|
|
Reviews
|
Views
|
Date of last review
|
|
1
|
13163
|
29/11/07
|
|
|
Recommended By
|
Average Price
|
Average Rating
|
|
100% of reviewers
|
£20.00
|
7.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Description:
|
Another version of the popular South African assault vest. Features fully adjustable shoulders and waist, skeleton construction with padded shoulders, back and waist. Internals are constructed with rubberised mesh which adds to the stability of the vest when worn.
Pouches are a nylon material, closed with velcro and are sized and designed to support a large variety of field uses from storage of a poncho to spare ammunition, cartridges and magazines. Rear pouch is long and narrow and can be made to take a hydration system. An inexpensive all-rounder.
|
|
Keywords:
|
MARPAT SAAV Assault Vest
|
|
Homepage/URL:
|
http://www.flecktarn.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
Jason-Alaska
Registered: September 2004
Location: Alaska, USA BABY!
Posts: 102
|
|
Review Date: 29/11/07
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £20.00
| Rating: 7
|
|
Positive aspects of the product (pros):
|
Cost, Versatility, MARPAT pattern, Pockets and pouches
|
|
Cons:
|
Lower quaility build, Needed drainage holes added, Uses cinch buckles not clip buckles
|
|
This thing has deeper pockets then a kangaroo!
I hesitated to post this review and just keep the MARPAT SAAV to myself, but a great piece of gear from a great seller just needs to be shared with my fellow Airsofters.
My wife got me a South African Assault vest in MARPAT(ish) camo for my birthday on my request. She ordered it from http://www.flecktarn.co.uk It arrived in just under 2 weeks. Not bad considering Alaska is on the other side of the planet from Great Britain! The vest is available in most common camo types and some exotic types and the features are the same on all of them.
The vest just arrived much to my delight. I tore into the air-mail package apprehensively because at the time, (Late 2003) I had never seen any MARPAT tactical gear anywhere, and having to go all the way to the UK to order a U.S. camo pattern concerned me a little. But on closer inspection the camo is so close to the real USMC MARPAT camo I'm surprised it is not a regulation issue item. The camo on the vest is just a little darker. This difference is so slight you can only see it up close. It could be attributed to the fact my MARPAT BDUs have been through the wash 20(+) times. But again the colors are so close this is a non-issue.
It has more pockets then advertised and dividers in the magazine pockets to keep mags from clanking together in their pockets. It has 2 large pockets on the hips, one on each side With a fast open dump mag hole on each. These large hip pouches would easily fit 5 or 6 P90 mags each. On the back, 2 pockets (one atop the other) that run down the spine with a divider between the two. Removing this divider, a simple task with a seam ripper, converts the two pouches to one huge pouch roomy enough for my 100oz Camelbak. The zippers are all quality and the stitching is double stitched in any areas that are load bearing (the compression straps for example).
It also has a map pocket, pen pockets and 10 pockets on the front. It has 4 areas for size adjustment. One on each shoulder (2 straps each) and one on each hip (5 straps each). It's also mesh lined for breathability and the shoulders are padded.
The only things I see that need improvement:
A.) It needs some drainage holes on the larger pockets. The smaller pockets don't need drainage holes added because they are mesh backed. (These are cheap and easy to add.)
B.) The large hip pockets use a compression buckle instead of a locking fast-tec buckle for easy access. The fix for this is only $4.00 away with the removal of the compression buckles and the addition of the fast-tec buckles. (R.E.I. here I come)
Image Details
1.) Vest by itself to see pouch detail.
2.) Same view with genuine MARPAT BDU underneath.
3.) Detail of back.
All in all it's a $50 vest that has the features of a much more expansive "real" tactical vest and it's in a MARPAT pattern. I love it and will post more about this great vest as I get a chance to use it this spring here in Alaska.
US Marine wearing a desert color SAAV on the cover of Time.
Full image and story available here:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/archive/covers/0,16641,1101040308,00.html
--UPDATE (1/30/06)--
I have added drainage holes to the larger pockets (cost $6) and converted the plastic cinch-down buckles to fast-tec buckles (cost $8) and can now get into the pockets in a hurry. These cheap additions only cost $12 and took about an hour to sew. Well worth the effort as it makes an already versatile vest even better.
Here are some other reviews on the SAAV for other people looking for a great bargain on an assault vest.
Practical Airsoft:
http://www.practicalairsoft.co.uk/sa-vest.asp
Airsoft Ohio:
http://www.airsoftohio.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=17
|
|
|
|
| Users |
62,111 |
| Products |
953 |
| Reviews |
1,876 |
| Views |
13,458,296 |
| Sun | Mon |
Tue | Wed |
Thu | Fri |
Sat | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | | |
|
Registered: September 2004
Location: Alaska, USA BABY!