u/LifeElectrical6717

Yeah, this is reupload, bcs I'm dumb and wrote title incorrectly

Sooo, list of all stuff

Apparel

· G99 L5 Anorak

· G99 L5 СР

· Arcteryx Leaf Sphinx Pants*

· Arcteryx Leaf Gryphon*

· Arcteryx Leaf Cold Hoody Wx*

· Spiritus Systems Mission Rugby

· Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX

· Arcteryx Leaf FR Balaclava gen.2

· PIG Delta+

Plate Carrier

· SS LV-120

· SS Back Panel Assault Core

· SS Back Panel GP Flap

· SS Spud Pouch*

· SS EMP*

· SS GP Medium

· SS Side Armor Bags*

· SS Branch Box*

· SS MK5*

· SS TEMP

· SS Pangolin Flap

· SC RAM Elastic Insert*

· AXL Structural Shoulders

· SS Tubes Shoulder Strap

· FC Roll 1*

· FC SEAR

· FC Bang Insert Triple

· SS GP Padded Insert*

· SS Microfiber Lense Cloth*

Belt

· FC Bora Belt

· SS JSTA Pouch*

· FC KSAR

· SS GP Small

· SS SPUD Pouch*

· FC Banger Pocket

· Zentauron Frog Lanyard

Chest Rig

· SS MK6*

· SS CCS Pouch*

· DBC SF Mount

· FS Single 40mm Pouch*

· SS Fat Straps*

· FC Wingman V2

· SS Sack Pouch*

Helmet

· Ops Core Fast SF Bump*

· 3M Peltor Comtac XPI

· BNVD1431

· ARC Adapters

· FC PVS31 Battery Retention System*

· Nocturn Industries Altha Mount*

· S&S Precision Manta Strobe*

Blaster

· BCM 11.5

· SureFire Scout Light

· MAWL-DA

· Aimpoint T2

· Unity Tactical Micro T-2

· Irregular Defence MRC

· B5 Systems Bravo Stock

· Irregular Defence Feer

· SS Reverso Sling

· Surefire Socom 5.56

I'm too lazy to take a group photo with all the clothes, so I made a full list instead, in case you're interested.

Apparel

· G99 L5 Anorak

· G99 L5 СР

· Arcteryx Leaf Sphinx Pants*

· Arcteryx Leaf Gryphon*

· Arcteryx Leaf Cold Hoody Wx*

· Spiritus Systems Mission Rugby

· Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX

· Arcteryx Leaf FR Balaclava gen.2

· PIG Delta+

Plate Carrier

· SS LV-120

· SS Back Panel Assault Core

· SS Back Panel GP Flap

· SS Spud Pouch*

· SS EMP*

· SS GP Medium

· SS Side Armor Bags*

· SS Branch Box*

· SS MK5

· SS TEMP

· SS Pangolin Flap

· SC RAM Elastic Insert*

· AXL Structural Shoulders

· SS Tubes Shoulder Strap

· FC Roll 1*

· FC SEAR

· FC Bang Insert Triple

· SS GP Padded Insert*

· SS Microfiber Lense Cloth*

Belt

· FC Bora Belt

· SS JSTA Pouch*

· FC KSAR

· SS GP Small

· SS SPUD Pouch

· FC Banger Pocket

· Zentauron Frog Lanyard

Chest Rig

· SS MK6

· SS CCS Pouch

· DBC SF Mount

· FS Single 40mm Pouch*

· SS Fat Straps

· FC Wingman V2

· SS Sack Pouch*

Helmet

· Ops Core Fast SF Bump

· 3M Peltor Comtac XPI

· BNVD1431

· ARC Adapters

· FC PVS31 Battery Retention System

· Nocturn Industries Altha Mount*

· S&S Precision Manta Strobe*

Blaster

· VFC BCM 11.5

· SureFire Scout Light

· MAWL-DA

· Aimpoint T2

· Unity Tactical Micro T-2

· Irregular Defence MRC

· B5 Systems Bravo Stock

· Irregular Defence Feer

· SS Reverso Sling

· Surefire Socom 5.56

I often encounter the fact that many people don't understand what the point of structural cummerbunds actually is. Some even naively believe that JPC cummerbunds are the same thing, since they also have Tegris inside. I want to try to explain what exactly the purpose of structural cummerbunds is.

Let's start with a fairly simple and straightforward analogy — a hiking backpack with a hip belt. The belt isn't just there to make the pack sit tighter against the body. It allows redistributing part of the load from the shoulders to the pelvis and torso, making the system more stable and comfortable in motion. With a structural cummerbund, the situation is somewhat similar, though directly comparing these two systems is, of course, not entirely correct, but for general understanding it'll do.

When a structural cummerbund is properly tightened, it forms a rigid structure around the torso, connecting the front and rear plate bags. First and foremost, this improves the stability of the entire system: the front and rear plates are better held in their designated position and shift less during movement, running or bending.

The advantages become especially noticeable when the load on the plate bags is unevenly distributed. For example, you've got three magazines up front, and a heavy zip panel on the back. A rigid cummerbund helps the entire construction maintain its shape and not turn into two separate plates connected by underwear elastic.

But stability is far from its only advantage. Shoulder straps remain the primary element holding the plate bags on the body, but a rigid cummerbund is capable of transferring part of the load to the lower and lateral areas of the torso. As a result, the load is distributed not only across the shoulders but over a larger contact area with the body. This doesn't turn cummerbunds into a full-fledged load-bearing waist belt, but it does reduce the concentration of load exclusively on the shoulders.

But what exactly distinguishes structural cummerbunds from regular ones? Inside a structural cummerbund, a rigid or semi-rigid element is used. Nowadays, such elements are most often CURV or Tegris.

It is the layer (or rather layers) of thermoplastic composite materials that allows the cummerbund to maintain its shape and function not only as tensioned straps but also as a structural element of the entire plate carrier.

A regular soft cummerbund practically has no such capability. No matter how tightly you cinch it, the straps primarily serve a connecting function: they pull the front and rear plate bags together, but on their own they don't create the rigid support structure that rigid cummerbunds provide.

A structural cummerbund, in turn, becomes part of the load-bearing structure of the plate carrier. It helps bind the front and rear parts of the system into a single whole, maintain their position relative to the torso, and better resist deformation under load.

But structural cummerbunds have one... nuance. They contact the body primarily on the sides. For comparison, a full harness can create a more distributed support system and have a larger contact area with the torso. A cummerbund, in fact, rests on relatively narrow lateral zones.

And here a lot depends on the user's build and the geometry of the plate carrier itself. On one person, the cummerbund will "hug" the torso tightly and stably, while on another the contact area will prove insufficient. In that case, even a fairly rigid construction won't be able to fully realize its potential: the plate carrier may feel less stable, and part of the load will still concentrate on the shoulders.

Fortunately, this problem can be solved, and quite simply at that. You just need to increase the contact area with additional modules (oooh, those evil manufacturers warming up poor boys to buy extra gear).

The first option — side pouches for plates or other ballistic elements. They increase the area through which the cummerbund interacts with the torso. Thanks to this, the system gains a wider support base and wraps around the body more snugly.

Moreover, if we're talking about ballistic solutions, like Ferro, where the side elements aren't positioned purely on the sides but run along the entire base of your body, almost extending under the plate bags, they themselves become part of the overall load-bearing structure, so this solution can simultaneously improve both stability and load distribution.

The second option — Micro Harness from AXL. Parting goys from their money, of course, but still. A slightly different approach is used here, where wings are added in the back that give the system additional contact points with the torso and create a more pronounced "hugging" effect from behind. The essence is generally the same as the option above, but the hugging effect it provides comes at a more important and primary point — the back.

I hope I've managed to convey the main point: the essence of a structural cummerbund isn't just about attaching even more pouches to it. Its task is significantly broader: the rigid internal element turns the cummerbund from a simple connecting element into part of the load-bearing structure of the vest. It helps stabilize the front and rear plates, reduces their relative displacement, and allows distributing the load not only through the shoulder straps but also through the lateral surfaces of the torso.

At the same time, a structural cummerbund is not a magic stick. Its effectiveness directly depends on the architecture of the platebags, the individual's build, and, most importantly, on how well the entire system is fitted to the specific person.

Therefore, a good structural cummerbund isn't just a way to cinch the vest tighter and attach all sorts of things. It's an element of the overall load-bearing system whose task is to make that system more stable, rigid, and better at distributing load across the torso.

Alright, it's been almost three months since I got the LV-120 and started using it pretty actively. So I'm finally ready to share what I'd call a fairly well-formed opinion by now. Let me state right away: this isn't an attempt to deliver some final verdict on the system. It's more my impressions after three months of use, where you've already had time to notice not just the neat engineering solutions, but also all the little things that either start to annoy you or, conversely, pleasantly surprise you.

• PlateBags

I'll start with the core of the entire system – the plate bags. First and foremost, I want to talk about the shoulder straps, because that's what most of the chatter has been about. And, in my opinion, for good reason. They truly articulate well and adjust to your body shape very easily. At the same time, the straps turned out to be extremely low-profile and practically don't interfere with shouldering a weapon at all. For me, this is one of the main advantages of the design: nothing extra sticks out, nothing gets in the way of the stock, and you don't have to change your habitual weapon-handling mechanics. However, one question remains: how well will these straps hold up to dragging a person by them? Some people have doubts about this, and I completely understand where those doubts come from. I was dragged around a bit by these straps, and everything was absolutely fine. But let's be honest: I'm far from being a 100kg, so considering this experience a full-fledged strength test would be pretty foolish. Their long-term reliability remains an open question.

The second point I want to specifically mention is the cable management. It's implemented really well here. You can properly place practically any PTT on the plate bag itself, and more importantly, you can route the wire so that it barely sticks out anywhere, doesn't snag on surroundings, and doesn't interfere with working with the system. Moreover, there are quite a few routing options, and they all work well.

On the rear plate bag, you can notice the rigid side elements. These elements form a sort of articulated radius along the edge of the plate bag, thanks to which the cummerbund is supposed to reliably retract back during movement.

I've heard from some FCPC users about a problem where the cummerbund would stretch but then wouldn't retract properly back. One possible reason could indeed have been that it was catching on the plate bag and didn't have enough of a radius to function correctly. I haven't encountered this myself, so I won't claim that was definitely the case. But from a design standpoint, the LV-120 solution looks quite logical.

Now, a bit about the inside of the plate bag. It uses a combination of mesh, laminate, and X-Pac. And this affects two rather important things.

The first is plate installation. The plate goes in here incredibly tightly. Whereas with the Ferro, I exerted virtually no effort and the plate just slid in like it belonged there, with the LV-120, I literally had to shove it in with my foot. But once installed, the plate sits so tightly and monolithically that even with the flap completely open, I seriously doubt it could fall out on its own.

The second thing is ventilation. And here I have to admit that the LV-120 made me reconsider my attitude towards mesh. After my experience with the SPC, I wasn't a big fan of it at all. But here, it turned out completely different. Even in extreme heat and during active movement, I was significantly more comfortable than I expected. The material wicks moisture and sweat away well and dries very quickly. Compared to the Ferro, where the inner surface is largely represented by spandex and laminate, which inherently do little to promote ventilation and drying, the difference is felt very strongly. And this is perhaps one of those things that's hard to judge from photos. Until you've worn the system for several hours in the heat, you just don't realize how much such a small detail affects comfort.

• Cummerbunds

And now – the star of the show. Reactive Cummerbunds. This is where the system becomes especially interesting.

They are very cool. Firstly, they are indeed rigid. Significantly stiffer than the Ferro. If you put them next to, say, a 3AC, the latter feels practically like papier-mâché in comparison.

Secondly, they are made on a one-size-fits-most principle. I might use this feature twice a year, but I like the principle itself, so why not. Although, comparing it to the solution from Shaw Concepts, in my opinion, their idea is implemented a bit simpler and faster. But that's more a matter of personal preference.

The most interesting part starts with how these cummerbunds stretch. I was never a big fan of shock cords. Especially after I had to tie that damn shibari on the SPC. That was a nightmare. And even after all that suffering, the cummerbund on the SPC didn't give me enough stretch, which prevented me from getting a full range of motion for a proper deep breath.

With the LV-120, everything is completely different. Not only does the cummerbund adjust in literally seconds, but it also provides an absolutely amazing range for breathing. And most importantly – you can adjust this range yourself. Want to tighten the system more – no problem. Need more freedom for breathing – also not an issue. As a result, the vest can be really precisely tailored to your own physique without sacrificing comfort.

And there's another very important point here – maintainability. Any elastic wears out sooner or later. It's just a matter of time. And while on a Ferro, Agilite, and most similar systems, replacing it yourself is practically impossible – the only option is to take the cummerbund to a seamstress who will rip open the construction, take out the old elastic, install a new one, and then sew it all back up. With shock cord, everything is much simpler. It wears out – you put in a new one. A 5-second job without "20-minute adventures."

And so... TUBES. I'll probably never again encounter such a cool integration of quick-release systems as on the 3AC. And honestly, it's a shame. I've said it before and will continue to repeat it: a cummerbund where you can't swap the quick-release for another one, or at least install a Velcro system, is a rather questionable idea. Fortunately, they decided to use TUBES here, and I have no issues with the quick-release mechanisms themselves. They are light, comfortable, and work exactly as you'd expect. After these, I definitely wouldn't want to go back to Velcro – and even less so to a cobra buckle. But the overall concept still seems debatable to me. Let's say I somehow manage to completely wreck the TUBES. What then? How do I replace it in the field? Yes, I can buy a new one in a store and install it, but I don't know, man. I know that almost every other manufacturer makes built-in quick-release systems, and the same classy integration as on Ferro is found in only a handful of models, but I don't want to just accept this. Essentially, I'm tied to the manufacturer's specific solution, and I won't be able to swap it out for a different quick-release system on my own.

Another point – the three-strap cummerbund. I'm not the biggest fan of this height. I'm not tall myself, so I periodically have conflicts between various gear items and my belt anyway. And here the cummerbund adds to it. For me personally, this didn't become a critical problem – I was able to set everything up fine. But the question arises: what about the dwarves? Why it wasn't possible to make an additional option with a two-strap cummerbund, like they did at Shaw Concepts, is not entirely clear to me. But, let's say, okay.

The LV-120 is a very cool and really well-thought-out vest. And yes, don't be surprised that I constantly mention Ferro here. I've used the FCPC the longest, so it's easiest for me to compare my experience to it. With the FCPC, I saw issues – not critical, of course, but nevertheless, they showed certain flaws, sometimes stupid ones – starting with release issues like the design of the plate bag flap, which they fortunately fixed pretty quickly, and ending with problems that remained unchanged, like plate sagging.

With the LV-120, I genuinely get the feeling that this system was thought through down to the smallest details, trying to preemptively rule out many potentially critical fuck-ups. Of course, there are nuances. And I don't consider the LV-120 to be some kind of ideal system without a single drawback, but it covers my personal tasks and requirements 100%. It's comfortable, it positions the plate bags correctly, it allows you to breathe normally, etc. It provides numerous small engineering solutions that might seem insignificant individually, but ultimately come together into one cohesive picture. And I like this picture.

Sooooo, it looks pretty good. I've been using the FСPС for two years now, recently started running with side soft armor, and for me, it's been the most comfortable pc.

The 120 has really cool cummerbunds, which are not only more structured than the Ferro's, but also much easier to unfasten. Seriously, I haven't encountered a better elastic system yet. The shoulder articulation is also noteworthy, it's decent.

We'll see what happens, but for now I can say that the 120 is a more well-thought-out platform with more features and potential for future modules. Will it be more comfortable than the FCPC with SoftArmor? We'll see.