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All parts of this set are described in Infantry

Training Volume I, Skill at Arms (Individual Training),
Pamphlet No.2 Fieldcraft, Battle Lessons and
Exercises. This is an another stupid regulations
book, which probably nobody will ever see or read
as a whole, but you should know that such a thing
exists.
Start assembling your PLCE from belt (belt, main).
Make sure that the two D-rings are located exactly
in the middle of your back. The belt can be adjusted
on the left side using a metal C-ring, which ends
should be mounted in the vertical locator slots.
On the right adjustments can be done with buckles.
There are three sizes of belts - for fat people
(86 cm), normal (81 cm) and for absolute anorexics
(71 cm).
Now for the pouches. Mounting them starts from
the middle of the belt (centre of users back). For
optimal effect, all pouches should be placed on
the users sides, while the front remain empty
space. Why? Because PLCE is an infantry webbing
invented in the 80s, when the best way to avoid
the hail of enemy bullets was lying on the ground,
and the most common way to move - crawling.

This is why the pouches are designed so as not

to spill their content and so the soldier would not
suffer from pressing hard angular objects into his
guts.
Right in the middle of the belt (between D-rings)
there is a place for entrenching tool case (ETC) or
utility pouch. The latter should be fastened using
snap fasteners and velcro tape avoiding the outer
straps. This solution is particularly handy when you
need to detach your pouch quickly in emergency.
Now put two water carrier pouches on both sides of
the first pouch. Mind that these pieces have wider
fastening than utility pouch. This design works
more efficiently on the section of the belt lacking
the support of shoulder straps.
Then mount ammo pouches (ammunition pouch
universal) on both sides. Similarly, to the utility
pouch, use only the black T-rings. All pouches
should be put adjacent to each other as tight as
possible, even if it means bending the belt slightly.

After assembling pouches now is the time to strap

the yokes. Start with the back straps checking their
length so that the main part of the shoulder straps
ends right underneath your neck. Then mount the
front straps. People usually strap them to the first
pair of A-rings (counting from the front), but try
to attach them to the second (rear) A-rings at an
angle of 45 . When the same thing is done with the
middle straps, you get two side points of support,
and your PLCE will not be pulling you back (as in
the case of ALICE webbing). The rear pair of straps
as well as the middle ones should be rolled up and
secured using insulating tape. Let the front straps
hang loose - you need to maintain at least a minimal

possibility of adjusting your webbing.

When configuring webbing, consider using some
accessories, which will make your PLCE more
comfortable and functional. The most important of
them is the hippo pad (also called comfort pad, or
simply a hip pad) - the human equivalent of a horse
blanket, protecting the lower part of the soldiers
back against chafing from his webbing.
Once, it was home-made from pieces of foam roll
mats sewn into old military trouser legs and later
substituted with issue hippo pad introduced along
with Pattern 95. This invention spared many users
from having their fingers needle-punctured or from
seeking services of a local tailor. The difference

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between using PLCE with and without hippo pad

is significant, I strongly recommend obtaining one.
Another important addition is an utility strap, which
can be threaded through the loops of pouches
from the fasteners side, and then firmly tightened.
This ensures that your webbing will be more
stable - especially when running. Soldiers also tie
the pouches from the outside, using thick rubber
bungee cords with hooks on each end. It is a good
solution, especially on bivaque. A pair of bungee
cords can be used to efficiently secure a basha
(British army slang for tarpaulin) and create a pretty
good shelter. Another thing worth considering is

sewing pieces of flat rubber band (like those on

Mk6 helmet covers) on shoulder straps and pouch
flaps. It will allow you to insert a bit of vegetation to
camouflage your webbing.
The last detail, which you should remember about,
is taping the upper part of the citek fasteners with
insulating tape. Fastening will gain more stability
and citek will not open on its own accord. As for the
top, loosely hanging end of each citek (this part of
the Spanish buckle, which you should pull to open
the pouch), under no condition should you pull
it through the lower (female) part of the buckle.
Such a technique can be found on the Internet
video tutorials advertised as a good way to close
the pouch. In fact, the only thing you would achieve
by applying it would be weakening the lower part
of the buckle and ultimately breaking it. When you
buy PLCE second-hand, always check if it was not
damaged this way, as citeks are crucial parts of
pouches and hard to replace.

HOW TO PACK PLCE CORRECTLY

Now I will discuss shortly canonical stuff,
which should be packed in the PLCE. It is worth
remembering that the full contents of PLCE depends
on the task, the mission objectives, functions in the
team, the terrain and the expected enemy, however
certain elements are constant regardless of the
variables listed above.

three magazines for SA80.

Alternatively, you can also put
a can of beer inside, it will fit
exactly.
Ammunition pouch, right. As
above - here you can carry
everything you can shoot or
throw at an opponent, and - if
there is still a place - weapon
cleaning utensils (a bottle of
oil, a cleaning rod and a piece
of flannel).

Ammunition pouch, universal, NSN 8465-99-1321557 consists of two combined pockets, each
accommodating three standard magazines for
SA80 rifle. Pocket flap is fastened with citek and a
large piece of velcro, on the back there are narrow
T-ring fastenings and belt loops. In the upper front
part there is a small female fastex, which is used
for connecting Daysack straps (also known as
Jetpack - a small rucksack assembled from two
side pockets of the Bergen backpack).
Ammunition pouch, left. As the name suggests, it is
there to carry ammunition, in the end this is what it
was designed for. Each pocket can accommodate

Water carrier pouch/canteen

pouch, NSN 8465-99-1321556 is a sizable chunk of
pouch. In contrast to the utility
pouch, it has no attachments
to the shoulder straps, but
inside there is a compartment
for placing hexamine cooker
and fuel supply for a whole
month. The pouch flap also
contains a tiny pocket for
water disinfecting tablets. At
the back there is a wide belt
fastening stabilized by T-rings.
It is good to have two such
pouches in your PLCE. One is
used for storing a water bottle
with cup (pattern 58). The other
should contain a set of messtins, part of the food ration,
as well as the aforementioned
hexamine cooker with fuel.
Even if you carry your posh camelbak, never get
rid of a water bottle - use it to store water required
for cooking.
Utility pouch, NSN 8465-99-132-1558, like the
ammunition pouch, has shoulder straps fastenings,
a buckle for connecting the Jetpack and narrow
belt fasteners. Can be used for storing everything
which is useful or required by the mission. For
example, some users keep in it their Gore-Tex suit,
some survival box, others first aid kit.
Utility pouch can be replaced by entrenching tool
case (ETC), NSN 8465-99-132-1554. A standard

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NATO entrenching tool (trifold) to be put inside is a

useless piece of rubbish. The thread disintegrates
faster than your teeth after drinking from an
aluminium cup, but it has cool looks in the pouch
and, generally speaking, in the sand or soft soil
without stones you can enjoy yourself digging a bit.
Many soldiers choose another option, and in the
middle of their belt wear two utility pouches instead

haversack is not prepared for this role. Attachment

to a belt is placed so high, that while running, it will
make you look like an actor training for the role in a
film for adults. A place for haversack is on the left
side of the webbing: on the belt instead of the left
canteen pouch or below pouches on the left thigh
- the latter option is mounted using a special strap
sewn at the top of the haversack, which should
intersperse the loops of trousers.
Shoulder straps (yoke, main,
NSN 8465-99-132-1560) are very
characteristic elements of the
PLCE. Untypically they consist of
front, middle and rear straps, two
of each, which make them easy
to recognise. The rear (narrower)
pair of straps fulfils transport
role - it is just a new version of
the known P58 poncho roll. The
soldiers willingly strap to their
yokes things like rolled hessian
sacks or basha. I advise against
mounting bayonet cover there it easily gets lost.

of one, treating the first of them as first-aid kit case,

and the other as an all-purpose pouch.
I advise against wearing a gas mask pouch
(haversack respirator, NSN 8465-99-132-1559) as
a buttpack - PLCE is not ALICE webbing and the

On one of the shoulder straps

(usually on the left one) you can
fasten a Bowman radio case
(personal-role
radio
pouch,
NSN 8465-99-978-7651). There
are two types of covers - one is
wide, sturdy, with olive lining and
two rows of four snap fasteners
at the back for mounting the
pouch on a chest rig. It has also
a vertical strap with buckle to
prevent the radio from falling
from the case. The other radio
pouch is dedicated to use with
PLCE - it is floppy and on one
side it has rough holes cut in
Cordura allowing the use of
radio buttons and outputting the
transmitting wire. The radio is secured in place by
two straps encircling the pouch in the horizontal
plane and fastened with buckles. On the top of the
pouch there is also an elastic cord loop with a snap
fastener. The distinction between the two types of
pouches is worth remembering, because when you

carry a backpack over your PLCE webbing, having

the first type of PRR pouch mounted on the yoke is
really uncomfortable.
Now back to the yokes. The straps on the back of
the neck are used to mount a single Bergen side
pouch. If you insist, you can attach two of them,
but it is definitely more convenient to use a Jetpack
mounted on its dedicated shoulder straps known
as yoke, side pouch.
If you think about losing weight, think again, because
the longer the main belt, the more pouches it can
accommodate, along with some stylish gadgets
such as the aforementioned bayonet cover called
frog, NSN 8465-99-132-1567. With its plastic
scabbard the frog is used for carrying the contract
SA80 bayonet. Other useful pouches include ammo
pouch for gunners (200-rd Minimi pouch, NSN
8465-99-679-8281), pistol holster (holster, pistol
(other arms), NSN 8465-99-978-5365), which can
be also mounted independently on a special strap,
or an interesting first aid kit pouch (trauma pouch,
NSN 8465-99-978-4567), which is about the same
size as utility pouch but much more capacious.
As I mentioned earlier, there is a wide range of
different pouches compatible with PLCE, allowing
to customize the webbing to fulfil various tasks and
functions.

Of course soldiers would not be soldiers unless

they tried to modify or improve the equipment,
which they have received from the quartermaster.
Now I shall discuss briefly some the most popular
customizing techniques:

replacement of the main belt - many
soldiers, especially those who, for unknown
reasons, tend to jump out of a perfectly functioning
aircraft, substitute their main belt with a so-called
roll pin belt, the belt with parachute buckle. You
can reenact this by buying the belt from one of
the private companies (eg. HM Supplies), or by
replacing only the buckle of your contract belt.

replacement of the pouch flaps - also
a paratroopers idea with two good reasons to use
it. Citek fasteners have a tendency to unbuckle
during a jump, besides, if they are poorly fastened
(which I have explained already), they often break.
So the Spanish buckles are frequently replaced by
wide pieces of Velcro tape along with a stud. The
idea was picked up by private companies that offer
ready-made pouches (and even complete webbing
sets) with this type of fastening system.

straping the bayonet frog directly into
pouches - lets face it: bayonet strapped to the
belt does not lie perfectly. Moreover, the compact,
symmetrical block of pouches is distorted, so
ultimately ammunition pouches on one side of
PLCE are closer to the buckle, and the other are

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farther away. Soldiers solve this problem by burning

small holes in the side of the left ammo pouch,
and by attaching the bayonet cover with a piece
of paracord. A more radical conversion is based
on making horizontal incisions in the ammunition
pouch, through which the bayonet cover fasteners
are threaded. The third and the least invasive
method is to attach the lower fastener of the
bayonet cover to the interconnected side loops of
two adjacent pouches and the upper fastener to
the middle yoke strap (the one running at an angle)
- directly or through a piece of elastic band or cord.

USE OF PLCE
Despite the fact that nowadays there are many
better, lighter and more sophisticated webbings
available, PLCE is still an efficient and comfortable
solution for enthusiasts of the old-school military
gear. Being copied by many private companies including the top-shelf ones like Arktis as well as a
lower quality like WebTex - proves the popularity of
the classic design.
A fully loaded PLCE can weigh up to 12 kg, so
distributing this burden evenly is as important as
good fitting. The wide, padded yoke main fulfils this
task perfectly. Combined with a properly configured
main belt and hippo pad it ensures comfort and
stability of the webbing.

PLCE can be worn in two different ways:

without a backpack PLCE can be placed
high, at the waist level. Note that you will be unable
to rest your arms down your hips and may look like
a watermelon seller.

with a backpack PLCE is worn on hips.
This combination has its benefits and drawbacks.
Fastening your backpacks waist belt is now really
difficult but PLCE should take on its role, however,
unless properly adjusted, the yokes will severely
hurt your shoulders.
As a relic of the Cold War PLCE is perfect for green
side operations or reconnaissance, everything
requiring prolonged lying down or crawling.
Standing, kneeling or lying down, the user has
good access to the ammunition pouches, bayonet
and water bottle, so - to the most important things.
Using PLCE in vehicles is another matter. The
big bulky pouches make sitting comfortably
almost impossible, not to mention any additional
movements. In such situations the legendary
universality of PLCE is a bit overestimated.
A considerable weight of the webbing is - for
modern standards - also a drawback. These kind
of imperfections inspired a number of independent
companies not only to copy, but also to improve
the classic design - with interesting results. But this
is quite a different story...