History of Crye Precision
Crye Precision is one of the worlds leading developers, manufacturers and distributors of high grade clothing and equipment not only serving US Military forces and Law Enforcement Agencies but also globally to other military and LEA's. Crye gear is used across the different arms of the military and at the base level, provides uniforms and tactical armour plate carriers and pouch systems.
For more info - visit Crye Precision website.
Why the Crye Precision GP Pouch 11x6x4?
The Crye Precision GP Pouch 11x6x4 is the big brother to the GP Pouch 6x6x3 and the GP Pouch 9x7x3, any larger and you're into pack territory. Designed to house kit larger than the standard magazines, pyrotechnics, radios etc. the GP 11 is a useful addition to your kit. I was after a larger pouch that was able to carry typically larger equipment such as a respirator or other miscellaneous items that would not fit into any pouches on my current AVS setup. I needed something that was adaptable and didn't break the bank. The GP 11 provides that flexibility and it was exactly what I was after.
In pursuit of a screen accurate SEAL Team loadout, it also was another addition to the loadout bringing it one step closer to completion.
Product details
Herein lies the product description from the website;
Features
Optional drop leg attachment available
Adjustable retention
Built in AVS, MOLLE, and belt attachment features
Holds Either
Four rolled breaching charges
M53 protective mask
Jacket or compact sleeping bag
70 oz. water bladder
Packaging exterior
The GP Pouch 11x6x4 is packaged in a simple transparent toughened heat sealed bag. The bag outer measures 41 x 23 cm (H x W), on the front of which is the product detail sticker detailing product name, colour, part number, manufacturer and website.
Contents
The GP Pouch package simply contained;
GP Pouch 11x6x4
Operators instructions
GP Pouch exterior in detail
The GP Pouch is manufactured with a base fabric of 100% Nylon, whilst the stretch panels are a mixture of Nylon and Spandex and the rear PALS strap tabs are manufactured of material similar to Hypalon.
GP Pouch Measurements
Height 28 cm
Width 15 cm
Depth 10 cm
The GP Pouch weighs 171g
Front
The GP Pouch when looking at the front is constructed of rough Nylon material with a vertical male buckle sewn onto the front panel. Two loops in the vertical buckle allow the elasticated cord to pass horizontally through it. At the base of the vertical buckle is a cord pull which when pulled tightens the elasticated cord around the outside of the pouch, thereby compressing anything inside instead of letting it rattle around.
Sides
The left and right hand sides are made from softshell stretchable material to enable the pouch to be compressed or stretched if a larger item is placed inside. Of note is that the softshell material runs from the left hand side of the GP Pouch down to the base and up the right hand side, meaning it is a single softshell panel. Both the left and right hand sides feature a cord loop point at the top and rear through which the elasticated cord is threaded.
Rear
The rear is a tough Nylon material panel onto which are sewn the two vertical PALS strap tabs / attachment points manufactured using a material similar to Hypalon which is toughened and able to withstand wear and tear. The rear also features three horizontal sleeves (image three) for the; AVS Harness arm loop (highlighted blue), belt mount loop (highlighted red) and the drop leg mount loop (highlighted green). On the inside of the larger AVS Harness arm loop is a vertical velcro patch (highlighted orange) that is used to attach the GP pouch securely to the AVS Harness arm. On the inside of the drop leg mount loop is a horizontal velcro patch (highlighted orange). The exterior at the top of the rear panel features a 'leg strap channel' which is used for attaching the pouch to the drop leg mount. The base as mentioned is manufactured of softshell stretchable material and features two drainage holes. The lid is featureless save for the female buckle.
The interior of the GP Pouch is void other than the drawstring cord and clip running around the top rim of the GP pouch (as shown in image one and two) as well as the product code SPS071 on the interior.
GP Pouch mounting options
There are four mounting options available for the GP Pouch; MOLLE, AVS Harness, Belt mount and Drop Leg Mount. All of these methods are covered below in detail.
MOLLE attachment
Useful for direct mounting onto a plate carrier front, rear or side panel.
The below shows the GP 11 mounted using the MOLLE configuration.
AVS Harness arm attachment
Enables better placement of the GP 11 on the AVS arms meaning easier access to pouch items.
The below shows the GP 11 mounted using the AVS Harness Arm configuration.
Belt mount
This config allows the operator to mount he GP 11 directly to their belt.
The below shows the GP 11 mounted using the Belt mount configuration.
Drop leg mount
The Drop Leg Mount enables the GP 11 to be out of the main movement / weapons platform areas but also retaining accessibility for the operator.
The below shows the GP 11 mounted using the Drop Leg Mount configuration.
GP Pouch 11x6x4 Drop Leg Mount
The main reason for purchasing the GP Pouch 11x6x4 was so that I would be able to utilise it in the Drop Leg Mount configuration which required me to purchase separately the Drop Leg Mount (DLM). This next section covers the DLM in detail.
Product details
Herein lies the product description from the website;
Description
Enables the GP POUCH 11X6X4 to be mounted for drop leg carry. One size fits all.
Features
Can be MOLLE’d to or looped around nearly any belt
Side release buckle for quick don/doff from belt
Single gripper elastic leg strap for comfortable and stable support
Packaging exterior
The GP Pouch 11x6x4 Drop Leg Mount was packaged in a simple transparent toughened heat sealed bag. The bag outer measures 31 x 12.6 cm (H x W), on the front of which is the product detail sticker detailing product name, colour, part number and manufacturer.
Contents
The Drop Leg Mount package simply contained;
Belt / MOLLE Drop Leg Strap
Elasticated Leg Strap
Drop Leg Mount exterior in detail
The Drop Leg Mount is manufactured using Ranger Green webbing with the elasticated strap being, elasticated with rubber interior grips to provide more grip on the trouser leg.
Drop Leg Mount Measurements
Length 35 cm
Width 4.2 cm
Thickness 0.2 cm
Elasticated leg strap Measurements
Length 74 cm
Width 4.2 cm
Thickness 0.3 cm
The Drop Leg Mount and Elasticated leg strap together weighs 150g
Testing
The GP Pouch was tested on the range, in a wooded environment and in an urban environment using all of the mounting options available with a variety of items carried within, from lightweight jacket, hydration bladder and rolled up kit to comms equipment and pyrotechnics.
MOLLE attachment - this setup is typically used when the pouch is fixed in a permanent state. Generally the pouch is attached to the rear of the plate carrier enabling items to be stored out of the way of the operator and weapons system, whilst remaining accessible to team mates. Attached to the rear of the plate carrier renders it useless for the operator to access and whilst it could be used to store a hydration bladder out of the way, the only real reason I see this being useful is so that team mates can access the pouch if needed.
AVS Harness arm attachment - this is useful for the semi-permanent fixture method where it can be slid onto the AVS arm and easily removed if required. This may be used when the operator needs to have gear to hand such as storage of a respirator, medical equipment or other larger items. Depending on your size and the available real estate on the AVS harness arm, by the time you've added in a radio pouch, frag pouch and GP 6x6x3 pouch, you may have little room left to put the GP 11. Being a larger pouch it does get in the way and if weighed down with equipment can be unbalancing.
Belt mount - mounted directly on the belt, again this is a semi-permanent method likely used in a similar situation to the above where quick access is required. Again, mounted on the belt does lower the pouch out of the way of the plate carrier meaning there's less obstruction and it still is handy.
Drop Leg Mount - I personally do not see it in use for more than range shooting or vehicle borne operations when worn in the drop leg config. Running or walking long distances with this attached to your leg will likely over time rub and chaff and having extra weight carried on one leg is not ideal. Deploying from a vehicle into an urban environment to snatch and HVT or to obtain SSE from a site, it can certainly been seen to have its uses. Patrolling over long distances through a humid environment, makes it less appealing and likely to be a hinderance and catch on every rock and tree you walk past. If you're required to carry a respirator due to a CBRN threat, this config does make a sound choice as it's readily accessible. The DLM config and pouch certainly reminded me of how similar in nature to the British army issue Respirator haversack it is, and that was rather bulky and somewhat annoying extra to carry in the field.
Walking - in all configs there was little to no movement at all from the GP 11.
Gentle running - in all configs, there was some movement and 'unbalancing' felt when attached to the AVS harness and belt. The drop leg config was tightened prior to running and didn't budge throughout, however the pouch did still move around even though it was strapped down tightly.
Fast paced running - in all configs (bar the MOLLE mounted on rear), the pouch was noticeable. The worst config was the Drop Leg Mount as the pouch when loaded up with bulky kit did flap around and move a lot. The leg strap did not loosen however the pouch did manage to swing around its position during the running. It did however not feel as though it was not secure and did manage to stay attached throughout the test.
Thoughts and opinion
The Crye Precision GP Pouch 11x6x4 is a useful addition to any loadout if the requirement includes carrying additionally bulky equipment such as charges, clothing, respirator etc.
The pouch as described has a multitude of mounting options which is a plus to it, along with the ability to fit small and bulky equipment. Whilst the size is good and extra equipment can be carried, my overall thoughts are that it's worth either investing in the Crye Precision Pouch Zip Panel 2.0 or a pack such as the Crye Precision AVS 1000 pack which can be permanently / semi-permanently or not (Pack worn in shoulder config) which would be a wiser investment providing more real estate / space for carriage of equipment and ultimately it making more sense.
With the Drop Leg Mount sold seperately this can be seen as both useful and not useful. Useful in that if you have no intention to ever wear it attached to your belt and leg, you don't need to spend the money and therefore won't have extra bits of kit laid around in your locker or cage. It's not useful in that if you do require it, you will need to pay extra for it.
Whilst I am content with the use cases of the pouch and it's able to carry a respirator for threats, I would as mentioned consider other pouches / approaches that may be more beneficial to you over this singular pouch. It may not be used on every deployment, but it's an addition at least to throw into the gear bag for those times when it is needed. In addition to it being used for training it does tick off another piece of kit that I had on the list for the ever evolving SEAL Team loadout.
Don't forget to check out the HAHO social media platforms below for content, updates and linked articles. Like, Follow, Subscribe and Share!
Final Note
I am not paid for my blogs by the manufacturers or companies that I purchase my items from. I am not offered freebies to promote a product. These blogs are purely written from my own experience in truth to help advise and inform others who may wish to purchase the items or understand more about them. If I am sent a freebie to review this will be stated at the beginning to make you aware.
Comentarios