Hmmm...

*dusts off an old story*

When I'm assembling a kit that is going to be worn, I build it and take it for a walk. Two or three miles will tell you if there is anything massively wrong with it.

When I first starting working with chest harnesses for my ditch kit, I had a bunch of pouches on it. If it had been loaded with carbine mags, 34 would have fit nicely on there. Walking down the road, I get passed by a cop. Who stops. And asks questions. Now, this is in a rural area, in the day time, on a nice day, so it just turned into a minor pain in the butt. It also went to college like that for a while, and every one who was in the Guard who came in my room stopped and looked at it for a long second, even if they were someone who was more likely to be in my room than theirs.

Move that kit to the city. Everyone is keyed up becuase it is time to get out of dodge. Cop sees it, they aren't as likely to politely ask questions. If the Guard gets called in, you have people who are more aware of what military-type LBE looks like, and who are out of their element. They see a combat harness, what do you think their first reaction is going to be? My money is on they will consider you a threat. Particularly the more urbanized you get. Ooops.

By contrast, I've worn my current ditch kit with a few large pouches on it while hiking some fairly well built up trails. Some people have commented on my fishing vest, but they seem to like the idea of having water and compass and map and the like up front. And these aren't Vermonters- the parking lot at the trail head was full of "flatlander" plates. By contrast, no one would get near my friend who uses a modified LBV-88, nor would they make eye contact with him. These are people from one of those "more urbanized areas" I was talking about.

Packs, chest rigs that can look like fishing gear, ok. Wearing cammies, chest rigs that look like chest rigs, drop legs, those are something that can get classed as threat display too easily. Camouflage is blending in with your environment, and a pistol belt and H-harness doesn't that do that if there are people around. Personally, I don't like it, but that is the reality. Sticking out isn't wise, particularly when people (particularly those with badges and guns) are keyed up. I'd much rather wear a kilt in the summer, and a sword and pistol on my belt year round, but it isn't viable in this society. *shrugs*

I hate to quote Mao, or even paraphrase him, but it is better to be as one fish among many.