REVIEW: Zentauron Micro Rig Hades

Even the small things in life can bring joy. A lot of joy indeed, especially when they are designed as practical and meaningful as the Hades Micro Rig from the German gear forge Zentauron. "Micro" already says what the task of this armor is: to be small. In the image above, we have the Hades on and utilized its modularity to configure it for the MP7. In this case, two MP7 magazines fit, a spare magazine for the Glock, a flashlight is located in the pouch on the far left, and a CAT Tourniquet is also added. But that's beside the point here. SPARTANAT will explain to you what the Zentauron Hades can do.

When you strip off the Hades, you notice that it is devilishly small. The system looks quite spacious on the man above. Put on, the little devil reduces to a rectangle of 32 by 20 centimeters. On the Cordura, there are five rows of MOLLE loops, with an additional row of six vertical loops above; for example, a lamp or knife bag can be attached horizontally here. Two large Fastex buckles take the carrying frame from the top, and the thin straps come back exactly to the corners. In the lower area, you clip on the waist belt, which secures the Hades to the belly.

Here's what's hidden on the back: the material is doubled here, and the diagonal, green-edged seams are openings in the compartment that has the same volume as the entire Hades. Here, map material can be easily accessed or other stuff that needs to be at hand.

The structure for the armor: At the top is the carrying frame, the wide straps are five centimeters thick and form a square "U". Velcro is attached to the crossbar, which lies horizontally on the back. For example, a name tape fits here. Then the person who addresses the wearer from behind immediately knows the name on the back. The thin straps are 2.5 centimeters thick and form a curve from the rear carrying frame to the upper corners of the rig in the front. At the bottom is the strap that secures the belly area. A simple and sensible design, the Hades fits perfectly.

The perfect pockets for the little devil: Zentauron Quick-Release Pouches Artemis. On the left bottom are two of the MP7/MP5 version. You can see nicely on the second upright pocket that the side walls are made of Kydex, which is looped with rubber cords. The magazine sits very securely and can also be hung upside down on the rig. Inserting the magazine is also easier because the rigid side walls keep the magazine pouch in shape. The HSGI Tacos with a similar system are currently very popular in the American area. In the middle, you can see pouches that also fit AUG, SA80, and FN FAL. On the right are the G36 quick-release pouches. All pockets are equipped with MOLLE strips, so you can add more. The G36 pouches show nicely the Zentauron loop system: soft, thin strips with stiffened ends. Loop, fold, and insert. Fits securely. On the top left is the universal flashlight holster. We had easily used it as a magazine pouch.

Reach into the pocket: The map compartment on the Hades Micro Rig is super practical. For those who like it harder, a small firearm fits in the map compartment. The armor itself - without pouches - weighs less than 0.5 kilograms. There's a pistol magazine pocket in the front, which had to accommodate the flashlight.

CONCLUSION: The Hades Micro Rig from Zentauron is a small giant. It is clear that a man doesn't have to carry everything he owns, but that small armors are more comfortable and sufficient for some missions. Hades is minimalist and in its design a rugged beauty. Everything about it is functionality, without frills. Its MOLLE compatibility allows for quick customization when needed for a different mission. It also sits perfectly over a plate carrier.

You can get the Micro Rig Hades directly from Zentauron for 99.99 euros. Available in Bundeswehr Olive, 3FT, 5FT, Sand, and now also Multicam. Artemis Quick-Release Pouches are also available in matching colors. The prices for the individual pouches can be found on the Zentauron website.

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