Tacticon Battle Vest Light & Chest Rig — The Perfect Budget Setup?

We're looking at products from one of my favorite companies today: Tacticon. There's been some changes in their outward appearance lately, but no matter whether Nolan — the flip-flop Jesus — is there or not, I still absolutely love their products. Full transparency: they sent these out, but at my request, because I wanted to look at these specific pieces.

First up is the Battle Vest Light, the baby brother to their Battle Vest Elite. Unloaded it comes in at just a pound and a half. The shoulder straps are thin and minimalist, the whole thing is minimalist — but minimalist doesn't mean cheap. I've never had a single problem with a Tacticon carrier or pouch. It's got 360-degree laser-cut PALS, so I slapped a multicam triple M4 mag panel I had from another carrier (also a Tacticon product) right on the front. The cummerbund is fully adjustable, attaches with simple hook-and-loop, and even the side straps have PALS cut into them if you want pouches on your sides. If you're in the woods all day, this is the answer to the big heavy rigs — lightweight without sacrificing usability.

They also sent their level III plates: 10x12 steel, NIJ-listed, with a proper shooter's cut. They sit in the carrier super secure. The honest downside is weight — I believe they're around 7.5 pounds each, so you're wearing about 15 pounds of plate, which gets hefty when polyethylene plates exist. But for the money, they're quality, and they're how I'd get started without breaking the bank.

One change I'd make: wear something like the 221B Tactical Maxx-Dry vest underneath. It's a 3D mesh layer that keeps air flowing under the carrier and pads your shoulders so that tough nylon isn't scratching you up all day. Love that thing.

The second product is the Battle Vest chest rig, for when you don't need plates — sorry LARPers, you don't always need an extra 15 pounds on your body. It has an X-type back (I prefer an H-harness, but it's not a huge difference), a wraparound belly strap to snug it down, an admin pouch with inserts for small tools like the screwdriver set I carry deep in the woods, three AR mag slots, and two pistol mag slots.

Here's the really cool part: it's multi-purpose. Pull the harness and belly strap off, peel the backing, and the whole front panel slaps directly onto the Battle Vest Light carrier. You don't have to buy two separate products to have a chest rig and a loaded plate carrier — this acts as both. The little side D-clips are removable, but I leave mine on; my rifle and mags make more noise than those clips ever will.

Pricing is where Tacticon always wins. The chest rig normally runs around a hundred bucks and was 25% off when we filmed, so about $75. The carrier goes for around $120 and was just under a hundred — without plates, of course. They've always got killer deals going, they've been very supportive of the channel, and I can't say enough good things about them.