Gear Review: Haley Strategic D3CRX
The Haley chest rigs were some of the first I started using and I ran the D3CRX for the most part. In general I don’t like micro rigs (of any kind) so the D3CRM fell flat for me.
This is a good flexible platform that can run the gamut from recce style patrolling to direct action work.
The set up itself is fairly straight forward. You’ve got four rifle mag pouches, two GP pouches and four pistol mag sized pouches. The last part is something I would change or possibly have alternate options, but it’s not the end of the world. When I was using this I would typically load up two pistol mags, a multi-tool and then whatever else I can stuff in that fourth pistol mag pouch, so you kind of see the problem. Obviously, that’s real estate I would prefer to allocate to something else.
My personal philosophy (this is just my opinion) is that if my rifle has a properly tuned gas system and relatively few failure points I’m unlikely to run around with a pistol in tow, at least for standard kind of infantry stuff like patrolling etc. If I don’t plan on maneuvering in tight spaces the extra weight of carrying a pistol might not make sense.
So, having four pistol mag pouches permanently sewn into your chest rig when a radio pouch would be more useful (hint hint) might not be ideal. But, that in no way makes this a bad chest rig, it just may not be the best option if you’re not using a pistol much.
I dig the X harness. Like, a lot. I don’t know why, it just feels more comfortable to me than the standard H harness. That’s all I really have to say about that.
There is some modularity to the D3CRX in that you can apply an extra double rifle mag pouch or pistol pouch behind the main body of the chest rig. This makes it bulk out a bit but is still relatively smooth. You can also integrate the Haley flat pack right into the rig itself. But... it's easier to just throw on a pack. If you basically needed a "back panel" type function for a chest rig it could be useful.
You can also opt to run the kydex inserts to assist with re-indexing mags. My unpopular opinion: I think kydex mag inserts are kind of a fad. Can they be useful? Sure. Can having wheels permanently grafted to your knees be useful? Sure. I’ve just never had an issue re-indexing mags into things like the ferro triple shingles or whatever. I think it’s fixing an imaginary problem. For most people.
Yes, I had both a coyote and multicam version of this rig because I’m a little out of my mind. As you will soon learn. I mean, you’ve probably read Cannibal Warfare so this is no surprise.
Final Verdict: It's a solid chest rig but ultimately I needed something that allowed for longer term sustainment.