5.11 has recently entered the nylon pouch market and I'll have to say most gear snobs offhand will be unimpressed. The gear is by no means deluxe, however I want to make sure people know it is also far from crap. The sewing and quality control is excellent. If I were to give a simple quality scale there is: airsoft crap at the bottom, 5.11 nylon in the middle, and high end deluxe gear at the top. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, the 5.11 stradegy was to take proven simple designs and offer them affordably. I think they totally succeed and the end result is gear that is safe to use in a tactical environment, yet won't blow the budget. The general feel seems lighter duty than coated 1000D cordura, however the main material they use is still 1000D nylon based. There is no attempt at overseas manufacture secrecy and "Made in Vietnam" labels are easily visible in the pouches.
When applicable, the Slicktick System is used for attaching to PALS/MOLLE webbing. Although the system is clearly still MOLLE-Snap like, it is easier and faster to use. Since the webbing straps are "floating" you can move them while installing so you don't have to bend and wiggle as much and they make pouch removal super fast. The down side would be the system relies on plastic glides on the main stress point which have much less breaking strength than all the other materials.
All gear is only available in Black and Flat Dark Earth. Black is easy to get right, but most people I show are not a fan of the 5.11 version Flat Dark Earth color. It appears to be a saturated version of Marine Coyote causing a bit more of an orange effect than most people want. When grommets are used, they are of an even more orange color. Not a disaster, but could have been better.
As long as one can accept the 5.11 line is not the best of the best, it is great functional gear for the price.
Recommended place of purchase: <www.lapolicegear.com>
5.11-TACTICAL Slickstick System
5.11's MOLLE compatible system to mount onto PALS webbing. Check out my PALS connection page for further comparisons:
5.11-TACTICAL 6.6 Padded Pouch
DIM: 6x6"
Like the standard 6.6 pouch, but with bonus padding. Size is good for a medium sized GP pouch. The padding helps for holding more delicate items such as electronics and tools. Includes external PALs webbing for attaching modular pouches.
5.11-TACTICAL 6.10 Vertical Pouch
DIM: 6"x10"
A good GP (General Purpose) size. Able to put a good amount of odds and ends items inside. Commonly placed on the sides of tactical vests. Height allows for more holding options. Includes external PALs webbing for attaching modular pouches.
5.11-TACTICAL 10.6 Horizontal Pouch
DIM: 10"x6"
Similar size to the 6.10 GP pouch, but done horizontal style. This horizontal style has a longer zipper area for a larger opening and makes for good placement on the front or back of tactical vests. If you find the right platform, this size is also great for adding to other bags for capacity expansion. Includes external PALs webbing for attaching modular pouches.
5.11-TACTICAL Cuff Case
Farily straight forward cuff case. Sleeve in the back with expanding main area. Velcro lid closure. Best used with 1 pair of cuffs, one half in the sleeve area and 1 in the main area to keep rattle noise to a minimum. Can tightly hold 2 pairs of standard handcuffs, however could not hold 2 pairs of ASP cuffs (shown in pics) since they are thicker. Optionally flex-cuffs can also be coiled up and put in this pouch.
5.11-TACTICAL H2O Pouch
Great size for holding a 32oz Nalgene Bottle. Plenty of other water bottles will fit, but may flop around a little. Main flap has velcro closure with SRB connection for additional security and sizing control. Includes external PALs webbing for attaching modular pouches.
5.11-TACTICAL Stacked Single Mag Pouch (Double Mag)
Pouch for holding 2 NATO style 30 round 5.56 magazines. Also worked well with P-Mag and Lancer Mags. Main flap is velcro closure and the loop side has an extended flap to acommodate mags with attachments like Magpuls. This flap can easily be tucked down into the pouch if you find it to be in the way. Elastic around the middle keeps flopping to a miniumum when only 1 magazine is inside.
5.11-TACTICAL Double Mag Pouch with Bungee
Shingle style double mag pouch for holding 2 NATO style 30 round 5.56 magazines. Also worked well with P-Mag and Lancer Mags. Instead of traditional flaps, bungee cord holds the magazines in place. Insertion can be a bit of a hassle, but moving the bungee out of the way and grabbing the magazine is faster than traditional mag pouches. As a note I feel the pull tabs attached to the bungee cord should be longer. There isn't a lot to grab onto, especially if wearing gloves. Includes external PALs webbing for attaching modular pouches.
5.11-TACTICAL Large Drop Pouch
DIMS: 10" Height x6" Diameter when open, 500D nylon
Solid pouch based on the popular fold up dump pouch designs. The folds make this design lay flatter, but taller than most other pouches out there. Easy to pull open the main flap, expand the pouch and ram the flap down inside to put the pouch in ready mode. Velcro inside the pouch will securely hold the flap. Opening size can be adjusted with a shock cord and cord lock setup. This cord setup unfortunately is placed right above the main flap velcro and can get in the way when using main flap closure. Not a show stopper, but could be better.
5.11-TACTICAL 6.6 Medical Pouch
DIMS: 6"x6", 5mm padding
Based on the other 6.6 pouches this version has a little bit of padding and a clamshell style opening for full access. The interior has mesh pockets with zipper openings to assist in organization. In the very middle of the inside are 3 small elastic loops. Although you can put whatever you want in here, these type of organizational aid features are intened for medical supplies. A cute little medic cross is on the outside to help label the pouch.
5.11-TACTICAL Single Pistol Mag Pouch
Pouch made to hold 1 pistol magazine. Elastic around the middle helps retain the magazine if holding a single or double stack magazine. Uses velcro for main flap closure. Typically this size is also good for holding flashlights and multitools.
5.11-TACTICAL Double Pistol Mag Pouch
Double version of the pistol mag pouch. Pouch made to hold 2 pistol magazines. Since created together, a little bit of width size is saved over using 2 separate single mag pouches. Elastic around the middle helps retain the magazine if holding a single or double stack magazines. Uses velcro for main flap closure. Typically this size is also good for holding flashlights and multitools.
