060 WWW.AI-MAG.COMRICHIE TALKS US THROUGH THE STRUGGLES OF THE ‘OVERSIZED AIRSOFTER’
When I first got into Airsoft I purchased a second
hand rifle and headed straight to my local
surplus store to pick up some used DPM and a
Viper South African vest. I absolutely loved that
vest and thought it was the best thing since
sliced bread! But as I got more into the hobby
I started to look more and more at all the real
world brands that were available.
I guess i’m very fortunate to be able to afford
the luxury of wearing ‘real-world-tactical-mega-
brands’, but as time (and my lifestyle) took
a hold of me I noticed that my bank balance
decreased, whilst my girth (putting it lightly)
increased... and that’s where my wardrobe
problems began!
It’s all well and good owning these brands like
Mayflower, LBT and Crye Precision, but if they’re
not going to fit then sadly it’s all just a waste of
time and money!
Over the years I have had varying results in
buying kit for the larger than average Airsofter,
some items I bought thinking optimistically
I could squeeze into - normally resulted in a
burst of expletives being fired at the mirror as I
realised that it was one squeeze too far.
As will all players I try and nail a specific
look or load out if you will! That’s not as easy
as it sounds for us bigger guys. I tend to get
frustrated, by the availability and sizing that
most manufactures have, but I do get it as "Mr
average clothing sells” and "Mr Chubby man" (as
I am now known by my first official fan at Thatch
Reed) sites on the shelves for ages.
Cost isn't normally an issue, but I do realise
that there are players of all sizes restricted to
budgets and that in its own right causes major
problems and so the circle continues. You find
something you like, it's too expensive, it's not in
stock or it's not the right size? Frustrating isn't
the word I would use but you get me...
After hearing and putting up with my constant
moaning in the office the Boss set me a
challenge (if nothing but to shut me up)."Richie” he said "Sod off to the gear locker and
have a dig around!"
Well, that for me was akin to being given the
keys to the "Candy Store" which isn't not such a
great idea is it.Being a big guy I need comfy kit that offers
functionally, so certain vests and rigs are just
too small and won't work - they're also not very
flattering and lets be honest we all like to look
good in our kit.
Forgetting the clothing I knew there wasn't
a hope in hell finding my size, I dived into the
kit piles of which there is quite a lot, then it
suddenly dawned on me that we have just run
the first instalment of the A500 for this year and
the majority of the gear is given away in raffle
prizes, but to my surprise there was still a lot of
kit hanging around which is kept back for photo
shoots, but would it fit?
The first thing I found was a gem, a light
weight plate carrier, something similar has
been featured in the Plate Carrier Series and
was destined not to be used because of its
similarities, but what the hell....
I think the thing I'm trying to point out here
is the versatility of one size fits all products,
because in this instance one size really does fit
all. It's a very important tag to have with any
piece of kit and something you should all be on
the lookout for, but it's always best to try before
you buy, you might find things a bit snug to start
off with, but after a time you'll find a certain
amount of "give” to help you settle into your
new plate carrier, all I can say is thank God for
elasticised cumberbunds!
It's a simple low profile carrier made from
600D Polyester which is more forgiving than
Cordura and has a certain amount of "give"
allowing us bigger guys the extra space we
often need. It’s completely adjustable and
yours for the princely sum of 15 quid (that’s
not a typo) from 8Fields.Now the plate carrier was sorted out I had to
find a chest rig. I say that as this is possibly the
easiest thing to find for "big guys" as because
of its nature it does not enclose your body but
wraps around it just as long as there are big
enough straps.
Having the keys to the candy store is a bad
thing in many ways as my attention was drawn
to the huge amount of Mayflower (Velocity
Systems) gear we have. I know for a fact that
their plate carriers would not fit me, but their
chest rigs are an entirely different matter.
Simply put these are fast and lightweight
chest rigs at its basic form with a few pouches
strapped to your chest, held on by webbing
that goes over your shoulders and around
your back. It fits close and rides high enough
to leave your belt free for other gear; however
this chest rig is a bit more complicated than a
few bits of tactical Nylon bolted together.
At around 203 dollars (that’s around £149 to
you and me) it’s an amazingly priced top end
bit of kit that's very affordable.
The LE/Active Shooter Chest Rig is built
to provide the Law Enforcement Officer the
necessary tools to respond to escalating
situations. It is designed to carry 4x 5.56mm
magazines, 2 pistol magazines, 1 patrol radio,
1x baton, 1x OC canister or flash bang and
three small front GP pockets. Additionally,
the H-style harness features loops to route
antennas, comms wires and hydration bladder
tubing and is removable via 4x one inch
ITW-Nexus side release buckles and designed
to be mounted to the front of the Low-Profile
Armour Carrier. The body of the chest rig has a
built in map pocket with a Velcro closure which
completes the versatility of this chest rig.‘LARGER THAN life’
OVERSIZED
AIRSOFTER
THE
I’VE BEEN PL AYING AIRSOFT FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS NOW, FOR THE PAST FIVE
YEARS I’VE BEEN A KEY FIGURE WITHIN THE AI500 SERIES, FIRST AS A PL AYER
MARSHALL, THEN HEAD MARSHALL AND NOW I’M THE EVENT DIRECTOR.
OVER THESE PAST TEN YEARS I’VE CHANGED MANY ASPECTS OF MY KIT, TO
ACCOMMODATE WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A ‘MIDDLE AGED SPREAD’ -
SADLY IT COMES TO MOST OF US... BY RICHIE MITCHELL
060-061 RITCHIE.indd 60 29/05/2018 11:56