Lets talk body armor, specifically, the poor mans body armor. An essential part of the prepared mans setup, body armor is what I would designate as LSE, or Life Saving Equipment, but that extra protection comes at a cost, with the plates alone weighing in between 100-500$. So when it’s time to pull the trigger on an expensive body armor purchase, you may not want to go with an additional 500$ in protective accessories all at once. So here you are, looking through all the options on the market, getting overwhelmed. There’s a lot. Hundreds of plate carriers, placards, magazine pouches, you just can’t sort through it all.
And you don’t have to. You see, a beginner doesn’t have to have all the fanciest gadgets, and if you’re actively under threat, you may not want to wait for all the bells and whistles to arrive. You need a solid, low profile carrier that can be built out to fit your needs over time, and that can be torn down to a discreet, low profile system that won’t be visible under normal circumstances. This is where the 5.11 Prime Plate Carrier comes in. It’s been my baseline carrier, and while it’s not the best or only option (In fact I would promise you there are better ones), it comes in at a whopping 99$, which means you don’t have to feel too bad when its retirement day comes and you can afford to invest in some better gear.
Getting Rich (On a Budget)
Obviously, you can’t get a perfect setup on a budget, but you can get a decent kit, one that adds a bit of additional modularity to your setup. The first thing I would focus on is getting a more comfortable setup. The Velcro/Nylon shoulder straps are pretty uncomfortable (The velcro doesn’t match perfectly, so some pretty rough spots put pressure on your shoulders and scratches you up), so my first move was to pick up some Tyr Tactical shoulder straps. Now, the important things to note here are (A. the 5.11 Prime shoulder straps require a 2″ width strap, and (B. You can choose between armored and unarmored shoulder straps. I personally couldn’t afford the shoulder straps with the armor, but I would highly recommend it if you can.
Next, it’s time to focus on capability. The secondary function of an overt plate carrier is to extend your capability as a fighter and in defense of others. The 5.11 Prime comes with a velcro panel on the front and back, that are capable of mounting a variety of different setups from different manufacturers. I chose to once again use 5.11 gear to expand my capabilities using the 9×9 laser cut molle gearsets on the front and back. This allowed me to add additional equipment to the carrier, ranging from magazine pouches to medkits. Additionally, I invested in the Ferro Concepts Assault 3″ cummerbund, which helps stabilize the carrier when running as well as provides more molle webbing capability.
Oh, and speaking of pouches and medkits, you’ll need to think about that too. This is something that gets a lot more in depth and complicated, but you have to choose them based on what your role in a potential emergency will be. I’ve chosen to implement a triple magazine carrier from Tyr Tactical to increase my ammunition capacity to about 120 rounds of ammunition, while keeping the carrier relatively light. This is most likely 90 rounds more than you would ever need in a civilian capacity (For one fight), but fights are always unpredictable, and you don’t want to get caught short when you need it.
For medical gear, you can never have too much, but always too little. I currently have a Ferro Concepts Roll One pouch mounted to the back of my plate carrier, but I don’t really feel like it’s got enough space for all the medical gear I want. It will cover the basics (Hemostatic Gauze, NPA, Needle Decompression, And Bandages) of stop the bleed, minus a tourniquet, but I plan to add another pouch later in the future to provide an extended range of capability.
Plate Carrier Alternatives
There are alternatives to everything, and workarounds for everything. Sometimes, you’re dealing with a caliber of weapons that is just too much for ceramic or steel plates to handle. In times like these, a chest rig may be the best way to operate. It’s lighter weight, but with similar carry capabilities as a plate carrier, but doesn’t offer the same protection. The advantages to this is that they can be more easily concealed in a backpack, which is good for staying covert, and that it gives you extra mobility. Other times, the best armor is just being unseen. As a sniper, you’d probably find yourself implementing a ghillie suit, and as a civilian, you may just find yourself dressing as unobtrusively as possible (See Grey Man Theory)
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