Review Requested, HSGI WEESATCH

[GiordanoWC]

Anyone who owns or has owned one in the past, what are your experiences with this chest rig, is it suited to rigorous use and would I have a problem fitting into it? (being about 160 lbs and 5'10 with a 32 waistline)

Thanks in advance,

-Giordano

[Godlyspartan]

Gucci it up and buy the MOST expensive gear, u will be 1337...

[Pyro]

Yep, like if you got a Paraclete RAV it would make you run faster AND shoot straighter!

[shinjit noir]

Groombug's suggestion for choosing gear in general is a good one, as everyone has their own opinions and preferences for gear. I own a Weesatch, I didn't like it when I first got it, but after some time, I've grown to like it for it's features. As for fitting, you should have no problems. My only gripes about it are:

if you don't use any plates in it, the rig sags forward
it can get really hot
internal mag pouches are a pain when something large is on the bib (anything that needs 5 or more levels of pals)
side pouches tend to be difficult to use when middle ones are filled


If you want something that conforms well to your body without plates, get a bhi strike or hellcat, as they fit a lot better then a Weesatch can. If you think you can use the rear plate carrier as a hydration carrier, I would suggest against it and suggest to just get a hydration carrier for a strike instead, as that seats better then it would in the Weesatch. Now that I think about it, a Wee is a bit overkill for airsoft, but then again, a lot of other things we buy are overkill. :|

[Green_Igor]

My husband uses the Weesatch as well for airsoft. As Shinjit Noir says if you don't use fake plates or Rear Hydration pouch it does have a tendency to sag forward a bit.

As for fitting in the internal pockets. He can fit in 4 G36 mags. but then the outter 2 internall pouches are a bit useless. He just carries a spare battery or 2 on the one side and his car keys on the other.

THe fit is great he says and stays in place when tightened down for all the adjusting straps but he is 5'9" and about 190 pounds.

It does get a bit hot but any rig setup like this would get hotter under the collar.

[Farmboy]

Everyone has their own preferences on what works for them. That's why there is so much gear out there.

If you can at the games, try some different gear on and see how you like it. If you want to try a Wee/Wasatch out come up to Target Sports Center in Gormley (Richmond Hill). They act as a store front for me.

Like said above these are designed for the real stuff and putting plates in or hydration in the back works quite well.

The side mag pouches are more or less for hanguns, radios, Nalgene bottles etc.

There really shouldn't be any pouches on the front of it big enough to cause problems with the internal mag pouches.

This is me and a couple buddies this past weekend.
1 x HSGI Wasatch
1 x HSGI Weesatch
1 x HSGI Warlord
1 x Blackhawk STRIKE
And a CF issue flak vest :lol:

[GiordanoWC]

Thanx for the input guys. It's not a matter of getting the l33t gear the pros use, it's more a matter of if i'm gonna drop cash on gear, i may as well get quality and durability.

and Henry, i'm l33t already... Northern turned me into a crazed killing machine.

[GiordanoWC]

Originally Posted by Pyro

Yep, like if you got a Paraclete RAV it would make you run faster AND shoot straighter!

Maybe if i got SPEAR armour with level 3A and ceramic trauma plates i'd be able to leap from tall buildings and fly faster than a bullet?

[Nortus]

I feel I should come out of lurking and comment here since I have actually owned this piece of gear and can offer some useful advice.

In all honesty, think about exactly WHAT you're going to be carrying and choose a rig that way. Carrying a shitload of CRAP on yourself ain't going to make you a better player. Sure, you'll look real neat in the staging area but.....well you get the point. If you don't need it, dump it. Think it will look cool on your gear if you carry it? It won't. Why? You'll be the first one hit because you're so damn slow muling it around.

Anyway, bought a Weesatch, thinking internal mag pouches would be cool and all. Sorta liked it 'cause of the modular pouches, but in fact, you end up wasting like fucking $300 more on the pouches than anything. Played a few games with it, didnt' like it at all. The rig just doesn't stick onto your body plus it's extra nylon weight.

Paraclete RAV or the Eagle CIRAS is nice and all, but then again, in airsoft, when do you need it to be QR?

The Eagle plate carriers, BHI STRIKE, or Eagle MLCS aren't terribly bad, but again, modularity = cool but also = more money.

If you're going to be carrying just mags straight up, and a few pistol mags on the side and maybe a small utility pouch, you can do what I did, get the Eagle SF chest rig, send it to Tiger Tactical, tell them to rip out the side utility pouches and add PALS webbing. BAM!! Instant modularity with the ability to carry up to 12 mags in a rig that sticks to your body, open at the back (so you have an option of hydration pack or not), as well as being overall very light and comfortable for the duration of the day/scenario.

But, to answer your question about the Weesatch, what Jeff/Shinjit said was right, it does sag quite a bit at the front even with a hydration pouch in the back, and it isn't very ROUND so your water kind of ends up sagging and you get a big jelly lump in the small of your back. Internal mag pouches are a pain in the ass, unless you wear the rig loose, in which case the rig feels like it just hangs on your shoulders and ends up being more of an LBV than anything.

The construction of it, however, is rock solid. HSGI is quality. Period.

Oh... and hey, did I mention that I have a spare set of OD shoulder pads for it? =) PM me if you get the Weesatch and want those cushy shoulder pads.

[odp]

I've got one. Best priced piece of kit that is bomb-proof, holds 8-10 AR mags with no additional pouches, holds hydration, can carry plates, has a bib, and is modular. Not the best for crawling around in the woods, but then again it's not designed for that.

[GiordanoWC]

Thanks for the constructive information, this thread was not put up because i'm dead set on getting a 'satch, but just so i can get a little bit more input on one of the rigs i'm considering. Again, thank you everyone for your input.

-Giordano

ps. Henry, i'm still l33ter than you... even with a 13 in chem.

[GiordanoWC]

^^in which case, we'd be playing paintball. Which does not appeal to me in the least.

[xhale]

I have a wa and my buddy just got a wee.

it does sag but you can prevent that with preperation. just fill it up at home right away with everything you plan on carrying and then weight it. if it's too heavy in the back, use a thick magazine as a plate replacement for some extra weight, vice verca. and then just tighten it up the right amount with it all full. it should help to keep it sitting nicely.

the quality is amazing with the HSGI stuff. I had a BHI vest for a bit and it wasn't even close.

[Xepharo]

I've been doing some research on Weesatch as well.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.htm...=176047&page=3

You can see how universal the vest is, and can carry a lot of stuff.

[shinjit noir]

I would suggest to make a custom filler plate if you plan to fill your Weesatch or Wasatch. I originally used a sheet of cardboard, but it felt too flimsy. I then used a sheet of matteboard, but that felt too unforgiving (especially when bending over, it would dig into by gut) I thus cut the matteboard in half and used it only on the upper section. This ensured less saggyness, as well as allow the flexibility of the rig without the matteboard. This was the most viable solution I could come up with in terms of comfort.


here's a shot of my Weesatch with the filler plate I created. It's freefloating, so you can see how it still maintains it's form instead of saggying like mentioned before.


There seems to be two types of people out there in terms of gear:

1. people that conform to their gear (get used to standards)
2. people that make their gear conform to them (makes his own standards)


I guess you should figure out which first before deciding on a rig. You may find that a non-modular rig is actually more suited for your needs if you're person 1, or you may prefer modularity if you're person 2.

As for Nortus's comments, I agree that having a full loadout can make you less combat effective in airsoft (due to others not fully loading out), but I also believe that you can adapt quite a bit with realistic loadouts. I'm in the middle in terms of the two theories of being realistic and being combat effective in airsoft, which I feel bad for at times, as I really would like to be totally realistic, but having to adapt to players that wear nothing but bdu's and a gun with hicaps, you tend to compromise. In the end, it's all for fun, hence why I've compromised.

Don't get me wrong, I have utmost respect for those that follow their impressions down to detail (EG: The Contras). It's all about the details with impressions, and when you start to compromise, you lose these details. It's just that I think I'd be running up walls trying to stay 100% dedicated to it, especially when I'm not on a team that supports it.