Australia’s Crossfire is known for their packs, but now they’ve joined the Belt Kit game with their DZ Rig.
Designed to integrate with both armor and rucksacks, the base of the system is a padded, contoured belt for increased hip mobility. It’s paired with a padded yoke of the old British pattern with mesh at the back for ventilation.
The DZ Rig also comes with:
4 Magazine pouches to carry up to 12 STANAG 30rd 5.56 magazines
2 canteen pouches to fit all standard canteens and Nalgene’s with nesting cups
1 larger sustainment pouch
All of the pouches can be bungeed for stability.
Offered in M/L and L/XL sizes, in MultiCam, Ranger Green, M91 Woodland, Tigerstripe and Desert Tigerstripe.
www.crossfirepacks.com/product/dz-right
Wow, great looking stuff on their website.
Coming from someone who wore LCE/LBE in Panama, I worry about the belt padding holding water and staying soaked and rotting.
Brits and Aussies have been doing it decades. Hell, I did it too back in the 90s at Bragg and during deployments. It can get stinky, just like the harness.
Plenty of laser cut hydrophobic material (looking at you UltraComp) these days. If LBE is going to make a comeback, I would think the materials could be updated with a little effort to alleviate a lot of the old issues.*
*Yep. I am old enough to have worn the original OD stuff.
Whiskey Two Four has a selection of harnesses and chest rigs in Squadron laminate, similar to UltraComp.
Very cool and so happy to see belt kit making a comeback!
My understanding is that it’s supposed to be better for lumbar and lower back support, which is why some countries are moving away from the all-in-one armor/LCE kit like the CIRAS or RAV.
You learn really quickly not to bend over and to lift with your legs when wearing your CIRAS plus panels plus plate plus 40lbs of gear.
We’ve gone full circle back to belt kit!
(Never really understood why we abandoned it)
Probably because they suck for short duration DA missions that start or end in a vehicle of some kind. That profile has been the overwhelming driver of equipment the past 10-20 years, and now everyone’s remembering that a JPC with a few mags and a back panel isn’t going to work in a large scale dismounted infantry conflict.
Well boys, hell just froze over! Look at those beautiful tuck tabs on the mag pouches!! Freaking sweet!!