Interchangeable Panel Chestrig Gen.2 Overview

Introduction
When the Interchangeable Panel Chestrig or the IPC for short first came out, I envisioned it as a lightweight modular chestrig with clip-on panel capability. As body armor design progress, so does their load carrying capability. While simple rigs like chestrig and harness remains a living fossil, either coming with pouches or MOLLE.

For a long time as an airsofter, the plate carrier has always been my go to option. With a good option, they can be lightweight, comfortable and being able to carry everything I needed for a whole day of airsofting. But the reality of getting hit by a real bullet while doing a fun hobby is just remotely slim, plate carrier can also be bulky and hard to move in tight area at time. Sure I can switch to chestrig but they just don't offer the same load carrying capability as plate carrier. The need for a non-armor orientated, lightweight modular chestrig along with the ability to switch out different panels like the plate carrier would give birth to the IPC.

The first two prototype of the IPC

The very first IPC prototype that I did back in January looks very much like a hybrid between LBT 1961A and Eagle RRV. The shoulder straps were originally padded and have comm cable routing flaps like the 1961, while the mainframe of the is styled after the RRV. As more prototypes are being made, the design were more flushed out and simplified, by the forth attempt the production model is born.

The production model didn't came without its problems though, while the rig is loaded with features, some found them to be unnecessary to the point where they will probably never used them at all. It is also costly and time consuming to produce. As of now the official pricing for the production model is set at $138USD (not even including the panel and shipping). At that price it pretty much puts it on the same level as some of the higher end nylon gear manufacturer out there such as Tactical Tailor, who is know to produce outstanding quality gear at an relatively affordable price.

The production model (Gen.1) are currently priced at $138USD, not including the accessories below.......

My personal experience also tells me that the average airsofter will not spend more than $150 on gear and things like "Made in USA" or "Constructed with mil-spec material" will always get thrown out the window if they have the options to settle for less. In order to make the IPC to be more competitive, I will have to find ways to cut down the cost, but without sacrificing the quality and functionality.

In order to do that the whole design will have to be revised and the design process has to be simplified, the following paragraphs will describe what kind of changes I made to the gen.2 but still maintain the delicate balance between cost, quality and functionality

Changes from Gen.1 - Mainframe

I will start going over the changes I made from the Gen.1 starting from the mainframe of the rig,

1. The mainframe of the gen.2 retains roughly the same dimension of the gen.1 IPC, you got a 6"x9" of velcro in the middle to attach a clip-on panel and then there are 3 x 4 rows of PALS on each side for traditional MOLLE compatible pouches. The top edge of the frame on the Gen.2 is now slightly
angled so that it wouldn't dig into the user's armpit. You will also noticed there are now three loops on each end of the PALS webbing instead of two, this lets you run the wrist strap at an higher level. I found that it is more comfortable to run the waist strap in the middle loop as it put pressure on my chest instead of my stomach.

The waist strap on the Gen.2 waist now employs shockcord to create constant tension and that means no more having to adjust the tension manually all the time. The wrist strap also have Crye JPC cummerbund style PALS slots for mounting a aftermarket hydration bladder, but this will most likely be changed back to a more tradition style to save time.

Front

Whole front view of the IPC Gen.2, noticed the angled edge

Side PALS webbing

Shock cord are now added for constant tension, also noticed the PALS slots

2. The velcro panel in the back is completely eliminated as feedbacks suggested that while it is useful for running radios with a Crye JPC radio pouch, majority of the people will probably have no use for it.

Backview of the Gen.1, there's a velcro panel for adding a Crye JPC radio pouch and PIG Pontoon

Backview of the Gen.2, the velcro panel is eliminated,

3. The mainframe now employs a grommet-less drainage system - small opening on the tip of each side, this eliminated the need to install grommets. Another benefit is that it produces one less failure point. For those wondering, yes it works, I tried filling it with water once.

The grommet-less drainage system looks like a vagina, I know....

The small row of PALS webbing in the back is still present in the Gen.2, for attaching dump pouch

4. The map pocket of the mainframe can now be opened all the way instead of just in the middle, this means that it is now big enough to put some kind of kangaroo insert to carry extra items. In the future I do plan to develop kangaroo so people can still run radio or extra mags on those areas.

The ability to run a radio internally is not lose and a kangaroo insert for radios will be developed in the future...

5. The comm cable routing flaps remains largely the same, the Drop-In Admin Panel (DAP) will still be compatible with it

So the only feature that is absented from the Gen.1 is the ability to run PIG pontoon in the stomach area for extra comfort, but this can be easily remedied by sewing a piece of loop velcro in the back.



Changes from gen.1 - shoulder straps
1. The shoulder straps received a much more radical make over compared to the mainframe, the Eagle RRV style shoulder straps on the gen.1 were eliminated in favor of a more simplified, fixed H style design. In the gen.1 the shoulder straps can be reconfigured to either X or H depending on the user reference just like the Eagle RRV, although I found that I never really use the X configuration that much myself. A benefit of the fixed H style design is the reduction in build and that the chestrig can now ride very high in the chest area

The velcro loop for holding hydration tube/comm cables were eliminated as well, feedback suggested that elastic loop is sufficient enough for the job. The elimination of the velcro retention also means that they won't get in the way of packs and rifle slings.

Back view

Elastic loops for hydration tube/comm cables

2. The shoulder straps will still employ two layer of 2" wide milspec webbing as the base, but binding tape is now incorporated into the shoulder strap and it reduced the build time tremendously while adding adding strength and stiffness to the straps. In the Gen.1 and especially for the Multicam version, I have to hold the two layers of webbing and then sew it really cautiously to avoid the un-printed side showing up . By adding binding tapes I can just run the webbing into the binder and still make a really clean looking strap.

The shoulder straps looks really clean now thanks to binding tape

3. The 1" wide velcro strip is still present in the Gen.2 and like the Gen.2 you can use to run the PIG shoulder pads from SKDTAC. I remembered some of you asking for a padding option, this will be the solution. These pads are only like $25 and they do a great job of adding comfort to your shoulder

4. The back of the shoulder strap are held with velcro and the length can be adjusted, although this might change to a fixed 6" wide design in the final version to save time, plus it will make the back straps more even when I'm doing it this way.

The H strap is fully adjustable.....

But doing so makes it look like one strap is higher and one is lower.....

Pricing and turnaround time
Thanks to design revision and elimination of features that are deemed unnecessary, I was able to reduce the build from around 4.5 hours to around 2.5. This of course will translate to reduction in the price as well. As of now I'm setting the official price for the Gen.2 at around $99 or $135 with one 9x6 Swift Change Panel.

I know some of you will be like "wait a minute, you managed to cut the build time in half and still charge almost a hundred? I could had get (insert nylon gear company name here) at that price"

I said by all means go ahead, not forcing to spend your money here. I use only mil-spec and US sourced material to ensure that the stuff I make last and they aren't cheap. Plus I'm doing this in spare time so the price will still come at a premium.

As for the turnaround time, I'm keeping it around one to two weeks. This of course will vary depending on the demand. I'm also trying offer customization options so they can add additional features to the rig and that will probably jack up the turnaround time a bit, but only time will tell.

Conclusion
By revising the design and eliminating features that are deemed unnecessary, I was able to reduce the build time tremendously while increasing its functionality.