Saturday, January 25, 2020

Best Chest Rig for the Money? Helikon-Tex Numbat Chest Pack



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Today I'm reviewing the Helikon-Tex Numbat Chest Pack;
is it the best Chest Rig on the Market Today?

….

Agenda Free Link : https://www.helikon-tex.com/en_usd/tb-nmb-cd-chest-pack-numbat.html

Price : Retail price is $65 – That’s what I paid on Amazon.  When I looked at the cost last night, I couldn’t find them for this price as the sellers there were offering these for $75 plus shipping.  $55.25 on the Helikon-Tex web site.

Weight : 17.28oz

Dimensions :

19.5 X 28 X 6 cm / 7.68 X 11 X 2.36 in

Colors : Numerous Colors – 9 variations (Shadow Gray)

Part of the Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Line;

FEATURES

Made of 500D Cordura® - YKK zippers

Two elastic pockets on front

Made of laminate, compatible with MOLLE/PALS mounting points on front and bottom

Elastic cord on bottom

Internal organizer

Internal velour panel, compatible with VIS

Detachable organizer with map pocket

Up to 90 degree opening angle

Minimalistic, comfortable harness with mesh panel on back

Back covered with 3d mesh

Pros :

Excellent quality – top notch materials

Excellent zipper pulls – easily opens

Very adaptable – lots of pockets and is user adjustable

Can be used easily with backpacks

Comfortable - The shoulder harness is excellent with no issues with rubbing or even moving around and causing issues.

Easy to use and open

Easy to put on and take off – TIP : undo one buckle and throw it over your shoulder and then buckle it in.  I’ve seen people try to put it on in other ways – talk about awkward.

Can hold a lot - Great size, not too bulky.

Two front stretchy pockets

Impressively water resistant

Excellent solution for Concealed Carry

You can easily attach to the pack and even to the straps

Opens in the form of a tray

The main compartment has a velcro loop back panel to attach your own pouches or dividers

Stretchy material allows for additional stuffing.

Shock cord on the bottom so you can attach addition items such as a rolled up poncho

Middle of the road design – it doesn’t scream tactical which can be a good thing as you can carry this in town or on the trail.

Strap keepers on all for points.

Buckles at each corner so you can easily put it on or take it off no matter what your dominate side is

Cons :

Map sleeve (aka admin pouch) took me a while to remove; it is nice that the carrier is included but I tend not to need it often so I have taken it out.  My preference would be simply stow it in side without attaching it so you can take it out and view it as needed.

With the map sleeve is fairly small for serious navigation but does feature lots of pockets – can be locked to the back of the rig

Will you sweat while wearing this?  Yes!  You do have ventilated padding on the back of the pouch but if you are pushing hard enough, there will be some moisture build up.

Features laser cut MOLLE; I’m not the biggest fan as I like strap based more.  Yes this looks more modern but it’s not as ridged which can be a negative.  It certainly doesn’t feel as robust as traditional MOLLE

Can take some work to adjust to go over larger jackets/layers

Summary :

I purchased this numerous months ago and I have no problem recommending it to those who are interested in such a carry system.  It’s a high quality, versatile system which you can easily adapt to your needs.

This chest rig is excellent for just about any sort of outdoor adventure that you are to go out on; hiking, backpacking, fishing, kayaking, law enforcement, military, Motocross, etc; whatever you do, it'll work for you.

I personally use this rig in all sorts of situations; it’s great for a day hike with all of the smaller items that you need quick access to –

I often wear this for filming purposes as I can throw batteries, lens cleaning kits, my GoPro and even a small tripod.

For Bushcraft, it’s excellent; you can mount a knife to the straps, throw in your gloves, add a saw, ferro rod, compass, flashlight and so on.

This is an excellent alternative to a Hill People Chest rig and in fact, I personally like it better than my Hill People setup and it is less expensive.


3 comments:

  1. The clips you mentioned (despised) are called Siamese Slik Clips by Duraflex. They're meant for temporary attachments to webbing or field repairs; useful when applied properly, really annoying otherwise. The trick to opening them is to squeeze the long sides simultaneously, releasing some of the pressure on the latch head, allowing them to be popped out of the groove.

    http://www.duraflexgroup.com/productDetail.aspx?id=225&sort=backpack

    I found the regular Slik Clips useful for making my own cinch straps for gear with PALS webbing. Tactical Tailor also uses them for their IBA/OTV Interceptor Buckle Closure Kit.

    https://www.entrygear.com/product.asp?id=TT-71032

    I agree there are better ways to attach/secure the admin pouch.

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