Awell-appointed plate carrier should be a staple item in any ready room, go-bag, man cave, or gear box. The ability to carry not just armor, but ammo, medical kit, water, and miscellaneous equipment is vital not just to personal protection and SHTF preparedness but for classes and training days as well. As an editorial team, we’ve had the chance to break-in, break-down, and just-plain-break a lot of kit in our collective experience over the years. While there are many high-quality options at reasonable prices, each of us have settled on something slightly different: that Goldilocks fit of plate carrier, placard, pouches, and accessories that does just what we need it to in an efficient and comfortable manner.
What follows is a brief overview of each individual RECOIL editor’s personal kit. The featured rigs aren’t the only kit each of us owns or uses, but we keep coming back to them time after time — sometimes in spite of newer, flashier substitutes. There are undoubtedly some similarities. Despite wide variance of personal preference in the selection and setup of a kit, there are some right ways to do things. But beyond that, we think you’ll see a holistic spectrum of parts, pieces, and features that each of our individual team members has deemed essential for their application. We hope you’ll find both information and inspiration in this montage as you seek to build or improve upon your own plate carrier or chest rig setup.
IAIN HARRISON
MAKE: First Spear
MODEL: Assaulter Armor Carrier
MSRP: $511
URL: first-spear.com
ACCESSORIES:
Safariland Protech DT206C
Type III plates: $460 ea.
