Video Overview

Sam from PrepMedic is a critical care flight paramedic and a TEMS medic who works with search and rescue teams. He carries no gun on the job, so most chest rig videos do not fit him. In this one he builds a rig for a small helicopter and for long rescue missions. He starts with a Haley Strategic placard and adds pouches, a radio insert, a phone mount, ventilation pads, a light, and a quick-release harness, and he explains why each piece is there. At the end he covers what did not work and why he moved on from his Hill People Gear Kit Bag. Sam says MAAK sent the chest mount after he asked, with no input on the video, and that he bought everything else. Thanks to PrepMedic for building this around a real job.

Items & Gear List

• Haley Strategic MOD Placard – View at Off Base
• AceTac Multi-Purpose Pistol Magazine Pouch – View at AceTac
• AceTac General Purpose Pouch (Large) – View at AceTac
• AceTac Battery Holder – View at AceTac
• AXL Advanced Micro Fight Hi-Top Half Zipper Insert – View at AXL Advanced
• Raine Tactical 7.62 Radio Adaptable Insert – View at Raine Tactical
• Haley Strategic Admin Wedge – View at Haley Strategic
• AXL Advanced JTAC Adapter – View at AXL Advanced
• MAAK Tactical Chest Mount – View at MAAK
• Garmin inReach – View at Garmin
• AceTac Multi-Mission Chest Rig Strap V2 – View at AceTac
• Arbor Arms Link Direct Buckle Attachment Wing – View at Arbor Arms
• Qore Performance IceVents – View at Qore Performance
• Streamlight Sidewinder – Purchase on Amazon
• FOAMfrat Reference Cards – View at FOAMfrat
• Shaw Concepts RAID Pouch LITE – View at Shaw Concepts
• Eberlestock Recon Handwarmer – View at Eberlestock
• FullTang Tactical Chest Rigs & Accessories – View at FullTang Tactical
• 5.11 Tactical TacTec Chest Rig – View at 5.11 Tactical

Editor’s Insight

Thanks again to Sam at PrepMedic for showing the whole build, not just the finished rig. The first idea is a placard base. The Haley Strategic MOD Placard can move into a plate carrier later, so the base is reusable. FirstSpear tubes sit on each side for quick on and off, and an Arbor Arms extender turns the H-harness into one point with a quick release. Sam has a shoulder injury and does not want to reach behind him for buckles. The harness is an AceTac strap with bungee retention, so it fits over a bulky jacket without being resized.

The front is built for work in a tight aircraft. An AceTac general purpose pouch holds small supplies that get lost in a big bag. A half zipper insert from AXL Advanced holds the items he uses on nearly every call. A dedicated radio sleeve from Raine Tactical keeps the radio out of the way, and an admin wedge sits on the back. The mag pouch on the front is not for magazines. Sam says he repurposes the AceTac pieces, and the battery holder carries syringes and needles instead of batteries. He keeps his working space right in front of him so he does not have to stop the rescue to dig through a bag. This post does not copy his medical steps, and he says the video is for education only, not medical training.

The tech pieces are the interesting part. An AXL Advanced adapter adds an end user device mount to the rig, and the MAAK mount holds his phone for protocols, maps, and coordinates. Sam says a dedicated MAAK review is coming. A Garmin inReach rides on the side, a Streamlight Sidewinder clips to the shoulder for white, blue, infrared, and red light, and Qore Performance IceVents add airflow under the straps. A Shaw Concepts pouch on a tube system carries a basic first aid kit and comes off for flights where he does not want anything dangling while seated. An Eberlestock handwarmer muff adds cold weather gear at the base.

The last section is the best part. Sam says the Hill People Gear Kit Bag is a good kit bag and a good company, and that he still likes it. He moved on because the harness loosens, there is no bungee, it is not very modular, the radio sticks out, and straps block an end user device bridge. He also tried a wider Haley placard, a Spiritus Systems base and harness, and an EUD pouch, and dropped each one for size or fit. The lesson is to match the rig to the job, not to copy a build. MAAK, Eberlestock, and others may be out of stock or pre-order when you read this, so this post does not promise any item is for sale. Each link above went to a live page when the post was written.

A note from us: we love our chest rigs. We have chest rigs from FullTang Tactical and 5.11 Tactical, and Sam’s build is a good push to look at how you load one.

Closing Remarks

Watch Sam from PrepMedic build this rig piece by piece before you copy any of it. He starts with the base, moves through the pouches, radio, phone mount, light, and harness, and ends on what he tried and dropped. The links above are the pages from his description. Hit play, then tell us what you would change for your own job.