LBV88 Enhanced: Still Relevant?

Typically, when you say to someone that you still use the IIFS or LBV88 Enhanced instead of the newer modular MOLLE gear, you will get a look like you are out of your mind. Apparently using this older load bearing gear never did anyone any good in history. Everyone can have their opinions of course, and in this article, I intend to clarify mine. My opinion is going to be based on my experiences, training, needs, etc. Just keep that in mind before passing harsh judgement and drawing conclusions about why I do or don't care for certain things. My comparison will be against the MOLLE version of the IIFS, which is the current military issue MOLLE LBV like the one I was issued.

HISTORY OF THE LBV88

The LBV88 Enhanced or IIFS (Individual Integrated Fighting System) was developed in the mid 1980s as a possible replacement to the older ALICE (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) system. The idea was to have this vest carry the ammunition and grenades on the torso in sewn on pouches and free up space on the pistol belt where ALICE pouches would still be utilized. The first generation of the vests showed the magazine pouches being vertically sewn on solid material panels. Testing showed that they needed to upgrade the vest to allow breathing, so the following generation (Enhanced) solved this breathing issue. The update also changed the angle of the magazine pouches to have them angled inward to allow for easier reloads.

The updated LBV88 Enhanced saw about a decade of service with the Army, but MOLLE quickly pushed this system out. Personally, I don't think that this system got too much of a chance to develop, but at this point I am happy with it's ability to use the ALICE gear, which is inexpensive and still pretty good gear IMO.

FITTING/LOAD BEARING

The LBV88 Enhanced has the ability to be fitted to the individual wearer, with great flexibility in order to accommodate wearing with body armor. For the most part, you can adjust this system out as far as your pistol belt will let you. That being said, with this system holding pretty tight to the body and being pretty low in profile, it does not really feel as heavy as it actually is when it is loaded to the brim with your beans, bullets, and band-aids. 

The current love for the modular characteristics of MOLLE is obvious, but I am not so convinced of it's load bearing characteristics being better or equal to the old school design of the LBV88 Enhanced. I wore MOLLE for years and always found that it can be difficult to distribute the weight around the body, while also maintaining a low profile. There are ways, such as certain vests and such that allow you to wrap gear around in a 360 degree circumference. However, with the standard being to have vertical magazine pouches on your belly or chest, most people will find the weight uncomfortable once they run around and fight in this gear. Keeping the gear close and tight to the body is what gives the LBV88 Enhanced the edge. Even on the MOLLE LBV I was issued, there were few adjustment points and it was a bit tedious just to get it adjusted right. Not to mention that making any adjustments will require you to remove your attached pouches.

With the LBV88 technically being split into 4 pieces, I think that it lends itself well to being finely adjusted and wrapped around the body. The 4 pieces include the shoulder straps, the two ammo panels, and the small back panel. The 2 ammo panels are attached to the small back panel with cordage that allows for the wearer to back fine adjustments. Also, this cordage allows the system to have more flexibility, adding to the overall comfort when moving around, bending, etc. To top it off, the LBV88 Enhanced is much quicker to make adjustments on, even with gear attached to the belt. Just adjust the sides and the front straps and you are good. I recommend concentrating more on the side adjustments due to the fact that I want my magazines to be more in the front, but that is on the individual to figure out.

CARRYING CAPACITY

The MOLLE LBV I was issued is limited on the weight you can carry before the shoulder straps started digging into the collar bone. For being an upgrade, they didn't even put any padding on the shoulder straps. Not to mention that MOLLE is restricted in exactly how close you can get your gear together due to pouches needing their own attachment points. Yes, everything will have it's own neat little place, but sometimes there isn't enough room or attachment points to move things around as you need them. That was my experience at least. If you are going to load up your MOLLE system, it is my experience that it is best to use the same distribution method that was used with ALICE equipment. Depending on the method of distribution you use, you may be able to carry more ammo on your MOLLE LBV if you go with big mag pouches. However, this will have an affect on comfort down the line, as it does tax you more as you add weight and bulk.

The LBV88 Enhanced is limited on what it can carry on the vest. If you have 5.56 magazines, you will only be able to stash 6 mags on the vest, and forget about carrying 308 unless the vest will be for gear and you will just use ALICE pouches for ammo. Then you have two frag grenade pouches which can be used for other stuff as well. The pistol belt that you will be attaching the LBV88 Enhanced to gives you room for everything else. Think of the LBV88 Enhanced as just being a way to free up room for the pistol belt to carry more. Six rifle magazines is not alot, but you can still add more ammo on your pistol belt if 6 magazines aren't enough. Personally, I think the LBV88 Enhanced has an issue with the location of the grenade pouches. I feel that they interfere with the pistol belt and take up valuable room that an extra ammo pouch could fill. Granted I have options such as swapping a canteen for ammo, but really I don't like the idea of having to substitute. But with everything there is going to be some give and take.

COMFORT

Comfort is kind of relative and a bit hard to come by when you are gearing up. However, it does play a part in what people select and how they setup their gear. I wanted to evaluate these two things from the perspective of just having the gear on, and while doing everyday tasks as a gunfighter.

Personally, the MOLLE LBV is just fine and comfy as long as it is not overloaded with ammo. I would also say that it would still benefit from shoulder padding. Granted, the LBV was designed around the idea of being put over body armor, but not everyone has body armor like what the military uses. In many cases, you will see plate carriers and body armor with thin straps and little padding. Another thing to consider is that even if loaded properly, the MOLLE LBV will force your pouches to be vertical, which is not so ergonomic when reloading, in my experience. Not to mention that having alot of pouches on the front and alot of crap in general will make doing manipulations tedious and give you a larger profile to snag on crap and stick out as a larger target. Also, being in the prone with alot of stuff in front can be a pain. Even kneeling has been taxing for me if I am loaded down enough. Get too much crap in all these readily accessible pouches all over the place and you will pay for it. Lastly, just think about how taxing it is on the back when the majority of the crap you are carrying is put up on the torso. That may explain your achy breaky back after a long day of notionally operating at your local range.

The LBV88 Enhanced has comfort down pretty well for me. I find the padding of the shoulder straps to be perfect and comfortable. Also, since I have the pistol belt arranged to have weight symmetry I have most of my bulk and weight around my waist. Also, the pouches I have on me are pretty low in profile. Any excess crap that I have is stuffed in my buttpack. This keeps it out of the way, and helps keep my back supported. With the mag pouches angled and up high, I find that going in the prone is much more comfortable. With the double mag pouch being high and the single mag pouch being low, I think it was intentional after realizing that having crap lower on the body makes being in the prone uncomfortable and hurts your ability to maintain a low profile. One complaint I have heard from people is that ALICE clips bother them on their pistol belts. However, I have not had that issue due to the fact that I wear my pistol belt just above my love handles and it is slightly loose. I think it helps that I don't really have any gear right on my sides. If you are low on ammo in a gunfight, the priority should be to break contact and that should give you time to fish out some more boom fuel or have a buddy do it. If that isn't possible, then you should switch to your pistol and get scootin'.

PRICE/AVAILABILITY

When it comes to making a choice in gear, it is pretty straight forward. Quality and price need to be balanced. Since this ALICE gear and IIFS gear was made in large numbers, it is not too difficult to find it on the market for a fair price, even new. I recommend new any time you can get it. Only exception would be if you are able to see and inspect the used gear with your own eyes at a shop. Realistically, I would say my whole ensemble cost me less than $200 just for the gear to set it all up. I went mostly new on everything so that would drive up the costs. But I actually spent more than that since I made the mistake of buying additional items I didn't even need just to have them. It happens, and then you use your gear and get wise.​

In order to get into a MOLLE LBV, you will probably be spending about a hundred dollars more than the LBV88 Enhanced setup cost. This is because manufacturers loooooove to overcharge for just a simple magazine pouch. I would say you are looking at a pretty high price to go with MOLLE. However, if you don't want certain pouches like grenade pouches, then you are not gonna have to buy them. You have lots of options available in color and manufacturers, but in general you are paying alot for something that shouldn't cost all that much. However, if you are going to use MOLLE and basically replicate the setup you would have on the LBV88 Enhanced, you will probably have better luck getting into it for a comparable price.

PROS AND CONS

MOLLE LBV

First off, I would say that the good thing about MOLLE is that it is the main thing used in the military, so you will easily find surplus stuff for cheap. Yes it is also modular so you can get a good setup and have it setup right where you want it. The options out there are frankly endless as long as you have the dough to pay for it. Lastly, MOLLE gear typically is pretty secure and will last a while.

The bad thing about MOLLE is that it seems it is more about modularity and less about actual ergonomics and function. Loading up on MOLLE pouches will cause you to feel like a turtle. With MOLLE, it seems that people want to have a pouch for everything, which causes poor weight distribution and eventually back issues. It is expensive to get the right gear and it takes time to figure out where you want all your gear to go.

LBV88 ENHANCED

The LBV88 Enhanced has great load bearing characteristics and does not get in the way at all. The vest, when properly fitted, has a low profile and feels very light, even when the pistol belt is loaded up to the max. The angled mag pouches are very ergonomic and make reloads a breeze. Also, the way the mag pouches are setup, this vest is very comfortable to wear in the prone. All the pouches are permanent so you just have to adjust to their location, though they are very easy to get to and are simple to figure out. The setup is not too expensive to get into and they last a long time.

I personally wish that the grenade pouches could be removed or that they were put elsewhere. They impede the user from mounting certain things on the front like a compass or mag pouches. The mag pouches are only good for 5.56 rifle mags and there is no adjustment on the retention flap for tightening them. Once the velcro and button goes, your mag pouch is pretty much toast.

WRAPUP

In my opinion, the LBV88 Enhanced is not perfect, but it does fit the bill and offers a good amount of ergonomics, carrying capacity, durability, and ease of use in order to justify going backwards in tech. The performance I get out of it is greater than most people who run MOLLE systems. Granted I have limited room on the belt, I am able to make up for it with my buttpack and carry my less needed extras like more ammo and chemlights. I am not saying that MOLLE LBVs are garbage, but I will say that they are not exactly true load bearing vests like the LBV88 Enhanced. I personally just love the system because of the wonderful flexibility it offers along with the ease of use. Just my two cents.