CTD Tactical MOLLE Hydration Chest Rig
CTD brings us a light weight, MOLLE compatible, hydration, well built AR-15 rig for an affordable price. See how it stacks up.
I have been searching for a slim and lightweight vest for a while now and I think I may have found it with this product from CTD.
Capacity
images from CheaperThanDirt.com
The first thing that caught my eye with this rig was the fact that it had 6 integrated (not MOLLE attached, integrated) AR-15 mag compartments. Which of course means without any modification or add-ons I can pack 6 mags with easy access bungie retention right out of the box. This was a great plus for two reasons. First, it was great to not have to buy as many MOLLE pouches (although I did add more anyway) to complete this loadout. Second, and the most important to me, I was looking for a slim fitting vest. Since the 6 mag pouches are integrated into the vest they stick out a very minimal amount.
The rig also has a hydration pouch built on (once again, integrated) to the back that will hold just about any size bladder you want (bladder not included).
There surprisingly is a lot of open MOLLE real estate on this rig. I currently have a dual .45 pistol mag pouch, a 2×2 AR-15 mag pouch, a small utility pouch and sometimes another AR-15 mag pouch attached to the front belt area alone. There is also a hidden map pouch type area in the bib (located above the mag pouches on the center). Simply pull it apart and you can stash your documents inside.
Strength
1000 Denier Nylon is the name of the game here. The ad on Cheaper Than Dirt says, “built like a tank” and I would have to agree. I really can’t imagine a scenario or situation where I could tear this rig up.
Size
One thing is for sure. This rig was made for a large person. I am 6 ft tall and 145 lbs so in its standard configuration it pretty much hangs off of me. After tightening everything down and a few other little tricks such as cross strapping the button snaps on the front bib I was able to get it small enough for me. Then of course once you put your BDUs on and fill the bladder with water it gets even better. So in other words, if you are smaller than me, you might want to look for another rig.
Suggestions
It is a good idea to cut up some small pieces of styrofoam to put in the bottom of the integrated mag pouches. Doing this forces the mags to stick out of their pocket about 1.5 inches making them easier to grab. As long as you keep the bungie straps over your mags while not in use you won’t have to worry about them falling out.
Manufacturer Info
Cheaper Than Dirt
Three Different Color Options
Black
Tan
OD - go to the manufacturer website and search for item “molle-137″.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell I LOVE this rig. It has become my primary rig for airsoft combat. It is very lightweight for all that it does. Even stock it carries a lot of ammo and can easily be configured to hold much more with some simple MOLLE pouches. It is very comfortable too, shoulder straps are very thick and padded. If there was anything bad to say about this rig it would have to be the lack of an integrated duty belt. They usually help when you are running, keeping the vest from jumping around. Although I have not really had a problem with the vest bouncing, it still would have been nice to have the option.
Written by 
July 27th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
That’s a great setup. I like how you have so many mags right at your fingertips in the front. I’ve been playing with a huge pack for so long my back can’t even take it anymore. I might have to pick one of these little beauties up.