If you can't find what you're looking for...

[Hook]

...commission someone to do it for you

You may remember a while back that I took a Special Ops Dagger vest and added green bits of permanent marker to make Spec Ops woodland digi camo more like Cadpat. Well that looked good for one whole game until the 'permanent' ink started running on the vest. After one wash, all traces of green marker were gone and the vest was back to its normal, clashing self when compared to my Cadpat BDU. Not something I like at all.

So I remembered that MCB resident furry BenoitOWN offered tons of products, including custom soft goods, so I went ahead and contacted Ben. After a few PMs, his softgoods partner got in touch with me and I told him what I needed. I snapped a few pics of my vest and two weeks later I get an email letting me know my new vest was ready! He even made a Youtube vid to show me the product to get my approval before he ships it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7GIbuqiIBY

I've yet to receive the vest, but I am already blown away. While keeping the same format, he managed to cram in extra pouches and compartments, as well as a handful of D hooks for slings and such. I should get the vest late next week and plan to review it thoroughly, as well as provide lots of pictures.

[rawbutter]

I'm jealous.... although I might not be once you tell me what the price was. Vests like that usually aren't cheap.

I really like the idea of having pods attached to your back, though. I have a six-pod pack that works pretty well, but it's too high around my waist. If I'm kneeling and twisting, my tank or elbow is always hitting the pack, and it really bounces when I run. I may have to look into a vest like that.

[Hook]

Oh, the vest is definitely more expensive than an off-the-shelf Special Ops or RAP4 vest. This was commissioned at $15/hour and it took 10 hours of labour to complete the vest.

$150, including shipping, is IMO a very fair price. Especially since it's customized.

[SCpoloRicker]

So I remembered that MCB resident furry

Je pense que ca mot n'etais pas que vous pensez. J'espere.

Nice looking vest there. It's always nice to get exactly what you want.

[Hook]

Okay, fine

Resident furry lover

[BenoitOWN]

Well price depends on how you want it personalized for yourself. Even myself I have a hard time quoting custum products before we do a prototype as we need top know how much time will be involved.

But you get something of quality as it made by someone with alots of experience and im sure Hook will be able to review it more in dept and how it will last over time.

Made in Quebec by hand

[cerrik]

That is just Awesome!

I want one! but I wear Omnipat =(

[Hook]

Alright, I got the vest on Monday and managed to snap a few pics of the vest to give you my initial impressions.

As mentioned in my first post, I wanted a vest that retained all of the functionality of my old Special Ops Dagger 7 vest, but in a Cadpat camo pattern that would match the rest of my gear and softgoods. BenoitOWN's partner is part of a Quebec-based scenario paintball team called "La Meute", which translates to "The Pack (of wolves)"

I was pleasantly surprised to see an assortment of D-hooks, velcro strips and belt extender packaged in a ziplock back along with my vest. A very nice touch!

Front of vest:


Closeup shots of upper and lower portion of the front of the vest:



I'm a leftie, so I put the radio pouch on the right shoulder strap and a D-hook on the left side for my marker's single point sling.


The front pockets have 3 compartments; one hidden comportment, one front packet with velcro, and another between the back and front pocket:



The vest fastens at waist level like a podpack with this velcro belt:


Back of vest:


The tank pouch is large enough to hold a 90 cu tank and is ambidextrous in design. The pod pack holds four 140-round pods. The video in the first post was a bit misleading, as it looked like the outer pods holder were sitting lower, while in fact, the vest was holding smaller pods in the center. I am actually pleased with the fact that the pod holders are aligned, as there is less fumbling around when needed to reload in the heat of the action.

There's also a hydration pouch and a Velcro-backed callsign patch (which comes from my old Dagger vest):



Overall, this is a quality product that is professional-looking and built to withstand the rigors of scenario paintball. The Cadpat fabric is made of 1000d cordura and is very durable and won't fade over time. Stitching is made with heavy-duty thread and will not break over time.

I will definitely be contacting La Meute next time I need some custom softgoods. The price is fair and the quality speaks for itself. Anyone needing some custom softgoods should contact BenoitOWN over at MCB!

[Frizzle Fry]

Be careful where you send your money.

[Hook]

What do you mean by that?