I like what you are writing here.
A lot of people buy gear only based on what they saw on other people and what look good.
I don't know if it's for a lack of funds to have different kits, or just by pure ignorance/vanity, but I see a lot of players using thick plate carrier with double rows of mags, making it impossible to go prone, deploying all this Gucci gear in the woods.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think for wooded environement, military would compromise on armor and maximise light gear in tandem with low profile mag capacity, like a load bearing vest.
My first vest as a noob was a tacvest made for double G36 mags at the front. My first game with it in the wood made me realise that I could no longer go prone with it. The F3 factor was to high. I then moved to an old CF webbing, wich looked like crap, but for the time, it served a purpose: light, confortable and manuverable.
Now I have a custom plate carrier with 4 P90 mags at the front. It's thin enough to go prone and crawl with, but not as confortable as my sniper kit. See pictures below.
The plate carrier is a compromise, as funds get in the way for now. If I where to buy new gear, I'd go with a plate carrier with a modular load bearing vest. That way, I can loose the armor for those special occasions, addapt my carrying capacity and be confortable with a 3rd line gear, like an assault backpack if needed.
Like I said, it's a compromise, as this is normally my CQB setup. The vest is reversible, wich make it all black, with an assorted set of magpouches. The biceps armor are not worn for field use unless it's a CQB or urban environement.
This is what I use when I need to get low. It's the gear worn under by ghillie suit when sniping. The pouches are more the the side and back, allowing for confortable low crawls. The pistol is carried in the under arms holdsers for easy access. All my food, water and other goodies are carried in the bigger pouchs on the back. When under the ghillie, it does not modify my natural profile and it's all covered by the ghillie suit, so I don't need to camo my shit further.
Since most of our milsims don't require more than a small snack and limited water supply, as going back to base is an option, I don't require more capacity in my gear. But I'm planning on expanding my 3rd line gear to an assault backpack, to carry all my ammo, water, food and maybe a spare weapon. That way, if my team follow, we could operate away from base all day and reduce our chances of being engaged in transit.