WOMEN OF AIRSOFT : GEAR HACKS PART 1 1

WOMEN OF AIRSOFT : GEAR HACKS PART 1

Women have NEVER had it easy in Airsoft. Since the early beginnings of airsoft, we as women have had to overcome many hurdles and push social boundaries, to create a safe environment for the Women of Today. The last thing we bloody need is ill-fitting clothing and gear that swamps us! 
In what is considered a man's industry, companies that specialist in Women's Airsoft  gear is few and far between! And please do not patronize me with a tactical corset or I'll show you were you can shove it! But don't you worry ladies, your Auntie Foxy's got you! Here's a list of my gear hacks, so you don't have to make the same fashion mistakes I did... And boy was there alot of them ! 

Now before we start, a little bit about little old me. Your girls got a whole load of curves, bumps and lumps. She got THICK with a PH thighs and wide hips (apparently great for birthing - yeppp I cringed too - thanks mam!) And broader shoulders than an NFL player with there pads on. I am a proud Size 14 and doing my part to represent in my own way all the curvy girls out there. As you can imagine, finding gear that fit let alone complement me is hard work! Let's start on top...

In today's market, there are sooo many different plate carriers available from Crye Precision CPC for all you Gucci gangers to your £30 eBay unbranded bargains (we've all done it at some point). But as women, we need something that not only provided protection and support, but we also need something that actually fits. Introducing the first contender, from Virginia USA, it's the LBX- 0300S.

LBX 0300s aka the closest to perfection I have ever found. I first came across this plate carrier when I traveled over stateside for the very first time to play at TCA: Stonebreaker 2 (I think). At that time, I was using A Warrior Assault System DCS, which I'll come back to later. In a nutshell, my teammates Supe ,Sheep and Precious were all using LBX plate carriers and I tried one on and was amazed how small the chest plate was (8x11") but how well it fitted. It didn't look too bulky or like I was wearing a training bra. 
The plate carrier itself comes in an array of colours and patterns such as Woodlands, MTP Mas Grey and Navy etc. The cummerbund is fully adjustable to fit from sizes 32" right on up to a 46", meaning if you are a little bit larger in the chest you aren't going to fill like you are spilling over the sides and you aren't going to feel constricted. And for all your pouches, well your in luck as there is molle for days! The LBX currently retails for $159.99, roughly about £131 pounds (with the crap rate due to Corona Virus) 

Now, if your like me and likes nice gear but is a right tight arse with money I have the perfect solution... Introducing the challenger, from somewhere in Bedfordshire UK, it's the new kid on the block, the Viper VX Gen 2 carrier. Guys, I'm not gonna lie before these were release I was a little bit spectical about how they were going to redesign it and the general fit of it. Between you and me, I wasn't a fan of the first VX plate carrier (I know, unpopular opinion right) as I thought there was wayyy too much padding making me look bulky and it was constricting. Don't get me wrong, the quality of it and construction was bang on so hats off to you Viper! But the GEN2, Its such a better fit hands down, from the cut of the plate, to the padding in the front and back panel and how adjustable it is.  The whole system itself still completely compatible with the whole Viper VX range meaning that utility rig you bought the first time round will clip right in. It comes in various colours and patterns such as VCAM, COYOTE,GREEN, BLACK , TITANIUM AND VCAM BLACK. For £69.95, it is a right bargain! Currently available at www.onlyairsoft.com (shameless plug). The only modification I have made on mine is I have changed out the original mesh Cummerbund for the VX elastic magazine cummerbund so that it has more give to it and I can slip it on and off which ease. 

Not a fan of a plate carrier, no worries! A chest rig might be perfect for you! Personally the best rigs I have manage to find are  very similar to each other design wise. These are the TMC modular Lightweight Chest Rig and the Viper VX Utility Rig, both are lightweight and extremely efficient.  You do get the added bonus with the TMC rig, that you get M4 Mag inserts included, however this isn't too much of an issue as mag inserts cost a max of £6 and can get many variants such as SMG and Pistol mags.  Looking a back pack for hydration and random tactical crap, never fear as the Viper VX charger pack is here! This will clip straight onto the VX Utility Rig and should also fit the TMC rig but may require the slight modification on the clips. 

If you have got through till this point, congratulations! I hope I haven't bored you to death. Right, whilst I've got your attention let's talk about belts. Now admit it, it's all happened to us... Game on has been called, we have ran like billio to get to that objective however our battle belt has had other feckin ideas and is ascending down to the floor, meaning any second now your gonna hit the ground like a sack of s***. Well no more ladies! We have put those dark days behind us and upgraded to an FRV tailoring shooter belt. With its strong inner Velcro  belt, this shooter belt ain't budging, no matter how much you load onto it. I personally run mine with a WAS Left Handed Universal Holster, a WAS dump pound, WAS Utility pouch and Kydex AR and Pistol Mag pouches. The belt does come with a solid cobra belt buckle which is rated up to 4000lbs. This is one of the very few belts, I have found that doesn't rub on my hips after a long days airsoft.
check them out here.
 https://onlyairsoft.com/?s=viper+vx+buckle+up+plate&post_type=product 

So with that being said, we will wrap up part 1 of this 2 part series! Join me next time, where  we talk about how many pairs of trousers I've split mid game to find the perfect pair (yeah that happened). Thank you so much for reading!