This week we got our hands on one of the simplest and most elegant pieces of gear I have ever seen. So simple, in fact, that this review will probably be short on words. Which in this case is a feature, not a bug. It’s right there in the name, the Minimalist. Sewn together in Ohio by Gadsden Dynamics, they mean it.
One of the problems that come from getting a Molle Vest or chest rig is the immediate desire to cover it in every whiz-bang pouch you can lay hands to. And I get it, we’ve all been there. Gadsden short circuits that immediately by having zero ability to add to the chest rig. What you see is what you get. And that package has value all in itself.
The Minimalist Chest Rig wasn’t meant to drop from a dark sky into Kandahar and run a 9-day recce mission. It was meant for the armed citizen, more and more the modern-day minute man, to have some easily accessible “stuff”. The magazine in your gun might be fine for immediate home defense, but more and more we can see a grey area of citizen need. If your city is on fire, you might want some extra go bang. But still do not need the full Seal Team Ranger load out.
And that niche is perfectly fit by the Minimalist, as well as its little brother the Underground Partisan Chest rig. The Minimalist holds 4 rifle magazines in very secure individual elastic webbing pouches, with pistol mag pouches sewn on the front of them. The Partisan is even more streamlined, holding just the 4 rifle magazines.
The chest rig is held up by a wide cut of flat nylon webbing, in an H harness style. It is fully adjustable for user preference, so you can carry it high or low on your torso. A lower fastex strap keeps the rig secure to your body, and from flopping around during high cardio events. The rear back strap doubles as a drag handle, should the worst case happen.
All in all, the Minimalist Chest Rig is very akin to the old school SKS or AK style Chicom rigs, though updated with modern materials and design. And that is in no way an insult. It has one purpose and does that purpose exceedingly well. It is easily concealable under a light jacket and comes in a color scheme to fit that. It is also at home in the woods in its Copperhead or Multicam variants.
Either as a supplement to a belt kit or a stand-alone security item, this chest rig is absolutely dynamite. And at a price of $104-$112 USD, very hard to argue with. This is not only one of the best things I have ever bought, but I am also thinking of buying another one in a different color. It’s that good. This is one I strongly recommend while the lead time is still only 1 to 3 days because that will change as people catch on. Tell’em Clay sent you, and he needs the shotgun version for….. reasons.
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