Few items: Those straps with the snaps on the shoulder pads are there to wrap around the straps of the ALICE pack to keep them from sliding off the pads of the vest as you are marching. I really liked this vest until I went away from Gi mags. Back in the day the only really good reliable mags were the H&K, and they are way too long to fit in those pouches. The PMAGs weren't tight in girth, I could get them in and out easy, but I had to practically tear the flaps off to get them far enough over the magazines to secure the snap. That killed it for me. The two things I would change is to make the shoulder straps thinner, they are too bulky when wearing a pack, and I would sew on mag pouches that will fit the newer magazines.
Personally I use AK-style rifle, what I prefer to do for magazine holding is to attach some modified late-style East German AK pouches to my ALICE belt with hip pad. Pretty easy to do with zip ties. Then I use the pouches on LBV-E to hold my radio, map, compass, and medical equipment. Also I think there is after market ALICE pack straps which are thinner and better to use with LBV-E on.
I first saw the LBV88 in Panama in 1989. They were worn and used by the 7th ID (Light) when they trained at the Jungle Operations Training Center at Ft. Sherman. They looked cool and all. After training I asked the 7th ID guys how they liked their LBV88s? From NCO to Private told me they hated it because they sweat more during training and road marches. When they carried their large ALICE ruck sacks it was very uncomfortable unless they had a sternum strap using 550 cord to keep their ruck sack from swinging side to side. Many of their guys became heat casualties during training either stateside or in Panama wearing these vests. It didn't matter for the 7th ID latter when they were part of the Panama Invasion wearing these over their PASGT Kevlar vests which worked better on them while wearing it. I was in the 193rd INF BDE, 1/508th INF (ABN). I was in an Airborne Infantry Battalion which we were OPFOR at JOTC for units training there. We all had the old ALICE LBE which I was comfortable in. In my opinion was how could we jump wearing the LBV88? We always jumped with the ALICE with no problem looped through the T-10s and MC-1B Charlies parachute harness. My unit went to combat using ALICE with the PASGT body armor. It made really not difference because all we had to do was make adjustments to our pistol belts and the Y straps. I don't personally know how the 82nd Airborne guys or the Rangers had their equipment like body armor or LBEs were worn during their combat jump into Panama. Some guys in my unit who did come from the 82nd Airborne told me yes a Paratrooper can jump wearing the PASGT body armor and LBE on. My battalion air assaulted into Ft. Amador just like regular infantry to take our objective that night and had just regular ALICE LBEs. Honestly I liked the ALICE better and still have my own supply room for it. Until my deployment to Iraq in 2006 through 2008 wearing the Interceptor Body Armor. I have used the Blackhawk Chest Rigg and the Condor Chest Rigg with a built in map pouch. The MOLLE system has changed my mind when I was in pre-deployment training before combat. I could put pouches like crazy on my body armor and chest rigs and not lose mobility during combat in Iraq. The assault pack made the difference along with the Camel Back or hydration system during long sustain operations tempo. I carried extra water bottles instead of canteens. In Panama we ran around with large ALICE packs loaded with all our shit and the weight was more to our backs and it was harder to run and move unless I was under fire. Back then I was an M-60 gunner which sucked. Heavy gun and heavy pack full off spare 7.62mm ammo, 5 quart water bladder which was hard to get and all my shit. I sweated like crazy back in 1989 than I did in Iraq. Easy access to water was also crucial in combat. Drink from your straw or have to fuck around to reach for my canteen. From hindsight the Army improved the LBV88 to the RACK and finally to the MOLLE FLC system. The FLC was issued to me in Iraq. I never used it because it's too Army. My other stuff like Blackhawk and Condor suited me better. Back during Iraq the Army didn't give a shit about gear in combat which was very nice. Everyone of my soldiers started using Blackhawk and Condor gear also. Great video Brother! From what you said. It brought back memories flooding into my mind and experiences. Besides I am drinking right now. I type like crazy sharing all the stuff I went through over the years. Very interesting topic indeed. Sorry for being to long but memories open up. Thank you once again.
@sfx 3000I turned mines in to CIF before I retired. I just didn't use mine. They were not useless equipment. Army equipment is very good. In Iraq the Army was very lenient on what gear that we could wear out in operations especially for an infantry unit. As long as it has the ACU pattern cammo on it or dark earth no problem. Also depends on the commander also.
Love this vest still. We had carried 2, 30 rd mag ALICE pouch’s 1 on each side rear for a total of 13 mags. Switched out empty’s to the rear. Not for humping through the jungle, but great overall.
When I first went into the Army in 2008, we were using these, worn over IBA's. We had a mix of LBV88's, ELBV's, FLC's along with some guys in ALICE Y-suspenders. I know a lot of 90's era guys complained that these were too hot, but when worn over armor, it doesn't matter anyway. I really liked these and I've used the older M1956 and ALICE gear, I think the heat build up issue is relative to what you're used too. They had us running front, back and side plates, the LBV88's fit pretty good over the IBA.
I recently acquired an old Molle version of this made by Spec Ops Brand. I used a Blackhawk military web belt and attached 4 Spec Ops Brand X-4 mag pouches to it, no dual grenade/compass pouches on mine. I love it. I can carry a ridiculous amount of magazines with this setup (up to 20+ if wanted) and still go prone without anything between my body and the ground unlike chest rigs. I wear it with the vest hiked up as high as possible as if it were a chest rig w the belt buckle near my belly button but the insanely padded shoulders still make this thing comfortable. With this set up I have room for hip pads from a pack or a duty belt w pistol, mag pouches, small trauma pouch, belt, and subloads.
Hoping to move to the country before the big bad Boogaloo comes around and this setup will be a top pick when pulling security on my property. Hell it'll even be great for urban combat.
@Cool Story Bro I haven't had an issue with P-mags. But GI mags fit better, which is fine since thats what I prefer anyway. P-mags will fit, but it's tight.
I actually switched to these for ease of prone positioning. Some matches require the shooter to preload and carry all magazines. I like the idea of dressing in layers. I never carry my pistol belt in conjunction with my lbv.
The one I got from midway was garbage. Beyond used. I order a brand new unissued one from jasmines . I also got the IIFS 3 day field pack "buttpack" which is designed for the lbv88. I highly recommend the buttpack. The MFT mags fit really well. But he's right, the magpul mags etc are very very snug. But the usgi mags are fine, and just as good. Some might say better even in cold climates.
i have one of these as well and i run pmags and they were really snug maybe too snug for fast deployment which is why i went to a molle flc with more modern mag pouches but thats just me i dont see alot of people these days running the gi mags anymore but to each his own
Strippers or boxed ammo? And yeah if you've got a CFP 90 AND patrol pack, go for it. The patrol pack + the vest are designed to interface. Be careful though. The CFP 90 will definitely hold more than the average human can carry! 😅
Few items:
Those straps with the snaps on the shoulder pads are there to wrap around the straps of the ALICE pack to keep them from sliding off the pads of the vest as you are marching.
I really liked this vest until I went away from Gi mags. Back in the day the only really good reliable mags were the H&K, and they are way too long to fit in those pouches. The PMAGs weren't tight in girth, I could get them in and out easy, but I had to practically tear the flaps off to get them far enough over the magazines to secure the snap. That killed it for me.
The two things I would change is to make the shoulder straps thinner, they are too bulky when wearing a pack, and I would sew on mag pouches that will fit the newer magazines.
Personally I use AK-style rifle, what I prefer to do for magazine holding is to attach some modified late-style East German AK pouches to my ALICE belt with hip pad. Pretty easy to do with zip ties. Then I use the pouches on LBV-E to hold my radio, map, compass, and medical equipment. Also I think there is after market ALICE pack straps which are thinner and better to use with LBV-E on.
I used these things while I was on active duty, still have one
Old school is the BEST school! All I use is older gear. I even had a bunch of molle, but sold it and went back to the Alice gear, and now the lbv88e.
love that old alice gear
I first saw the LBV88 in Panama in 1989. They were worn and used by the 7th ID (Light) when they trained at the Jungle Operations Training Center at Ft. Sherman. They looked cool and all. After training I asked the 7th ID guys how they liked their LBV88s? From NCO to Private told me they hated it because they sweat more during training and road marches. When they carried their large ALICE ruck sacks it was very uncomfortable unless they had a sternum strap using 550 cord to keep their ruck sack from swinging side to side. Many of their guys became heat casualties during training either stateside or in Panama wearing these vests. It didn't matter for the 7th ID latter when they were part of the Panama Invasion wearing these over their PASGT Kevlar vests which worked better on them while wearing it. I was in the 193rd INF BDE, 1/508th INF (ABN). I was in an Airborne Infantry Battalion which we were OPFOR at JOTC for units training there. We all had the old ALICE LBE which I was comfortable in. In my opinion was how could we jump wearing the LBV88? We always jumped with the ALICE with no problem looped through the T-10s and MC-1B Charlies parachute harness. My unit went to combat using ALICE with the PASGT body armor. It made really not difference because all we had to do was make adjustments to our pistol belts and the Y straps. I don't personally know how the 82nd Airborne guys or the Rangers had their equipment like body armor or LBEs were worn during their combat jump into Panama. Some guys in my unit who did come from the 82nd Airborne told me yes a Paratrooper can jump wearing the PASGT body armor and LBE on. My battalion air assaulted into Ft. Amador just like regular infantry to take our objective that night and had just regular ALICE LBEs. Honestly I liked the ALICE better and still have my own supply room for it. Until my deployment to Iraq in 2006 through 2008 wearing the Interceptor Body Armor. I have used the Blackhawk Chest Rigg and the Condor Chest Rigg with a built in map pouch. The MOLLE system has changed my mind when I was in pre-deployment training before combat. I could put pouches like crazy on my body armor and chest rigs and not lose mobility during combat in Iraq. The assault pack made the difference along with the Camel Back or hydration system during long sustain operations tempo. I carried extra water bottles instead of canteens. In Panama we ran around with large ALICE packs loaded with all our shit and the weight was more to our backs and it was harder to run and move unless I was under fire. Back then I was an M-60 gunner which sucked. Heavy gun and heavy pack full off spare 7.62mm ammo, 5 quart water bladder which was hard to get and all my shit. I sweated like crazy back in 1989 than I did in Iraq. Easy access to water was also crucial in combat. Drink from your straw or have to fuck around to reach for my canteen. From hindsight the Army improved the LBV88 to the RACK and finally to the MOLLE FLC system. The FLC was issued to me in Iraq. I never used it because it's too Army. My other stuff like Blackhawk and Condor suited me better. Back during Iraq the Army didn't give a shit about gear in combat which was very nice. Everyone of my soldiers started using Blackhawk and Condor gear also. Great video Brother! From what you said. It brought back memories flooding into my mind and experiences. Besides I am drinking right now. I type like crazy sharing all the stuff I went through over the years. Very interesting topic indeed. Sorry for being to long but memories open up. Thank you once again.
@sfx 3000The ACU pattern.
@sfx 3000I turned mines in to CIF before I retired. I just didn't use mine. They were not useless equipment. Army equipment is very good. In Iraq the Army was very lenient on what gear that we could wear out in operations especially for an infantry unit. As long as it has the ACU pattern cammo on it or dark earth no problem. Also depends on the commander also.
@sfx 3000I still have mines from Iraq.
That's pretty cool they just let soldiers kit themselves out how they like, "hey whatever makes you more effective, go for it"
Love this vest still. We had carried 2, 30 rd mag ALICE pouch’s 1 on each side rear for a total of 13 mags. Switched out empty’s to the rear. Not for humping through the jungle, but great overall.
When I first went into the Army in 2008, we were using these, worn over IBA's. We had a mix of LBV88's, ELBV's, FLC's along with some guys in ALICE Y-suspenders. I know a lot of 90's era guys complained that these were too hot, but when worn over armor, it doesn't matter anyway. I really liked these and I've used the older M1956 and ALICE gear, I think the heat build up issue is relative to what you're used too. They had us running front, back and side plates, the LBV88's fit pretty good over the IBA.
I was issued the lbv 88 and for me i loved it once i got it set up right. Got one for my minute man load out.
I recently acquired an old Molle version of this made by Spec Ops Brand. I used a Blackhawk military web belt and attached 4 Spec Ops Brand X-4 mag pouches to it, no dual grenade/compass pouches on mine.
I love it. I can carry a ridiculous amount of magazines with this setup (up to 20+ if wanted) and still go prone without anything between my body and the ground unlike chest rigs. I wear it with the vest hiked up as high as possible as if it were a chest rig w the belt buckle near my belly button but the insanely padded shoulders still make this thing comfortable. With this set up I have room for hip pads from a pack or a duty belt w pistol, mag pouches, small trauma pouch, belt, and subloads.
Hoping to move to the country before the big bad Boogaloo comes around and this setup will be a top pick when pulling security on my property.
Hell it'll even be great for urban combat.
I bought 5 of them in A1 condition for $8 each sometime last year! Always loved the LBV-88's!
That was a good deal!
@Cool Story Bro I haven't had an issue with P-mags. But GI mags fit better, which is fine since thats what I prefer anyway. P-mags will fit, but it's tight.
This vest will fit us big guys as well
I actually switched to these for ease of prone positioning. Some matches require the shooter to preload and carry all magazines. I like the idea of dressing in layers. I never carry my pistol belt in conjunction with my lbv.
One thing nobody mentions or demonstrates is that the patrol pack from CFP 90 can be worn with this.
I love your channel brother, keep up the good work
Thanks!
I ordered one from midway. Should be here Friday.
The one I got from midway was garbage. Beyond used. I order a brand new unissued one from jasmines . I also got the IIFS 3 day field pack "buttpack" which is designed for the lbv88. I highly recommend the buttpack. The MFT mags fit really well. But he's right, the magpul mags etc are very very snug. But the usgi mags are fine, and just as good. Some might say better even in cold climates.
Got one off of eBay 8 years ago for $8 and is still in great shape.
On mine I replaced the paracord with shock cord. It gives and tightens on its own as well as moves with me.
Interesting Idea
i have one of these as well and i run pmags and they were really snug maybe too snug for fast deployment which is why i went to a molle flc with more modern mag pouches but thats just me i dont see alot of people these days running the gi mags anymore but to each his own
I have a Enfield number 4 rifle with cfp 90 pack and patrol pack. Been thinking about getting the vest as part of my loadout gear.
Strippers or boxed ammo? And yeah if you've got a CFP 90 AND patrol pack, go for it. The patrol pack + the vest are designed to interface. Be careful though. The CFP 90 will definitely hold more than the average human can carry! 😅
They are hard to beat for the price
I just picked up another one. Both mine are mint never issued. Dated 1994, and 1997.
I got a modular medic variation. I wanted adaptability but also have it in a platform that I'm familiar with. It's a good system.
Modular how? Alice or Molle?
@@Mygg_Jeager Both. The medic vest is MOLLE and you can use an ALICE belt with it. My review of it is active on my channel
@@outerheavenpaintball Feel free to drop the link here and I'll check it out.
I'm actually really interested in getting something like that myself. :)
sure beats using jacket pockets I have noticed from experience
جعبه رائعه حصلت على وحده غنيمه من معركه الناصريه.2003
Would anyone in the comment section know anything about where to get an SOE Vest?
Does this hold m4 magazines??????
Yes. Same thing as M-16. Exact same thing.
Yes, AUG mags and also MP5 mags
If you must you can stuff some 10rnds in the grenade pouches
Good to know!
They don't work over or under body armor.
It's NOT an improvement over the ALICE H HARNESS
Elaborate?
The ALICE was a Y-harness, the M1956 and M1967 were H-harness.
HIGHT.....Not higth
You mean “height”?
@@SilverShamrockNovelties Lol Furious typo. I did indeed mean height.