Monday, July 19, 2010

Do-It-Yourself MOLLE Tank Pouch

Here's a quick how-to on converting a MOLLE canteen from TRU-Spec or Flyye into a tank pouch for a 48 cubic-inch HPA tank, or a 20oz CO2 bottle.



This is the style of pouch you'll need. You can find it on eBay, from online vendors, and usually from any surplus store that carries the TRU-Spec product line:


The canteen holds a 48CI tank extremely well. There are fasteners on each side to tighten it and secure it in place so that it doesn't bounce around:


As a bonus, the same fasteners can be wrapped around the gauge and other protrusions from the tank to further secure it.


Note that this won't work with a tank larger than 48CI, though a "stubby" tank of a larger size may fit.

To start your mod, first cut a hole in the top of the canteen cover using scissors or an exacto knife. It doesn't have to be perfect, and any hole large enough for the neck of the tank to pass through will be fine.


Next, make sure the cover and straps close over the bottle properly.


Once you're happy with the way everything fits, use a lighter to heat the edges you cut (to prevent the nylon from fraying). Don't let the flame sit in once place or the fabric will catch fire! Instead sweep the flame over the edges until they're nice and crispy.


The finished product will give you a solid tank pouch, complete with smaller side pouches for air accessories (CO2 powerlets, spare tank O-rings, tank caps, etc). The setup is compatible with any MOLLE vest, and comes with installed straps (no MALICE clips are needed).


Since this canteen pouch is an actual piece of military kit, it'll fit your Milsim look better than most tank pouches now available on the market.

1 comment:

  1. I forgot to mention: Keep the little piece of Cordura fabric you cut out. That way if you ever need a tailor to mend a hole in a Cordura item in the future, you can give it to him/her to work with!

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