[GEAR] Whiskey 7: My One Hundred Percent Solution

For some time now, we have hinted at doing relevant product reviews that are in-line with our mission to bring the best available products before our MIL/LEO/FR member base. If it works for us, it works for the concerned, prepared citizens among the masses that frequent our feeds. This is the start of a new series of articles that will focus on all things pertaining to kit for work and EDC use. 

Expect to see these articles drop periodically. We currently have articles slated for other Whiskey 7 products covering virtually their entire line of products (not including apparel). We will also provide reviews from products from our collaborative partners and highlight companies and brands that we feel deserve a nod.

Without further ado, it is my great pleasure to introduce you all to my friend, Pat, and his brand: Whiskey 7 Industries.

*****

Crye Precision. Eagle Industries. London Bridge Trading. Blue Force Gear. AWS. Velocity Systems. Spiritus Systems.

For the most part, I believe it is safe to assume that we are all familiar with these names. While there is some variance between what exactly these companies produce, the common denominator is that they all manufacture kit designed primarily for military and law enforcement use. By all accounts, various pieces of kit from these companies can be looked at as "The Standard" by which similar products within the marketspace are measured. Having a bit of an obsessive personality, I tend to get into the weeds and at times pretty deep into them when it comes to researching, and I can state that I have owned something from virtually any well-known company that produces their gear here in the United States.

The JPC

While serving in the National Guard (13B and 09R), I was asked by my Battery Commander to compile a list of equipment that would be appropriate for Soldiers to purchase with their own money and use in place of their issued gear. He gave me some resources to look at regarding our unit basic load as well as examples of what had been worn in the past while on deployments or stateside missions and said that the biggest thing was finding stuff that would hold up reliably and not fall apart under heavy use while overseas.

It was during this time that I slowly came to realize that my kit setup really only looked good and that it was far from truly functional. The more functionality I required, the less I grew to like my JPC--I wasn't doing Direct Action, so there was need for something that held loads much better, but I didn't want to drop the money on an AVS. I went and dug around, found that there was a potential solution in the form of a Velocity Systems Scarab (SC7 from their configurator), and after assembling the kit and using it at a few ranges and shooting on my own, I thought "This is it".

The reality of that is that my Scarab was not it.

During extended field use, I realized that I had created a floppy (albeit good-looking) velcro sandwich. The tubes conversion paired with either a micro fight or a VS placard and an upper chest admin pouch was a mess; the back plate with the hydration pouch and IFAK on the cummerbund was a pain to get in and around vehicles with. The fit of the carrier wasn't the best, at least for my body type: it was too rectangular, and the shoulder straps began to dig into my neck and traps the longer I wore it. 

We aren't special. We just claimed someone's colors. VS Scarab pictured.

Things were a bit more complicated when I would swap back and forth between using a carrier when required and a chest rack when I could go without body armor. My go-to was the Crye Precision Airlite Convertible. While the base rig was great, the moment you started to add anything remotely "sustainment" oriented to it, it began to weigh heavy; there was no real easy way to keep an adequate amount of water on your person, and any stop-gap type solutions resulted in the harness getting too stretched out thanks to the elastic portions the buckles attached to, and the whole balance was just "off".

I also realized that despite having adequate training done with my different set-ups, I did not like having different pouches in different spots across each kit arrangement. After sinking in several hundred dollars each into my carrier and chest rack, I began to see that nothing was streamlined and everything just needed to be wiped out and redone from the ground up.

Crye Airlite v1 config

Airlite, probably v4 config

In October 2021, I came across a podcast that hosted Pat, owner of Whiskey 7 (then-named Free State Gear). There were a few things that stood out to me about this stranger and his company.

- He was a small shop, building almost everything on his own

- He got into making kit because he needed better solutions for himself; he asked for help and instead of having it made by someone else for him, he was taught how to do it himself

- He mentioned that any product that he had produced was tested by him, and that means any mistakes he made in its construction were his own, and that those lessons often left him with pain and discomfort, so he needed to actually get it right to prevent it from happening again, and in turn from happening to others

- He brought the experience of an infantryman, an infantry officer, and a Special Forces operator to the table, along with the training and combat experience that each role afforded him

- Most importantly to me, Pat said that he knew what it was like being a young SPC that needed to buy something better for work use but still had to support a wife and children: he wanted his kit to be sustainable for him as a business owner, but still at that point where that young SPC could budget for it and not have to sacrifice caring for his family

I perused his Instagram page and came to a post that outlined a (if I recall correctly) yet-unnamed plate carrier that he designed. He billed it as being made for those with an athletic build that needed something that fit properly and said that it was capable of being run from a slick setup all the way to being sustainment-ready. I reached out to him with a few questions, and he responded that he would be able to definitely help me meet my needs. I also talked about his Alpha Panel and his plans to build an ecosystem around it. We chatted back and forth about the materials being used, and settled on a prototype version of the Alpha Panel constructed with X-Pac. This would end up being the first and only one built like this to my knowledge.

Pat threw together the plate carrier, now known as the Alpha Carrier, and the Alpha Panel for me and shipped it off. When it arrived, I was a bit shocked at how small the carrier looked, despite being sized for a medium SAPI. The construction of the carrier was unique in that it was pretty comparable to the Crye JPC footprint, but featured just enough padding in the places that mattered the most to allow it to scale up to what an AVS would carry. There was no need for a bulky harness system. The most interesting thing to me was the way that the bags featured what seemed like overly-generous spaced shoulder straps, and I couldn't help but wonder if I went from one extreme (too narrowly spaced (LV-119) or too narrow in terms of material used (Scarab)) to the other.

W7 Alpha Carrier, Eagle Horizontal Hydro

As is customary in my house, my wife came home to me walking around wearing my plate carrier. Bless her heart--many times early in our marriage she would just walk into whatever room I was in, stand there in some form of shock, and just close the door and walk away. But hey, you just have to get that initial test fit in, right? At this point, a day where I had no classes and was not scheduled to work, I had worn the base carrier for roughly five hours. I was pretty impressed. The Alpha Carrier was comfortable, the way it was cut and sewn definitely supported an athletic body type, and the shoulder straps gave me zero issue; my neck was under no threat of being rubbed raw and my traps weren't being dug into.

Over the next few days, I wore the Alpha Carrier around the house, to work out in, and took it to Drill. When loaded with the Alpha Panel, a hydration pouch, and an IFAK, it sat much better than the LV, JPC, and Scarab did. I was thoroughly impressed, and over the next year, I sold off my LV-119, JPC, Scarab, a Micro Fight setup, my Velocity panels and harnesses, as well as a number of admin pouches that I had accumulated in an attempt to find something that did what the Alpha Panel did.

W7 Alpha Carrier, Panel w/Tubes, SORD SSE/Dump, Custom Radio Pouch, BFG Smoke, Side SAPI

At this time, I was virtually rid of the dreaded velcro sandwich, with the only borderline exception being that the ROC 80 buckles that the Alpha Carrier's cummerbund attached to were on an adapter behind the Alpha Panel. I still retained my Crye Airlite rack, but only because at this time there wasn't something I could immediately attach my Alpha Panel to. Pat had mentioned that he was looking to make a MOLLE attached version of the Panel, so I would likely use that and figure out the harness-to-hydro solution at a later time.

Over the next few months, Pat and I talked about upcoming products and concepts that he had been developing. This is where I found the eventual replacement for my Crye Airlite in a product called the Alpha Rack. After running it ragged for roughly a year, I went ahead and sold off my Airlite. I will note that the Alpha Rack prototype came with a production version of the Alpha Panel which now featured a direct integration solution for FirstSpear Tubes, Because I wanted to remove as much velcro stacked components as I could, I went ahead and put the new version of the Panel onto my Carrier and moved the prototype Panel over to the Rack.

W7 Alpha Carrier, Panel w/Tubes, SORD SSE/Dump Crye GP, Eagle GP/Canteen, Side SAPI

Since then, I have been able to get my hands on a few other prototype or pre-production samples from Pat, and there will be forthcoming reviews on those. The primary focus of this review is a long-term analysis of the Alpha Ecosystem detailing my observations and experience with the products over a period of roughly 3.5 years.

The central piece of they ecosystem is the Alpha Panel.

Pat explains that the Panel is a 6-mag chest panel that maintains a surprisingly thin footprint while still giving you ample admin storage space behind the mag cells. Those that would benefit from the Panel are "Ground Force Commanders, Tactical Leaders, CCTs/SOTACs, SWAT Assaulters, Medics, or anyone else needing to bring specialty equipment to a gun fight". If you need to carry more than mags, the elastic cells are capable of supporting 40mm, TQs, bangers and signaling devices, as well as other items that are similar in size.

Of special note, for those that are using an SDMR or the new XM-7, the production version of the Alpha Panel allows you to swap the 5.56 (light) insert for a 7.62 (heavy) insert, and still retains the ability to store at least 3 mags for your weapon system. This is fantastic.

The admin portion features a customizable drop angle for use as a carrier-mounted "battle board" as well as an adjustable ride height for the buckles that attach to your carrier or harness of choice. There is a single row of MOLLE along the bottom side of the Panel to allow you attachment for any additional equipment you may find yourself in need of.

What surprised me the most initially was the profile--so many dudes will talk about how hard it is to get prone if you have more than a single row of mags on your torso, but I have never had an issue in training, and being designed and used by Green Berets, Rangers, and SOF Assaulters, there doesn't seem to be any real issue. The reality is that if you need to get into the prone, you'll have no issue. Compared to other popular "micro" rigs, this Panel only gets slightly thicker when shoving bangers and signaling devices into the elastic, but if mags are all you need then your profile is either the same as or slightly more thin than other products that carry mags but lack integrated admin capabilities.

The elastic cells are seriously durable, too. Despite my prototype Alpha Panel being subjected to some heinous abuse, resulting in one of the elastic cells tearing open, I have had no issue storing smokes, frags, or mags in the damaged cell with zero loss of equipment under heavy or fast movement.

Torn portion next to the Pelagos crown

As far as admin capabilities go, I have never run out of space in either my prototype or production versions, and have always been able to keep a backup Garmin 401 GPS device, a screwdriver with bits, a weapon maintenance kit, VS-17, maps, reference cards, batteries, and writing instruments.

Per Pat, "The Alpha Rack genesis was in the woods of Camp Mackall, North Carolina and the Amazon Rain Forest; designed to wear with a full combat load under a ruck, the Alpha Rack can carry everything you need."

Not at all unlike other placard bases, the Alpha Rack serves as an attachment point that allows the end-user to convert the Alpha Panel into a chest rack, but with some noteworthy modifications that most definitely increase quality of life under prolonged use.

The buckles for the harness system are angled in such a way that they would not interfere with the straps of an assault pack or rucksack. It features 4x4 MOLLE slots laser cut into the laminate material base so that you have enough space for GP and other pouches, without encroaching too far onto your sides. One feature that was added to the production version of the Rack that I find valuable is the POM (Peace Of Mind) Toggles that serve as an extra reinforcement point. While the velcro attachment is more than adequate, Pat and I chatted a bit about incorporating something for the end-user to have a bit of "POM", and so there you have it.

The harness on my prototype only differs in material used and very slightly differs in the construction used in the production version. Both use a 2" wide harness that allows you to route cables or attach other equipment needed. The harness attaches at a 55-degree angle which really does a killer job at hugging your lats and distributes your load very well across your back. It was designed for users that are "shaped like athletes" in the 170-235lb weight range--but that isn't to say that SSG Cornfed at 6'3" and weighing 265lbs cant fit it. Just don't be fat.

As far as fitting goes, I'll just copy and paste this from Whiskey 7's website:

"Sizing comes down to preference but we like to keep the top line of the rack at the bottom of our incredibly pronounced and defined pec line. [EDITOR: LOL] Slide the 1” slider buckles in and out to get the right fit. We recommend loading out your rack with all pouches weight before adjusting."

Despite there being a surprising number of companies that produce foam-and-mesh attachments for "venting" or "comfort" that are intended to be used with their chest racks, you won't find any of this with Whiskey 7. The truth is, at least in my personal experience and Pat's operational experience, stuff like that only allows the end-user to absorb sweat and fester as a bacteria host over long periods of use, and increase profit margins for the companies producing them. Having lived and slept in my kit for weeks at a time, I can honestly attest that properly designed equipment doesn't need velcro-stacked "comfort items" added into the mix--and this is coming from an infantryman with a spine injury, slight but noticeable lateral pelvic tilt, and at-times problematic left hip.

The laminate material used in the construction of the Alpha Rack does not bleach out with exposure to the sun, and it does not absorb sweat or foul odors. If you do find yourself needing to clean it off, a simple dunk into soapy water and a wash with your hose at home does the job. Between my prototype Panel and Rack, I don't have a piece of kit from Whiskey 7 that has been harder used with the exception of my Ranchero and Caballero Belts, watch bands (Rugged and Refined), my wallet and hats (no kidding, I think I have like 6), and SPEC Pack. These materials and construction methods are fairly in line with the buy-it-for-life (or at least until the Army decides to change camouflage patterns again) territory.

The Alpha Carrier was designed for, you guessed it, dudes shaped like athletes.

Billed as "a Plate Carrier for those that do war by those that do war", the Alpha Carrier draws on Pat's experience as an 11B and 11A while being refined for over a decade as a Green Beret.

There are multiple mounting points for PTTs in either single- or dual-comm roles; proper, anatomically designed and attached shoulder straps are thin but provide enough padding to allow even upwards of (in my experience and use) 35lbs of equipment; excess material on the bags are kept to an absolute minimum and allow the end-user to have maximum mobility while still being able to fit their plates and backers of choice. All of this while allowing you to not need to train a different mounting point for your stock for repeatable, accurate employment of your weapon system with or without your armor.

For those that are SOF or LE SOG/SWAT types, there will be dynamic mission sets that require that your kit is modified to fit the needs and constraints of your operations. With this in mind, there is a Back Hanger that uses G-hooks, velcro, and POM Toggles to attach to the rear of the Carrier so you can have multiple setups ready to go and swap them out without having to worry about undoing and re-weaving MOLLE or relying solely on zippers which while robust, can still fail.

The Alpha Carrier is designed for quick don/doff with the shoulder straps having a reliable point of contact to allow easy separation as well as being paired with FirstSpear Tubes at the cummerbund.

While the Alpha Carrier ships only as a set of bags and the hanger, there are numerous options available to the end-user when it comes to cummerbunds, as the carrier accepts any rear-attached cbun that utilizes velcro. FirstSpear, Ferro--what's your flavor? If you want to stick with Whiskey 7 as a one-stop-shop, Pat has a Simple or Advanced cummerbund available for you. Both come with Tubes adapters, but you can always use the FirstSpear Split Bar Tubes to integrate the cbun directly to your Alpha Panel.

I have used both the Simple and Advanced variants, with the Advanced being the one I like the most (even compared to the Ferro AC), as it allows me an extra STANAG sized mag pouch on the inside as well as allowing me to put side plates into the cbun without need to MOLLE them on... Despite this, in the infinite wisdom of Uncle Sugar and his civilian contractors, I am incapable of sizing myself, so they said I need to use the largest available side plates. Thanks to that, I still use the pouches. Make it make sense (you can't).