Updated. Patches actually arrived after about 6 weeks. Quality is a tad poor, one of the patches actually had several large holes from a rogue needle; but the price was so cheap that it's hard to complain. After the cost of shipping to USA, it's kind of a wash though. I may order from them again in the future, because they have obscure patches, but I'll avoid them when possible.

Ordered a few patches from Russian Patches World (russianpatchesworld.com) just to test the waters. Took about 6 weeks to arrive state-side. This is an RU based seller who claims to have a huge inventory at less than China prices. PayPal address is one of those 3rd party routing services. They fixed their website contact page but their login page still does not work. I had to contact them after 6 weeks, and they actually told me their login page is not functional. They replied in English, no noticeable language barrier. Never received any confirmation other than the generic PayPal email that says "you sent money to ..." Essentially this website reaks of being a scam, but apparently they're legit; just expect a long wait.


Pros:
Very affordable prices!
Some patches you can't find elsewhere.
Bubble-mailer, not standard envelope.


Cons:
Some quality problems, expected
Slow to ship, post-marked almost 3 weeks after order placed (maybe Russian post marking is different?).
Slow US shipping, about 6weeks.
After shipping cost, price is average.

Ordered a single, very overpriced patch, from Weapons Grade Waifus this summer. Received a small bubble mailer with nothing but small handwritten "Thank You" note inside. Received no reply from them. Had to get PayPal involved to get my money back. Giving them a D- because at least they accept PayPal, so my butt was covered.

Don't know if i even have any photos of myself, but found a photo of an old kit i built around 2001 and 2004.
Used a JG M4 S-system at the end of this kit and a variety of garbage before that.

If you buy a "real steel" carrier built to mil-spec by a real military company, your carrier will outlive any airsoft carriers in my experience. Khaki, black, and ranger green are unpopular colors these days, so you can get better used and sometimes new prices on those colors.


Here's a few popular, well built, medium (10"x12"ESAPI plates) and affordable carriers for your consideration:

 
http://lbxtactical.lbtinc.com/0300c
LBX is an airsoft focused off-shoot of LBT, LBT makes decent real steel gear and their airsoft stuff is very comparable to their real stuff.

 
https://www.tacticalassaultgearstore.com/gear/plate-carriers/crye-precision-jpc-jumpable-plate-carrier.html
Crye's JPC is famous for it's skeletal cummerbund which provide better airflow and weight reduction. Their quality and customer service is legendary.

 
http://www.ar500armor.com/banshee-plate-carrier.html
Shellback Tactical (SBT) is an off-shoot Tactical Assault Gear (TAG). TAG's  products last forever, SBT's quality is very comparable to TAG and the Banshee Plate Carrier has become one of the most well known budget carriers on the market. [EDIT: TAG has a new PC called the Vangard, can find it for around $200 on ebay and such, looks nice]

 
http://atstacticalgear.com/ats-aegis-plate-carrier-v2/
Nice carrier by ATS. ATS is a real steel company, but their quality is more on par with LBX. The mesh interior makes for good airflow.


If you want to go the used gear route, higher end carriers by Tyr, First Spear, Velocity Systems, Eagle Industries, MSA, and Paraclete can all be had in the $100 to $200 range. Just be careful, if it's been used over-seas on deployment it will show heavy wear from daily use. Older model carries tend to focus more on PALS/MOLLE space rather than airflow and comfort; newer model carries are more “high speed”. Like Gimpalong stated, don’t buy a carrier just because it has a ton of pouch space; the better you get the less gear you actually need to play.

Yup combat shirts are rad! I always kept in mind that they were designed for use in Iraq in conjunction with a plate carrier, so I never considered using them with a ghillie, glad to hear i'm not missing out on anything.


If you ever want to try something really different, Potomac makes a combat shirt that is double-layered/pocketed to use these mesh cooling pads. I picked one up cheap on EBay and they're high quality shirts. They're a bit warm for summer use, but if you take the mesh pads out you have a combat shirt that's more durable and works better on a chilly fall/winter/spring day. That said, I haven't gotten much use out of mine. They also come in M81 Woodland .

Late to the party here but i'm in same situation as OP. Just have to find the best option for you and accept you'll have more problems with fog than your average player. Prescription safety goggles are best airsoft decision I ever made.

Bishop: Their website lists all the official optometrists/glasses people in the state that sell their products. If you go to one of those locations to get your glasses they should be able to accommodate you. Oakleys can be expensive though, and many glasses places sell full-seal ANSI rated glasses/goggles for use in construction,oilfield,etc.
[EDIT] I was thinking of Wileys not Oakleys, my bad. http://www.wileyx.com/About/locator/dealer-locator

(edit) apparently MIA chewed up my post and spit out a ton of random html for no reason, so i fixed it.

Necro time; you actually run the Massif in game yet Luke? Any thoughts after a year of ownership?


I ran the same Massif for about two months in some speed-soft games and a recc. It was a decent enough shirt, dried really fast but made me sweat more than a full-body dri-fire FROG. I really liked the sleeves and zipper pocket. At around $30 they're way better than the off-brand shirts for the price, but not my favorite.