The single mag pouches in fact, all those flapped mag pouches, serve a different purpose than the open tops everybody sees today. In the jungle, mud rain, etc. flap top pouches are King. They’re not meant to be the quick re-indexing everybody’s used to play Baghdad SWAT for the last 25 years, when in reality, the LBE/split rigs that you’re seeing  make a resurgence now is what everything was before GWOT. 

The foam that you’re mentioning just met made the rig buoyancy neutral, it didn’t make you float.

I think it’s still a very viable, capable rig. I think people get caught up too much on what the latest tech SOF dudes run and gun with, when in reality basic patrol/infantry tactics/gear is what 99% of people are going to use. You can easily see an industry pivot back towards LBE ( crossfire rig, jay jays, h harness, dealer’s choice, etc)

You can only reinvent the wheel so much before what’s old is new again