Overall solid with the 34A. Quality is all there. Nice to see a thought out butt pack. There are some others out there but after alot of thought I went with this one. One thing I cant understand is why you wouldnt go with an H harness setup?? That X harness system is just a little too narrow/small even with the padding to handle a significant load with water/ammo/radio etc.
The way I adjusted my LBV, the bottom 34A "chest strap" sits slightly under my pants belt and the top strap slightly above it, I'd say that's square "on the hips". I see people wearing it higher than this in promo material but not lower. When you have M4 mags in the internal cummerbund the outer ones sit exactly at the 3 and 9 positions, which is notably different from the chest rig config. Since mags are more easily reachable, I abandoned spud pouches in the "center". If you put spuds in the rearmost portion (at the 3 and 9) they are still very accessible. This led to me reversing my setup with two JSTAs center and spuds on the outsides. Keep on mind if you wear it on your hips, anything that drops below the panels will slap your thighs, as well as 30rd mags in the middle elastic slots. Abandon any ideas of danglers. You should absolutely fill the "gap" between the buttpack and 34A panels, it's a very large wasted space otherwise. Tall GPs are perfect here. Once you have it set up it carries weight so well, the buttpack stays extremely tight to the body with almost no "bounce". The straps are perfectly adequate, no complaints. Simple X shape with the ladderlock works surprisingly well for dialing out play. I question why exactly spiritus put a molle field on the back of the buttpack, I personally can't think of any application for fixed mounting it, but it gives you more options and it's unnoticeable against your lower back. You can copy the mk3 fanny sack and use the two bottom drainholes as shock cord ports for carrying a poncho/whatever externally. You can also wrap a fanny pouch over the outside of the buttpack. Food for thought. Lots of options. I found I could easily use the rear zipper pouch without twisting myself into a pretzel. As the subject suggests, this rig made me totally reevaluate my pouch choices. It's no longer convertible back into a split rig for me. If you're starting fresh without previously using a 34A as a split chest rig I would recommend buying some very cheap surplus pouches and once you figure out how you want them, buy Spiritus stuff. Only possible negative I can give this kit is the price being about $70 too expensive, but after using it and enjoying it I think it was worth it. No lost stars for being poor
Overall solid with the 34A. Quality is all there. Nice to see a thought out butt pack. There are some others out there but after alot of thought I went with this one. One thing I cant understand is why you wouldnt go with an H harness setup?? That X harness system is just a little too narrow/small even with the padding to handle a significant load with water/ammo/radio etc.
The way I adjusted my LBV, the bottom 34A "chest strap" sits slightly under my pants belt and the top strap slightly above it, I'd say that's square "on the hips". I see people wearing it higher than this in promo material but not lower. When you have M4 mags in the internal cummerbund the outer ones sit exactly at the 3 and 9 positions, which is notably different from the chest rig config. Since mags are more easily reachable, I abandoned spud pouches in the "center". If you put spuds in the rearmost portion (at the 3 and 9) they are still very accessible. This led to me reversing my setup with two JSTAs center and spuds on the outsides. Keep on mind if you wear it on your hips, anything that drops below the panels will slap your thighs, as well as 30rd mags in the middle elastic slots. Abandon any ideas of danglers. You should absolutely fill the "gap" between the buttpack and 34A panels, it's a very large wasted space otherwise. Tall GPs are perfect here. Once you have it set up it carries weight so well, the buttpack stays extremely tight to the body with almost no "bounce". The straps are perfectly adequate, no complaints. Simple X shape with the ladderlock works surprisingly well for dialing out play. I question why exactly spiritus put a molle field on the back of the buttpack, I personally can't think of any application for fixed mounting it, but it gives you more options and it's unnoticeable against your lower back. You can copy the mk3 fanny sack and use the two bottom drainholes as shock cord ports for carrying a poncho/whatever externally. You can also wrap a fanny pouch over the outside of the buttpack. Food for thought. Lots of options. I found I could easily use the rear zipper pouch without twisting myself into a pretzel. As the subject suggests, this rig made me totally reevaluate my pouch choices. It's no longer convertible back into a split rig for me. If you're starting fresh without previously using a 34A as a split chest rig I would recommend buying some very cheap surplus pouches and once you figure out how you want them, buy Spiritus stuff. Only possible negative I can give this kit is the price being about $70 too expensive, but after using it and enjoying it I think it was worth it. No lost stars for being poor
This product perfectly fulfills its intended use: to provide additional storage/sustainment options that are tied to your LBV. Regardless of how you use it, this will give you a lot of options for increasing the minimum amount that stays tied to you. By flanking the buttpack with 2 Spiritus GP pouches (done by weaving the straps through the belt pass through, Spiritus has a demonstration on their YouTube channel) I am easily able to have a complete system that covers everything I need to run a rifle, comms, medical, shelter, sustainment, etc. and still have room for mission specific equipment.
I was tremendously excited to see this product come out. I think it was bold of spiritus to build a product that can help bridge the gap between LCE and Rhodesian rigs. Before I get into my mediocre review I want to state that I am using this in conjunction with a GI TAPS system so maybe my experience is different than others. The biggest issue is that the harness/yoke is y-shaped instead of h-shaped. A simple fix is to simply use your spiritus h-harness and cut/remount the straps from a 90 bend to straight, I ended up using an old velocity systems harness that was easier to modify. I’m not completely sold on the method of closing this thing. It closes like a dry bag at 9 and 3 o’clock, , which is cool because you can expand it, except your straps must then run over your Nalgenes and it’s just awkward. I think a more traditional 6 o’clock might work better. Also, and this really is a bit-picking detail, I don’t like different sized clips, the 1 inch seems to be a standard in the industry and if you kept with that you would make it easier to cannibalize other gear if you break one. Choosing to only have two columns of MOLLE on the side makes sense for the nalgenes, but I think one more row would provide customers infinitely more mounting options for that real-estate and would only add another two inches to the depth of the pouch. Some sort of provision for mounting a poncho to the bottom would be a worthwhile upgrade. This sternum strap seems pretty worthless, but I might be wrong. All construction is of course solid and includes all the fine details we come to expect from such a fine company.
The Load Bearing Vest (LBV) Expander Kit is designed to augment the 34A Split Rig Chest Rig Chassis by adding more storage real estate to the system.
- The LBV comes with a roll top butt pack, padded X harness system, and a sternum strap.
- It replaces the Back Strap and Fat Straps from a standard 34A Chest Rig setup to create a fully functional platform for load carriage.
- The LBV Expander Kit can be easily attached or detached for quick chest rig configuration.
- By keeping both an Expander Kit, as well as Fat Straps and Back straps on hand, the operator can quickly transition from a front-only system that is easy to use in vehicles, to a full-featured Load Bearing Vest that can store extra essential kit for sustainment operations and longer patrols.
- The LBV Expander kit is also backed with a MOLLE attachment system.
- The harness and side straps are removable so that the Butt Pack can be used as a standalone module on other platforms. When not in use, the side buckle straps can be stowed behind the MOLLE using the integrated vertical slit openings.
- The main compartment of the roll top pouch can be expanded to accommodate large items and is constructed with a DWR finish. However, it is not fully waterproof. If you are looking for a fully waterproof solution, Spiritus recommends lining the pack with a dry bag.
- The pouch also features a zippered front pocket with tie down loops for sensitive items.
If you are ordering for a MIL/LEO unit, please contact sales@spiritussystems.com
