Coyote Brown Gear Porn

[azsarge]

My I-RACK:


The SDS "Brickhouse" Material.  500 Denier Cordura with 1000 Denier interwoven, hence the funny pattern.  Lighter than 1000D, but just as tough (supposedly).  I think my Grandma has some pillows covered in this stuff...


Inside of Battle Lab M4 mag pouch, showing rubberized retention material.  Makes losing a mag damn near impossible, even with lids tucked.  NEATO!


Side zip entry and MEGAFORCE hand-sign.


It's an Improved RACK made by SDS.  Coyote Brown.  The pouches are Battle Lab from Diamondback Tactical in Peoria (left to right):
Small General Purpose (very nicely made, 2 layers of Cordura at the base!)
2x M4 Mag Double Double
Small radio pouch (fits an FRS radio and systems such as ICOM F4)
Up top is the BattleLab Admin/flashlight pouch.

Battle Lab makes some kickass pouches!  I used to buy Paraclete, but this stuff is really cool, high quality, costs less, and I can go pick it right up from DBT rather than ordering online!  I am really pleased.

Not shown is the spiffy 6004 holster adapter.  I have my 6004 mounted on the right side of the kit, under my arm.  It's out of the way, and off my leg.  Still handy if I need it in a pinch, but seeing as I probably won't even fire my weapon as a Recon dude, I don't need it up front.

This kit is not finished.  I am going to add a triple pistol mag pouch, and some other "accessories" to make it more user-friendly.  I'll paint those buckles tan, and replace the zipper pulls on that GP with 550 cord.  I'll also move that admin pouch to the side and stick a knife there, strobe underneath.  I also have some badges in the mail.

The SDS Coyote and Battle Lab Coyote do not match, but this thing holds my sh*t so I can't complain.  I told you Coyote Brown was dead sexy!8)

**Thanks to Raith for snapping, editing, and hosting the pics!**

[Firehead]

Looks good, C. I'm likin' that vest alot. I would like to see what the back looks like though. Is it a solid back panel, or a cross dealie, like a Hellcat? I'm not sure, i see what *could* be some kind of back panel, but its covered by the bib. How much the entire setup cost?

[TimW]

Is that the Berry Compliant SDS stuff or the Made In Vietnam commercial stuff?

[azsarge]

Looks good, C. I'm likin' that vest alot. I would like to see what the back looks like though. Is it a solid back panel, or a cross dealie, like a Hellcat? I'm not sure, i see what *could* be some kind of back panel, but its covered by the bib. How much the entire setup cost?

It's not a vest, it's a Chest Rig.

The back has a neat little diamond shaped (ok, a square, but tilted) panel that holds the straps.  This panel also attaches a drag handle.  I'll get some pics of it soon.

As for the cost, the I-RACK was 65 shipped from ebay (49.99 +shipping from SDS, but good luck ever getting it), and the Battle Lab prices are on the DBT site.  Of course, I did not pay retail.

[azsarge]

Is that the Berry Compliant SDS stuff or the Made In Vietnam commercial stuff?

The latter.  I want a US made vesion, but I hear the I-RACK is hard, if not impossible, to find in CB.

That tag kills me!  

My "Made in USA" Battle Lab stuff kind of makes up for it, though.

[azsarge]

Also note in that last pic how well the color goes with woodland.

I'm tellin' ya, Coyote is the heat!  I also hear it's "in" this fashion season.  They're calling it the "nuveau chartreusse".

[Airsofter1]

I think my Grandma has some pillows covered in this stuff...

Don't lie, that IS your grandmas pillow!!!  

You forgot to mention those ultra cool SDS logos on the ends of the straps...

[busta_cap]

Hey Christian Did you happen to check out any other of the BL stuff when you were over at DBT picking up your stuff? I am definatately getting a few pouches but I wondered what their "DETLOC" system is on their pistol mag pouches. Does anyone know?

[Firehead]

I wondered what their "DETLOC" system is on their pistol mag pouches. Does anyone know?

Not 100% sure, but I think its one of those systems similar to talonflex(which you dont need a flap to hold the mags in place, it is so tight on them, they don't go anywhere.

[azsarge]

Hey Christian Did you happen to check out any other of the BL stuff when you were over at DBT picking up your stuff? I am definatately getting a few pouches but I wondered what their "DETLOC" system is on their pistol mag pouches. Does anyone know?

Call them and ask.  

I think Firehead is right though.

[Dust2Dust]

Hey... there's no porn here!

Bad ass tho

[Shado]

This may be a dumb question, but since I dont know the answer, I'll ask anyway:  Is Coyote Brown and Coyote Tan the same or not?

[TimW]

Shado,

There is no such thing as a dumb question, but I'll give you points for effort.

Coyote Tan
Coyote Brown
Camel Tan
Coyote Khaki

They could all be same or they could all be different. It depends on the manufacturer.  The official color is Coyote 498, and that color is the chocolate brown color that is in the 3-color DCU and the brown color in the USMC MCCU uniforms.

And I've even seen variations in the color betwen makers, too.  The Coyote Brown from SpecOps is slightly different than the Coyote Brown used by Camelbak, which is a little different from the Coyote Brown I recall from Specter Gear.  But they are all close.

What's funny is that the saying "what's old is new again" really applies.  The South African Defense Forces (or 'defence' as they spelled it!!) used a color called "Nutria Brown", which is almost, if not identical, the same color as Coyote 498.

Blackhaw's Camel/Coyote Tan is more of a Khaki color, akin to the Matt Johnson Khaki used by Eagle or High Speed Gear's Khaki, which is more a true Khaki as used during WWII.  

And for those who wants a history lesson, the word "khaki" is a Hindi word meaning "muddy"/"dirty", and was used to describe the uniforms of the British soldiers who got all filthy after riding and fighting while they were the colonial rulers of India.

[azsarge]

This may be a dumb question, but since I dont know the answer, I'll ask anyway:  Is Coyote Brown and Coyote Tan the same or not?

Yes and No.

The color of my gear is Coyote Brown.  It's darker than Tan, and blends well in many environments.

To me, Tan is tan.  I don't care whether it's called Coyote Tan, Camel Tan, or Desert Tan.  It's light, yellow, and only blends with desert sand environments.  Alot of gear companies are calling the color of cordura they use "Coyote Tan" to tap into the popularity of Coyote BROWN.  I think that's lame, so I made sure to check before I bought my pouches.

As you can see in the pics, the SDS Coyote and Battle Lab Coyote are different.  The Battle Lab is more Brown, almost like a dark Khaki.

The ONLY way to tell what you're getting is to kow the colors the different gear makers use.  Email them and ask for comparison photos.  Ask for fabric samples in the mail, and don't rest until you find what you want!  One of the main reasons I chose Battle Lab gear is because it comes in a True Brown Coyote, not just a regular tan they call coyote.  Interestingly enough, BattleLab gear comes in Coyote Brown -AND- Camel Tan, as well as Ranger Green -AND- OD.  By doing this, they show that there IS a difference.

They all call it something different, but when it comes down to it you either have Coyote BROWN gear, or you don't!

[studdermonkey]

Just wanted to say, loved the gear porn.

Awesome gear.