INTRODUCTION
Travis Haley has always been interested in how tactical gear is built and how he could modify it to his requirements. So Travis started to produce his own gear and finally, after a career at Magpul he today owns a well known brand in the industry called Haley Strategic. In this review, we’re showing you a very innovative and minimalistic designed chest rig from Haley Strategic called the D3 Chest Rig (D3CR).
OVERVIEW (Material & Workmanship)
Before we take a closer look at the compartments and features of this chest rig, we want to show you what materials have been used and how the workmanship of the product is.
To keep it lightweight and flexible, Haley Strategic used the 500D Cordura to produce this rig. The seams are overall well made and reinforced on every critical point. Some single threads are sticking out of the seams but its nothing critical or influencing the use of the rig.
The buckles are high quality standard ones. They are non-slip, durable and guarantee a long life. The open top and pistol (MMS) pouches are equppied with bungee cord and the Hypalon® magazine retention tabs.
So we can finally conclude that the overall workmanship, quality and durabilty of this rig is good and gives us the feeling that we will have a long time of fun with it.
POUCHES & COMPARTMENTS
Attention! All pouches you can see in the standard configuration are directly sewed to the chest rig and can not be detached.
Rifle Mag Pouches
The open top rifle mag pouches with bungee cord and Hypalon® tabs for better grip with gloves offer space for 4 x 5.56 NATO or similiar AR type / 5.45 / AK 7.62 x 39mm and 5.45 x 39 magazines. M14 and Hk 417 Magazines doesnt fit into it. Not enough mag space? No probelm. You can easily and quickly extended space by adding one of the pouches of the D3CR Extension System which we will see later in this review.
Multi-Mission Pouches
Next we will take a look at the two multi mission pouches. This are pouches in regular use as pistol pouches. They can take single and double stack pistol mags. But these pouches are elastic and so they can also be used to storage multi-tools, knives, lamps or similar items. Similar to the rifle pouches these are also equipped with Bungee Cord and Hypalon® tabs for a quick access to the content.
STUFFIT™ pouch
In our case we have stuffed our pouch for the demonstration with a MET 2 Tourniquet and some Chemlights . This special pouch can be used for a wide range of items because of the adjustable bungee cord. This gives us the freedom to carry everything from a big Waterbottle or smoke grenade to a small items like the MET 2 Tourniquet.
Multi Purpose Pouch
The both large multi purpose pouches on the left and right side have big velcro areas. That’s very nice. Because with this you are able to adjust the pouch to the content you carry. If the pouch is not full, the content doesn’t jump around inside the pouch. These pouches can easily take one smoke grenade or things in similar size. It can also alternativly be used as a holster. How you can do this? The Haley Strategic INCOG IWB Holster System can be used as an insert for the pouch. So you can carry your pistol save and ready to hand.
PLATE CARRIER AND BACKPACK ATTACHMENT
The Disruptive Environments Chest Rig can be worn as a stand alone system with a detachable H-harness or clipped into a armor platform ( for example a LBT 6094 slick Plate Carrier) equipped with a quick release system or a backpack like the MilSpec monkey ADAPT like you can see in the following images.
Just clip off the shoulder and stomach straps from the backpack and clip it onto the chest rigs where you have also removed the H-Harness straps. Finished! So you can easily add your chest rig to a backpack or plate carrier in no time.
Wanna mount your D3CR onto your PALs plate carrier or vest?
Check out the Kit from Down Range Gear or MilSpecMonkey
D3CR EXTENSION SYTEM
Haley Strategic offers some useful Extensions if this Rig doesnt fits your requirements in the standard configuration. We can easily extend the D3CR by attaching following wedges to the big velcro area on the backside of the Rig…
Double magazine wedge
This double magazine carrier gives you the posibility to extend your D3CR magazine capacity up to 6 mags. Like the regular mag pouches this extensions offers also the Bungee Cord and Hypalon® tabs.
MULTI MISSION HANGER
The Multi Mission Hanger has the size of an big ultility pouch and can be attached to the Rig with the big veclro area on the flap. The pouch can be wide opened and is covered inside with velcro so you can add your velcro items and organize this storage by your own. At the front we also see a big velcro area to mark it for example with a red cross as medical pouch.
HOLSTER WEDGE
The Holster Wedge provides an envelope for the user to insert a holster that sits centerline between the rig and the body/armor.
COMFORT & USABILITY
This chest rig is comfortable, easy and quick adjustable to the needed size of your body. and is holding the load close to your body even if your pouches are full with heavier stuff. The minimalized basic configuration of the D3CR guaranteed a high mobility.
GALLERY
LINKS
Haley Strategic
Disruptive Environments Chest Rig alias D3CR
TACTICAL KIT UK
ARMAMAT
PRODUCT LINKS
D3 Chest Rig (D3CR)
Haley Strategic Dragonfly PVC Patch
Magpul PMAGs
MET 2 Tourniquet
MK18 Smoke Grenade Dummy
M141 Dummy Grenade
Nitecore MH25 Multi-Task Hybrid
CONCLUSION
The innovative Disruptive Environments Chest Rig is durable, comfortable, lightweight and offers a good range of quick customizations with the available Extention system. Definitly a piece of gear that is worth every penny.
Big THANKS to TACTICAL KIT UK for providing this chest rig for a review! Also big THANKS ARMAMAT to provide us some stuff for the content.
