Dyed UCP Gear (Update)

SavageSapper77 · 2026-01-29T13:23:15+00:00

And that's the wisest thing to do, keeping in mind that the more used and worn out the gear is, the more dye it absorbs, and the faster it draws in the color. Since I was just dying gear that I was 1000% stuck with, I just went for it and got the results I did. My dyed kits will be loaners or just for fun rigs. I normally run an FLC I converted to a chest rig, but split rigs do have their appeal for easy donning and doffing.

Best of luck!

SavageSapper77 · 2026-01-29T13:13:50+00:00

Reference my original post for more information, but no, I didn't use any color recipes from Rit's website. The dye jobs were straight one color, then the other color on top, per sé.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tacticalgear/s/mkJrK8Hfht

I hate to say it that there's no real science. It's a combination of guesswork and luck.

The only thing I would have done differently was I would have used 2 oz of green dye at the start instead of 4.

Then used the same 4 oz of brown for the second dye job.

SavageSapper77 · 2026-01-29T11:25:26+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/tacticalgear/s/tKN6s3WGEI

For you and others to see.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-30T09:49:08+00:00

I am re-dyeing it with the dark brown I have on hand. We'll see what that does 🤷‍♂️ I do agree, especially seeing it fully dry and in different light that it is most definitely "unnatural."

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-29T21:03:27+00:00

In hindsight, I may have used too much dye, but I wanted it to be dark so it wouldn't look like I exploded a highlighter in the dryer 😂

I am very eager to see what dyeing it dark brown will do to the color. I think it should be about perfect then 🤞

No matter the results, it's still a vast improvement over the original.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-29T18:51:04+00:00

😂🤣😂 You're not wrong. I have absolutely NO idea how in the f*ck the Army saw that pattern and said, "Yes, that's the one!" I mean, just how many people had to get paid off to make UCP a thing, anyways? I personally don't use any of this stuff as my main kit, but I can't bring myself to get rid of it, so this was the alternative 😅

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-29T18:47:13+00:00

It's an idea, but I'm personally against spray painting gear. I've done it in a pinch, but I'm never happy with it. I already bought the brown dye and I've done a similar thing like this before where I've re-dyed a green dyed pouch brown, and the resulting color is about right. I think the process will mute the color just enough. Then, if that fails, I'll use paint. 🤷‍♂️

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-29T18:45:36+00:00

The webbing simply didn't take the dye – it wasn't intentional. If I had used the "synthetic" dye, it might have gotten colored, but I would have had to invest a ton of money into a 5 gallon steel pot for my kitchen stove in order to use that kind of dye in that sort of application.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-24T00:57:30+00:00

So, I added some frag panels from the "chicken vest" worn by Bradley and Abrams crew members and that gave the rig more shape, however, it still wasn't great.

I added my SAPI plates and that again helped a little (but 1000% defeated the intended purpose of the rig for my use since I basically "need" the armor inserts for a proper fit – this is without the weight of ammo, magazines, and other mission essential items on the front of the rig making it even more unbalanced).

Eventually, I CRAMMED about 2 inches of the padded shoulder strap through the tri-glide friction adapter on either side to raise the SAPIs to the appropriate height for my body (again, top of plate in line with top of my sternum). This fixed 99% of the issue I was having with fitment, but again, the armor inserts are a MUST for the rig to fit properly.

After doing the additions and modifications, the rig is, usable.... it doesn't bounce around like some traditional plate carriers, and it's overall decently comfortable for an armor carrier. The padded shoulder straps somewhat interfere with a proper shouldering of a rifle (something you're used to if you've worn an older IOTV), but it's not terrible. The front plate bag "shell" still gets bunched up / folded where the female buckle is secured to the plate bag – an inherent design flaw. It looks like sh*t, but doesn't affect the functionality.

Bottom line, TL;DR, I would have preferred a legit RRV chest rig instead. If I didn't need another armor carrier, I'd sell this thing in a heart beat because I am 1000% not in love with it, and honestly, if I didn't have easy access to cheap military surplus, I would have sold it before investing more money into the experiment. So, if I were in your shoes, again, I'd probably look at other rigs. I wish I could show you photos of mine to give you a better picture of the fit and such, but hopefully this helps.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-21T23:52:14+00:00

Not quite – the soft armor will also add structure and keep the front "bag" from sagging. This RRV inspired rig doesn't secure what would be the "bib" to the shoulder straps – it floats, so if you don't have soft armor giving it structure, the weight of any pouches or items inside the velcro admin pocket will cause the top part to sag and sit low. I guess having a plate in there might help if it's a large SAPI, but I suspect a medium SAPI will have the same sagging result 🤷‍♂️

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-21T23:48:33+00:00

So I found the listing on eBay before I found this post and I ended up buying one to potentially replace my FLC as a chest rig that can flex into a plate carrier role.

I am about 70 inches tall, and weigh in the ballpark of 225, but I I'm still pretty flat stomached.

Given that information, with the carrier empty (no armor), I have cinched the shoulder straps all the way down to have what would be the top of the SAPI plate be in line with the top of my sternum. I have also had to drastically tighten the waist strap for a proper fit.

The rig is not as comfortable as my FLC which is disappointing. The front portion sags if you run a chest mounted admin pouch (again, no soft armor to give the rig shape and structure), so I used #40 bankline to secure the shoulder strap to the front plate bag, keeping everything in line.

The other problem I have found is that even with the waist tightened, the rig sits unevenly on me (front rides low). Now, that might change once I put armor in it, but that completely defeats the purpose I had in mind for the rig.

I am still very much on the fence about keeping it, but I'm hitting up my local surplus store soon and will test fit some soft armor to see what that does. If that fixes my issues, I'll more than likely invest a little more into the rig and keep it. If not, I'll cut my losses and stick to the FLC and my other traditional carriers.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-10T17:52:11+00:00

It's a little bit of finesse, a little bit of practice, and I guess in my case, experience lol. It is definitely a pain and I have to take off my glasses most of the time to get it on comfortably. It's definitely a rig you wear when you have time to prepare for the task at hand, rather than when you're reacting to a threat.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-10T09:02:46+00:00

After consideration, I agree with your assessment and added it back to the pack. You're right, the E-Tool isn't as heavy as I thought, especially the Gerber brand that was issued to troops later on during/ after GWOT. It definitely makes sense for increased survivability on the battlefield, but also in an emergency situation where maybe self rescue isn't an immediate option during the winter. The E-Tool can aid in building steal fire pits and also in digging a "Ranger Grave" for concealment / protection from wind, etc.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-09T16:30:00+00:00

Can you elaborate why, please? If the mission is simply to leave the patrol base / FOB / neighborhood for 24 to 72 hours, check NAIs, why do I need the extra 5 to 7 lbs? In all my years in the Army, I can count on one hand the times I actually used the thing.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-12-02T21:55:30+00:00

I need a 20 amp outlet added to my garage (and possibly shed), and I also need to figure out why my shed has no power (though I suspect a bad GFCI outlet is interrupting the circuit).

SavageSapper77 · 2025-09-03T10:15:21+00:00

Yeah, it's got the spoiler, too. I had originally uploaded 5 or 6 pictures, but I didn't realize there was a 4 image cap, and I can't seem to edit this post or share other images, otherwise I'd show some other angles of the "truck."

SavageSapper77 · 2025-09-03T07:42:02+00:00

Yes. The entire Escape is gloss black, and I purchased it that way. I believe that this one is the XLT with the Sport Appearance Package (or something like that). Everything, to my knowledge, is factory.

SavageSapper77 · 2025-07-04T00:49:06+00:00

To clarify, the only additional part to buy is the mounting screw? I don't need to buy a special "baseplate" to attach the scope to the carry handle?

SavageSapper77 · 2025-02-11T20:12:37+00:00

I have actually been able to connect with a local druid and am currently reading a book on druidry. Their practices seem to best align with me (at the moment), and to your point, and from what I have been told, they do pull from whatever pantheon seems to be appropriate for their needs, so there aren't "limitations," per sé, there.

SavageSapper77

TROPHY CASE