Progear SSV1 Vest - Does my bum look big in this?????

[Jon_collins]

Hi Guys,

Well, finally got all the bits from Progear for the SSV1 vest.

Inital thoughts.....

Its well made and fits ok. All anodized aluminium. Leather waist and back. Pads attached with velcro apart from chest pad that is fitted with press studs. All pads are sealed with velcro so can be opend, to reveal two thicknesses of foam rubber padding. The back pads and lower back pads are in two halves, so the vest could be easily modified for break away? The chest and waist is secured with flipover clips. These are machined from ally with a steel bar through. You clip over the strap end to the steel bar, then flip the clip over to secure. works well. The only let down here is the pivotting screws as they are not captive and only finger tight to form the hinge. They need loctite'in in place as they may come out and get lost. Plus, when you release the clips, the other side automatically comes loose and the strap end comes off of the steel bar. This could be fixed by closing up the clip you dont often undo onto the bar with a hammer? I think the chest plate cold do with being a little wider, see picture where I am holding the clips out. The pads are likely to rub on the neck?

Any questions or comments.

Jon

[Jon_collins]

More pictures....

[Pascal]

Hi John,

The vest looks good! I was wondering how much adjustment there's still left in the mid-straps? I found that it helps quite a lot distributing the load and save your back - because the top of the vest pitches foreward when loaded and puls on the upper part of your back - This part on the Gold vest doesn't allow much travel (i.e. I could use some more)

Pascal

[Jon_collins]

Hi Pascal Whats happened to my eyes?

There is loads of adjustment left in the middle. The strap has velcro and is threaded through the end hooks and back on its self. So you can pull another 20cm or so on each side through to shorten it. The middle plate where the latches join the center post also slides up and down independently of the main chest plate too.

Jon

[Pascal]

Lol, I meant to ask something about the middle plate, not the straps themselves, but you've answered my question anyway!

Hiding your eyes was meant to protect your privacy... bad joke... sigh... sorry

[Jon_collins]

Hi Pascal,

Yes, the middle plate is on the central dove tail, independant of the chest plate. It is shown up as high as it goes, below the knob that locks the extension, or down to wherever you have the spar. So about 100mm. You do however, need a pozi screwdriver to loosen the locking screws.

Jon

[Richard Lewis]

Hey Jon, do you think that someone with at tiiiiiny waist like mine (27") would be able to get a snug fit around the waist?

Even if some modifying is in order...

-Rick.

[Jon_collins]

Hi Rick,

27" waist, I have got thicker dick . The vest is at work at the moment. I will measure the minimum size in the morning. I recon it will fit you. It looks like it will go really small?

Jon

[Richard Lewis]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That was sooo fecking funny, you can't believe. That will get me for days!

[Jon_collins]

Hi Rick

Right, if you look at the pictures, the front waist plate is about 300mm wide, weasuring around the waist pad, with the ends touching measures about 23". You would have to have the pad at the back of the belt over the waist pad. Pulling up the ends of the belt using the buckle will take up all the slack. My reconing is that it will fit like a glove? Are you looking at the ones on the ebay? Re any comments I made here, the vest is very nice. On par with the gimbal etc.?

Jon

[Richard Lewis]

Thanks for the info Jon. I waiting for Jan to get back to me about a sled that he was sorting out for me a few months ago, and I've started to follow up on it, so far, I haven’t heard any response...no surprise there then... I may go for the vest. If it is of the same build quality as the gimbal, then I’m sure I will be very happy. P.S. How much did you pay for the vest? Anyone VAT registered here who wants to help me out with the 25% Danish tax?? -Rick.

[Baza4k]

Hi Jon

An old blog revived, but it has been a while since you posted your thoughts on the SSV1. I am thinking of changing from a BM vest to a front mount and have seen the SSV1 on Ebay. I have found many threads on forums with views on ProGear and their service, but none comment on the quality of the gear and none are recent.

Before I part with my cash, can you or anybody give some updates!!!

[Jon_collins]

Hi,

Its a good solid vest.. I had a couple of niggles with it over the past few months, recently, one of the shoulder straps fell off during a shoot. They were held to the chest plate with 3 nuts and bolts on each side. They all worked loose, without me noticing, then the last gave way and the vest dropped to one side during a take! Lucilly some runners fund a couple on the ground to get me going. I have replaced these with pop rivets and have had no more problems. Thats about it really. Its practically a copy of the real thing. All anodized ally, leather, and cordura. If there was anything you didn't like you could customise it easilly with a drill etc. The price is good, but remember you may have to pay the 25% danish tax now, if you dont have a vat number of your own. I have bought a few bits from Progear over the years, and found them all to be of very good quality, the only problem as you may have read, is the delivery. When he says 21 days for delivery, thats 21 days, then he thinks about sending it. It may have got better, but that was how it was for me. I would probably buy Progear again, but not if I needed it for a shoot in the next couple of weeks!!

Jon