I purchased this rig in 2006 for a deployment to afghanistan. At the time I was used to tactical vests and the way they displaced the weight of my mission essential kit on my body. It took about a week to get used to the way my new rig sat on my body. It turned out to be a good trade-off in this regard, once I got used to it. My gear became more accessible in vehicle mounted ops and patrolling. The only struggle was prone position, due to the distance that having 3 mags plus a plate on your chest. It creates a big space between you and the ground. So I only kept 2 mags in the pouches and the rest in my assault pack which also countered the forward weight. I also later got it modified with a molle bib to hold my compass/gps and grenade(s), etc. Its been 4 years since I bought this great piece of kit and had nothing break or tear on it at all. Very rugged. It holds a good amount of stuff and keeps the radio out your way but still relatively accessible.