Vladimir Onokoy 02.07.24
I obtained my 5.11 TacTec service in 2013, over 10 years in the past. On the time, I wanted a plate service for maritime safety work. After my first contract, I noticed that separating your “webbing” with ammo and physique armor isn’t a good suggestion. Due to the recent local weather, we ended up simply carrying our vests with mags, typically leaving cumbersome physique armor on the ship’s bridge, agreeing that “we’d put it on when issues get robust”. However when issues really obtained robust, we at all times forgot about physique armor.
It obtained even worse after we began doing drills in the midst of the evening. You soar off your mattress, put in your pants, slide into boots, seize a rifle in a single hand and vest within the different, and run upstairs. If you wish to additionally your physique armor, you want a 3rd hand. The physique armor we had was heavy and uncomfortable. The one advantage of it was – nothing compares to the sensation of taking off your armor after an extended shift.
So I used to be on the lookout for one thing snug that might carry exhausting plates and the complete package that I utilized in maritime: 4 mags, a big medical pouch, an admin pouch, and a drop pouch. Ten years in the past the market wasn’t that massive, and I didn’t have to do tons of analysis to understand I wished to get a gray 5.11 TacTec. It appeared cool, amongst different issues, and as a younger man who didn’t know a lot concerning the safety business I at all times remembered recommendation from an older colleague: “Should you don’t know what you’re doing not less than attempt to look cool doing it”.
The primary characteristic I had to bear in mind was a quick-release system in case I fell overboard. Tactec has a cable system with a strap on the chest, so you’ll be able to pull it one-handed and the service will simply slide off. I by no means examined it in water, however on land, it labored effectively. Simply be sure you take your time to reassemble your plate service after you take a look at this technique.
One other characteristic that I like on Tactec is the evacuation strap on the again of the service. When you seize and pull it, it extends and you may drag somebody with relative consolation, trigger the deal with finally ends up in your waist degree. Evacuation of the wounded troopers utilizing this strap is an SOP in lots of items, and having the extending drag deal with simply makes it a lot simpler.
I keep in mind we have been coaching at some military vary, and an officer got here in to criticize all our fancy gear and gear. Amongst different issues, he stated, pointing on the drag deal with on my TacTec: “These things doesn’t work”. I dared him to check it. He dragged me throughout the sector for the following 20 minutes, like a canine dragging its favourite toy everywhere in the yard. The drag deal with didn’t rip, and that day I left the vary with a smug smirk on my face.
As time glided by, I purchased new pouches and obtained facet panels for my 5.11 TacTec. Relying on the mission, you may skip facet panels, however it’s higher to have and never want than want and never have.
A couple of years later, I obtained an surprising supply to play a task within the film. I needed to play a CIA GRS operator in Syria across the yr 2015. Initially, I wished to show it down, however the second unit director satisfied me we’d be capable to present GRS operators correctly, with out good thought fairies getting in the way in which. For sure, this turned out to be an enormous fats lie.
First, I needed to contact the wardrobe division to see what they’d ready for me. I referred to as them, and apparently, the one path about uniform and equipment they obtained for our workforce was: “Make CIA guys put on some gentle colours”. Costume designers additionally by no means even watched “13 Hours”, the film about GRS in Libya that obtained the costumes and equipment fairly effectively. So as an alternative of getting dressed by them, I ended up consulting them.
I had a few plate carriers, however solely TacTec was proper for the yr 2015. I’m very specific about historic accuracy, so I made a decision to put on it and provides the second service to a different actor. As soon as we obtained on a movie set, there was one other shock. Prop guys had just one set of plates, which I gave to a different actor. For me, they supplied to make some plates out of polyurethane foam. I assumed that film folks knew what they have been doing, and that was my deadly mistake.
As soon as the film got here out, each different buddy requested me: “why you’re not carrying plates within the film”? Apparently, the froth rapidly deformed and misplaced its form, so I appeared like an fool. Lesson realized – by no means belief film folks.
Throughout the filming, I appreciated one other characteristic of TacTec, the big pocket on the chest proper underneath MOLLE laser cuts loops. When you might have a talking position, it’s at all times a battle to cover the microphone, and on this case, the mic suits into this pocket completely. I additionally carried a pack of spare batteries for mics of my workforce in the identical pocket and nonetheless had some house left.
General, even in spite of everything these years, for me, the 5.11 TacTec stays to be an ideal “excessive profile” plate service. Completely different missions may require hid armor or most frag safety, however as a “normal function” plate service, TacTec stays a good selection for everybody who desires sturdy and comfy physique armor.
