British Osprey Load Bearing Vest Package

        I received my British Osprey load bearing vest and included pouches today from Varusteleka. Varusteleka is a Finnish military surplus business that I've ordered from before. They have $9.99 flat rate shipping to the U.S., and often have lower prices than U.S. based sources. For instance, in this case, the vest package is selling for 39.99 EUR, or $36.99 in U.S. dollars. Shipping time is generally pretty good--less than 2 weeks in my experience.

          The photograph above shows the basic vest, sans pouches. As you can see, it is the British version of the MOLLE system. Below is a photograph showing the vest outfitted with all its pouches and worn over a plate carrier.

        Obviously, the plate carrier is not included, but all the pouches are included. Mine came with 13 pouches. And, since it is a MOLLE style system, it is easy to attach other pouches. Also, if you look at the front edges of the vest where it clips together, you will see a couple sets of zippers on each side. These provide access to pockets: one very large pocket on each side which is essentially the full size of the front of each half of the vest; and two smaller pockets for other items. The vest is well ventilated, using mesh fabric were possible, but all but the two hand-grenade pouches are fully lined (body and flap) with water resistant material, and the several general utility pouches also include a liner that can be tightened up to prevent dirt or dust getting in.

        Another nice feature is that unlike most European surplus items which run small, because this was made to wear over a plate carrier, it can be adjusted to almost any size you want. You can adjust the size by shortening or lengthening the straps for the front three clips, or there is elastic webbing connecting the sides to the back panel that can also be cinched up or loosened.

        I'll have to post photographs later, but on initial inspection the vest and pouches unused: they have obviously seen little to no wear and been well laundered. Unlike some surplus products that smell of preservatives or protectants, these just smell ... well ... clean.

Update (8/30/2017): I didn't have time to take photographs of everything, but here is the list of the pouches that came with the vest:

• 4 utility pouches. 
• 1 medical kit pouch
• 1 knife/flashlight pouch
• 4 grenade pouches
• 1 water bottle pouch
• 2 magazine pouches (capable of holding 2  STANAG magazines each)

And here is a photograph of the vest so you can an idea of how clean it looked: