BlackHawk S.T.R.I.K.E. Review

[HaZarD SFD]

Well I was fortunate enough to find this online. Well ever since then having
been in my Ciras for the end of season and bit of the winter. I noticed that it
was really warm and with that, summer 2007 would be like hell. So since
seeing this and finding the Sweetest Deal on ASC. How could I pass up
something that will be alot cooler and still offer enough molle space.

BlackHawk S.T.R.I.K.E. Gen-4 MOLLE System LBE Harness



After having it for 2 days, it now has the Phantom Pouches on that I have
recieved with my Ciras and one dual pouch from a trade.

Overall the Vest is stiff as hell. But hey its 98% brand new and all gear is
like that. The first part I noticed was the Mesh back that will help when
their is a Hydration pack on there. Oh and the Molle is a great benefit on
the mesh as well.



After seeing that this Vest has the Gen4 Molle system with IVS (Integrated
Venting System) I was even more satisfied as I can put pouches anywhere
and the IVS will also help with cooling. But with all this comes "Will it hold up?"



Well I got up and close with the Stitching and its IRON CLAD. Along with
that, they added nice beefy buckles and Steel D-Rings.







Now as for that IVS stuff its mainly a raised section on the backside that
makes it so there isnt 100% contact and provides some ventilation. Also I
found that the panels open up at the bottom for whatever reason. Mabey
armour plates to protect stomach fat?




The sizing is never an issue as this vest is 100% sizeable for even my Fiance
can wear it and shes 5'2". The back panel can be removed if you dont have
the need to put a pouch there and increase the ventilation.



The vest is still not fully sized yet, as I need some Hockey tape to tie up the
loose straps hanging everywhere. I will be wearing this for all the hot 2007
games this year. I will keep this tread updated after every game and/or
each and all problems that arise.





Pros : 100% sizeable and pouches can go anywhere. Vented great and
even the shoulder straps have molle all they way up. Mesh back is great
even if it didnt have 100% molle coverage. Also has drag handle but wont
use that much if any at all.

Cons: Stiff at the beginning. A bitch to size by yourself. The long ass
straps for sizing are annoying if you dont have tape to hold them down.

impressive
I have been considering something new also as my CIRAS rides a bit high on me.

[Oz]

Its the molle version of the BHI ISSAK series, which are a knock off of the LBT Riverine rigs. The openings arent for armor, theyre for floatation, the original rigs came with thick sealed foam in there. Im no fan of BHI but I'm pretty impressed with the quality of my ISSAK aswell, the ventilation, modularity and back panel look to be nice aditions though. Let us know how runs for ya!

[HaZarD SFD]

So far I am still getting it sized lol.. Buying hockey tape tonight..

[HaZarD SFD]

Will have more pics up soon

[ThunderCactus]

i've got the same LBE harness in ACU, its REALLY heavy but its really an amazing vest, it just needs alot of wearing in since its brand new

[gamz]

Nice kit Hazard.... looking forward to seeing it in person.

[HaZarD SFD]

Going to post pics of How I mounted my Camelbak with the Grimlocs.

[HellRanger]

One of the 2 rigs I'm looking to acquire this year.
After that, no more gear for this old man! Ya! Right!

[pOkiE]

Sorry dude...not to diss your equipment or anything but I think BHI sucks. Their quality just doesn't hit par. When I first got into airsoft I thought it was the greatest company and I do give them credit for their innovative products. I put in a $1kUSD order and was stoked when I got the gear. After my first skirmish, the hellstorm gloves, knee, AND elbow pads were all falling apart. The PALS on the STRIKE vest were ripping off in some places since the stitching had come loose. And the elastic webbing used for mag retention (which I thought must have been mil-spec) had been streched out or pulled out from under the seam tape and flapping around. I had the girlfriend stitch everything back, sent it back to BHI and demanded a refund. Their service was horrible...I only got my refund after 8.5 months of bitching. They didnt even refund shipping costs...to or from.

Just a reminder though...Grimlocs have a 80?lbs breaking strength. I tried to mount a 100oz camelbac to a chest rig I use for summer games and my camelbac fell off after I jumped out of the tree I was shooting from. I'm not entirely sure if it was due to the force of the jump(as the bladder was full) or if it snagged on a branch or something but it didnt hold up. I would recommend zip ties so you dont lose it mid game.

[HaZarD SFD]

ok POKIE. Well my webbing is mint. The molle and pals panels are still like new.
They never streched or anything at all. Hell the LBE still feels new. Now the
grimlocs I have mounting my camelbak are great. I have 6 holding it on. with 3L
of water in it. Hell its not even budged. Now sorry to hear that BHI is shit but
imho its a damn great vest. Oh and I think Pictures #3,4 show that the stitch
is up to par. And I have had this Vest at every game since I bought it from
blackthorne for $75 (A steal by the way thx blackthorn)

[CDN_Stalker]

BHI = Made In Vietnam

I still like some of the BHI gear, other stuff looks too futuristic for my tastes. I have the Omega VI drop leg and love the heck out of it, one of the best peices of gear I have.

[pOkiE]

Aw man I wasn't trying to offend you or anything...I just like to bitch about them since I had such a bad experience haha.

[HaZarD SFD]

HOnestly I think their gear is great. YOu might of had a bad batch.

Okie dokie pokie

[Goldman]

Originally Posted by pOkiE

Sorry dude...not to diss your equipment or anything but I think BHI sucks. Their quality just doesn't hit par. When I first got into airsoft I thought it was the greatest company and I do give them credit for their innovative products. I put in a $1kUSD order and was stoked when I got the gear. After my first skirmish, the hellstorm gloves, knee, AND elbow pads were all falling apart. The PALS on the STRIKE vest were ripping off in some places since the stitching had come loose. And the elastic webbing used for mag retention (which I thought must have been mil-spec) had been streched out or pulled out from under the seam tape and flapping around. I had the girlfriend stitch everything back, sent it back to BHI and demanded a refund. Their service was horrible...I only got my refund after 8.5 months of bitching. They didnt even refund shipping costs...to or from.

Just a reminder though...Grimlocs have a 80?lbs breaking strength. I tried to mount a 100oz camelbac to a chest rig I use for summer games and my camelbac fell off after I jumped out of the tree I was shooting from. I'm not entirely sure if it was due to the force of the jump(as the bladder was full) or if it snagged on a branch or something but it didnt hold up. I would recommend zip ties so you dont lose it mid game.

In all fairness, you modified the product after failure and demanded a refund, if I were BHI I would have given you a hard go of it too.

Seriously though, which rig, this one by chance?