The Best Ways to Carry Extra Rifle Magazines

Magic Prepper • February 04, 2025

Carrying spare rifle magazines is a necessity for any law enforcement or military member who has an expectation of using lethal force. Magazines are one of the most likely firearms components to cause a malfunction, which is usually only remedied by swapping to a different magazine. And especially in the military, the amount of rounds required for engagements can vary drastically based on conditions. Generally, this leads to the concept that you can never truly have enough ammo. So from a prepared citizen’s standpoint, past the realm of basic home defense, it would be logical to carry spare magazines as well. And luckily there are a ton of excellent options for accomplishing this task. Here we will discuss the most common that I have personally used to give you some ideas about what might work best for you.

Bandolier

Bandoliers are the most affordable way to carry additional magazines on this list. Mostly due to their extremely simplistic design and universal usefulness. There aren’t really any sizes or restrictions to worry about, and the way you carry it is as basic as it gets. Sling the strap over your shoulder, across your body, and adjust the strap so that the bandolier is accessible. They can come in many forms but for the most part, they are a messenger bag that has dedicated magazine pockets. During the early days of the war in Ukraine, tailors were crafting bandoliers to help soldiers carry more ammunition without just throwing magazines in their pockets. They come in all sizes, patterns, and materials, but one thing remains the same. The simple design.

Another great part about bandoliers is that they can be stashed in different locations, backpacks, vehicles, or wherever you might need some spare magazines “just in case.” For me personally, I find using them in a backpack to be a good way to keep things organized. It also provides an easy way to scale down without losing access to your additional ammo supply in case you need to drop your bag. Bandoliers just work, and for anyone who is just starting out, on a tight budget, or just needs some backups for their current kit, they are an excellent option. Here are a few that I can recommend:

  • Military Surplus US Bandolier - This bandolier is affordable and well made as it was produced for US Military usage. It holds 3 standard AR-15 magazines with the flaps closed or 6 standard AR-15 magazines with the flaps open. Generally the military surplus pouches seem to work better with metal magazines in my experience as the polymer mags have over-insertion stops or a slightly thicker body that impedes retrieval.
  • MidwayUSA 8 Magazine Pouch AR-15 and AK-47 Rifle - This pouch is very basic but well-made. With the flaps closed, it can fit 8 standard AR-15 or AK-47 magazines. The pouches also have some elastic to keep things more secure. The nylon strap on this particular bandolier is decently thick and has a lot of room for adjustment.
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MidwayUSA 8 Magazine Pouch
  • MidwayUSA AR-15 Bail Out Range Bag - Another MidwayUSA bandolier that is more of a “deluxe” version of the previous one. The Bail Out Range Bag can fit 6 standard AR-15 magazines but also provides pockets for additional gear and equipment. The shoulder strap is padded, and there is a belt loop on the back of the bag for additional security. This bag is great for a minimalist setup or as a backup loadout stashed away securely.
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MidwayUSA AR-15 Bail Out Bag

Chest Rigs

Chest rigs are one of my favorite ways to carry additional rifle magazines. Right now, they generally come in two flavors. Micro and macro. Micro rigs are smaller and will not carry as many magazines but keep a minimalist and low-profile footprint when excessive spare magazines aren’t assumed to be needed. Macro rigs are large and meant to carry a lot of extra magazines and equipment while sacrificing any possibility of remaining somewhat covert. They both have their place, and I switch between the two styles regularly depending on what I plan to do or want to try out. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of each type.

Micro Chest Rig

Micro chest rigs were originally designed for low visibility applications allowing the user to conceal their support equipment while still having a lot of extra capability. Their minimalist footprint and lightweight load are appealing to most civilian shooters as they provide the basics of what you need without getting too bulky. They generally carry 3 magazines with some additional compartments for items such as first aid, maps, or small tools. Personally, I use the Haley Strategic Thorax Triple Rifle Magazine Placard (TRMP) in conjunction with the Haley Strategic X-Harness Replacement Kit with Waist Strap.

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Haley Strategic Thorax Triple Rifle Magazine Placard

This is a very minimalist approach but has just enough expansion to have a little more than just magazines. I find it very useful out on the range as an easy, non-impeding way to have extra magazines on me that I can also practice emergency reloads from. Because of the extremely small footprint, it conceals decently well under a jacket in case that ever became a necessity. Weight savings are also welcome. I have also added a dangler pouch from Onward Research called the SIMP Pouch, which allows for some medical gear, snacks, or whatever else I might want at the time. For the size of this micro chest rig setup, you get a decent amount of storage. However, you lose a lot of on-person capability compared to a larger, more encompassing chest rig setup. If you were to use this in the field, all of your other gear would either be in your backpack, which is less accessible, or in your pockets which can be uncomfortable. And if accessing that gear is more of a priority than being covert or nimble, then you likely need to move up to a macro chest rig.

Macro Chest Rig

Macro chest rigs are the more traditional designs you see used by the military. In fact, there are many military surplus chest rigs, such as the Military Surplus USMC Chest Rig, which is an excellent value for anyone who wants to set something like this up. As this is meant for widespread military use, the need for it to be low visibility or extremely lightweight no longer exists. The priority lies with the amount of rifle magazines and gear it can support while remaining usable. Generally, macro chest rigs can carry at least 4 rifle magazines, with many being capable of 8 or more. And that doesn’t include the additional pouches or mounting options for extra equipment. My personal macro chest rig is the Blue Force Gear RACKminus SAV-2 Ten Speed Chest Rig SR25 version.

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Blue Force Gear RACKminus SAV-2 Ten Speed Chest Rig

This chest rig is extremely comfortable and versatile while remaining somewhat minimalist when compared to other similar styles. I chose the SR25 pattern for the magazine pouches as it allows me to use AR-15 magazines, AK-47 magazines and AR-10 magazines without issue all in one chest rig. There are 4 magazine pouches total with expansion loops behind them to accommodate 4 extra magazines making the total carrying capacity 8 rifle magazines. That sounds like a lot, but the standard loadout for infantry in the US Army is 7 magazines, and of course, you don’t need to carry 8 just because the pouches are there. In fact, one of the rear extension loops is where I have my radio stashed with a lead cable to a push-to-talk speaker mic up further on the shoulder strap, which I find convenient. This chest rig also has MOLLE webbing for adding additional accessories, which I have done.

For starters, Blue Force Gear makes a pouch specifically for this chest rig, their Low Profile General Purpose Pouch. It’s perfectly set up regarding MOLLE spacing while maintaining the slim profile associated with the chest rig. These pouches add a lot of storage capacity to the chest rig without being bulky. I store maps, a map tool, water purification tablets, a pen and notebook, and all kinds of stuff in them, which they work perfectly for. I started with two of these pouches, one on each side, but decided to remove one to use more equipment-specific pouches on one side. There I added a Leatherman Sheath MOLLE pouch for carrying my Leatherman MUT Multi-Tool so it is easy to access. Especially when I am not wearing my gun belt where it would usually be carried. This pouch can store a pistol magazine instead if needed. I also have a Military Surplus British Smoke Grenade Pouch that works perfectly for storing my Vortex Optics Solo Tactical Monocular, which I use for ranging targets or positive identification at distance. And lastly, I recently added a T.REX ARMS Hydro Pouch for carrying my water bottles, canteen or whatever else I need to fit in it. It’s nice because it spreads the weight out evenly over 2 rows of MOLLE webbing while allowing some flexibility in what it can hold. It seems to work best with 2 water bottles so they can flex separately around the curvature of your torso.

The differences between these two types of chest rigs are pretty obvious, but they both have their purpose. Generally, I believe that a prepared civilian would do well with a micro chest rig setup as the likelihood of needing the additional equipment is low. However, I have both in case the need for the macro chest rig ever arises, and practicing with it before that time is imperative for figuring out what works while things are nice and comfortable.

Plate Carriers

Plate carriers are usually sold as a “slick” setup where there are no magazine pouches included but there are plenty of mounting options available in order to add them. This is done for two main reasons. The first is for end-user preference regarding the type of magazine retention pouches they prefer. Do you like flaps? Or is an elastic bungee enough security for you? And so on and so on. The other reason is that if armor becomes a necessity, many will opt to just wear an already set-up chest rig over the top of a plate carrier. That way, nothing changes between your muscle memory or kit regarding whether or not you are wearing armor. Both ways work and both have pros and cons. But since we already discussed chest rigs, let’s talk about standalone plate carrier setups regarding carrying rifle magazines.

The plate carrier I use for a standalone setup is the Premier Body Armor CORE Mission Plate Carrier. It’s what you would consider a full-size plate carrier as it has a level IIIA cummerbund. Because of the overall size of this carrier, it’s a perfect candidate for bearing the load of spare magazines, equipment, and the armor plates, of course. Plate carriers tend to carry 3 rifle magazines using either pouch or placard attachments on the front-facing MOLLE webbing that is available on almost every plate carrier except for those specifically designed to be worn “slick”. For my setup, I have mounted 2x Military Surplus British Single Magazine Pouch and 1x High Speed Gear Rifle Taco MOLLE Rifle Magazine Pouch. My thought process here is that the HSGI Taco pouch is only using passive retention and is in the position of my first reload magazine. I can rip the magazine out quickly without anything getting in the way, while the elastic bungee system it uses keeps it secure during movement. This makes it ideal to reload from when speed is necessary. The only flaw is that if things get physical, you take a tumble, or even just have to combat crawl, there is a chance that the spare magazine in this pouch could pop out as there is no active retention keeping it in. Which is why I have the 2x British military surplus pouches for magazines 2 and 3. They have a hook and loop flap that secures over the top of the magazines and ensures they won’t fall out, regardless of physical activity. This way, even if I do lose my first emergency reload magazine, I know I’ll still have two more as backups.

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Plate Carrier with Magazine Pouches

Now, you can find plate carriers with built-in magazine pouches that can accommodate more pouches or a placard on the front, which expands the total magazine carrying capacity to 6. However, plate carriers are already heavy due to the armor plates, materials used, and whatever other attachments you may have. Personally, I have a fixed blade knife, IFAK, radio pouch with push-to-talk speaker mic, and backpack strap claws mounted on mine, which really adds to the overall weight. At least in my experience, 3 rifle magazines are a good balance for the plate carrier, and the rest can stay in my backpack or my belt line. Speaking of backpacks, let’s discuss a great way to keep magazines staged and ready to go in your bag.

Backpacks

Backpacks are obviously an easy way to carry a ton of spare rifle magazines. However, it’s generally a good idea to store them in some kind of organized fashion so there isn’t just a pile of loose magazines spilling out rounds and making a ton of noise with every step you take. One way that was previously discussed is the use of a bandolier which is a great option. Obviously you can use pouches or smaller bags as well to keep the magazines in one location while being able to easily identify and retrieve them if needed. However, I have found one additional option that seems to work well for me.

Many tactical backpacks have a hook and loop field inside to help with mounting and organizing pouches in order of priority. Two of my Tasmanian Tiger backpacks both have this feature which I find very useful. One of the best uses I have found for this regarding carrying spare magazines is the use of magazine inserts usually reserved for plate carriers. I have used the Condor M4 Triple Mag Insert as well as the Blue Force Gear Ten-Speed AR-15 Magazine Dapper Pouch MOLLE for this exact purpose. They both have a hook and loop attachment method and allow you to stage quickly accessible magazines wherever makes sense inside your bag. For me, that means at the very top of the backpack against my back. That way, I can get to those magazines immediately if needed without digging around my backpack at all. Plus, on my larger backpack, there is a small zipper that allows me to access that exact portion of the pack which is perfect for this purpose. Of course, you can just add more magazines, if needed, to other compartments of the backpack, but I appreciate the staged and organized way these inserts keep them.

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Condor M4 Triple Mag Insert inside a backpack

Belt Carry

Many choose to carry spare magazines on their gun belt, which, for me, is the fastest piece of gear to perform a reload from. If you decide you need a sidearm and are also carrying a rifle but want a minimalist setup, running your spare rifle magazines on your belt is a good option. Personally, I don’t carry any rifle magazines on my gun belt for a couple of reasons.

  1. When carrying a rifle, I don’t always plan on carrying a pistol. Depending on weight constraints and the likelihood of need, it might not be worth bringing. If I don’t need the pistol, I might not end up wearing the gun belt at all. If that’s the case, I don’t want to be without spare magazines because of it.
  2. Since I don’t always run my gun belt in conjunction with my rifle, I don’t want to get used to the ease of practicing reloads from my belt line when there’s a good chance I’ll actually need to reload from a chest rig or plate carrier. By removing the rifle magazines from the belt, I save weight on my waistline while ensuring I train consistently regarding reloading my rifle from my kit.

Even though I don’t personally run rifle magazines on my gun belt, it is still a great way to carry extra magazines with you and like I said before, is the fastest way to reload from your kit. My favorite belt-mounted rifle magazine carrier is the Esstac KYWI Short AR-15 Rifle Magazine Pouch. It has a polymer insert that offers good retention while keeping the pouch open for reinserting a magazine on an administrative reload. I’ve used them extensively and have had a good experience. If you are worried about AK-47 or AR-10 magazines, the HSGI Taco pouch used on my plate carrier is another good option for your belt that is slightly more versatile with different magazine sizes.

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Esstac KYWI Short AR-15 Magazine Pouch on a gun belt

Conclusion

Carrying additional rifle magazines is a good idea if you ever actually need your rifle for more than just a home defense scenario. And there are many great options for how to do it. I would try some different options to figure out what fits best for your needs as I have had many things work better than others over the years. And hopefully, by sharing some of these suggestions, it can give you a good place to start. Don’t forget, even a plastic grocery bag can carry spare magazines which is better than nothing. But purpose built gear can definitely make life a little bit easier if you decide it’s worth having.

-- Magic Prepper