I have built my SHTF setup around an Arsenal AK in 7.62x39. I am looking for recommendations on gear to best carry ammo/magazines and associated SHTF stuff. What are your recommendations? Pics and links are always helpful.

I have this on order right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs55GeK_Qog

I also have an 8 mag blackhawk chest rig, but it's really heavy. I think the 3 mag holder will be nice because it's a lot less bulky.

Make sure you get stuff made specifically for AK mags.  AR mag pouches and universal pouches mostly suck for AK mags.  The HSGI Taco pouches are probably the only exception to that rule.

SKD-Tac

UW Gear

US Palm at SGCUSA

The Tactical Assault Gear Gladiator vest  I used for my 2 tours in Iraq works out well for my AK74M loadout.

Nothing fancy here.  Just a Chinese "mag purse" to throw over my shoulder and I'm good.

I wanted a rig that was smaller and more compact.  Went with the OSOE Micro AK Rig.









I also have my Chamelion SVD chest rig if I'm rockin' the .308 Vepr, M76, or PSL.



 
 

LBE & HSGI Tacos, simple, reliable, and will work with AK47, 74, AR15, FAL......etc....







not saying it's the best, but it works


 

I'm a big fan of Russian gear, like Zen!

These pictures have been posted in the gear section, but I mostly run the SPOSN smersh. It helps settle the weight around the waist, so it's comfortable for longer periods. 6-8 loaded magazines on the chest can get heavy pretty quick if you're moving around. The smersh is easy to put on and take off. It's very modular to your needs. It's not the lightest setup, but I like the option of having a modular setup to carry as little or as much as you need in a SHTF situation. Fully loaded, this setup could sustain you for 24-48 hours. With the addition of a backpack you could easily go 72 hours +.


Smersh with 8x AK magazine pouches



When you're not a One Man Army or for short engagements, I throw on the Splav M23 chest rig or the Sposn Lazutchik M. The belt also adds modularity for the addition of a dump pouch, etc. A big downside to the M23 is the difficulty in replacing the magazines in the pouches themselves when you're doing a reload. The pouch covers are held in place with velcro, which is a bit loud. The pouch covers themselves hinder mag changes because they are so long, so it's easier to have them tucked behind the mags. The pouches are tight and the metal locking tabs on the magazines catch on the fabric.

The Lazutchik has plastic inserts sewed into the pouches so mag replacements are easier, but the pouch cover design kind of hinders your ability to replace the mags quickly. There's also lots of room in the pouches so when you run, the mags move around a bit.

In the future, I may end up going with a Molle LBE of some type. Not too much Molle support for the AK platform though here in the US. However, Russia has jumped onto the Molle bandwagon and do produce Molle based AK equipment. I'm still testing the above two setups. They are rugged and work, but they aren't the most ergonomic (sound familiar?).


M23 "Pioneer"


Lazutchik M (Infiltrator Modified)

+1

Huge fan of the Gorka mountain suit. One of the best uniforms I've ever tried and works like a charm in cold weather with just a couple appropriate base layers.

I'd love to have a Smersh rig but considering I have my old LBE from the Army I can't justify the cost of the Smersh rig (at the moment)...but I really want one. Same thing as an LBE obviously but more modular which is cool. I took the liberty of getting a Smersh buttpack for it though since it's larger than the old ranger pack that I had originally in the service and was in much better shape.

For AK's I used to run HSGI Taco's on a TT-MAV, as Rightwing and Nictra pointed out they are amazing and work extremely well for AK mags. I still use two of them on the LBE for AK reloads.

TT-MAV with Tacos was my rig for a long time but lately I've gotten the LBE out again and so am shifting more to a 1st line setup with it and then an appropriate chest rig for the rifle in question. I have a UW Gear SVD rig for the NDM86 and waiting on them to make me a 74 rig to try out also. The LBE has the field gear and a couple taco's for AK mag changes. Still working on finding a decent holster that works with my XD40+X300 combo. I tried to order a Safariland 6930 but got jerked around by out of stock bait and switch, I have other things going on at the moment and haven't revisited the holster yet.

SVD rig with LBE (on left with tan camo / Gorka-E Autumn):


UW SVD rig (I added the 3 bottom middle pouches for the class, otherwise holds 10 SVD mags)




TT-MAV rig and Taco's:




Z

I really love the Surpat, Zen. Seems like a great all-around camo. SRVV stuff is top notch, from what I understand.

+1 on the Gorka suits. My favorite at the moment is actually the cheaper and lighter weight ANA version. It's potentially wearable in warmer environments. I've also had to order the suspenders for the SPOSN Gorkas due to the fact that the pants fall down in heavy use without them.

Thanks for all the great feedback guys. I obviously have a lot to learn about this. You guys are head and shoulders above me in knowledge about these things. It's mind boggling to think about the options I have, assuming I have the coin. Not sure the decision is going to be easy.
Great to see some fellow Texans out here as well. Although I can't imagine needing that cold weather gear where I live.

These aren't as "tacticool" but I don't have the money to dump into a "vest" style set up that I'll never use unless SHTF in Dec as predicted by our good friends the Mayans (although they did preempt us with Dick Clark ).

They are great for hauling mags to/from the range and seem very well built for the $ if that's what you're looking for.

I like the hungarian 5 cell mag. pouchs . throw them in the trunk or over my shoulder . pockets for the oil bottle &cleanning kit whats not to like

Chest rigs get really damn heavy.  I kinda prefer the Chinese Man-Purse.  5x30 close and easy to grab and go.

Not picking a fight with you. Chest rigs are not heavy, body armor with a combat load is heavy and gets heavier over prolong periods. Each loaded mag weighs a little over a pound each so all together we are talking about =/- 15lbs?

You've "served"

Most of us candy asses have no idea what it's really like, so forgive us for our disgressions

Thanks for your service to our country by the way.

I have a blackhawk chest rig I just weighed with 8-30 round european steel mags with 124 grain ammo.

With 8 mags it weighed 16.8 pounds, with 12 mags it came in at a whopping 23.4 pounds.

12 30 round mags plus one in the gun comes in at 390 rounds, which is pretty friggin' awesome if you're in a fixed postion,

but if I was on foot, I wouldn't want to have any more than 4-30 round mags on me, which is why I have a 3 mag pouch on order.

To Joe Average an extra 12-15lbs hanging off the front of them is gonna be damn heavy.  I spent 12yrs LE.  My gear was ~30lbs.  After a while I didn't really notice it.  Joe Average won't spend 40hrs+ a week rocking his zombie apocalypse gear for it to feel like it is a part of him.

Thank you for your service.

i like UW gears AK rig. its pretty KISS. I may grab one to replace the el cheapo i have no for a light load out.



sides that i rock a modified chinese 3 cell i got from centerfire for 9$.

I modded it with fasteks and such. It's 3-4 mags and set up for grab and go.



Sides that i use HSGI UMMPs on a TT vest. or some older BHI  2 cell 3 mag pouches. But i dont hump the 8 mags like i used to with all my other kit. Now im down to 4-5 mags and my side arm.



but non the less this is the chinese rig.