A hopper full of paint and a few pods may suffice for the average rec player or even a seasoned speedball player, but for those that attend large events, scenario games, or long outlaw sessions, you have to be more self sufficient on the field. To that end, many people get a harness or vest to carry not only ammo, but air tanks, pistols, swabs, grenades, radios, water, and perhaps tools and spare parts. A perfectly customized vest is a great boon for the player since it puts everything in just the right place for just the right time. Without a nimble needle or extra cash at your disposal, how do you get a custom setup without paying for extra custom order fees? The key lies in a modular attachment point system so you can shift pockets and pouches around to suit you and that's exactly what the Operative vest offers.

Modularity : The Operative Vest uses a combination of Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment ( MOLLE ) and Velcro Interlock panels to give a plethora of attachment points to any type of pouch the player can find and use. Unlike other vests, the Operative comes as an empty shell with no pockets or pouches. It's up to the player to get those they want and attach them wherever they want. The entire front of the vest is covered in Pouch Attachment Ladder System ( PALS ) webbing strips that act as the base of MOLLE. Compatible pouches have webbing straps of their own that weave through the PAL to hold securely. In addition, the front bottom has two Velcro Interlock panels under the PALS webbing for anyone with older SpecOps pouches. The interlock works by layering strips of Velcro between the pouch and vast base and holds quite securely. The back of the vest is covered with three long Interlock strips that run the entire width. Above these are three rows of PALS webbing, the lower two have Velcro overlay for attaching name panels.

The only way you can get a more customizable pouch distribution is to hand sew every pocket at precisely the location and angle you want. However that doesn't allow the pockets to be moved easily. Since MOLLE/PALS has standard dimensions, you can get any type of pocket and pouch from any merchant and they will still work together. Granted, not everyone has Interlock pouches to use on the back so it may not be quite as universal for everyone. However, the Interlock panels are the same width as two rows of PALS so some MOLLE pouches can be strapped over them. For the most customization possibilities the whole vest would be covered with PALS/Interlock combination panels. But that would also make it very thick and heavy. Rumor has it the next generation vests will do away with Interlock on the back and do all PALS.


UPDATE: The original vest scores 8/10, the V2 gets 10/10.

Carrying Capacity : Nearly the entire surface area of this vest can have a pouch or pocket attached to it. The back alone can support two large air tanks, 6 + 3 pods, a radio, small misc pouch, and still have some room left. That would leave the entire front open for more pods, tool pockets, swabs, batteries, snacks, spare parts, and lots of other things. But just because you can carry all that doesn't mean you need to. Thanks to the modular attachment points you can alter the load for the game being played. Going out for some weekend rec ball? Strip off everything but your tank and a few pods. Need some heavy hauling for a 48 hour scenario? You can load it up to you heart's content. Many people shy away from full vests thinking they don't want to get something they'll never fully use. With this one you only use exactly what you need.


UPDATE: Both the original and the V2 get 10/10, though the V2 could probably carry just a little more.

Extras : Aside from hauling just gear, the Operative has some other choice extras. Two gear hanger straps are included for things like clipping your mask to your vest between rounds. Two snap buckles are also stitched behind each shoulder to act as a sling anchor. With a little ingenuity you can actually make a short one-point sling with one of the gear hangers. It also has adjustable belt keepers all along the bottom to use with your favorite web belt. The back panel has a pouch for hydration bladders up to 100 ounces. A small loop for hanging the pouch along with a small hole for routing the drinking tube is included. Two Velcro tabs on the chest area can be used for military style name tags. The top shoulder straps are also Velcro either for routing slings or attaching things up there, like upper arm platforms. Finally the vest has a padded Mandarin style collar for extra neck protection. The collar is adjustable and can be altogether removed ( the front snaps off and the back is tucked under. ) It may not have everything you'd want, but it sure gives a lot.


UPDATE: The original scores a 9/10, the V2 has that little extra to get a 10/10.

Fit : SpecOps vests tend to run big. In a way it's nice to finally see someone accommodating us slightly portly average Joe's. I'm 6'1" 230 lbs with a 48" chest and 36" waist, so I'm no pixie. But when nearly every shirt I own is an XLT or bigger, it was surprising to see that a large vest fit me just right. If you have questions before ordering one, make sure you ask SpecOps first. They may have some employee at the store about your same size that can give you a proper size recommendation. The vest has two adjustment straps on the sides that give it quite a bit of adjustment. The straps also have handy Velcro retainers so you don't have anything stringing behind to get caught on something ( the belt keepers use the same retainers as well. ) SpecOps has also thrown in their usual inner elastic belt to secure the lower vest around you and prevent it from "sloshing" around, to use their term. For those of us with a bit of a pot gut it also has a great slimming effect! In terms of comfort and fit, this vest is great. Due to full shoulder panels it won't have the range of adjustments that a webbing vest, like their Dagger or Alias, has, but it is still nice and quite secure. Even with a full load on your back, it won't ride up in the front when used with a belt. Here you can see the two side adjustments and one of the belt keepers.


UPDATE: Both the original and V2 get 8/10

Breathability : As anyone who has used a vest will tell you, the biggest downfall is thermal buildup. The more area of your body you cover with fabric, the harder it is for your sweat to evaporate and the hotter you will get. Tough nylon mesh has been used everywhere possible on the vest. The panel edges and under the Interlock straps are the only places covered up. It won't breathe as well as a light harness or webbing vest, but for a full vest it does very well.
UPDATE: The V2 is marginally lighter but both get 7/10.

Durability / Maintenance : I've taken this vest through all types of terrain, from diving through scrubland in the Wasatch mountains to crawling over red rock in Southern Utah. No stitching has fallen out, no panels have torn, and no mesh has snagged. That's not to say it's invulnerable, just that after four months of good use I haven't seen any major wear on it other than scuffs on the plastic buckles. Cleaning it is an easy affair, I just empty my gear, detach the pouches, and hose them down in the bath tub. After that shake it all out, prop them up, and let them air dry. Doesn't get much simpler than that.
UPDATE: The original and V2 both get 9/10.

Price : At first glance the price may seem pretty steep. After all, why pay $95 for just a shell plus more for pockets when you can get a full vest with pouches for that much? The difference is in the on-the-fly customization and modularity of the vest. If you're the type of player who sticks mainly to rec ball, then this probably isn't for you. But if you're the type of player who frequents many different types of games and changes loadout accordingly, then this is something you may want to look into. Try to think of it this way. It may cost as much as $200 to get the shell and a good variety of pouches to use. However, don't think of it as a single $200 vest. Instead with the ability to add, move, and remove pouches as needed, you've essentially purchased two, three, four, or more vests, each one the best for any given situation. What's more is that the vest can continue to grow. You can continue to buy and sell pouches as needed while keeping the shell. Now as I said at first, this isn't for everyone. This kind of loadout capacity and customization is far beyond your average rec ball player. But for those that want a little more for their buck, the price is quite nice.
UPDATE: I'd rate the original 8/10, though the V2 get's an 8.5/10 since the overall PALS makes it much more useful.

Conclusion : Overall, I'd give this vest an 8.5/10 the the V2 is 9/10. It's tough, relatively lightweight for its size, and has oodles of customization potential. However, this isn't for everyone. Let's face it, this is a pretty big vest and most people don't need to carry a whole lot of gear with them. If you're a player that never needs more than a small loadout, then this is probably overkill. In that case, check out the SpecOps Alias vest as it's much lighter but has the same modularity options as the Operative. Also, if you rarely, if ever, change your gear loadout, the customization options may not be a big deal for you. Indeed it may be a downside because you have to get the shell and the pouches separately which will cost more money. But if you're looking for a serious vest beyond a standard gear harness, you owe it to yourself to give the Operative a look.

Also take a look at what Millslane said about his own Operative.


Operative V2 : SpecOps has slightly redesigned many of their soft goods for the new year and the Operative vest was no exception. The V2 has the exact same dimensions and cut as the original but now features some great improvements. The greatest of these is the new back panel. The original only had PALS webbing across the tops of the shoulders with three Velcro Interlock panels below. The V2 keeps the Interlock but now has PALS down the whole back. With the growing popularity of the MOLLE LBE system this is a huge upgrade over the original. Now players can truly mix older Interlock and newer MOLLE pouches however they want across the whole vest. It also opens up the possibility to upgrade and replace Interlock pouches with MOLLE over time should the player decide to do so.



The top portion of the back panel has been completely redesigned. The three rows of PALS webbing have been shortened to just two. However since not many people attach anything up there, particularly with a name panel, fewer rows isn't deficient in the slightest. The name panel is higher, just below the collar though it still Velcros over the two rows of PALS webbing. The hydration bladder pouch has also been redesigned so it's accessible from the back instead of the inside. The pouch is now covered by a zippered flap just under the name panel. This means there is no longer any hole to thread your drinking tube through as it's unnecessary. These changes mean the back is now only two layers of mesh instead of three which cuts a little weight and also helps it breathe slightly better. It also removes the mesh on the sides, which are now completely open except for the adjustment straps.



The front has numerous small changes but is nearly identical to the original. Two D-rings are now sewn on either side of the zipper for extra utility. I thought the original felt a little odd for the zipper to only run up to the middle of my sternum. That left a large gap between the top of the zipper and the bottom of the padded collar for a painful neck shot. The V2 addresses this by having a higher zipper and a deeper "V" padded collar front for better coverage. The collar also has a front Velcro patch for rank insignia and badges. The front breast nametag areas used to have black Velcro with subdued webbing to cover them but now the webbing is completely gone with subdued Velcro exposed. The epaulettes now have Velcro on the outside to accept any rank insignia or other attachments too. Finally the inside of the collar now has a light mesh over the padding to both breath better and wick sweat away better than the original.

   

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One question: Is there a way to put a radio pouch on the backside of a shoulder? Can't tell if those are MOLLE straps on the upper back, or just velcro attachment points (or both).

It has three rows of PAL loops across the top of the shoulders. The bottom two simply have Velcro strips over the top.

Update: SpecOps has released the Operative V2 with some significant changes.

I just got my own V2 and have updated the review accordingly

Sorry for the delay, I finally got my pics of the V2 changes posted.

How does the tank pouch do on the interlock? My vest was supposed to have an interlocked tank pouch but they sew it on. I was curious if I should even bother having them interlock it.

An Interlock tank pouch has four double sided Velcro layers sandwiched in an alternating pattern. You could literally have someone drag you around by it without falling off.

You can see how the interlock works by viewing my video, which features this vest.

Awesome video... GREAT review!

Thanks guys! This helped ALOT!