Combat Survival Chest Rig Setup

I’m not a fan of having equipment on my belt line. It impedes movement and gets in the way during awkward shooting positions or when getting into observation spots.

As a military SERE instructor, I need to carry minimal gear to fulfill my job effectively.

Over the past few years, I’ve modified how I carry this gear through trial and error. Most of my time in the field is spent either hard work (felling trees, chopping wood) or some type of squad-level movement in simulated non-permissive environments.

What works best for me is wearing a light, well-constructed chest rig to carry most of my essential need-to-get-to equipment, and the rest goes in my field ruck.

What I like most about using a chest rig is that I can easily drop my ruck at a cache point, move to an objective, and be confident that I have the necessary gear on me to survive or complete an objective. My chest rig loadout is centered almost entirely around a combat evasion and survival model and is modified for light recce activities.

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There are many wonderful chest rigs on the market today, and I’ve tried most of them or seen fellow instructors use them. For the past six months, I’ve been using the Mayflower Gen IV Chest Rig. I’ve tried split front chest rigs, but I’ve found that much of the valuable real estate up front is taken up, and I have to shift my equipment to the side where it will interfere with my ruck straps.

I’ve always been a fan of Mayflower rigs, but that isn’t to say that there aren’t other chest rigs out there that will suit you just fine. In general, I’d advise staying with a non-front-split chest rig, which is my humble opinion based on my experiences.

Survival Chest Rig Setup

In my combat survival chest rig, I have it set up as follows for survival.

The Leftmost pouch typically contains a small Individual First-Aid kit by the Counterterrorism Institute of America (any small IFAK will do well).

Moving across the front row, moving left to right, I have the following gear.

• one yellow and one IR chemstick,
• a military-issued Lensatic compass lanyarded off to me,
• a US pocket knife,
• Leatherman Wave (same one issued to me when I started training, great little tool),
• Princeton LED headlamp,
• 5 lines of 10ft 550 cord,
• fire steel,
• And a PRC-152 radio on the furthest right-hand side (Sometimes on the left swapped with the IFAK when necessity rears its ugly head).

Things change depending on what I’m doing on the innermost pouches designed for magazines.

For survival, left to right, I have a Surefire G2 light and Benchmade folding knife, a Garmin eTrex 30 (which has topo maps of the entire world; if I don’t have a map of the area, I’m good to go), an MS2000 IR strobe, and finally, my trusty ESEE 4 knife (the Same one issued at the beginning of training; it’s a hell of a knife).

I also wear my Garmin Foretrex 401 on the strap of my chest rig or wrist for most of my navigation needs.

In a light RECCE role, I swap out the left-back magazine pouches for STANAG magazines. The Garmin eTrex 30 and other items get moved to the pack as they are typically not mission-essential. The lensatic compass is my main navigation tool, along with a map. If no map is available, I use the Garmin eTrex 30’s topographic maps to plot my destinations. The Garmin Foretrex 401 is used to navigate and check headings as necessary.

This setup will not work for everyone and is very specific to my job, but I hope it at least serves as a primer for those of you looking to set up a light survival/recce rig.

A chest rig keeps you light on your feet and your hips free to use those kidney belts on your ruck. As always, the man matters, not the gear. Nevertheless, great gear never hurts.

Conclusion

A combat survival chest rig setup is an essential piece of equipment for any military or tactical operator. This versatile gear provides a convenient and efficient way to carry vital supplies and gear in combat, ensuring the soldier’s survival and enhancing their operational effectiveness.

The chest rig is a modular platform, allowing for customization and adaptability based on specific mission requirements. By strategically organizing ammunition, medical supplies, communication devices, and other essential tools, the chest rig ensures quick and easy access to critical items when every second counts.

Furthermore, the chest rig offers superior weight distribution, reducing strain on the soldier’s back and allowing for extended periods of wear. Its ergonomic design ensures a comfortable fit and unrestricted movement, enabling the operator to perform at their best during high-stress situations.