Best Plate Carrier for the Money!

Whether you are a military professional, workout enthusiast, or just believe in home defense a plate carrier can be extremely valuable. Unfortunately, picking the right plate carrier is not so straight forward. The reality is there are unlimited options and price scales. For me there are a couple that stand out amongst the rest. I have personal experience with both of these kits and will cover what I would buy based off the need.

Crye Precision

If you want to look like the best you can't go wrong with any plate carrier offered by Crye Precision. When you first get on the Crye website it might seem a little intimidating in trying to decide and build an appropriate plate carrier. Crye Precision is adamant about providing multiple configurations to meet the needs of its customer. After all, not all missions have the same requirements when it comes to load out.

The Crye Precision AVS is a more traditional plate carrier somewhat similar to an issued item with some much needed modifications. This kit is best for a large load out of ammo and other gear. It allows for significant change and modification to meet the requirements of anything that is thrown your way. It also offers the option for kevlar lining to provide a more comprehensive body armor package.

The Crye Precision JPC is the sleek and sexy version and what you imagine when you think of a Special Forces Soldier jumping out of a blackhawk. It is lightweight and offers a wide variety mobility which is extremely beneficial when you are moving through terrain or buildings. Unfortunately, by design it is a minimalist system so if you are trying to pack in a full combat load, radio, grenades, and some other cool guy attachments this might not be the kit for you. This kit is designed to get in get the job done and move out and offers less overall protection then the AVS kit, but many operators would argue that they would take the mobility over the coverage but it really comes down to each their own.

When it comes to purchasing anything you must take price into consideration. When it comes to Crye Products you get what you pay for and in this case you are paying for the best. To get a bare bones kit you are looking at a minimum of $300.00 and once you get your kit outfitted how you would like it is closer to $500.00. I would only recommend these kits for personnel that need to wear it day in and day out because there lives do rely on it. Also remember, the carrier is just the first piece you also have to get the appropriate plates based off of need.

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5-11 TacTec Plate Carrier

I will lead with the fact that the 5-11 TacTec Plate Carrier is the one I have in addition to my issued Body Armour. The 5-11 Plate carrier really came onto the mainstream once they were used in the Crossfit games as the training plate carrier of choice.

This plate carrier is extremely comfortable which comes into play once you are under load and especially if you are training. I think this plate carrier caught some grief because it was more mainstream so was viewed by some SOF personnel as a kit for the fanboy not the operator. This is also because Crye is the issued gear for some of the elite fighting forces in the country. However, this doesn't mean the TacTec can't keep up or do the work. There is generally a reason that you see some products on the mainstream and that's because people like the product. Remember the plates stop the bullets not the carrier so the comfort, durability, and ease of use, and modularity of the carriers is what you need to look at.

This kit is a great crossover kit which is one of the main reasons I went with it. Let's be honest, even the most elite are not running and gunning everyday so it is nice to have a kit that can be used for training. The reality is train like you fight is a real thing so training with a kit helps you work through fit and gets you used to how it moves with your body. Then when it's time to operationally use it you just switch out training plates for real ones and move out. The kit has a quick release system allowing for easy removal and the side straps are elastic allowing a much larger range of motion. After all, we come in all shapes and sizes.

If you want the TacTec Plate carrier you will still have to pay with an average price around $215.00, but like I said earlier you get what you pay for. For me, the versatility, comfort, and adaptability of the kit made it an easy choice for me. I am able to load this kit down for the field and this strip it back down for workouts when I get home.

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