THE CAGE
PLATE CARRIERS budget-oriented player and you know what , some of them are actually pretty darn functional ! Bottom line is that if you want one piece of tactical gear that will let you carry everything you need “ in game ”, from magazines to comms , from BBs to hydration systems , then the not-so-humble plate carrier is actually worth a darn close look … Do I own and use a PC myself ? Yes I do , I have several , from an old OSPREY MKII in DDPM , right up to a relatively new low-profile Direct Action Spitfire , and I use an old out-of-ballistic-date SAPI in the front of them all to offset the weight of the big old hydration bladder on the rear !
TEAM TALK
So , as usual these days I spoke to the great team of Airsoft Action contributors and writers and asked them the simple questions “ Do you use a plate carrier , if yes which type , and if no , why not ? Do you wear real / training / foam inserts and why ? How do you set up your plate carrier ( pouches / accessories / comms ), and why ?” And this is what they told me …
Boycie : “ It ’ s a never-ending search for the “ perfect ” way to carry the magazines and pyro that I want for skirmishing and MilSim . A lot of people find a picture of a kit they want and make an exact copy . That is fine if you have the same body shape and body mechanics as the original wearer . Its by far better to get a setup which works for you . A wise man once told me “ to be effective you have to have your kit where it suits you and then practice , practice , practice with it ”. Some units have a requirement for “ operators ” to have certain equipment in a specific location , so everyone in the “ unit ” knows where it will be most , however , will specify a type of pouch or specify brands and then allow the end user to position them where is best for them .
“ My first rig ( plate carrier ) is my Multicam C2R Lite , one of the first types that C2R in Hereford made and often was seen worn by UKSF and UKSF Support troops . As a big lad , a medium size plate carrier , for medium plates , isn ’ t always ideal but this fits well and is very comfortable . In this I use training plates either made by Trident Gear Co or Milsimminded . Both types are lighter than ballistic plates but give a little weight to help the rig sit better and maintain shape . My second rig is the C2R Laser Cut in Wolf Grey . This is the second rig I have owned in Wolf Grey and I believe is the only XL size carrier in civilian hands . The big advantage to this rig is that it covers more of my torso and is even more comfortable than the medium MC version . In this I currently run XL plates made by Milsimminded to again , give me the shape and weight that I find makes the rig sit properly . My third rig is the latest Templars Gear TPC in black . This is a Large plate carrier as it is the biggest that they currently make and is all laser cut in the latest fashion . It forms the basis for my “ Red Cell ” and Bill ’ s “ Lost Ship ” inspired set up . Again , in this I run Large plates by Milsimminded . I also pair this rig up with the Templar ’ s Gear PT5 belt . For the most part I also use Templar ’ s Gear pouches . Due to Covid restrictions , I haven ’ t been able to “ field ” the TPC kit yet but I have loaded it up and had some practice sessions ( in my garage so that I am out of public sight ). In addition to these rigs , I also have ones that I made or adapted myself to suit a specific game day / weekend / event and I think so far there are about 10 different rigs and set ups that I own .”
Andy N : “ I ’ ve been wearing the VANQUISH plate carrier in Coyote Brown from CONDOR . I was looking for something low profile and low fuss . I don ’ t skirmish anymore , ( yes , I ’ m now officially old !) but I still work hard drills on the range as both an instructor and student . All I need from my BA is real estate for my long and short magazines and somewhere to put my paperwork ( drills and TAMS ). The Vanquish ticks all the boxes for me and coupled with real steel plates it will probably be the last one I ’ ll ever own .
“ I ’ ve opted for the Vanquish Armour System ( VAS ) KANGAROO mag panel and for those hot days on the range I ’ ve chosen the Condor TIDEPOOL Hydration carrier . For the rest of my kit , holster , dump pouch and Ute pouch I have on a separate belt system . There is plenty of MOLLE to attach other items and plenty of Velcro for patches , if that ’ s what floats your boat . Fully adjustable for size this is a cracking set up for me . I ’ ve added a single point sling to the vest via a MOLLE ‘ T ’ sling . This gives me easy and unobstructed access to my pouches . The armour panels are front and rear
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