My Run N Gun Loadout: The Kit

Introduction

My kit consists of mostly first iterations of gear that I decided on through research, and I'll include my rationale. That process is what led to RigFig- I wanted to make gear planning easier and more fun. I've now run 1 RnG with this gear and 3 multi-gun matches with it. I am running Pecos and Jade Helm soon, and will have more clarity on what's staying and going once I have those under my belt. I couldn't help making some upgrades since my first match, although they definitely aren't necessary- detailed below.

RNG star Luke Johnson put me on to this one. I told him I was going to buy some knockoff gear so that I didn't spend too much on my first loadout, and he countered with the “buy once, cry once” approach and told me not to mess around and just get something that's going to last. This was his pick after trying a few and seemed pretty sold on it. Given that I was committed to the sport, I didn't have reservations about whether I was going to get value out of it.

What sets this belt apart is that, instead of using MOLLE grids, it's just a slick and rigid cordura belt that velcros over the softer inner belt which goes through your belt loops. Thus, it relies on the Velcro one-wrap system, which allows you to finely set the position of pouches and attachments. One layer of Velcro tape may seem like a minimal, if not puny, way of mounting your gear, but especially when it's sandwiched in between the inner and outer belt when you put it on, the mounting feels rock solid. All in all, it's super clean and minimal while offering all the capability I need, and I'm super happy with it and the way it looks.

Some links here are affiliate links — if you buy through one, we get a cut at no extra cost to you. We'd recommend the same gear either way.

KYWI is Esstac's mag pouch retention system — it stands for “kydex wedge insert” which is the rigid internal sleeve of the mag pouch that firmly grabs onto the magazine and allows for effective retention without extra material needed to close the pouch. You can bounce and bang these things around and the mags won't budge until you yank on them. You can also mold the inserts with heat to customize the intensity of the retention. I got the version that has a small gap in between the mags. They also make a version with no gap. I think the gap is safer because it’s able to flex without pinching and more space lets you index a single pouch easier by feel when you’re not looking. These pouches are a household name and Esstac’s claim to fame, and plenty of people attach them to belts and chest gear of other brands. I just happen to be matching my belt with pouches of the same make.

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I’m currently running the Esstac Piggy 3+2 chest rig, which has no-nonsense, super thick, bombproof strap construction of three AR mags and two Glock mags, all on a single layer that only protrudes out of your chest the depth of one magazine pouch. Of course, you can customize this one with the MOLLE that comes on the outside of it, so you can put a GP pouch on it or something to make it look like the Haley. But my goal for this purchase is to try and make my setup as slick as possible in order to move quickly under obstacles like barbed wire crawls and minimize snags on my sling from excess pouches and stuff. So far, the concept is solid in my testing, but I haven't run it in a race yet. I will be in a couple of weeks though. I paired this with the padded chest rig harness from Esstac, which also includes a MOLLE panel on the back where I can attach the hydration pouch.

What I started with: the Haley D3CRM clone I got from Run and Gun Solutions, which
unfortunately is not making nylon products like this right now. Although I wish I could
recommend this chest rig to more people, it's a really good, affordable version of the Haley D3CRM, which I think is kind of like the quintessential chest rig design. If you like the idea of the Haley and you don't mind the pouch in the front, I think it is a really good all-in-one solution if you would rather not get bogged down by the modularity of something like the Spiritus.

Somebody told me that the quality of the clone was going to be close enough, and at the time, I thought almost $200 for a chest rig was too much, at least for my first one before I knew what I
liked. For $60, this was a great on-ramp. I don't want to recommend some Chinese airsoft crap,
but to my knowledge, the Krydex is going to be the closest analog to the Run and Gun Solutions
if you want a Haley clone. I ran this for my first Run and Gun with no problems. However, the
pouch stacked on top of the magazines made it stick out enough that I wondered if it was
getting in the way. That's why I bought the Esstac.

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I became a fan of Flatline through their sling, and this dump pouch is cool because it's designed to mount underneath your rifle mag pouch so that it saves space. This one's been good in practice and range days, but I haven't run a full race with it yet. It's low profile when packed up and not too floppy when deployed.

Mounts to the back of the Esstac harness, so instead of adding a full pack you're extending the rig you already bought into a place to carry hydration. Keeps everything on one system instead of stacking a rig and a separate backpack. Sized for 1 L and maybe some knickknacks. I might even try mounting another rifle mag pouch on the two columns of MOLLE that are left on the back panel of the Esstac padded harness.

It's sized perfectly for the HOBOsak and may leave room for an extra mag or two. Trying to carry the minimum for bulk and weight purposes. Races in the 5-7 mile range shouldn't require more. I might even put a carb/electrolyte mix in here.

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The most affordable version of active earbuds that have the same effectiveness as the ones 2-3x the price. They've been great so far. You're paying less for the same product as the tacticool line. This one's just marketed to industrial workers instead of shooters. They're hi-vis green which isn't as tactical as black or tan, but that's a small price to pay for the massive savings. These things really shine with the Skull Screw foam tips that you need to buy separately. The same tips you use for OTTOs or other Peltor buds.

These were a gift before I went looking for them (thanks Will!), but probably would've landed here anyway. Ballistic-rated and the long-running standard in the shooting world — the kind of glasses you see on ranges regardless of discipline. Interchangeable lenses make adapting to the conditions a snap.

These were a gift before I went looking for them (thanks Will!), but probably would've landed here anyway. Ballistic-rated and the long-running standard in the shooting world — the kind of glasses you see on ranges regardless of discipline. Interchangeable lenses make adapting to the conditions a snap.

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I've been a La Sportiva fan for years through a couple other different pairs of trail runners that I've used on backpacking hikes and wore out over the years. This was the pair that looked up to the task and hasn't let me down yet. Always put a third-party insole in.

These were the insoles I was sold at Fleet Feet when I got my running shoes. I went ahead and threw these in my trail runners, and they've been good so far. I think I might try the hiking version for RNG as well soon.

They're super durable and make your feet feel sturdily locked into your shoes. I've run and daily worn multiple pairs of these for 5+ years and they're good as new.

As far as the versatile outdoor rugged hiking pant, it comes down to these or the Prana Zion. I have both, and prefer the Kuhl because it feels more solid. If I were to upgrade, it would probably be to one of the KUIU offerings. The Fjallravens look cool but when it comes to the durability for the price, I've mostly heard complaints.

What I actually run is a Gorewear sun hoodie, but Gorewear went out of business, so I can't point you to it anymore. The Crater Lake is what I'd buy when my Gorewear hoodies wear out. I also tried a cheap sun hoodie off Amazon, but the hood doesn't really stay on, especially when you're running. Look for a hoodie with a tighter-fitting or more form-fitting hood so it stays on and keeps your sensitive areas protected from the sun.

I have not tried these for shooting yet, just tearing down 3-gun stages. I will however be keeping them handy at my next RNG to avoid palming pebbles and scraping my knuckles. chose the Fast Fit for rapid deployment in order to avoid the Velcro strap.

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The coolguy Garmin pick. Not a colorful touch screen, just the subdued tool. Rugged and
understated, this thing is my training companion for pacing and tracking workouts. Also for barking about my sleep quality.