The SPLAV Tarzan M22 vest is also well built with a slightly lighter mesh fabric used for the shoulder straps. Again, after a year or so of extensive use at Spartan it’s not showing any signs of wear and tear. The design is slightly different to that of the Blackhawk vest in that it is more a cross between a complete waistcoat (like the Omega design) and a chest rig. This is a better design in my view as it makes the whole thing cooler in the summer and gives you more flexible attachment points for extra pouches when you need them. Again, I’ve modified mine by removing the belt loops.
The pouches on the M22 are designed for AK mags and I doubt whether they will carry any other mags securely. However, they are a perfect fit for a 0.5l Sigg bottle and a 0.5l thermos flask. I found the large amount of Velcro used to secure the pouch lids annoying as it created excessive noise when opening so I’ve blanked off large sections of these to reduce the size. I’ve also added a Blackhawk Strike Double Pistol Mag pouch to the left shoulder ALICE attachment point. It fits perfectly and is very secure. On the back panel I have added a small Blackhawk Modular Add-A-Pouch that again fits to the ALICE attachment points provided. This increases the carrying capacity but you need to remember that its there when trying to crawl under things as I’ve snagged it a few times.
For extended games I also add PLCE pouches to the side adjustment straps, depending on the game these vary from a single PLCE SA80 pouch to a PLCE respirator pouch. These pouches can also be attached to the shoulder strap to form a rucksack. When wearing the vest these additional pouches sit out of the way towards the back and have the advantage of being removed if you don’t need them. In the photo below you can also see that I have attached the Glock Feldmesser 78 sheath to one of the small grenade pockets. This is a good, secure fit and it keeps the knife handy but also out of the way.
Overall, this a fantastic vest and so far the best that I have come across for the price. With some US modular systems costing hundreds of pounds to put together, this vest and pouch combination makes a lot more financial sense. There are two main problems with it, first the pouches only fit AK mags and close with Velcro, and second the small grenade pouches to the side of the mag pouches should have been one big pouch so you can carry a wider range of kit in them.
