Choose Your Fighter

While Europe and the west were busy playing a game of "who has the most nukes wins", the cold war was heating up in Africa.

The communist opposition slowly crept its lines closer and closer to South Africa, a guerilla warfare fueled insurgency backed by cuba, china, and Russia. 

When war inevitably began on the borders of South Africa, so too did a war of webbed gear.

Pattern 83 Vs 'Chicom'

We tend to have healthy stock of Pattern 83 chest rigs and 'chicom' type 56/81 — two rigs that, besides some gear-related-autism, are close competitors. Which side will you pick? The plucky, barebones chicom? or the more fully featured P83?

Well, in asking ourself that question, we immediately realized they really were put head-to-head in a historical context.

Both were era-defining pieces of kit for the east and west — as far as classics go, these might as well be the Mozart & Beethoven of the surplus world, with just as much arguing over which is better by giant nerds (like us).

And to be fair, you can't really go wrong with either...

Both are definitely essential parts of your arsenal if you LARP in the great outdoors or simply to match your collection of surplus curiosities.

High Tempo Warfare

To start with the history, there's an egg that came before the chicken here: the Type 56 chest rig, colloquially known as the 'Chicom' (Short for Chinese Communist) chest rig.

Simple as it was, the rig was undoubtedly lightyears ahead of other gear on the battlefield in the early 60s — countless countries ended up picking up quite a few of them.

Evolved from Bandoleers, the formula was simple: pouches to hold mags, a grenade or two, and any other immediately essential gear that doesn't just belong in a rucksack. That's IT.

With the advancement of logistics on all sides of your everyday war, troops didn't need to carry around more than they needed. Less weight means faster moving troops, and on many occasions, the western powers literally could not keep up with them.

Insurgents and other fighters could be handed a Kalashnikov, a rig with simple supplies for a firefight or two, and be ready to fight with minimal training.

It was genius. Like Oda Nobunaga arming his peasants with firearms, it was a tidal change for all kinds of warfare from there on out.

The west wasn't ready for the change of pace, and the Vietnam War is a trademark example. Our World War II tactics couldn't clamp down on the incredible feat of simple logistics & environment everywhere the Ho Chi Minh trail's arteries touched.

S.S.D.D.

South Africa's military was in much of the same situation. Their gear was almost literally hand-me-downs from the British Empire's 50s-era beltkit, and while they made leaps and bounds to improve it for the harsh African terrain, they still had the tendency to be a mess of buckles & straps.

During & Shortly After the conflict in Vitenam, Combatants in Rhodesia, Namibia, and Angola learned many of the same lessons.

Caught flat-footed by embargoes, the SADF decided it was (finally) time to innovate after a few notable pieces of commercial gear showed promise on the market.

Enter Pattern 83, the SADF's answer to the speed of the communists knocking on their back door.

Taking notes from the quick access to gear that the 'Chicom' provided, they made manufacturing their own rig extremely simple yet venerable.

Solution-dyed Cordura nylon, VELCRO®️-flap pouches, and breathable mesh was pretty bleeding edge in comparison to the aging chicom rig — so much so that we still use these kinds of materials in even the highest-end tactical kit today.

Many would argue that the crown jewel of Pattern 83 was, and still is, the Battle Jacket. an interesting take on a split-front chest rig and a tactical vest combined, it provides just enough sustainment for a few days while still remaining incredibly agile and even a bit modular.

Thanks to the British SAS and SADF Recces getting along quite well, it's viral spread is easily traceable. Soon every western country had velcro flaps and a lot less beltkit.

But you might be asking, after duking it out, Who won in the end?

When it comes to the war that's a complicated question, but both Pattern 83 and the Type 56 (or 81) 'Chicom' rigs continued to be used well after their tours in the African bush...

They Just. Keep. Going.

Even in 2025, ten years after they pinkie promised they were totally phasing out their 30-year-old webbing, you can still see SANDF (they added an "N" after reorganizing in the 90s) troops training with their trusty battle jackets and chest rigs. If it aint broke...

The chicom is definitely a little more of a relic of the past, as massive Chinese production of western knock offs has replaced the need to make the even less expensive Type 56. 

That said, we know how Kalashnikov fans are in the USA. They still use 'em, abuse 'em, modify 'em, and definitely will keep doing that.

While people have tried to innovate on the Chicom's original ideas, it's still hard to find something that just works right out of the box with AKMs as well as it does, with some even cloning the pouch design and just slapping it on a new chest rig or plate carrier.

So, which do you think is better after reading this?

We get stuck on "it depends".

For collectors, taking a look at our surplus Pattern 83 stock is highly recommended. We autistically sort them for quality, so you'll get the exact battlefield patina that you want. Need a beater rig? You'd be surprised just how high our bar is even on the cheapest variants...

Chicom rigs, in terms of bang for buck retro looks, are of course hard to beat.

In this situation, we'll tell you this. If you don't buy both, go with your gut and you'll love that rig...