As long as firearms have been around, there's been a need to conveniently haul and distribute ammo to soldiers — as the old adage goes, "Ammo wins wars".

The Bandolier has seen usage all the way back to the days of black powder rifles. It could be seen adorned with brass on cavalry soldiers in the 19th century to action heroes with a sash of shotgun shells, to even 40mm grenade shells from the 70s onward.

Our bandolier takes particular inspiration from those in Vietnam. Soldiers would be issued ammo with STANAG compatible stripper clips in the "disposable" M3 bandoliers that could be folded up in a rucksack, slung over a shoulder, or tossed to a squadmate.

While "disposable", this genius method of supply distribution reduced the need for more magazines - a hot commodity in Vietnam, to be procured or pre-loaded.

Infantrymen preferred to load their own magazines to avoid issues with a fully topped off AR mag not locking in with the bolt closed, and other common jams.

We were curious what a "Modernized" version of these ideas would look like: A shoulder-slung, easily transportable, compact supply carrier that can take a larger variety of magazines. It seemed like a genius idea we hadn't seen enough of on the market, so we began development all the way back in 2021.

The result is the Eighty-Four Bandolier.

It has 4 mag cells that can carry 2 STANAGs each, for 8 total magazines or 240 extra rounds. Need to stow it away? fold it up into a brick and secure it with the included shock cord. Now you can throw it in your bug out bag, range bag, or throw it in your center console. 

You can sling it over your shoulder for a grab and go situation or use the extra chest webbing to strap it around your abdomen for less movement when the action gets a little faster paced. You can even add a second stabilizer strap if you want, too.

Each side has an elastic loop to carry tourniquets or other important medical equipment like gauze. You can never have enough gauze, ask any medic.

The pouches have flaps with velcro closures to protect your mags or whatever else you're putting inside. Elastic retention keeps everything in the pouch and each cell has a drainage hole in case you're deep in the jungle or deeper in a puddle. You can run it open-top for quick access and close it up for storage or transport.

The process of modernizing a design that was so simple is a balancing act. Change too little and there’s no benefit to the end user. Change too much and you might ruin what made the original useful, including how easily made & accessible it was.

The bandolier isn't quite the master of none that most "micro rigs" on the market are — instead, we focused on making it a true successor to the original bandoliers first. The Idea itself was genius; it just needed some modernization to accommodate how most people are running their rifles. 

Specs

• 1000D Cordura Construction
• Optimized for Aluminum STANAG magazines with elastic retention
• Includes two detachable stabilizing straps & shock cord for bundling
• Two tourniquet/medical loops
• Drainage grommets on each cell
• configurable as a bandolier or chest rig
• Large elastic loops for retaining magazines or placing additional supplies like lights, knives, or pens
• Made in Nicaragua

Care Guide

To wash, detach the two stabilizer straps, if attached, then wash on a cold cycle with mild detergent. Never use bleach, hot water, or fabric softener. Remove and drip-dry.