My new plate carrier

[tennessee01tacoma]

Been wanting a plate carrier for a while. Honestly I'll probably never "need" to use it since I'm not military or police but I want one as much for the ability to carry mags and gear as the ability to have armor. The carrier and mag pouch are condor. I like them especially for the price but one day I would eventually like to piece together a nicer one from Grey Ghost Gear.



Plates to come in the next couple of weeks

Edited July 26, 2014 by tennessee01tacoma

[jacob]

nice...I have a banshee carrier on order and some hsgi tacos for my AK mags...looking forward to getting mine for the same reasons as you...would rather have and not need than need and have not...now you just need to go and get some training in to figure out how to make it work for your needs...

[tennessee01tacoma]

nice...I have a banshee carrier on order and some hsgi tacos for my AK mags...looking forward to getting mine for the same reasons as you...would rather have and not need than need and have not...now you just need to go and get some training in to figure out how to make it work for your needs...

That is also the plan. Also I plan on implementing the plate carrier as well as my B.O.B. in my fitness routine. Once I get the plates I figure it will be almost 50lbs of extra weight to carry around. I already take my bug out bag that weighs 20 pounds on a 4 mile hike and I cover that in 2 hours.

[Guest 04 Rocko Taco]

In the meantime, just carry a bag with jugs of water in it, when it gets easy, add another jug of water. 

[btq96r]

The carrier and mag pouch are condor. I like them especially for the price but one day I would eventually like to piece together a nicer one from Grey Ghost Gear.

 

 

I bought a $60 plate carrier on Cheaper Than Dirt (this was in 2010, before they decided to gouge people with no remorse) for my contracting gig.  I think it was a Condor as well, but I can't remember for sure.  I wanted it for flights from Kuwait to Iraq so I wouldn't have to use an Army issue vest.  I didn't use it more than a few times, but for $60 I didn't feel bad about the purchase. I brought it home when I left Kuwait.

 

A year later, I used it all the time to fly around in Afghanistan.  I was traveling about 40% of the time and that cheap plate carrier held up like a champ, doing the same exact job one that cost 3x as much did for others.  It was so worn in that the shoulder pads were in a permanent arch from carrying the weight of the plates while on my shoulders.  But the stiching held up just fine.

 

Would I have wanted it if I was still in uniform, no.  But for my needs it was just fine.  I felt I had gotten my use out of it and bequeathed it to another FSR instead of bringing it home.  I sort of regret that, but helping out a co-worker lessens that regret.  Since I can't see myself buying ballistic plates on my own dime, I will probably just put together a LBE style rig someday for ammo, water and other field stuff to use for the range and bug-out purposes.

 

Moral of the story is, unless you're going to take it to combat, you don't have to blow an entire paycheck on kit you are most likely only going to use at the range.  Beat the hell out of that vest and you may decide you are quite comfortable with it and don't need a more expensive one.

Edited July 29, 2014 by btq96r

[tennessee01tacoma]

I bought a $60 plate carrier on Cheaper Than Dirt (this was in 2010, before they decided to gouge people with no remorse) for my contracting gig. I think it was a Condor as well, but I can't remember for sure. I wanted it for flights from Kuwait to Iraq so I wouldn't have to use an Army issue vest. I didn't use it more than a few times, but for $60 I didn't feel bad about the purchase. I brought it home when I left Kuwait.

A year later, I used it all the time to fly around in Afghanistan. I was traveling about 40% of the time and that cheap plate carrier held up like a champ, doing the same exact job one that cost 3x as much did for others. It was so worn in that the shoulder pads were in a permanent arch from carrying the weight of the plates while on my shoulders. But the stiching held up just fine.

Would I have wanted it if I was still in uniform, no. But for my needs it was just fine. I felt I had gotten my use out of it and bequeathed it to another FSR instead of bringing it home. I sort of regret that, but helping out a co-worker lessens that regret. Since I can't see myself buying ballistic plates on my own dime, I will probably just put together a LBE style rig someday for ammo, water and other field stuff to use for the range and bug-out purposes.

Moral of the story is, unless you're going to take it to combat, you don't have to blow an entire paycheck on kit you are most likely only going to use at the range. Beat the hell out of that vest and you may decide you are quite comfortable with it and don't need a more expensive one.

10-4 the more I read and hear about these plate carriers the better it gets.