2 things. We don't just throw our mags away. We put them back in the pouch or down our smock known as a beacon pocket. 2nd, we are trained to do our pouches up otherwise you'll lose your mags when moving
Even on 80s ALICE gear in Australia that was the drill never leave a pouch open. Different pouch waterbottle(s) ( 2 per side by choice 1 per minimum ) bumb pack and repeat. As far as the bungee, some guys had a bootmaker sew each pouch to each other. Or big snaps like fasten the plce. Australia water is key. I have a few mixed harness I use hiking. In khaki and coyote. Aerosols of canvas paint sorts that for plce. I got 1 set up with 58 pattern rear pouches and 2 Alice water bottles. That's my food first aid and water small pack clothes dose bag. Another with just 4 bottles summer 15km hike ramen noodle lunch. I hange a small molle pouch of 2 rear bottles for that stove brew kit. Last one is 6 Osprey water bottle pouches was multicam now coyote. That with a 45 Lt Karrimore is my 2 to 5 day hike gear. I molle a gsr casmask case to my pack. I have a plce gasmask case to be decided on as well. That will probably replace the 58 pattern rear pouches. Might be able to do away with a pack using that with water bottles bet food and a light sleep bag in it. We shall see. But definately the way to go in my mind. Maybe it's just what I know was taught. But I find weight on the harness low weight pack vs all in a pack is much less tiring as I'm a lot older now. If you want to mix a bit as I have there are plastic Alice clips on ebay. A bitch to close. But it will attach a Alice style waterpouch on a 58 belt really secure and it won't slide. If I ever use the dpm gasmask case I'll get 2 bits webbing added so I can plastic Alice it either end as well as the plce clip in the middle
DPM was really designed for fighting in forests in Germany during the Cold War. It's really effective in that environment. Basic ammo load was 6 mags - 4 for the rifle, 2 for the LSW - , so these were carried in the left ammo pouch (as the SA80 is right hand only and all reloads are with the left hand). The right pouch was used for grenades, with each compartment able to take 2x HE or 1x smoke/phos. If you have no grenades, then you carry rifle cleaning kit and oil in there. You never put anything in the ammo pouch that doesn't go bang or keep your weapon going.
@@ModernTacticalShootingyou also carried bandoliers if u look between the mag pouches there is a loop u put your bungee through it however on the mag pouch we slide a mag charger through it
@fedaykincommando3252 I know you maniac. Each member of the section carried 2 extra SA80 mags that you gave to the fire team LSW gunners for fire support as needed.
Bungie on the outside is an absolute must, used to be so tight that access to rear pouches was difficult but stopping everything moving made such a difference. Most of us had padding on the inside, home made then store bought options came along. Dropping magazines on reload would get you absolutely smashed by training staff/NCO, in basic you got taught to put them back in the pouch, my unit SOP was to keep jacket half unzipped and dump them down the front (no dump pouches then!) We used to carry ammo, rifle cleaning kit, water bottle, hexi cooker and mess tins, 24hr ration pack and i can't remember what else but it was a lot. Minimum weight of 32lbs in training, plus food, water etc
I saw guys experiment with para or bungee cord pinched in the bottom plate of the Steyr AUG magazines so in a panic you could just dump it and collect it back in your shirt or pouch once you got a window. Was probably frowned upon, loose plastic shit clanging around. I think they gave up on it in the end and just made loops so you could whip out a magazine without trying to dig your fingers in a tight pouch at least for the first change and maybe hang them on a carabiner.
In the British Army you get issued these at basic. You then spend years and lots of money on all sorts of ally (cool) tactical vests, chest rigs of every type. You then come full circle and go back to belt rig.
I wasn't expecting the Spanish clips. Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish clips! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are...
Its cool seeing more people are starting to being back some of this older gear, gear changed so much from when I first joined with web gear to what it was when i retired in early 2024.
What people forget is, wearing an IPSC rig may look cool and enable fast reloads, but you have to live in your gear. The less stuff you lose on the jump or get wet when you wish it wouldn't, the better.
They are a great option. I've built a rig similar utilizing the GP pouches etc. The setup works well for hunting too. I too am from the 782 era. Loved the Butt Pack. You said as a civilian you would not need such a rig for combat. Really? Thanks for the video.
Yea im re building a deuce gear setup as what i call my "grab gear" as a setup where i can sustain myself for anywhere from 12-24hrs without any other kit except my rifle (16" BCM MCMR)
I served in British Army during the first Gulf War as an Infantryman. We were issued 12 mags when we deployed from Germany and obtained more mags while training in and defending Saudi Arabia. We were issued a large amount of British L2 Grenades (FRAG) as well as British white phosphorus Grenades dating from 1953, and they were not in great shape! Which was carried in the large untility pouch, (which also had the metal loop for the Yoke starps) postioned front weak side in front of the second mag pouch. This pouch set up was adopted by many, if not all by the guys who would exit the Worrior AFV's to clear enemy trenches. We also carried additionl mags, L2's, and CLAW muzzle launched bullet trap Rifle Grenades and additional 5.56mm bandoliers. These were carried on our backs, in what was laughably known as "Jet packs". Which were infact the side pouches from the Bergan. When detached from the Bergan, they could be zipped together and a Yoke styled strap could be clipped to the Jet packs. The CLAW Rifle Grenades, were withdrawn from service at the end of the War. After one of the blokes in my Battalion was killed by one he had in his Webbing. We had the origional green verson Webbing which was later binned because the matiral used in the green version was highly visible through some night vision equipment.
Mags in left ammo pouch, because right hand always stays on the rifle (or lose your teeth), grenades right ammo pouch. Hammered into us, NOTHING other than ammo goes in ammo pouches. However, 4 x 500ml cans of beer fit perfectly between them though. #dontgetcaught. PLCE still on issue to but only for reserves other arms (non-infantry) in MTP, the British multicam as it's been superseded by the Virtus webbing for regulars overall and reserve infantry. The utility pouch has the same attachments as an ammo pouch as "All Arms" (non-infantry) only got 1 x ammo, on left, 1 x water bottle (canteen) and 1 x utility pouch on right. Latterly with the DPM set a 'hippo pad' was also issued, a pad that attached on the inside to ease the weight /chafe on hips and gave the big'uns an opportunity to mount an extra water or utility pouch. never seen it in MTP. To save space, the bayonet frog was often attached by punching holes in the left ammo pouch and secured with zip ties or across the back. The inner loops to secure the pouches from bouncing was done with a utility strap, not a bungy, bungy on the outside to keep any less than full pouches from flapping and securing local veg for local camouflage. Dated, bomb proof, excellent.
Ah! The 90s old school rigs. PLCE & SAAV are always the keepers. Both you can lay super flat with it on, carries a ton of stuff, good solid pouch lid, decent ventilation. One of the best rig to work under tropic / sub-tropical canopy.
in training we used the old 58, when that stuff got wet and your hands were frozen, trying to open a pouch was a mission and a half. so glad we got the new webbing when we got to battalion
I always liked the PLCE webbing. You are correct in your assumption about grenades being carried in the right hand ammo pouch and field dressings in a smock pocket. It was SOP for every man to carry a FFD in the same pocket so if one of your buddies was hit you knew where to access it. We were supposed to use the casualty’s dressing first in case we needed to use our own for self aid.
I like that this type of kit is making a comeback. The DZ rig is a modern iteration of the PLCE that I really like although a few changes would make it ideal. Thanks for the video!
Regarding grenades, it’s standard practice in all Commonwealth armies to carry your grenades in a pouch. Even in Vietnam, the Aussie and New Zealand troops using versions of US kit with dedicated exterior grenade spaces on their webbing carried them inside an ammo pouch.
SOP’s. !! KIWI’s are hunters, we hunt in the bush, the Alps and the fiords, you soon learn what you need and what you have to carry and have room at the end of the hunt to carry the meat back to the home. Cheers mate Harera
I am old enough to have had the 58 pattern webbing issued and used right up into the late 1990's. Every experienced soldiers, belt kit was unique to them and a substantial amount of effort was put into making your personal kit ideal with a combination of numerous water bottle pouches being the must have component ! Rather than having them bungied(elastic cord) together, we used to have all the pouches attached to each other by hard straps to stop the belt order bouncing or moving....essentially the belt order was made into one solid piece of kit, extra padding was normally a cutup foam ground mat on the inside of the belt....and aircraft buckles or quick release buckles replaced the standard 58 pattern parts It could be a problem in narrow terrain such as confined spaces, but you could deploy into the prone position far easier.
I can remember 37 pattern with anklets. It hung around TA in units and training schools into the 1980s. 58 Pattern we thought it the bees knees. Just go to show.
@@recce8619 Never carried them on a march as they used to swing into the back of your thighs.....however, in the days before they started allowing daysacks, I used to carry 2, stacked on of each other sat on the webbing ( lower back area ) 1 Did in fact contain the poncho and the other, slightly modified contained the NBC suit if required.
I binned the second mag pouch off and replaced it with an extra utility pouch had all my commanders kit in it crib cards notebook compass etc and had space for grenades and smoke. I had 4 pouches across the back 2 water bottles one for 24hrs emergency rations and one for everything else rifle cleaning kit etc. I run my yoke straps down to the rear fixing point on the front pouches so it runs inline with daysack straps. I did try 2 US alice water bottle pouches and the US Load bearing vest as a yoke for a while.
@@ModernTacticalShooting when I went to the jungle with this belt kit I couldn’t get any extra pouches as I was a new bloke so I swapped the right hand ammo pouch with a utility pouch positions. We are forced to shoot right handed with the SA80 so ammo is always in the left pouches, grenades and smoke in the right.
Waaay back in the late 80s, some guys had taken ALICE gear and did this interesting setup, they had 4 USGI mag pouches and cut the flap off. Either taped or wove 550 cord to the bottom on their mags. 2 canteen covers and bandage/pouch on the strong shoulder and a kbar taped to the support shoulder. It was explained that the mag pouch covers got into the way for reloads. Plus they used the "Y" harness suspenders. Then years later I see the Brits w/the PLCE. We went w/the LBV88. GREAT VID!!!
In recruit training, for me at least, the front right hand magazine pouch was a grenade pouch and if anything else was found to be in it by an instructors you were runnning or doing some press ups
I've worn DPM a bunch of times in the UK, and trust me: in the winter, it's one very tiny step away from being an invisibility cloak. Granted, it's a bit dark for the summer, though. MTP is kind of the reverse.
DPM was designed for northern Europe. I used to play A LOT of airsoft in virtually identical environments in the UK. All of us used to joke about how it was soo much harder to spot the guys wearing cheap DPM from army surplus stores, compared to those wearing expensive "Gucci" Crye multicam gear. We all stopped wearing multicam, unless in urban settings (it's definitely superior there).
Everyone's webby is different and mags were on the left side as our weapons are not ambidextrous but good to see that you weren't just slagging it of .
I've owned PLCE kit for over a year now and I got to say it's fantastic, distributes the weight more around your hips than shoulders, comfortably sits on body And doesn't get in the way while laying on ground, deffinitely reccomend
Great video! There is a Danish army version of the PLCE called Basis M/96 with some differences: The camo pattern is Danish M/84 and the basic loadout in 1996 when it was introduced were 1 Glock shovel placed on the center rear of the pistol belt, 1 x canteen pouch just to left of that followed by 2 magazine pouches with either 2 x 5.56mm NATO M16/M4 magazines/ 2 x 7.62mm magazines for the HK G3( for some reason the Danish army decided to only have 2 magazines per pouch), on the right of the shovel 1 x NBC mask pouch followed by 2 x equipment pouches for grenades etc. etc, about the size of the canteen pouch and a Glock field knife anywhere on the pistol beft at the users discretion. TO & E magazine loadout was a total of 5 for both 5.56 and 7.62 providing either 150 x 5.66 mm or 100 x 7.62mm rounds. Pistol belt, yoke, canteen and equipment pouches is relatively easy to source and cost about 15-20 $US each but magazine pouches, NBC pouch and plastic covers for the Glock shovel are quite rare and I have yet to see the 7.62mm magazine pouches for sale any where. There are a number of specialized pouches like pistol-, map-, binos- and radiopouches but they are typically for officers and NCOs so not as prevalent as the standard kit.
I was issued 8 mags and carried 300 rounds in my bergen. 6 mags were for me and 2 for the LSW gunner {erm nope! I'm not running out in combat} FFD was carried in my top left pocket. Mess tins and rations in the rear pouches along with personal admin gear. I used american Aluminium water bottle and cup so i could always boil water {issue bottle and cup was plastic}. We were expected to return empty mags back to pouches. We bungeed everything, our NBC gear and tarp was in our poncho roll which in my unit was carried on top of the mess tin pouches. Then there was patrol order where most of the pouches was taken off and only the water bottle pouch and ammo pouches was carried, no yolk.
DPM is designed for our temperate climate and forested area's and it blends in perfectly, yes our PLCE is perfect for what it was designed for. The reasoning behind taping battle dressings to the yoke is for immediate access if needed, most soldiers carried a small FA kit in the smock pocket or belt pouch.
The first thing I’ve noticed is that you can tape up every strap on the webbing except for the front straps. It’s so you can lower and bring up the webbing higher depending on what your doing.
I have one of these and use it as a lightweight hiking set-up. I attach a USMC hydration pouch to the yolk and then swap out the mag pouches for the larger utility pouches that have those metal tabs that the webbing threads through. I am able to easily set it up to hold IFAK, poncho, food, cook-set and other assorted gear making it a good "get home" kit. Amazingly rugged and versatile bit of kit!
I've seen a pic of what was apparently a British guy who had emigrated and joined the US Army, or lukely the National Guard, who had got himself a custom built ACU set of PLCE. if the Americans are interested there's at least a couple of UK gear manufacturers turning out modern variations in multicam, Jay Jays and Dragon Supplies plus British Tactical make MOLLE versions. They have different sets for different roles and will also customise stuff for customers.
When I 1st enlisted it was '58 pattern webbing, but no one in my unit had it as issued, only those that were new to the battalion had kidney pouches as they were typically binned and extra water bottle pouches were used instead, hippo pads were a common option but some some of us had a cobler install boot lace eyelets to the edges of the pouches so they could be tied together and stop them bouncing around, then the Arktis sets came out and a lot of blokes bought those before the PLCE came out, when it came out a lot of us again were not happy and ended up modding them again, and ultimately ended up with custom made sets from companies like 'Dragon Supplies' which were a lot better as lot more thought into the way the were built, all the pouches were sewn together to a wider built in pad instead of a belt, the the pouches stay put and don't bounce around.
To answer your question, SOP for the Cdos in March 2003 was one smoke in a utility pouch and two frag in the other. Additional grenades and bandoliers went in a patrol pack.
The tabs to secure magazines were just too unwieldy to be reliable so I stripped mine off and replaced them with strong velcro. Most lads used the right hand mag pouches for grenades or smoke and usually a weapon cleaning kit was in there somewhere since the SA-80 is pretty high maintenance.
Use a roll pin buckle and a hippo pad. PLCE is also available in MTP Camouflage. Its very cost effective to make a Bug Out Load Carrying system. Its also IRR (Infra Red Night Vision) Camouflage coated. Robust, cheap and effective.
DPM is great in the forests in the UK and a majority of the UK it blends in far better than MTP. I think initially it was designed for use in Europe as a Cold War camo. Imo DPM and Desert DPM is cooler than MTP. You can also multi-use DPM in the desert at night, blends in better in the dark than Desert DPM oddly.
Jeff, I am currently running a kit from Carcajou tactical (Canadians) that's basically a modernized version of the PLCE. A bit pricey but for patrolling in non urban environments I'm really enjoying it. Just goes to show the concept works and is timeless.
Bro, you made my day. I use it too. I see you dont have padding for it. What I have is 4 water/utility pouches and mtp ifak. I use AK and it fits them perfectly. From left: mags, esbit stove, ifak to the back, water and far right in front I have nav and optic but can put mags from backpack. Also in front of each hip I have mtp granade pouch. My DPM pouches were bought betten for 2$ each. Im from Poland.
Honestly as a left handed shooter, the biggest upgrade is an ambi mag release. Easily saves a half second on reloads by not having to physically reach up and strip the mag before going to the spare, being able to drop mag while simultaneously grabbing the other one just makes things much smoother and faster.
I agree 100%, the time it saves on a reload for left-handed shooting is basically necessary in my opinion. Double it with a Magpul B.A.D. lever or Troy Industries ambi lever( i prefer the Troy, but have both on different rifles) and reloads are super smooth
@@sta-tunedtactical i have a BAD lever and Troy Ambi mag release (in my opinion the best Ambi mag release. Due to its position, and lack of interference with a bad lever) And a CMMG Ambi safety. Geissele charging handle (it's a 14.5 Geissele Super Duty upper on a Colt lower with an SSA-E)
@@dangvorbei5304 no I use a Geissele 14.5 Super Duty upper on a Colt lower. I use a Troy Ambi mag release, BAD lever, CMMG Ambi safety selector and Geissele Ambi charging handle and a Geissele SSA-E trigger In some ways I actually think using a right-handed rifle with Ambi controls is better. Because in the event of a issue (which basically never happens anyways because I use an extremely high quality upper receiver) I can actually see The bolt and carrier and immediately know what problem has occurred. And it allows me to use normal stock parts rather than needing a special proprietary bolt (although it's not a huge issue if you just keep a spare bolt in your pistol grip as I do anyways. A bolt, firing pin and retainer pin to be exact.) With the controls set up the way I have them, the rifle is even more ergonomic for me as a lefty than a normal setup is for a righty as far as I'm concerned.
Even though PLCE has been fully replaced by VIRTUS, you’ll still see lots of infantry preferring to use PLCE webbing. Bit fiddly to put together as sometimes getting those black tabs in the belt can be a pain. Is also available in MTP not just DPM and Desert DPM.
I spent the first half of my career living in PLCE. As others have said, you'll need a bit of padding from a sleep-mat zip tied to the inside for extra comfort (especially if you're a racing snake). The new version is ok, with more options to add stuff but PLCE was bomb proof which is why you can still find it in good condition. Really enjoyed the video as well.
It’s crazy, before yesterday I came across a store that sells this webbing, and I hesitated to buy it. Today, I see your video, and you convinced me. I just placed my order, it was at a very reasonable price, used cat 1, at 45 £ with shipping here in Canada. All because I am not able to find the Alice harness of the 80s to go with my good old web belt. Thank you sir.
Awesome video, great to see PLCE getting some love. Used it in basic training, but British webbing’s changing a bit over time. Especially with the issued Virtus belts General trend is they’ve leaned up a little bit. IFAK often replacing a utility pouch at the rear Typically 2x double mag pouches on the left, with grenade pouches on the right. Low profile ‘stealth’ admin pouches work well behind these Works best combined with mags and admin pouch on body armour. Cummerbunds with extra pouches as wallets/individuals desire
Back in the early 80s we were issued Vietnam era LBE and transitioned to the ALICE LBE, not the fancy Gucci stuff they have now. We had to improvise with duct tape, wire ties, and ranger bands/cut up bike inner tubes, nothing sexy but you made it work for you. We had two sets of everything, one for formations/inspections and the other modified set for deployment; which I still have today stuffed in a duffel bag, unless my wife threw it out when I wasn’t looking. Served in both Air Force and Army, in mostly peace time, except for that one time Central America, and by the time GWOT rolled around, I was in a medical logistics roll. Best time and best people ever - miss those guys!
As a serving soldier who’s had to use PLCE I gotta say, when they were first introduced it was probably the best bit of kit out there. However first thing I did when I was out of basic was buy some commercial webbing. Those pouches are horrible to try and close especially on the move.
Loadout hasn't changed much in decades even if the colourscheme has. 2x LH ammo pouches hold your rifle mags (SA80 or Sharpshooter) AND NOTHING ELSE. 2xRH ammo pouches are for grenades, rifle cleaning kit or drink flask. RH ammo pouch often replaced with another utility pouch to carry section commander's kit, link, extra mags for the section etc. Water bottle pouch can hold the bottle, a very robust metal mug and a small folding stove. Utility pouches are slightly larger than WB and can carry a lot of stuff, like a set of mess tins stuffed with food for 24hrs. Most people fit as many utility pictures as they can across the back. Spanish tab pouches are ditched as soon as you can get away with it. You're trained to close your pouch as the final step of a load/reload drill, and as a preparation to moving under fire. They are never fast to close, and slowness attracts the wrath of the NCOs.
@@ModernTacticalShooting it’s dreadful. Poorly made and poorly thought out. Most infantry units went back to our older kit till Virtus got to its 3rd Generation. And still the 3rd generation begen (Pack) is mostly a copy of a PLCE bergen. The people who bought Virtus for the Army should be in prison for wasting so much money on kit no one asked for. All they needed to do was buy the kit all good infantry NCOs pay for to have tailored themselves. Could have saved the money for a better rifle, the new KS-1 that are coming in and give every man BNVDs and a better radio.
If you’re doing non-combat stuff in the field, like student evaluation, servicing nav points, or you’re the rescue dummy for CSAR birds, systems like this are a really good option. Compared to rucks they don’t pull you back as much during hoist. You’ll get fewer hot spots on long treks. And they let out the heat well. The downside is that they don’t make a good back rest, so if you’re riding in truck beds, or the 60’s don’t have the doors open, you’re probably not going to be as comfortable as you would be with a pack. Great video as always!
They’re like nigh on perfection for infantry stuff, yomping, etc. If I could get 25kg in my webbing for the CFT that’s how I did it, no messing with day packs. They aren’t great for the non combat stuff imo, they’re a pain for getting in and out of vehicles. They had assault vests for that but they sucked when going prone.
These types of rigs are great for heavy loads on the go. Lots of surplus and private-company options to get them under $125. A chest rig may be better bump in the night but these are better for more serious long-term stuff. Also good for long hikes.
I've still got a set of 58 pattern webbing. I used the belt with five water bottle pouches in tandem with a chest rig for mags when in Iraq. Its was great for driving to a foot patrol point.
Jayjays UA-cam and sight explain what the more custom rig different are the setup and answer your question about smokes and frag storage, apparently one common customization is mag bunjy and folding the flaps back . EODFish also goes over a joayjays rig. It's an interesting kit and they keep the tactics of jungle war and African conflicts
PLCE craps all over Alice stuff, pretty bomb proof comparatively. The yoke for PLCE spreads the load better over your shoulders, over all quality is better too. If you like this sort of kit look at the Crusader cooking system. Decent space saving.
Ah this takes me back - even 16 years later I still can't say what I'd prefer instead of PLCE on my belt. I was only ever Territorial, I was issued an entrenching tool, which you can imagine came off the belt and disappeared into the bergen in short order. If I remember correctly I had six mags in the left pouches, bayonet frog, canteen full of water plus cup in the entrenching tool pouch, jetboil (they were gucci but the gas really didn't last for long exercises) in the next plus a few boil in the bags, rest of the rat pack in a third pouch, then sometimes smoke grenades, sometimes other stuff in the ammo pouches on the right. Bungee round the back pockets so tight you couldn't get the water bottle in or out by yourself (that's what your oppo did), hippo pad on the inside for increased comfort. Bungee was also great for adding local foliage. Field dressing went in a leg pocket, maps/compass went in the smock. That was your fighting order for an attack. You then had the bergen that transferred weight through the PLCE rig, and when the bergen was in a Harbour area you dropped the rocket pouches off the side and used as a rucksack. Frankly they were the worst bit of the whole system, and we soon binned them off for a daysack, which was frankly stupidly top heavy when added to the top of your bergen.
It’s decent kit. I have one set up, got it for $50. I still prefer my old Alice belt, buttpack,H harness, 4 M16 pouches, 2 canteen pouches. I grew up with it and still love it.
In theory, the attachment methods were supposed to be used for different tactical situations, for example: if you were on normal everyday stuff or just patrol ops you could set up you rig using the large loops and keep the set-up as a permanent cinched down set-up. If you were doing Assault on entrenched/hard positions, the velcro and tab method could be used, to facilitate easy re-arrangement of pouches and ditch your rats and easy living gear quickly. The large flap and press stud attachment was supposedly used to facilitate the simple exchange of pouches, for a simple one for one resupply of water bottles and mission specific pouches (extra grenades, explosives, tech gear, ammo) for missions that are ammo/ water dependant, such as Urban, pro-longed assault. In reality, it was probably never really used in that way. There are Velcro tabs under the pouch lids that were obviously for quick access to the pouches without the need to clip-unclip each time. Brand new Velcro was a pain to use, and it was often slower to peel open than to clip-unclip. Old vecro held nothing and would just flap around. There was always the thing of peeling open the velcro at night noise issue also. However, if the velcro was in good nick, not too new, not too old, it was useful for quick mag access and would keep them relatively secure for assaults. I always ran a custom set-up on my rigs, often at the chagrin of my management. Before '95 was issued, I was using pouches, from the British company ARKTIS, and mixing it with my '58 patt. kit. I also was using their chest rig alongside the belt kit and wearing one of their combat smocks. They were probably the first real British independent webbing/clothing maker and they even applied for the contract to the make '95 patt. gear, but they lost out as the MOD considered them too small a company to fulfil the contract. It was largely believed that the majority of the '95 patt. gear was based on the ARKTIS designs. They do, though, supply the MOD and other British agencies with kit to this day. Check out their website (and no, I don't work for them😁). sorry for the long' comment'.😂
huge fan of the PLCE. Got one recently and in my opinion it laps the standard ALICE setup in basically every respect. Would love to see your take on the LBV-88/LBV-E.
Got to do the pouch up again after changing mag. Late eighties still using 58 pattern webbing. Early 90’s we brought Arktis chest rigs with Velcro flaps.
I've got a set of that DPM webbing knocking about in my shed. What some units did, when it came to the configuration of ammunition pouches, was you had the twin ammo pouches on the left hand side due to the fact the SA80 only fired right handed. To that end, right hand on pistol grip and change the mag left handed. On a side note, the empty magazine we put it down the front of the partly unzipped smock so we have them at the end of for example CQB, I understand what you are doing during magazine changes. The pouch that would be on the right hand side could be a utility pouch and in it you'd have the rifle cleaning kit, smoke grenades etc., in it. On my webbing, I fitting one of your ALICE first field dressing pouches to the home and was excellent for our FFD's at the time .
The plce 90 pattern webbing is what you have, 90pattern webbing changed to dpm camoflage in 1992, being seen in use by frontline units by end of 1993 as stocks were built up to begin widespread issue, soldier 95 is the clothing system introduced in 1995 as a replacement of all the previous patterns still being worn (a mix of 85pattern and 90 pattern smocks, trousers o/g ben Sherman shirts, green lightweight trousers etc, most units were eventually issued soldier 95 clothing system by late 1999/ mid 2000, the webbing equipment and Bergen (rucksack) remaining the 90 pattern in dpm, alot of brit kit gets the incorrect soldier 95 term even here in uk which should just be the clothing system,
In the Swedish Armed Forces we used to have a Spanish Clip pouch for a single magazine, usually attached either on the left shoulder with the opening facing down, next to an ammo pouch or sometimes attached to the folding stock of the AK5 (FN FNC). It was called the "dueling pouch", the point was to have a single magazine that could be accessed very quickly, giving a fighting load of 60 rounds before having to dip into the ammo pouches. It was the theory at least, in practice it wasn't very well liked, but the Spanish clip is a pretty good way of doing it.
I reccomend getting a 9 pouch molle webbing setup thats what i use that way you have an extra water bottle pouch and an admin pouch at the front its mor versitile and i recomend changing out the yoke for a more comfortable one which disperses the weight so you feel like it isnt even on
the only gripe is the fabric of the mag pouches are way too heavy. even with 90s standard it's way too much, cfp90 and FLC make way more sense in terms of this. (yeah i got it, the water proof may be important, and PU coating on FLC don't age well)
Its similarity to British infantry WW2 webbing is odd given how long ago that was. The ammo pouches were officially for carrying Bren gun mags (every soldier was expected to carry some for the squad LMG). In reality, they could carry anything. You can find historical photos of soldiers with half a dozen fitted to the webbing. If you can find and original (with the odd belt clasp and brass fittings, you could test it.
You have the mags in wrong they should be in flat to the body! 2 pouches were for grenades or snacks, we also had the scabbard holder for bayonet on the back and a folding shovel now if you have a plce bergen as well the 2 side packs can directly connect to your webbing giving additional load carrying capability we called them rocket packs but we're super useful for carrying additional food, ammo, goretex coveralls
Thanks for this video, I'm actually in England and trying to build an ALICE rig but now I think I'll take the easier option and have a hybrid ALICE/PLCE system. The PLCE belt definitely looks more adjustable for a start
Need another utility pouch in there mate. Brings the ammo pouches either side slightly further round. Also attach a bit of role matt to cover the belt/buckles. Makes it extremely comfortable to wear.
Good video! My personal experience, is that this stuff is way too wide, and hot. When I’m hunting, a backpack generates too much heat, makes me sweaty and cold. The British PLCE is functional, but it also generates tons of heat. And those tabs maybe a little faster, but trying to get them snapped back with one hand is murder. ALICE gear, in my experience, doesn’t generate that much heat, and is a million times easier to snap with one hand. Cheaper to 😁
Glad to see the PLCE getting attention, a lot of great foreign gear gets overlooked here since there’s such a focus on American and occasionally Russian stuff. Lots of very very high quality stuff out of Europe.
Best rig I ever wore while I was in the ADF, albeit with a couple of mods. Nothing ADI developed/issued came close. Ditto with some of chesties from SORD and Platatac.
If you don't like DPM, then just get them in MTP.. the British army issued PLCE in MTP from 2010 before swapping from PLCE to Virtus.. I have mixture of parts on my webbing, I use a Blackhawk multicam belt with a 'cobra' buckle, PLCE-MTP ammo pouches & the rest is MTP-Virtus..
Always appreciate your gear reviews, and finding out about useful new kit I can field test. If you get a chance, I'd love to see a video on chow and water in the field you could use in place of MREs, and methods of cooking that are less likely to give away your position.
I carried the old 58 pattern webbing and then in 1st Gulf War had the early green plastic PLCE i wasnt a fan, we had our 58 pattern sorted, yes it was old fashioned but with a bungie or in some cases pouches sown together it became moulded to us and made fire and maneuvering easy. The big improvement was fitting the pouches and the adjustable belt which made life easier. In my pouches i carried ammo, mess tins and cooker, rations, water bottles x 2 depending on theatre and ration type, respirator, first aid kit, batteries, spare socks and wool hat for evening, survival kit, torch, poncho and bayonet. That was as a rifleman, in GW1 i carried the GPMG so ammo was belts of 7.62, usually broken down to 50/100/200 and my team would carry spare barrels and in backup the tripod and C2 sight for Sustained Fire mode.
@@ModernTacticalShooting funnily enough my personal back pack was an Alice pack, I liked it because of quick release straps, metal frame and that it was short so I could lie down and still lift my head which was impossible with issued Bergans.
We would have at least 4 utility pouches and replace the belt buckle with a roll pin. I would put my bayonet frog on top of my rear pouches so it was easy to grab with my left hand. Most of the guys would customise this rig to their own preference.
Its still great for weird loadouts and weapons with crazy shaped/sized mags.....though it looks odd combined with a plate carrier. Better to use a newer load carrier setup if your using a plate carrier. I used 90 pattern PLCE back in the day. Good stuff. Regards stoves, they have switched to MRE style heaters..however the real deal is to take a jetboil
I had an older set that had both green and DPM pouches that I put together myself, I used only utility pouches which were huge, I could fit 10 M16 mags in one pouch! though I never patrolled with that many in one pouch. I now have a MTP (Brit multicam) airborne set which has 4 mag pouches and 4 utility pouches that are all sown together, very nice. p.s. you are missing the hip padding belt that sits between you and the belt/pouches.
I get the 'history' aspect and appreciation for the different systems. I prefer LBE belt/harness systems and have been quite satisfied with modified/upgraded ALICE gear. I have quite a bit of USGI MOLLE gear also and mix and match at will to suit my needs. I don't see great advantages in the same type of systems - ALICE/PLCE/DZ Rigs but big differences between system types like LBE, LBVs, chest rigs and PCs. Each system has it's place IMO. In any case Jeff - good review!
After watching this video I bought a 95 plce I didn’t get a full set I got the 2 double ammo pouches, 2 water bottle pouches. And that’s it but I paid £35 for a class 1 rig. So I’m happy.
2 things. We don't just throw our mags away. We put them back in the pouch or down our smock known as a beacon pocket. 2nd, we are trained to do our pouches up otherwise you'll lose your mags when moving
And that,my friend ,is why the Brits are good.
Even back in the day empty SLR mags went down the front of the smock
An entrenching tool pouch makes for an easy access water bottle pouch. A bit like like the Alice type.
Even on 80s ALICE gear in Australia that was the drill never leave a pouch open.
Different pouch waterbottle(s) ( 2 per side by choice 1 per minimum ) bumb pack and repeat.
As far as the bungee, some guys had a bootmaker sew each pouch to each other. Or big snaps like fasten the plce.
Australia water is key. I have a few mixed harness I use hiking. In khaki and coyote. Aerosols of canvas paint sorts that for plce.
I got 1 set up with 58 pattern rear pouches and 2 Alice water bottles. That's my food first aid and water small pack clothes dose bag.
Another with just 4 bottles summer 15km hike ramen noodle lunch. I hange a small molle pouch of 2 rear bottles for that stove brew kit.
Last one is 6 Osprey water bottle pouches was multicam now coyote. That with a 45 Lt Karrimore is my 2 to 5 day hike gear. I molle a gsr casmask case to my pack.
I have a plce gasmask case to be decided on as well. That will probably replace the 58 pattern rear pouches. Might be able to do away with a pack using that with water bottles bet food and a light sleep bag in it. We shall see. But definately the way to go in my mind. Maybe it's just what I know was taught. But I find weight on the harness low weight pack vs all in a pack is much less tiring as I'm a lot older now.
If you want to mix a bit as I have there are plastic Alice clips on ebay. A bitch to close. But it will attach a Alice style waterpouch on a 58 belt really secure and it won't slide. If I ever use the dpm gasmask case I'll get 2 bits webbing added so I can plastic Alice it either end as well as the plce clip in the middle
@@davidleonard1813 I saw black elastic and thin wetsuit material used to stop it flying all about.
DPM was really designed for fighting in forests in Germany during the Cold War. It's really effective in that environment.
Basic ammo load was 6 mags - 4 for the rifle, 2 for the LSW - , so these were carried in the left ammo pouch (as the SA80 is right hand only and all reloads are with the left hand). The right pouch was used for grenades, with each compartment able to take 2x HE or 1x smoke/phos. If you have no grenades, then you carry rifle cleaning kit and oil in there. You never put anything in the ammo pouch that doesn't go bang or keep your weapon going.
@@PaddyInf 4 mags for ones own rifle? That would last about 10 minutes in a sustained fight
@@ModernTacticalShootingyou also carried bandoliers if u look between the mag pouches there is a loop u put your bungee through it however on the mag pouch we slide a mag charger through it
2 mags for the LSW? what are you smoking? They are exactly the same mags.
@@fedaykincommando3252I believe he means two mags reserved for the LSW
@fedaykincommando3252 I know you maniac. Each member of the section carried 2 extra SA80 mags that you gave to the fire team LSW gunners for fire support as needed.
Bungie on the outside is an absolute must, used to be so tight that access to rear pouches was difficult but stopping everything moving made such a difference.
Most of us had padding on the inside, home made then store bought options came along.
Dropping magazines on reload would get you absolutely smashed by training staff/NCO, in basic you got taught to put them back in the pouch, my unit SOP was to keep jacket half unzipped and dump them down the front (no dump pouches then!)
We used to carry ammo, rifle cleaning kit, water bottle, hexi cooker and mess tins, 24hr ration pack and i can't remember what else but it was a lot. Minimum weight of 32lbs in training, plus food, water etc
The good old Brecon pocket
Literally just the weight of an IOTV by itself lmao. These government guys really did everything possible to break our bodies.
Dropping Mags, it saved me from saying it. Even dump pouches were frowned on 😁
I saw guys experiment with para or bungee cord pinched in the bottom plate of the Steyr AUG magazines so in a panic you could just dump it and collect it back in your shirt or pouch once you got a window. Was probably frowned upon, loose plastic shit clanging around. I think they gave up on it in the end and just made loops so you could whip out a magazine without trying to dig your fingers in a tight pouch at least for the first change and maybe hang them on a carabiner.
In the British Army you get issued these at basic. You then spend years and lots of money on all sorts of ally (cool) tactical vests, chest rigs of every type. You then come full circle and go back to belt rig.
Truth!
I wasn't expecting the Spanish clips.
Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish clips! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are...
Monty Python for the win
Get the comfy cushions!
Its cool seeing more people are starting to being back some of this older gear, gear changed so much from when I first joined with web gear to what it was when i retired in early 2024.
What people forget is, wearing an IPSC rig may look cool and enable fast reloads, but you have to live in your gear. The less stuff you lose on the jump or get wet when you wish it wouldn't, the better.
They are a great option. I've built a rig similar utilizing the GP pouches etc. The setup works well for hunting too. I too am from the 782 era. Loved the Butt Pack. You said as a civilian you would not need such a rig for combat. Really? Thanks for the video.
I also retired in Feb 2024
@@texicano_fxdls3411 congrats
Yea im re building a deuce gear setup as what i call my "grab gear" as a setup where i can sustain myself for anywhere from 12-24hrs without any other kit except my rifle (16" BCM MCMR)
I served in British Army during the first Gulf War as an Infantryman. We were issued 12 mags when we deployed from Germany and obtained more mags while training in and defending Saudi Arabia. We were issued a large amount of British L2 Grenades (FRAG) as well as British white phosphorus Grenades dating from 1953, and they were not in great shape! Which was carried in the large untility pouch, (which also had the metal loop for the Yoke starps) postioned front weak side in front of the second mag pouch. This pouch set up was adopted by many, if not all by the guys who would exit the Worrior AFV's to clear enemy trenches. We also carried additionl mags, L2's, and CLAW muzzle launched bullet trap Rifle Grenades and additional 5.56mm bandoliers. These were carried on our backs, in what was laughably known as "Jet packs". Which were infact the side pouches from the Bergan. When detached from the Bergan, they could be zipped together and a Yoke styled strap could be clipped to the Jet packs. The CLAW Rifle Grenades, were withdrawn from service at the end of the War. After one of the blokes in my Battalion was killed by one he had in his Webbing. We had the origional green verson Webbing which was later binned because the matiral used in the green version was highly visible through some night vision equipment.
@tonyedwards9182 I have a British Bergan. I was going to cover the how the side pockets become a separate pack left it out due to time.
Mags in left ammo pouch, because right hand always stays on the rifle (or lose your teeth), grenades right ammo pouch. Hammered into us, NOTHING other than ammo goes in ammo pouches. However, 4 x 500ml cans of beer fit perfectly between them though. #dontgetcaught. PLCE still on issue to but only for reserves other arms (non-infantry) in MTP, the British multicam as it's been superseded by the Virtus webbing for regulars overall and reserve infantry. The utility pouch has the same attachments as an ammo pouch as "All Arms" (non-infantry) only got 1 x ammo, on left, 1 x water bottle (canteen) and 1 x utility pouch on right. Latterly with the DPM set a 'hippo pad' was also issued, a pad that attached on the inside to ease the weight /chafe on hips and gave the big'uns an opportunity to mount an extra water or utility pouch. never seen it in MTP. To save space, the bayonet frog was often attached by punching holes in the left ammo pouch and secured with zip ties or across the back. The inner loops to secure the pouches from bouncing was done with a utility strap, not a bungy, bungy on the outside to keep any less than full pouches from flapping and securing local veg for local camouflage. Dated, bomb proof, excellent.
Just to let you know they did make the hip pad in MTP, I still use PCLE in service and have one on my webbing 👍
@@milestrueman4352 I remember having to buy mine.
some guys made them out of old role mats.
I seam to remember 9 mags, two were ere marked for the LSW gunner. And I kept my cleaning kit in the remaining ammo pouch.
Ah! The 90s old school rigs. PLCE & SAAV are always the keepers. Both you can lay super flat with it on, carries a ton of stuff, good solid pouch lid, decent ventilation.
One of the best rig to work under tropic / sub-tropical canopy.
More importantly insulated mugs were made that fit nicely into the ammo pouch.
As a PLCE enjoyer for over a decade I second this.
in training we used the old 58, when that stuff got wet and your hands were frozen, trying to open a pouch was a mission and a half. so glad we got the new webbing when we got to battalion
I always liked the PLCE webbing. You are correct in your assumption about grenades being carried in the right hand ammo pouch and field dressings in a smock pocket. It was SOP for every man to carry a FFD in the same pocket so if one of your buddies was hit you knew where to access it. We were supposed to use the casualty’s dressing first in case we needed to use our own for self aid.
I like that this type of kit is making a comeback. The DZ rig is a modern iteration of the PLCE that I really like although a few changes would make it ideal. Thanks for the video!
Regarding grenades, it’s standard practice in all Commonwealth armies to carry your grenades in a pouch. Even in Vietnam, the Aussie and New Zealand troops using versions of US kit with dedicated exterior grenade spaces on their webbing carried them inside an ammo pouch.
SOP’s. !! KIWI’s are hunters, we hunt in the bush, the Alps and the fiords, you soon learn what you need and what you have to carry and have room at the end of the hunt to carry the meat back to the home. Cheers mate Harera
I am old enough to have had the 58 pattern webbing issued and used right up into the late 1990's. Every experienced soldiers, belt kit was unique to them and a substantial amount of effort was put into making your personal kit ideal with a combination of numerous water bottle pouches being the must have component !
Rather than having them bungied(elastic cord) together, we used to have all the pouches attached to each other by hard straps to stop the belt order bouncing or moving....essentially the belt order was made into one solid piece of kit, extra padding was normally a cutup foam ground mat on the inside of the belt....and aircraft buckles or quick release buckles replaced the standard 58 pattern parts
It could be a problem in narrow terrain such as confined spaces, but you could deploy into the prone position far easier.
I can remember 37 pattern with anklets. It hung around TA in units and training schools into the 1980s.
58 Pattern we thought it the bees knees. Just go to show.
Did you carry 0, 1 or 2 poncho rolls???
@@recce8619 Never carried them on a march as they used to swing into the back of your thighs.....however, in the days before they started allowing daysacks, I used to carry 2, stacked on of each other sat on the webbing ( lower back area ) 1 Did in fact contain the poncho and the other, slightly modified contained the NBC suit if required.
I binned the second mag pouch off and replaced it with an extra utility pouch had all my commanders kit in it crib cards notebook compass etc and had space for grenades and smoke. I had 4 pouches across the back 2 water bottles one for 24hrs emergency rations and one for everything else rifle cleaning kit etc. I run my yoke straps down to the rear fixing point on the front pouches so it runs inline with daysack straps. I did try 2 US alice water bottle pouches and the US Load bearing vest as a yoke for a while.
I was considering the same before I made the video about replacing one double mag pouch more accessory
@@ModernTacticalShooting when I went to the jungle with this belt kit I couldn’t get any extra pouches as I was a new bloke so I swapped the right hand ammo pouch with a utility pouch positions. We are forced to shoot right handed with the SA80 so ammo is always in the left pouches, grenades and smoke in the right.
Waaay back in the late 80s, some guys had taken ALICE gear and did this interesting setup, they had 4 USGI mag pouches and cut the flap off. Either taped or wove 550 cord to the bottom on their mags. 2 canteen covers and bandage/pouch on the strong shoulder and a kbar taped to the support shoulder.
It was explained that the mag pouch covers got into the way for reloads.
Plus they used the "Y" harness suspenders.
Then years later I see the Brits w/the PLCE. We went w/the LBV88.
GREAT VID!!!
I saw one guy dummy cord all of his mags to his pouches. All six had 3' lengths of 550 cord. And it was as ridiculous as it sounds.
In recruit training, for me at least, the front right hand magazine pouch was a grenade pouch and if anything else was found to be in it by an instructors you were runnning or doing some press ups
I've worn DPM a bunch of times in the UK, and trust me: in the winter, it's one very tiny step away from being an invisibility cloak. Granted, it's a bit dark for the summer, though. MTP is kind of the reverse.
DPM was designed for northern Europe. I used to play A LOT of airsoft in virtually identical environments in the UK. All of us used to joke about how it was soo much harder to spot the guys wearing cheap DPM from army surplus stores, compared to those wearing expensive "Gucci" Crye multicam gear. We all stopped wearing multicam, unless in urban settings (it's definitely superior there).
Makes you wonder what the US would use if they had to fight a war in a jungle.
Everyone's webby is different and mags were on the left side as our weapons are not ambidextrous but good to see that you weren't just slagging it of .
We used to take new stuff outside and scuff it about a bit before wearing it, took the edge off the strong colours.
I've owned PLCE kit for over a year now and I got to say it's fantastic, distributes the weight more around your hips than shoulders, comfortably sits on body And doesn't get in the way while laying on ground, deffinitely reccomend
You'd get a huge bollocking for chucking your mags away. Great vid.
@seanjoseph8637 Thats how we roll!
Great video!
There is a Danish army version of the PLCE called Basis M/96 with some differences: The camo pattern is Danish M/84 and the basic loadout in 1996 when it was introduced were 1 Glock shovel placed on the center rear of the pistol belt, 1 x canteen pouch just to left of that followed by 2 magazine pouches with either 2 x 5.56mm NATO M16/M4 magazines/ 2 x 7.62mm magazines for the HK G3( for some reason the Danish army decided to only have 2 magazines per pouch), on the right of the shovel 1 x NBC mask pouch followed by 2 x equipment pouches for grenades etc. etc, about the size of the canteen pouch and a Glock field knife anywhere on the pistol beft at the users discretion. TO & E magazine loadout was a total of 5 for both 5.56 and 7.62 providing either 150 x 5.66 mm or 100 x 7.62mm rounds.
Pistol belt, yoke, canteen and equipment pouches is relatively easy to source and cost about 15-20 $US each but magazine pouches, NBC pouch and plastic covers for the Glock shovel are quite rare and I have yet to see the 7.62mm magazine pouches for sale any where. There are a number of specialized pouches like pistol-, map-, binos- and radiopouches but they are typically for officers and NCOs so not as prevalent as the standard kit.
I was issued 8 mags and carried 300 rounds in my bergen. 6 mags were for me and 2 for the LSW gunner {erm nope! I'm not running out in combat} FFD was carried in my top left pocket. Mess tins and rations in the rear pouches along with personal admin gear. I used american Aluminium water bottle and cup so i could always boil water {issue bottle and cup was plastic}. We were expected to return empty mags back to pouches. We bungeed everything, our NBC gear and tarp was in our poncho roll which in my unit was carried on top of the mess tin pouches. Then there was patrol order where most of the pouches was taken off and only the water bottle pouch and ammo pouches was carried, no yolk.
DPM is designed for our temperate climate and forested area's and it blends in perfectly, yes our PLCE is perfect for what it was designed for. The reasoning behind taping battle dressings to the yoke is for immediate access if needed, most soldiers carried a small FA kit in the smock pocket or belt pouch.
I and a thermos flask that fit perfectly in an ammo pouch
The first thing I’ve noticed is that you can tape up every strap on the webbing except for the front straps. It’s so you can lower and bring up the webbing higher depending on what your doing.
The side strap loop through the front webbing/ammo pouch so that it can be tightened to the body.
The ammo pouches are supposed to hold grenades etc. The Brit’s made the troops carry FA kit in their pockets.
Yes I saw that in many pics
Tactical mars bars and Individual thirst aid kit supplied by PG Tips
I have one of these and use it as a lightweight hiking set-up. I attach a USMC hydration pouch to the yolk and then swap out the mag pouches for the larger utility pouches that have those metal tabs that the webbing threads through. I am able to easily set it up to hold IFAK, poncho, food, cook-set and other assorted gear making it a good "get home" kit.
Amazingly rugged and versatile bit of kit!
I've seen a pic of what was apparently a British guy who had emigrated and joined the US Army, or lukely the National Guard, who had got himself a custom built ACU set of PLCE. if the Americans are interested there's at least a couple of UK gear manufacturers turning out modern variations in multicam, Jay Jays and Dragon Supplies plus British Tactical make MOLLE versions. They have different sets for different roles and will also customise stuff for customers.
Water bottle pouch has a pocket on the lid for water treatment capsules too
When I 1st enlisted it was '58 pattern webbing, but no one in my unit had it as issued, only those that were new to the battalion had kidney pouches as they were typically binned and extra water bottle pouches were used instead, hippo pads were a common option but some some of us had a cobler install boot lace eyelets to the edges of the pouches so they could be tied together and stop them bouncing around, then the Arktis sets came out and a lot of blokes bought those before the PLCE came out, when it came out a lot of us again were not happy and ended up modding them again, and ultimately ended up with custom made sets from companies like 'Dragon Supplies' which were a lot better as lot more thought into the way the were built, all the pouches were sewn together to a wider built in pad instead of a belt, the the pouches stay put and don't bounce around.
To answer your question, SOP for the Cdos in March 2003 was one smoke in a utility pouch and two frag in the other. Additional grenades and bandoliers went in a patrol pack.
South African rig was also v popular.
The tabs to secure magazines were just too unwieldy to be reliable so I stripped mine off and replaced them with strong velcro. Most lads used the right hand mag pouches for grenades or smoke and usually a weapon cleaning kit was in there somewhere since the SA-80 is pretty high maintenance.
Cool thanks
Use a roll pin buckle and a hippo pad. PLCE is also available in MTP Camouflage. Its very cost effective to make a Bug Out Load Carrying system. Its also IRR (Infra Red Night Vision) Camouflage coated. Robust, cheap and effective.
So cool to use British stuff
Agree
@@ModernTacticalShooting yeah
DPM is great in the forests in the UK and a majority of the UK it blends in far better than MTP. I think initially it was designed for use in Europe as a Cold War camo. Imo DPM and Desert DPM is cooler than MTP. You can also multi-use DPM in the desert at night, blends in better in the dark than Desert DPM oddly.
Jeff, I am currently running a kit from Carcajou tactical (Canadians) that's basically a modernized version of the PLCE. A bit pricey but for patrolling in non urban environments I'm really enjoying it. Just goes to show the concept works and is timeless.
Bro, you made my day. I use it too.
I see you dont have padding for it.
What I have is 4 water/utility pouches and mtp ifak. I use AK and it fits them perfectly.
From left: mags, esbit stove, ifak to the back, water and far right in front I have nav and optic but can put mags from backpack. Also in front of each hip I have mtp granade pouch.
My DPM pouches were bought betten for 2$ each. Im from Poland.
I'm a simple man... I see Jeff post a video, I watch that video
Back at you!
Honestly as a left handed shooter, the biggest upgrade is an ambi mag release.
Easily saves a half second on reloads by not having to physically reach up and strip the mag before going to the spare, being able to drop mag while simultaneously grabbing the other one just makes things much smoother and faster.
I agree 100%, the time it saves on a reload for left-handed shooting is basically necessary in my opinion. Double it with a Magpul B.A.D. lever or Troy Industries ambi lever( i prefer the Troy, but have both on different rifles) and reloads are super smooth
@@sta-tunedtactical i have a BAD lever and Troy Ambi mag release (in my opinion the best Ambi mag release. Due to its position, and lack of interference with a bad lever)
And a CMMG Ambi safety. Geissele charging handle (it's a 14.5 Geissele Super Duty upper on a Colt lower with an SSA-E)
@mrdark9916 yeah same the Troy mag release is with the rifle thst has the Troy ambi lever for the same reason
Do you use a Stag for lefties, and do you prefer an ambient safety, or would you be happier with a dedicated left-handed one?
@@dangvorbei5304 no I use a Geissele 14.5 Super Duty upper on a Colt lower.
I use a Troy Ambi mag release, BAD lever, CMMG Ambi safety selector and Geissele Ambi charging handle and a Geissele SSA-E trigger
In some ways I actually think using a right-handed rifle with Ambi controls is better. Because in the event of a issue (which basically never happens anyways because I use an extremely high quality upper receiver) I can actually see The bolt and carrier and immediately know what problem has occurred. And it allows me to use normal stock parts rather than needing a special proprietary bolt (although it's not a huge issue if you just keep a spare bolt in your pistol grip as I do anyways. A bolt, firing pin and retainer pin to be exact.)
With the controls set up the way I have them, the rifle is even more ergonomic for me as a lefty than a normal setup is for a righty as far as I'm concerned.
Even though PLCE has been fully replaced by VIRTUS, you’ll still see lots of infantry preferring to use PLCE webbing. Bit fiddly to put together as sometimes getting those black tabs in the belt can be a pain. Is also available in MTP not just DPM and Desert DPM.
I spent the first half of my career living in PLCE. As others have said, you'll need a bit of padding from a sleep-mat zip tied to the inside for extra comfort (especially if you're a racing snake). The new version is ok, with more options to add stuff but PLCE was bomb proof which is why you can still find it in good condition. Really enjoyed the video as well.
a 'racing snake' ?
@@pootytang2872A slim chap.
It’s crazy, before yesterday I came across a store that sells this webbing, and I hesitated to buy it. Today, I see your video, and you convinced me. I just placed my order, it was at a very reasonable price, used cat 1, at 45 £ with shipping here in Canada. All because I am not able to find the Alice harness of the 80s to go with my good old web belt. Thank you sir.
Awesome video, great to see PLCE getting some love. Used it in basic training, but British webbing’s changing a bit over time. Especially with the issued Virtus belts
General trend is they’ve leaned up a little bit. IFAK often replacing a utility pouch at the rear
Typically 2x double mag pouches on the left, with grenade pouches on the right. Low profile ‘stealth’ admin pouches work well behind these
Works best combined with mags and admin pouch on body armour. Cummerbunds with extra pouches as wallets/individuals desire
Back in the early 80s we were issued Vietnam era LBE and transitioned to the ALICE LBE, not the fancy Gucci stuff they have now. We had to improvise with duct tape, wire ties, and ranger bands/cut up bike inner tubes, nothing sexy but you made it work for you. We had two sets of everything, one for formations/inspections and the other modified set for deployment; which I still have today stuffed in a duffel bag, unless my wife threw it out when I wasn’t looking. Served in both Air Force and Army, in mostly peace time, except for that one time Central America, and by the time GWOT rolled around, I was in a medical logistics roll. Best time and best people ever - miss those guys!
Yep I joined in 89
The closure on those mag pouches reminds me of the old Vietnam era 20 round mag pouches.
Wonder if they copied it..
Nah that style of closure harkens back to before the second world war. Look at P37 web gear.
As a serving soldier who’s had to use PLCE I gotta say, when they were first introduced it was probably the best bit of kit out there. However first thing I did when I was out of basic was buy some commercial webbing. Those pouches are horrible to try and close especially on the move.
Interesting you bring up hunting, because i myself have started playing with the lbe method instead of backpacking in sometimes
And the great thing about a PLCE/LBE belt order + harness rig is that you can wear a shorter 3 day pack over the top without the two clashing.
Woah, the last time I was this early to a modern Tactical shooting video, I was still struggling to pull a pistol trigger correctly!
Loadout hasn't changed much in decades even if the colourscheme has. 2x LH ammo pouches hold your rifle mags (SA80 or Sharpshooter) AND NOTHING ELSE. 2xRH ammo pouches are for grenades, rifle cleaning kit or drink flask. RH ammo pouch often replaced with another utility pouch to carry section commander's kit, link, extra mags for the section etc. Water bottle pouch can hold the bottle, a very robust metal mug and a small folding stove. Utility pouches are slightly larger than WB and can carry a lot of stuff, like a set of mess tins stuffed with food for 24hrs. Most people fit as many utility pictures as they can across the back.
Spanish tab pouches are ditched as soon as you can get away with it. You're trained to close your pouch as the final step of a load/reload drill, and as a preparation to moving under fire. They are never fast to close, and slowness attracts the wrath of the NCOs.
Most infantry NCOs would wear a JayJays commanders webbing set (myself included). Still the gold standard for webbing in the British infantry.
@@joelyboy7 so how does the Virtus stuff do?
@@ModernTacticalShooting it’s dreadful. Poorly made and poorly thought out. Most infantry units went back to our older kit till Virtus got to its 3rd Generation. And still the 3rd generation begen (Pack) is mostly a copy of a PLCE bergen. The people who bought Virtus for the Army should be in prison for wasting so much money on kit no one asked for. All they needed to do was buy the kit all good infantry NCOs pay for to have tailored themselves. Could have saved the money for a better rifle, the new KS-1 that are coming in and give every man BNVDs and a better radio.
If you’re doing non-combat stuff in the field, like student evaluation, servicing nav points, or you’re the rescue dummy for CSAR birds, systems like this are a really good option. Compared to rucks they don’t pull you back as much during hoist. You’ll get fewer hot spots on long treks. And they let out the heat well. The downside is that they don’t make a good back rest, so if you’re riding in truck beds, or the 60’s don’t have the doors open, you’re probably not going to be as comfortable as you would be with a pack. Great video as always!
They’re like nigh on perfection for infantry stuff, yomping, etc. If I could get 25kg in my webbing for the CFT that’s how I did it, no messing with day packs.
They aren’t great for the non combat stuff imo, they’re a pain for getting in and out of vehicles. They had assault vests for that but they sucked when going prone.
I use to love the old DPM chest rig
These types of rigs are great for heavy loads on the go. Lots of surplus and private-company options to get them under $125. A chest rig may be better bump in the night but these are better for more serious long-term stuff. Also good for long hikes.
I've still got a set of 58 pattern webbing. I used the belt with five water bottle pouches in tandem with a chest rig for mags when in Iraq. Its was great for driving to a foot patrol point.
Jayjays UA-cam and sight explain what the more custom rig different are the setup and answer your question about smokes and frag storage, apparently one common customization is mag bunjy and folding the flaps back . EODFish also goes over a joayjays rig. It's an interesting kit and they keep the tactics of jungle war and African conflicts
I bought such an PLCE 2 months ago in an army store. its really nice! for those who love multicam like me, get one in MTP, fits perfect to Multicam!
PLCE craps all over Alice stuff, pretty bomb proof comparatively. The yoke for PLCE spreads the load better over your shoulders, over all quality is better too.
If you like this sort of kit look at the Crusader cooking system. Decent space saving.
PLCE is still issued to some extent in MTP pattern which is the British variation of multicam.
Quality has gone down hill though massively
Ah this takes me back - even 16 years later I still can't say what I'd prefer instead of PLCE on my belt. I was only ever Territorial, I was issued an entrenching tool, which you can imagine came off the belt and disappeared into the bergen in short order.
If I remember correctly I had six mags in the left pouches, bayonet frog, canteen full of water plus cup in the entrenching tool pouch, jetboil (they were gucci but the gas really didn't last for long exercises) in the next plus a few boil in the bags, rest of the rat pack in a third pouch, then sometimes smoke grenades, sometimes other stuff in the ammo pouches on the right. Bungee round the back pockets so tight you couldn't get the water bottle in or out by yourself (that's what your oppo did), hippo pad on the inside for increased comfort. Bungee was also great for adding local foliage.
Field dressing went in a leg pocket, maps/compass went in the smock. That was your fighting order for an attack. You then had the bergen that transferred weight through the PLCE rig, and when the bergen was in a Harbour area you dropped the rocket pouches off the side and used as a rucksack. Frankly they were the worst bit of the whole system, and we soon binned them off for a daysack, which was frankly stupidly top heavy when added to the top of your bergen.
It’s decent kit. I have one set up, got it for $50. I still prefer my old Alice belt, buttpack,H harness, 4 M16 pouches, 2 canteen pouches. I grew up with it and still love it.
In theory, the attachment methods were supposed to be used for different tactical situations, for example: if you were on normal everyday stuff or just patrol ops you could set up you rig using the large loops and keep the set-up as a permanent cinched down set-up. If you were doing Assault on entrenched/hard positions, the velcro and tab method could be used, to facilitate easy re-arrangement of pouches and ditch your rats and easy living gear quickly. The large flap and press stud attachment was supposedly used to facilitate the simple exchange of pouches, for a simple one for one resupply of water bottles and mission specific pouches (extra grenades, explosives, tech gear, ammo) for missions that are ammo/ water dependant, such as Urban, pro-longed assault. In reality, it was probably never really used in that way.
There are Velcro tabs under the pouch lids that were obviously for quick access to the pouches without the need to clip-unclip each time. Brand new Velcro was a pain to use, and it was often slower to peel open than to clip-unclip. Old vecro held nothing and would just flap around. There was always the thing of peeling open the velcro at night noise issue also. However, if the velcro was in good nick, not too new, not too old, it was useful for quick mag access and would keep them relatively secure for assaults.
I always ran a custom set-up on my rigs, often at the chagrin of my management. Before '95 was issued, I was using pouches, from the British company ARKTIS, and mixing it with my '58 patt. kit. I also was using their chest rig alongside the belt kit and wearing one of their combat smocks. They were probably the first real British independent webbing/clothing maker and they even applied for the contract to the make '95 patt. gear, but they lost out as the MOD considered them too small a company to fulfil the contract. It was largely believed that the majority of the '95 patt. gear was based on the ARKTIS designs. They do, though, supply the MOD and other British agencies with kit to this day. Check out their website (and no, I don't work for them😁). sorry for the long' comment'.😂
I'd recommend changing those clips out. You can look around and see lots of tailor jobs on them.
huge fan of the PLCE. Got one recently and in my opinion it laps the standard ALICE setup in basically every respect. Would love to see your take on the LBV-88/LBV-E.
Got to do the pouch up again after changing mag. Late eighties still using 58 pattern webbing. Early 90’s we brought Arktis chest rigs with Velcro flaps.
I've got a set of that DPM webbing knocking about in my shed. What some units did, when it came to the configuration of ammunition pouches, was you had the twin ammo pouches on the left hand side due to the fact the SA80 only fired right handed. To that end, right hand on pistol grip and change the mag left handed. On a side note, the empty magazine we put it down the front of the partly unzipped smock so we have them at the end of for example CQB, I understand what you are doing during magazine changes. The pouch that would be on the right hand side could be a utility pouch and in it you'd have the rifle cleaning kit, smoke grenades etc., in it. On my webbing, I fitting one of your ALICE first field dressing pouches to the home and was excellent for our FFD's at the time .
The plce 90 pattern webbing is what you have, 90pattern webbing changed to dpm camoflage in 1992, being seen in use by frontline units by end of 1993 as stocks were built up to begin widespread issue, soldier 95 is the clothing system introduced in 1995 as a replacement of all the previous patterns still being worn (a mix of 85pattern and 90 pattern smocks, trousers o/g ben Sherman shirts, green lightweight trousers etc, most units were eventually issued soldier 95 clothing system by late 1999/ mid 2000, the webbing equipment and Bergen (rucksack) remaining the 90 pattern in dpm, alot of brit kit gets the incorrect soldier 95 term even here in uk which should just be the clothing system,
When I was in, we never used the clips for the magazine pouches, just the velcro held it well enough
In the Swedish Armed Forces we used to have a Spanish Clip pouch for a single magazine, usually attached either on the left shoulder with the opening facing down, next to an ammo pouch or sometimes attached to the folding stock of the AK5 (FN FNC). It was called the "dueling pouch", the point was to have a single magazine that could be accessed very quickly, giving a fighting load of 60 rounds before having to dip into the ammo pouches.
It was the theory at least, in practice it wasn't very well liked, but the Spanish clip is a pretty good way of doing it.
I reccomend getting a 9 pouch molle webbing setup thats what i use that way you have an extra water bottle pouch and an admin pouch at the front its mor versitile and i recomend changing out the yoke for a more comfortable one which disperses the weight so you feel like it isnt even on
got one from way back when I did SAR stacking. beats a pack
the only gripe is the fabric of the mag pouches are way too heavy.
even with 90s standard it's way too much, cfp90 and FLC make way more sense in terms of this.
(yeah i got it, the water proof may be important, and PU coating on FLC don't age well)
AR set-up looks pretty good too.
58 pattern, with a mix of 44 water bottle pouches, so durable, yet was heavy when wet
Its similarity to British infantry WW2 webbing is odd given how long ago that was. The ammo pouches were officially for carrying Bren gun mags (every soldier was expected to carry some for the squad LMG). In reality, they could carry anything. You can find historical photos of soldiers with half a dozen fitted to the webbing. If you can find and original (with the odd belt clasp and brass fittings, you could test it.
You have the mags in wrong they should be in flat to the body! 2 pouches were for grenades or snacks, we also had the scabbard holder for bayonet on the back and a folding shovel now if you have a plce bergen as well the 2 side packs can directly connect to your webbing giving additional load carrying capability we called them rocket packs but we're super useful for carrying additional food, ammo, goretex coveralls
I liked my M1956 pouches because they were silent and don't break, unlike ALICE closures. They're small, though.
Thanks for this video, I'm actually in England and trying to build an ALICE rig but now I think I'll take the easier option and have a hybrid ALICE/PLCE system. The PLCE belt definitely looks more adjustable for a start
Lefties are so cool
Need another utility pouch in there mate.
Brings the ammo pouches either side slightly further round.
Also attach a bit of role matt to cover the belt/buckles.
Makes it extremely comfortable to wear.
@@vrsmartin2981 yes
Thank god I got one before this video.
Good video!
My personal experience, is that this stuff is way too wide, and hot. When I’m hunting, a backpack generates too much heat, makes me sweaty and cold.
The British PLCE is functional, but it also generates tons of heat. And those tabs maybe a little faster, but trying to get them snapped back with one hand is murder.
ALICE gear, in my experience, doesn’t generate that much heat, and is a million times easier to snap with one hand.
Cheaper to 😁
It is impossible to generate heat .
@@alangordon3283 You wouldn’t understand bud.
man that webbing looks all jacked up. Check out genuine JayJays gen 3 PLCE belt kit and patrol yoke
Ive looked very robust, but Im a cheap bastard
Glad to see the PLCE getting attention, a lot of great foreign gear gets overlooked here since there’s such a focus on American and occasionally Russian stuff. Lots of very very high quality stuff out of Europe.
Curious to see what you think of old SADF pattern 83 battle jackets from South Africa
Best rig I ever wore while I was in the ADF, albeit with a couple of mods. Nothing ADI developed/issued came close. Ditto with some of chesties from SORD and Platatac.
The ammo pouch dimensions are such that frags cannot accidentally deploy whilst carried in them I believe.
If you don't like DPM, then just get them in MTP.. the British army issued PLCE in MTP from 2010 before swapping from PLCE to Virtus.. I have mixture of parts on my webbing, I use a Blackhawk multicam belt with a 'cobra' buckle, PLCE-MTP ammo pouches & the rest is MTP-Virtus..
Always appreciate your gear reviews, and finding out about useful new kit I can field test. If you get a chance, I'd love to see a video on chow and water in the field you could use in place of MREs, and methods of cooking that are less likely to give away your position.
I carried the old 58 pattern webbing and then in 1st Gulf War had the early green plastic PLCE i wasnt a fan, we had our 58 pattern sorted, yes it was old fashioned but with a bungie or in some cases pouches sown together it became moulded to us and made fire and maneuvering easy. The big improvement was fitting the pouches and the adjustable belt which made life easier. In my pouches i carried ammo, mess tins and cooker, rations, water bottles x 2 depending on theatre and ration type, respirator, first aid kit, batteries, spare socks and wool hat for evening, survival kit, torch, poncho and bayonet. That was as a rifleman, in GW1 i carried the GPMG so ammo was belts of 7.62, usually broken down to 50/100/200 and my team would carry spare barrels and in backup the tripod and C2 sight for Sustained Fire mode.
@@mattp7828 Thays way more gear than a standard Alice system could carry.
@@ModernTacticalShooting funnily enough my personal back pack was an Alice pack, I liked it because of quick release straps, metal frame and that it was short so I could lie down and still lift my head which was impossible with issued Bergans.
We would have at least 4 utility pouches and replace the belt buckle with a roll pin. I would put my bayonet frog on top of my rear pouches so it was easy to grab with my left hand. Most of the guys would customise this rig to their own preference.
@David-y7t7m i thought of purchasing another utility pouch, yes 4 is what I've seen in most pictures
Its still great for weird loadouts and weapons with crazy shaped/sized mags.....though it looks odd combined with a plate carrier.
Better to use a newer load carrier setup if your using a plate carrier.
I used 90 pattern PLCE back in the day. Good stuff.
Regards stoves, they have switched to MRE style heaters..however the real deal is to take a jetboil
I had an older set that had both green and DPM pouches that I put together myself, I used only utility pouches which were huge, I could fit 10 M16 mags in one pouch! though I never patrolled with that many in one pouch. I now have a MTP (Brit multicam) airborne set which has 4 mag pouches and 4 utility pouches that are all sown together, very nice. p.s. you are missing the hip padding belt that sits between you and the belt/pouches.
I get the 'history' aspect and appreciation for the different systems. I prefer LBE belt/harness systems and have been quite satisfied with modified/upgraded ALICE gear. I have quite a bit of USGI MOLLE gear also and mix and match at will to suit my needs. I don't see great advantages in the same type of systems - ALICE/PLCE/DZ Rigs but big differences between system types like LBE, LBVs, chest rigs and PCs. Each system has it's place IMO. In any case Jeff - good review!
Great review video! Thanks for making it.
After watching this video I bought a 95 plce I didn’t get a full set I got the 2 double ammo pouches, 2 water bottle pouches. And that’s it but I paid £35 for a class 1 rig. So I’m happy.
Good deal
Great Vid Jeff. The PLCE can be easily obtained here in Poland. There is even a multicam (British) version!
This setup with a micro chest rig would be perfect!