First, some minor logistical stuff:
1. This vest is listed (at the time of this writing) on Redwolf as a Pantac WaSatch, but
it is in fact a WeeSatch according to MacGyver. Why it is listed as a WaSatch is uknown to
me, but it retails there for $82.00.
2. There are no markings whatsoever on this vest to indicate that it is a Pantac. This
worried me at first, but I have assurances from several people that it is a Pantac.
According to BloodType89 and Redwolf, this has something to do with them changing their
name from Phantom to Pantac. Apparently when they changed their brand name, the
distributors didn't get new patches to put on them and were instructed to simply take all
the labelings off of everything they had. The distributor's name, Combat2000, can be found
imprinted on the two black buttons on the front of the vest.
3. I have seen Pantac spelled as Pantec, to be honest I'm not really sure which one is
right. I'm gonna go with Redwolf and spell it Pantac for now.
Now, on to a review.
Overal First Impressions:
I must say I'm very impressed with this WeeSatch. It's not as high quality as an HSGI, but
for the money invested it's a very nice piece of gear. The entire vest is made from very
solid cordura, and all the rings and buttons on the vest are metal. I wouldn't trust a
whole lot of weight to the small d-rings, but they should carry just about anything you
would want to put on them. The thing that comes to mind is a wolf claw style gun sling,
they are most definitely strong enough to hold about any assault rifle or SMG.
Comfort:
This is by far the most comfortable rig I have ever worn on the field. Standing up,
kneeling, and prone are all very comfortable positions to this vest. If you really stack
your mags in there, they will aggravate your stomach to some degree, but if you don't put
too much in there at one time it's no problem. I have only had it to the field once, but
ran three different guns in one day just to see how it would react to different magazine
loads. MP5, M4, and AK mags all fit comfortably with no complaints from me about any of
them.
Durability:
The vest feels like it will hold up forever, but I haven't had it long enough to really
test. To compare on this end, we put my brand new one up against MacGyver's heavily used
Phantom (now Pantac, same company) WeeSatch. The only significant wear that we noticed in
comparing the two is that the older vest's mag pouches are worn in, which is actually a
good thing. The worn in pouches are much easier to pull mags from and resize.
Side by side picture for comparison's sake. The new vest is in MC, the used one is in OD.
Notice that the OD vest has a visible Phantom patch, while the new MC vest has no such
logo. Also know that the dump mag on the side of the OD vest is an add on, they ship
looking just like the MC vest with no extras.
Carrying Stuff:
The carrying capacity of this vest is pretty amazing considering it's size. The mag
pouches are the main attraction here, though it does have a fairly large map pocket in the
main chest area. The mag pouches will take many different magazine types, most of them can
be doubled. It comfortably holds two M16 mags, you can fit three but it's really tight.
AK and G36 mags aren't a problem for it either, especially since the top flaps are
completely adjustable. It won't quite fit two G36 mags, though it probably would if the
tabs on the sides of the mags were cut off.
The top flaps are held in by velcro and are fairly easy to adjust. You could easily run
this vest with different settings on different days depending on what gun you want to use
that game. Velcro doesn't sound very strong, but if they are adjusted correctly the mags
are very secure while inside the vest.
There are actually two internal pockets on the front, one is made to accept plate armor
while the other is meant to be a map/general purpose pouch. The map pouch is big enough to
hold anything that you need that won't go in a mag pouch. Obviously that statement doesn't
include hydration, but that goes on your back anyway. You could easily put a full bag of
bbs, extra battery, and any paperwork you would need in there. Mine is going to be used
for food =)
The plate section covers the whole front of the vest, but is so difficult to open it while
the vest is on you that it couldn't effectively be used for anything that needs to be
anywhere near accessible. Then again, it's made for plates that aren't supposed to come
out while you are in combat.
Pics of mags in the vest:
From left to right: AK47x2, M4x2, MP5x4, G36x1
It's much more comfortable to run MP5 mags two per pocket, four is a little tight. I put
four in there for effect on these pictures.
This next picture shows the difference between this vest and MacGyver's HSGI WoSatch, the
Wo has a few more pockets across the front. The picture doesn't quite do it justice on the
build quality, the HSGI is built significantly heavier. But, it also costs twice as much.
The HSGI is on bottom in Coyote Tan.
The back of the vest is plain with MOLLE loops covering the entire back section. The
entire back of the vest is one huge pocket, meant to take plate armor but can easily hold
any hydro pack if desired. One problem with running your hydro here is that it will fall
into the very bottom and bunch up, since this pocket is way oversized for any hydro that I
have ever seen. Getting a separate hydro carrier and mounting it to the MOLLE loops is
highly recommended.
The handle on the top of the vest is very strong. I was drug along the ground with this
handle for testing purposes and it didn't even make any popping sounds. Counting my 185
pound body weight and the ~30 pounds of crap I had on me, it'll safely drag most players.
Three vests, for some reason this pic is upside down, sorry. The OD vest is the same older
Phantom, notice that it has a hydro carrier in place. Don't really know why the hydro
carrier is a different color. MC is the same new vest, Coyote is the same HSGI WoSatch.
To wrap it up, this vest is worth the money. It cost me right around $100 after you factor
in shipping from Redwolf, you won't find a better rig for the money from any manufacturer.
Not as good as a HSGI setup, but Pantac is a very good alternative to HSGI for those not
wanting to drop ~$220 on a vest.
Build Quality: 9
Carrying Capacity: 10
Comfort: 10
Adjustability: 10
And there it is, I would recommend this vest to anyone who wants a chest rig style carrier.
-Froggy