In my mind, if you’re a good citizen, you should be a prepared citizen. You should rely on the government and your community as little as possible while always contributing more than you take. It can be a philosophy that applies to a ton of responsibilities, including self-reliance in the worst of situations. If you can be prepared to self-rescue, our designated rescuers can rescue someone who can’t, which makes you a good citizen. We have firearms for this reason, and for that same reason, many of us have plate carriers and armor.
The idea that bulletproof armor is reserved for cops and military is long gone. Body armor, and plate carriers, have become extremely common in the greater overall world. Technology has jumped leaps and bounds, and they’ve become common, affordable, and are even marketed to the average everyday Joe. Today we are going to talk all about the civilian plate carrier and considerations about the average Joe and Jane’s need for body armor.
What is a plate carrier?
A plate carrier is a name that’s been adopted by the wider world for the device that carries your armor. Armor comes in plates, typically a front and rear plate and sometimes smaller side plates. Plate carriers are most commonly made up of front and rear plate bags, each often having a part of the carrier’s shoulder straps. As the name ‘plate bag’ implies, they hold the plates.
There is often a clip and buckle that allows you to connect the front and rear plate bag. Additionally, most plate carriers will have cummerbunds that connect the carriers. Cummerbunds can often be optional unless you want to use side plates. All of these parts make up a plate carrier, and a plate carrier’s overall goal is to hold your plates. Plates come in different grades, but most aim to stop rifle rounds.
A plate carrier often doubles as a mounting platform for gear. That gear includes magazine pouches, a medical kit, map pouches, tools, knives, and whatever else you might need to tote when things get really bad.
Do you need a plate carrier?
‘Need’ is a strong word to use. I need water, food, fire, and shelter. Is it a good thing to have? Hell yeah, it is. Is it likely you’ll have to use it? No, probably not. Much like our defensive firearms, the goal is never to use them and avoid any situations that would force us to use them. With that in mind, if you need one, you really, really need one and might want to have it ahead of time.
Looking for a Plate Carrier? Here are the Considerations
Proper Fit
Like anything else, you need to know your size and weight so you can choose a plate carrier that fits. One that’s too small or too big will create discomfort and most certainly compromise the plate carrier’s ability to provide ballistic protection.
On top of that, there is a pretty substantial difference between male and female anatomy, and when it comes to armor, the world has embraced women. Different companies are producing plate carriers and armor specifically cut for women, and that’s worth considering.
Quality
I can type plate carriers into Amazon and get a plate carrier for less than $50. As you’d expect, it’s a garbage tier plate carrier that’s more or less costume-grade and likely not even fit for airsoft. You do have to spend a little money to get a decent plate carrier, but when compared to high-quality guns, they are pretty affordable. A Crye JPC 2.0 costs less than two Hi-Points and is a fantastic option for a plate carrier. A Ferro Slickster can be had for less than a Hi-Point.
Companies like Crye, Ferro, Spiritus, Blue Force Fear, and Defense Mechanisms all make fantastic plate carriers. That’s only a few of the great plate carrier options on the market. There are tons of high-quality options out there that deserve mention.
Attachment System
Are you looking to mount accessories to your plate carrier? Maybe turn it into a walking resupply for your weapons? Well, you need to make sure it has an attachment system. Most plate carriers do, and MOLLE is the most common mounting system out there. There are also slick systems that lack any attachment system and tend to be minimalist systems. Maybe that’s more your speed. It’s worth looking into the benefits and strengths of different gear options.
Realistic Features
There are plate carriers made with modern soldiers and police officers in mind that have lots of features you may or may not need. For example, do you rock with comms? Well, you might want to look for a plate carrier with a system to run wires and cords through to better manage your radio needs. Shop for the features you need or at least expect to use. It’s unlikely you have something so radical and useful that someone else doesn’t make an option for it, so if you feel you are coming up short, do a little more research.
Armor Options
I won’t dive deep into the details of armor, but there are a few details I want to leave you with. If you buy armor, avoid steel. Steel armor creates something called spalling, and it’s when the projectiles explode and fragment and fly in every which way, including upward and into your neck. Steel is for targets, not for armor.
The armor of choice should be NIJ certified. NIJ certified means it has been independently tested and approved by the NIJ. NIJ rated is a made-up term that describes armor a company claims will stop certain projectiles at certain speeds. NIJ rated is not the same as certified. The most common hard armor is ceramic. Outside of ceramic, there is this new modern polyethylene armor, but it’s often quite expensive and nowhere near as common as ceramic.
Use and Train With Your Plate Carrier
The biggest problem with the civilian use of plate carriers is that the people who have them often don’t train with them. Plate carriers require training to properly use. You have to get used to the weight and the positioning of your magazines and gear. You have to get out here and shoot with it, train with it, get your body used to the extra weight, and break the carrier in. These carriers are a lot like boots. They get comfier with use.
If you take the hard armor route and purchase a quality set of plates and a plate carrier, then you owe it to yourself to train with the gear and become proficient with it. A plate carrier offers protection, but to be truly equipped, you have to know how to use it, how to wear it, and how to work while wearing it.
What advice do our experienced plate carrier users have to offer the newbs? Let us know below!
