Basic Nerf Tactical Vest Review (Write Up)

Picture thanks to SG Nerf

The Nerf Tactical Vest is an accessory released by Nerf to help with your Nerfing experience. It is priced at $30 USA Dollars (not including Tax). It comes with two Clear Clips and twelve darts. If you continue reading I’ll name reasons why you should, and should not, buy this item. I’ll also some you some tips on using this and getting the best experience out of this Vest.

The Nerf Tactical Vest is not a bad item. It holds 4 Clips, 12 Darts on the Chest, a Holster for side arms, and a zip pocket for smaller items (such as darts, Reflex Pistol,). I use it to hold things such as erasers for distractions.

First off we’ll start with Vest’s fitting ability. I am 5 feet 10 inches tall, 140 pounds. This should fit big to small people with it’s natural wide make and the ability to adjust it’s width thanks to straps.

The twelve dart slots to hold the darts are a bit tight, they remind me of the Bandolier dart slots. The ability to hold four six shot clips at the minimum gives you twenty four darts, and this just adds on to it. You can use these darts for your secondary weapon, or to re-fill clips. Whatever you choose, it’s a nice option to have, thought not essential.

The Dart sleeves are nicely made. Stretchy but tight enough to hold your clips. Put your six dart clips facing downwards when using this Tactical Vest. If you put it upwards, you may brush against the exposed top knocking some darts out. Also facing them downwards gives you an easier reload, which I will explain at the end of this review. Also the 2 Clear Clips that come with this are pretty nice actually.

The Zip Pocket is small, but not too small. You can fit a good amount of Darts and numerous objects in their. I’ve seen darts in there, Reflex Pistols, but personally myself I put small things I’e found to throw and distract other players. I also keep a flashlight in their for night games and battles. Another unnecessary add on like the Dart Sleeves, but still adds depth and versatility to this item.

The Holster is handy as well. It gives you instant access to your secondary weapon, which is usually a Pistol of some sort. The new Spectre REV-5 also fits nicely in there. Make sure to put the strap through the trigger slot, and make sure it is secure. When I first started using it my Maverick fell out twice because the strap was not through the trigger slot securing it to the vest. But if needed, a quick flick of the strap allows you to get to your secondary with no problem.

It might feel a little awkward carrying that much around on you when you first use it, but after a game or two you get used to it and any awkward feeling turn into comfortable ones. Crouching, wall hugging, walking, and running (all stances and methods of travel used in an Urban Environment) can be made comfortably with this Tactical Vest fully loaded on you. I haven’t tried crawling in this Vest, but would not recommend doing so. Dirt and grime might get into your Clips, Darts, and Blasters. If you needed to do so though, the ammo and weapons the Vest holds might get in the way.

An important part of your satasfication and usage of this Vest is a system of Holstering and Reloading. Cargo Pants or Cargo Shorts can also make an important part of this experience. For example in the video and picture of me below I have a sling attached to my Alpha Trooper. What will you do with your primary if you need to use your secondary? When I needed to use my secondary, I pushed the Alpha Trooper behind my back, and pulled out my Maverick. Switching between the two was very easy.
Also when I used up a clip, I either put it in my Cargo Short’s big pockets or placed it back in the Clip Sleeve on my chest. You could also simply drop it somewhere if needed, but I prefer to keep them with me.

Another important part of Reloading is the Clip placement direction. I find this important for my reloading system. Having a system makes things more familiar, and when their familiar their easier, and when their easier their faster. I put my clips facing downwards, like the kid on the box, and using the grove sticking out to keep the clip in contact with the strap and keep it from falling. Also the clip facing downwards allows me to pull it out easily and insert it into my gun in a nice motion. My first instinct was to go opposite from the kid and put the clip facing upwards in the strap. However I discovered that their is a slight possibility that it might fall out, you might knock darts of out the exposed clip, pulling up to take out the clips might result in hitting your self in the face. Readers and users can try it out this way, but I recommend loading your clips downwards while using this Tactical Vest.

Finally, the $30 price tag. Thats a bit much, since most Nerf guns don’t even cost that much. Are the benefits that come with us out weighing the cons? $10 is the cost of two clips and the darts that come with it. $20 is about the cost of a good shirt. If you have a good amount of money or money to spend, I would say yes. This is more like a supplementary item to your weapons and skills. This will not make you a better Nerf Player by granting you skills or give you a great rate of fire. It will, however, give you more ammo options and allow you to focus more on the game then dragging your Maverick around with you.

I would give this an 8/10 right off the bat, but after looking at the price I’ll have to lower it to a 7.5/10.

Battle Tested by yours truly

Stampede 18 Dart Clips are not a bad fit actually.

Footage of a Nerf Day, I played in the Tactical Vest that day.