I have had a 5.11 Vest for quite some time. I got an extraordinarily good deal from Botach Tactical on it a while back ($30 or $40 bucks!)
I got it because I wanted a quick way to carry gear for walking the dog. Coming home from work I wanted a quick and easy way to grab my normal dog walking gear. I usually carry a pistol, spare mag, flashlight, extra leash, dog treats, poop bags, water, etc. For urbanites I should mention that seeing coyotes and other animals is common.
The vest was a good option because I didn't want a "duty belt" which still requires a cover garment. The 5.11 Vest is pocket happy. I don't even use half of them!
Some highlights...
Did I mention the thing has a ridiculous amount of pockets?
The front is great, two M4 double mag pouches on the bottom left (which can hold a lot), and a big dump pouch which has elastic magazine holsters on the bottom right.
The back left and right side has elastic topped pouches, big enough to hold a Nalgene bottle or 32oz Gatorade bottles.
It has a zipper but I really like the front center snap. It keeps the vest fairly closed and most importantly from flapping around in the wind.
It is VERY lightweight. I have some friends that swear by the Woolrich Elite Vest. I really am impressed by them - the quality and durability is top notch. However, it is very thick and that makes it heavier and hot. It also gives it a very streamlined look whereas the 5.11 looks kind of ... well ... frumpy.
Frumpy is not all bad however. Being loose and bulky makes it look less "tactical." The Woolrich Elite Vest looks very SWAT'ish to me (not that I don't think it looks good). I recently wore my 5.11 to work where there is a wide spectrum of folks. The only comments I got were people asking me if I was "goin' fishing?" after work. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest it fits right in. If you live in an ultra-urban area, that might not go over so well. For me, unless I pack every pocket full, including 4 AR15 in the front I think it is fine. I keep reading reviews where people say it screams "CCW" -- for here, and that includes trekking around department stores and malls, I simply do not agree.
The internal pouches (left and right side are huge). You can pretty much put anything you want in there. They are lined with velcro to carry accessories, like a pistol. Well, supposedly anyway.
The bad?
The "B.B.S." system is supposed to allow accessories to be attached easily. The big one is the internal gun holster. Well, first of all you have to BUY the holster attachment. Ok, I did.
The holster is TINY. The only things I own that fit it are my S&W J-frame snub revolvers and 380's. Small pistols like the Kahr P9 or Ruger LC9 will probably fit but ones like the Glock 27 or S&W M&P 9c do not. Unless you cut the holster...
So, cut the holster I did. The Glock now fits physically. However, I was very disappointed with the way it carries. Unless you offset the other side it drapes to one side uncomfortably.
Which brings me to the "load distribution" of the vest. This consists of two narrow snap straps on the inside at the waste level that work as tie downs. Well, this severely restricts your movement and if you move to much it becomes unsnapped. Additionally, with it cinched down it causes an OWB pistol to print.
On 5.11's site I saw folks wanted to carry full size pistols like a 5" 1911 or Beretta 92FS in the internal holster/pocked. I think that the pistols will fit in the pouch either without the holster, or with a holster like Maxpedition's (basically a velcro loop) but it is not going to carry well.
A couple of notes...
The vest could be a little longer for folks that carry a 5" 1911 OWB. Bending over causes the bottom of your holster to show. Anything shorter seems to be fine.
The sizes run kind of weird. I have read online that they run large. This was not the case for me. I normally run a medium jacket. The medium 5.11 vest fit, but it was snug. Forget about trying to conceal a pistol (in the pouch or the hip). I got a large. It is roomy.
Overall...
A well-built product that works and has a LOT of pockets. I like and use it during the summer.
