Front view

Front map pocket and 2 types of mag retention

Inside front panel

The rear panel of the Weesatch can carry a rear plate, and a large hydration bladder. The plate pocket is raised - the plate sits high in the panel, providing the proper coverage in the back. At each of the top corners is a 2" triglide, for attaching the shoulder straps to, which connect the rear to the front. Between them is a drag handle. A 2" wide waist belt is passed through either an upper or lower slot at the bottom back, depending on torso length. It has 2" male buckles which connect to the females on each end of the cummerbund in front. 6 rows and 7 channels of PALS webbing on the back provide space for mounting of additional pouches.

Back panel

Rear plate and hydration pocket

Enhanced and standard shoulder straps

Also available are some accessories specifically for the Wasatch and Weesatch, which are shown installed on the Weesatch in these photos.

• The bungee mag retainer from SKD is a direct replacement for the standard mag retainer straps that come with the Weesatch. It secures the mags in the compartments via shock cord/elastic retention and are easily drawn to the side with a pull tab.
• Next up are the enhanced replacement shoulder straps. These are more easily adjustable in length with velcro and are stiffer. The standard straps that come with the Weesatch are quite long, and the end needs to be tucked away or taped up. The enhanced straps don't have to.
• Add-on shoulder pads are highly recommended for use with a full load and plates, and they are most definitely more comfortable than the standard shoulder straps alone, when worn without soft armour underneath. They attach to the enhanced or standard shoulder straps with a couple of velcro tabs that fold over on each end.
• The "Waholster" kydex holster is an SKD exclusive that enables an M9 (for now) to be carried in one of the internal magazine compartments (2nd compartment from end is recommended, as the end one gets too narrow). The holster has a reversible thumb break and is ambidextrous, with velcro on both sides to hold it securely in the compartment. I sold both my Berettas, so shown in the pics is a dummy pistol. I didn't use the Waholster at the range since I didn't have an M9 to fit in it, but in trying out the dummy pistol in it, I found it quick to access and draw from.The holster is very secure in the Weesatch - more so than an externally mounted one. It's also more streamlined and snag-free. Torso-mounted handguns are becoming more common in areas where accessibility is an issue, especially when access to a hip or thigh holster might be hampered when seated in a vehicle. When wearing bulky equipment, I've sometimes found that a hip or thigh mounted holster can be a bit 'out of the way', and a torso mounted one puts it right there, in front of you.

Mag bungie, shoulder strap and pad

Waholster

Waholster installed

In the pics below, the Weesatch is shown worn over the BCS soft armour carrier, since the front plate I had in there wasn't stand-alone . The only additional pouches are 3 pistol mag pouches. I'm also wearing HSGI's excellent MultiCam tactical cap, which has velcro for the attachment of patches, and an elastic back strap which keep the cap secure on my noggin (I wore it hiking up in the mountains in high wind, that blew off other caps).

Front left

Front right

Side view

Rear quarter

Rear

I wore the Weesatch at the range in an informal class for about 6 hours, with 8 M4 mags 3 pistol mags, and a full hydration bladder, with and without plates (I took them out to see how it felt for just carrying equipment). I wasn't wearing any soft armour underneath, and I appreciated the accessory shoulder pads. Because the front is connected to the back at the sides, and there are no cross straps in the back that connect to the front, having the weight properly distributed is important to prevent the front slipping down or vice versa. Keep the side straps tight, counter weight the ammo in front with a hydration bladder, or put both plates in, and it stayed pretty stable. That being said, I'd recommend using the Weesatch with plates, the way it was designed, instead of as a 'stand-alone' chest rig if you're not going to have any weight in the rear.
One thing I'd add to the design would be two 1" straps going from where the 2" triglide is on the ends of the cummerbund to a ladder lock on the rear panel, kind of like my modified setup on my STRIKE recon rig. The straps would connect the rear panel halfway down to the cummerbund, helping to prevent shifting or saggin of the front. They would also allow you to pull down and forward to tighten up the rig. I have no idea why all the chest rigs I've seen tighten by pulling up and back. I don't always have a buddy to help me and my arms don't go that way.
With 8 mags in the center 4 compartments, the outer panel of the cummerbund becomes rigid, as it has to curve to conform to the body. It will lose tension slightly as the compartments are emptied, which is taken care of with a quick tug to the waist strap.
I installed two bungie mag retainers, and two standard ones to compare the two types, and I didn't really notice any difference in speed of access to the mags. With both, you have to pull a tab. With the bungie, once you pull it out of the way, the second mag is a bit loose in the compartment (even though the compartment flattens some), and not retained (unless you pull the bungee over again). I didn't lose any of the single mags though, while running and shooting from prone. With the standard lid closed, there's less likelyhood for a single mag to fall out.
As you draw mags from the internal pouches and the cummerbund loses some tension , it's helpful to check the side straps once in a while and re-snug them.

All in all, it's a slick, relatively light (because of the internal compartments) and well built rig - just what I'd expect from High Speed Gear.

• Stiff mesh construction - this stuff is the stiffest mesh I've seen. Tough, yes. But does that sacrifice comfort? Somewhat, IMHO. If worn over a T-shirt, it might prove to be a bit abrasive until the material breaks in and softens. I myself would prefer a softer mesh to be used in some of the areas that do not need provide structural support. Tim said that the mesh does break in with use, and they could not locate a softer mesh in the correct colour that was durable enough.
• Padded shoulders - These are fully adjustable for height. The pads extend from the upper rear of the vest, and slide into corresponding loops on the inside front panels. Adjustment is via two ladderlocks on the shoulder. When I first donned the vest, the heat-sealed ends of the loops were very sharp, and very scratchy. I lessened the problem by cutting the hard melted plastic edge off the end of the webbing, which helped a bit. The shoulder straps should be contoured a bit more, I feel, to follow the contour of the neck. The straight configuration of the straps (without a takeoff angle) forces you to have a gap in the front of the vest. Closing the gap narrows the neck opening to the point it is uncomfortable. Note that this is only my personal experience. Some other people have not found this to be a problem - due to different body builds and adjustment of the straps. This vest is meant to be worn with a 3-4" gap in the front like the original P-83 vest. Personal preference, but I like to be able to mount some low profile stuff closer to the middle. The neck-pinching should be less noticeable the taller you are, as the shoulder straps can flex a bit as they'd be longer. Elastic webbing on the shoulders secure hydration tubes.
• Internal padding on back and sides - Not sure whether padding is needed yet. It retains heat, which negates the benefits of the mesh, but it does add some comfort as you cannot feel the various pouches poking you from the outside. Useful when you're prone. It does add to the stiffness of the vest, which is good for support of pouches.
• Strap adjustments for girth - The front panels are connected to the back panel by 3 straps on each side, and ladder locks. They have a LOT of adjustment and will fit all but the largest fellas.
• Integrated hydration pouch - this is probably the best integrated hyd pouch I've seen on a vest. It's covered in PALS and fully supported by two SR buckles at the top to prevent sagging. It expands AWAY from the vest, instead of INTO the vest. Inside, there's a flap to protect the bladder, and a tube hole at the top. A full length drag handle is also located at the top.
• Internal pockets - These full-length pockets are accessible from the front (requires disengaging the middle buckle), and will fit a handgun, but would not be very comfortable due to the curvature of the vest (and the inability of a handgun to flex). These pockest are best used for flat, flexible stuff. On the inside of the vest are a couple more vertical pockets. These are actually better choices if you really want to stow a handgun in the vest. It requires unbuckling of the top strap to access - not quick, but pretty secure.

My inital impression is based on a brand new item, not yet broken in. I will update this in the near future when I carry a load and wear it for a while.

Update (4/09/04) - The mesh does break in after use and becomes more conforming. The issues with the shoulder geometry doesn't change, and I'm sure that it won't bother some people. I've made a few suggestions to Gene and Tim on what I'd like seen changed on the vest, but it's based on my personal preference, and whether they'll implement the suggestions will be based on cost, practicality, and feedback from the majority of users (not just mine).