Grenade vest with massive army surplus canvas pouches | Squat the Planet

Grenade vest with massive army surplus canvas pouches

Hillbilly Castro

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Westernville, NY
So I'm housed up at my cousin's for a sec to do some work before going back to the desert and I found some weird shit in the family army surplus stock and am re-doing my setup. I'm not sure if I'm on some straight wingnut shit with this idea, but it's so damn comfortable I'm likely to stick with it.
I got one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/USGI-Ammuni...518785?hash=item419b11f201:g:DZcAAOSwEK9Tu1Od

and stuck a couple of these on the ass end of it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Pol...142196?hash=item1eaed3e8f4:g:QzoAAOSwgNRV8Apv

This is what it looks like. I actually moved the pouches two notches back after this photo so that they sat further back on my ass instead of fanny-pack style on my hips, which made the whole thing feel even better.
The weight sits low, where the two satchels actually move with my thighs pretty easily, and I can clip other stuff like my hammock to the grenade straps on the front and the D-rings on the back of the vest. Between the two satchels, all of my shit fits with quite a bit of spare space.
Walking with it feels like I am not wearing a pack, but like I am not actually carrying anything.

index2.jpg



It feels very natural and my back is open for other shit to carry, which is important because I travel with a folding bike now. The two pouches go easily on either side of the rear wheel cargo rack of my bike when I am in riding mode or long-distance walking mode (I just push the loaded bike). Nine miles out of ten, I am either biking or pushing my loaded bike. But there are some scenarios when I can't do these: hitchhiking, for example, I need to have my stuff in two easy-to-get packages - my folded up bike, and my pack. Going through the subway in NYC, I have to carry the folded bike sometimes - there are two big D-rings on the back on which I could clip the folded bike (24 pounds) onto the empty space on my back. I could also carry my bike like this if it is disabled and can't roll. And last, when I lock up the bike and start walking around, I need an easy way to carry my shit that isn't annoying. The alternatives here are either carry a regular mil-spec pack on my cargo rack (annoying and top-heavy, with straps that hang into the chainwheel and fuck things up, as I recently learned), or to carry the pannier-pouches lashed together with a shoulder strap, which is awkward.

So I think I found a pretty good, if unorthodox fit. My only real concern is that I might look like a straight-up apocalypse militiaman who's on the lam. But I guess that practically fits the bill anyhow, so yeehaw. Anyone else ever do some shit like this?

index.jpg
 
G

Grubblin

Guest
So I'm housed up at my cousin's for a sec to do some work before going back to the desert and I found some weird shit in the family army surplus stock and am re-doing my setup. I'm not sure if I'm on some straight wingnut shit with this idea, but it's so damn comfortable I'm likely to stick with it.
I got one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/USGI-Ammuni...518785?hash=item419b11f201:g:DZcAAOSwEK9Tu1Od

and stuck a couple of these on the ass end of it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Pol...142196?hash=item1eaed3e8f4:g:QzoAAOSwgNRV8Apv

This is what it looks like. I actually moved the pouches two notches back after this photo so that they sat further back on my ass instead of fanny-pack style on my hips, which made the whole thing feel even better.
The weight sits low, where the two satchels actually move with my thighs pretty easily, and I can clip other stuff like my hammock to the grenade straps on the front and the D-rings on the back of the vest. Between the two satchels, all of my shit fits with quite a bit of spare space.
Walking with it feels like I am not wearing a pack, but like I am not actually carrying anything.

View attachment 30989


It feels very natural and my back is open for other shit to carry, which is important because I travel with a folding bike now. The two pouches go easily on either side of the rear wheel cargo rack of my bike when I am in riding mode or long-distance walking mode (I just push the loaded bike). Nine miles out of ten, I am either biking or pushing my loaded bike. But there are some scenarios when I can't do these: hitchhiking, for example, I need to have my stuff in two easy-to-get packages - my folded up bike, and my pack. Going through the subway in NYC, I have to carry the folded bike sometimes - there are two big D-rings on the back on which I could clip the folded bike (24 pounds) onto the empty space on my back. I could also carry my bike like this if it is disabled and can't roll. And last, when I lock up the bike and start walking around, I need an easy way to carry my shit that isn't annoying. The alternatives here are either carry a regular mil-spec pack on my cargo rack (annoying and top-heavy, with straps that hang into the chainwheel and fuck things up, as I recently learned), or to carry the pannier-pouches lashed together with a shoulder strap, which is awkward.

So I think I found a pretty good, if unorthodox fit. My only real concern is that I might look like a straight-up apocalypse militiaman who's on the lam. But I guess that practically fits the bill anyhow, so yeehaw. Anyone else ever do some shit like this?

View attachment 30988

Not for nothin but I agree with Kim Chee. While the setup may be great for your needs, I'm not saying that it isn't, you may want to think of how it will be perceived. If you think you get hassled by the police now and that people avoid you, just wear that out on the street. In today's fear based society I'm sure you'll see a whole new level of hassle. The set up will give them a reason to search you, the pocket knife whose blade is a half inch too long or some other triviality, will give them a reason to arrest you. On the "good' side, I think that's the first wearable search warrant that I've ever seen! Good luck!
 

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