded packers, the alice with TT mods is a good low cost option.
No prob BKB. Hopefully sometime next month or Nov I'm gonna hike around Shenandoah with this thing. Also be very cautious about how you pack your gear, it might help prevent early shoulder fatigue. When your talking about SOP LCE are you refering to an LBV? I'm not a big fan of Kimbo, my user name comes from my buddies calling me Kimbo (last name is Kim and it rhymes with Jimbo). He's a big boy and I sure wouldn't want to fist fight him, but he's not a great fighter compared to other guys..
no- i agree, he's not a great fighter. but he's built like a tank and hard to put down, and when he hands one of those hams, it does a lot of damage. mostly, i think its just his background that gets people pumped up.. street fighters rarely get anywhere.. he got lucky.
by LCE, i'm refering to belt/harness- which i realize most guys dont run anymore.
Oh duty belt/patrol belt/whatever you want to call it....I couldn't say if it worked or not. The hip/kidney belt is pretty thick and wide and it would cover the LCE. I don't have an LCE so I can't really comment...Kimbo actually got his start doing security for an online porn company based down in FL and then they filmed his street fights and that's how he got so popular on the internet.
I use a medium ALICE modded by TT that I like a lot. I have the bladder sleeve inside, but I use that to segregate items out. For the water bladder, I use a Spec Ops HUMP sleeve hanging on the ALICE frame.
http://www.specopsbrand.com/pdf/H.U.M.P.pdf
The TT mods are nice and the waist belt and shoulder straps are a big improvement.
I use a medium ALICE modded by TT that I like a lot. I have the bladder sleeve inside, but I use that to segregate items out. For the water bladder, I use a Spec Ops HUMP sleeve hanging on the ALICE frame.
http://www.specopsbrand.com/pdf/H.U.M.P.pdf
The TT mods are nice and the waist belt and shoulder straps are a big improvement.
well one of the biggest reasons i wanted to get the camelbak off my back was actually straps- three sets of straps across my shoulders is ridic. how does the attachment point work out with ruck straps? looks like you wouldn't want to let the ruck straps sit directly over the little knob of webbing that attachment requires.
I was going to suggest buying a MALICE, but I checked the prices and I can see why you may want to have the mods done to save money.
As for straps, I use the TAG alice straps and pad. Wait for their next half price sale to get them cheaper. The straps have more padding, what I call "puffy padding" because it is puffed out until you put it on. It then compresses and works very well. Their padded belt is very good too.
http://www.tacticalassaultgearstore.com/ProductImages/300_RUCKPADSMC.jpg
I still like the standard frame, but Mystery Ranch makes a good alternate.
For the budget minded packers, the alice with TT mods is a good low cost option.
yep.. the MALICE packs are basically exactly what i'm lookin to have them convert mine into.. since mine's still got plenty of life on it, and the MALICE is around $300, might as well save a couple hundred.
now those straps do look like an improvement.. i trust you've put 'em through the paces and found them plenty durable? i have no experience with TAG, but i always get a little skeptical when i see large, colorful, charged graphics on websites....
http://www.vulcanarmament.com/gfx/vulcan_logo.jpg
haw!
any advantage to the mytery ranch frame?
Iraq Ninja
09-13-09, 11:40
TAG stuff is good to go. In fact, they just got a 5 mil DOD contract for their kit. But, I only buy their stuff during their half price sales. Not sure when the next one is.
The Mystery Ranch frame is rugged and hard to break. But, I think it weighs about 4 pounds. It is good if you have to carry a lot of weight and want to stabilize it better.
I'm in the the garage working on the truck today, so pics are easy. :D
The top straps of the HUMP are just inboard of the shoulder straps on the ruck. The sleeve rides inside the gap between your back and the frame. The bottom exits out behind the waist belt.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k158/mrbieler/hump_1.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k158/mrbieler/hump_2.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k158/mrbieler/hump_3.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k158/mrbieler/mod_ruck_1.jpg
In addition to new shoulder straps and waist belt, I had TT add:
Carry handle
storm sleeve
hydration sleeve
fastex buckles
reinforcements
claymore pouch
side attachment points
My back is just too far gone to ruck a full size ALICE. The medium set up gives me a lot to work with in a load I can carry and I had three or four nice medium packs and frames to pick from to send to them so the base pack was a freebie. :)
I've only had the chance to use it three or four times since the mods.
I've only had the chance to use it three or four times since the mods.
what do you think of the work? think it'll hold up like OE? TT is sort of local, so i see their stuff often- basically all of the "factory" gear seems pretty well made. I'm even thinking about ordering their Rifleman LBV, even though i'm fundamentally opposed to "vest" style LB.
i almost forgot the carry handle- i really want that one. definately highly useful.
you've got your HUMP in your ruck- that's righteous, but it sort of defeats the benefit for me. i decided not to get the bladder sleeve on the ruck because i realized that would leave me with no water on my person when i drop the ruck to fight, E&E, stop drowning, whatever- i took everything but ammo and pistol off my LCE, and added ammo.. so all my water comes from my camelbak right now, plus a 2-quart i keep in the ruck. i don't even know what happened to my canteens.. i think my kids own them now. i'd sport the HUMP on my LCE- keeps 100oz of water on my person, and get an extra set of LB straps off my shoulders. i'd still have a sweaty back, but i suppose that's just unavoidable most of the time.
Heavy Metal
09-13-09, 12:09
http://www.optactical.com/alipad.html
Looks interesting.
I did 10 miles with around 35lbs in a Large Alice yesterday. That included a 2400ft elevation change(UP hill). I swear, it made my 12 mile road march in Basic at Flat Ft. Jackson look like a stroll in the park. (To think they think Tank Hill is really a hill and not a speed bump!)
My shoulders are a bit sore today, legs are good, conditioning is paying off. The good news is the callous on my right little toe is gone. The bad news is the callous on my right little toe is gone.
My concerns with the wide kidney pads is how does it impact my sidearm? I had problems with the waist strap riding the T-Shirt up off my holder as it is.
Heavy, yes the kidney strap is going to be in the way of the pistol on your side. If you wear a belt mounted holster it's going to be awkward. A solution to it would be to wear a thigh holster (F that idea :mad:) or to jerry rig a holster to the strap or maybe get a tanker style holster or possibly a Blade tech low mounted belt holster which is a inbetween of a belt holster and thigh holster in positioning.
Iraq Ninja
09-13-09, 13:13
BKB,
An empty bladder weighs little and can always be used to carry more water if it is hard to come by. If you inflate it empty, it can be used as a pillow, or as a flotation device by itself or inside the ruck.
If you get a wide mouth bladder, it can be used as a waterproof container to protect sensitive items from moisture. You can even use it to catch insects.
Anyhow, if you have water in your ruck and on your belt, try to drink the water in your ruck first. That is why the bladder comes in handy, even if you don't fill it up all the way. Thus, the canteen on your belt is full in case you drop your ruck.
Heavy Metal
09-13-09, 14:46
Heavy, yes the kidney strap is going to be in the way of the pistol on your side. If you wear a belt mounted holster it's going to be awkward. A solution to it would be to wear a thigh holster (F that idea :mad:) or to jerry rig a holster to the strap or maybe get a tanker style holster or possibly a Blade tech low mounted belt holster which is a inbetween of a belt holster and thigh holster in positioning.
Screw a thigh holster. I would rather tie a dead skunk to my thigh. This is for humpin' the boonies. A thigh holster would have gotten REAL old yesterday.
I can see putting the holster on the pad flap but if I drop my ruck, I drop my sidearm.
I think a longer tee shirt and an offset holster might work.
Screw a thigh holster. I would rather tie a dead skunk to my thigh. This is for humpin' the boonies. A thigh holster would have gotten REAL old yesterday.
I can see putting the holster on the pad flap but if I drop my ruck, I drop my sidearm.
I think a longer tee shirt and an offset holster might work.
i've got my holster on my belt, at about 1:30 oclock, at a slight rearward cant.. with my current kidney strap, it works fine.. only thing that sucks is if I have to lie on that side while prone, which happens often enough. hurts, and is inaccessible.
i've been opposed to thigh holsters as well, but i've recently been thinking about at least giving it a try.. i still need to do some research, but it seems like a holster that sits with the trigger even to the bony prominance of the hip, with ONE strap that angles downish to wrap around the thigh, would be high enough to stay practical, just low enough to clear gear, and tighter than some of the low-ride belt holsters i've seen.
just me thinking and not doing.
Again the thigh holster is an option but not a very good one. I'm thinking maybe a Tanker Holster like this one would serve as a better alternative.
http://www.bobtuley.com/should2.jpg
what do you think of the work? think it'll hold up like OE? TT is sort of local, so i see their stuff often- basically all of the "factory" gear seems pretty well made. I'm even thinking about ordering their Rifleman LBV, even though i'm fundamentally opposed to "vest" style LB.
i almost forgot the carry handle- i really want that one. definately highly useful.
you've got your HUMP in your ruck- that's righteous, but it sort of defeats the benefit for me. i decided not to get the bladder sleeve on the ruck because i realized that would leave me with no water on my person when i drop the ruck to fight, E&E, stop drowning, whatever- i took everything but ammo and pistol off my LCE, and added ammo.. so all my water comes from my camelbak right now, plus a 2-quart i keep in the ruck. i don't even know what happened to my canteens.. i think my kids own them now. i'd sport the HUMP on my LCE- keeps 100oz of water on my person, and get an extra set of LB straps off my shoulders. i'd still have a sweaty back, but i suppose that's just unavoidable most of the time.
The work is well done. No issues with seams, stitching, etc.
As to the water issue, I don't have an answer except that it's pretty easy to transfer the HUMP pouch to a chest rig, LCE, etc.
I'm gonna send mine back at the beginning of next year so I could put the other pouches on it. I purchased the Malice pack from them in the stock alice pack configuration (three outside pouches). I'm gonna send it back and have them put on the side pouches so I can store two Klean Kanteens on my alice pack. And I also might have them put on the center pouch that sits above (top of) the center middle pouch. The quality is great and the bottom of the pouch is reinforced with a tarp like material. I look very forward to using it in the field...If anyone wants any other kind of pictures of mine let me know. :cool:
Heavy Metal
09-13-09, 21:04
Again the thigh holster is an option but not a very good one. I'm thinking maybe a Tanker Holster like this one would serve as a better alternative.
http://www.bobtuley.com/should2.jpg
Trust me, as a former ACR puke, I am quite familiar with those.
Is that a no go on that style holster? Ah screw it I'm carrying an AR15. :D
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.