Lots of different chest rigs vie for our attention. There are many great ones out there, Haley Strategic D3CR, Mayflower Gen IV, and the Spiritus Systems Micro chest rig just to name a few. Each excels in some way or another. Coming from a different corner of the world we have Bou Tactical Gear with their AW chest rig. They aren’t specifically new. In fact, their equipment is in use all throughout the world including by some high-speed guys in Spain, which is where Bou Tactical Gear is based. They’ve come to the table with a solid sturdy and well-built product that I think deserves a closer look.

Bou Tactical Gear AW Chest Rig | Initial Impressions
Bou Tactical Chest rig on the MOS SPAV-W plate carrier

The chest rig is small, much smaller than I thought it would be when I received it. It holds four mags comfortably with bungee retention which can easily be switched out with kydex inserts (such as the Esstac Kywi). Due to the design the mags face ever so slightly outward, which makes for a smooth easy draw or an easy re-indexing of a partially spent magazine. The bungee retention is well-built and kept my mags in place throughout a variety of different drills.

In front of the magazine shingle you have a simple admin pouch which for whatever reason, is one of the nicest built I’ve ever encountered. The zippers, material and cut all add up to make for a really nice package that has held up incredibly well throughout the time that I’ve had it. To the left of the admin pouch is a magazine / leatherman / flashlight pouch. It’s well constructed with superb stitching. To the far right is a two cell pouch that can be used to fit a variety of materials.

What draws me to this chest rig is the size. It isn’t so large that I’m looking to put in random items. Rather it gives me just enough to prioritize what I want up front. This allows for a light setup with not a whole lot of bulk out front. As with any chest rig you should decide if you need the extra pouches up front which can keep your body from getting that much closer to the ground when skull dragging. None the less, if you need it – I belive that the Bou Tactical Gear AW chest rig to be a superb choice.