How You Should Be Wearing Body Armor and a Plate Carrier
January 12, 2018Why Choose Backpack Armor for All Ages?
March 29, 2018Body armor setup is crucial for ensuring the right protection. At Body Armor Megastore, we provide tactical gear that is designed to offer safety when it’s needed most. We carry body armor plates and plate carrier bundles for those who need to buy body armor and other tactical gear, like helmets, vests, and flashlights.
Our sneak peek at one Navy SEAL’s plate carrier will help you prepare for the field with a few great tips. Depending on the platoon, body armor might vary, but this quick guide will give you some pointers to get started.
The plate carrier setup that we’re sharing with you is perfect for those fast assault, direct action missions and low-visibility operations where a bulky setup would hinder both performance and reaction times. You can trust this setup for those specialized missions where the right body armor is paramount to survival.
How to set up the front
Your magazine pouch should sit comfortably. Ideally, you’ve got a 3-magazine pouch set up with a rubber retention band. This pouch holds up to three magazines in front, and you can still place more around your body to meet the requirements of your individual platoon.
One word of advice…
Stay as flat as possible in the front. Why? So that you can always get low to the ground when needed. You don’t want to be impeded from that low-level terrain when you need to get down, which is why we recommend staying slim. You can still carry a light in the side pocket with adding too much extra bulk.
How about the sides?
You don’t have to take up every single molle loop. Ounces equal pounds, so why add all those extra pouches if they aren’t necessary? There’s plenty of space on the wraps for any pouch you need, and there is even additional space inside. If you want to place a tourniquet on the left side with basic retention, that’s fine.
You can even add a seatbelt cutter for emergencies, which doesn’t take up space. Continuing around, a basic utility pouch is perfect for holding smoke grenades, flash bags, and even night vision for safe storage.
What else?
Utilize your sides for weapons retention. For example, store an M4 there to retain your rifle or for times when you need to climb. Use the drop pouch for extra mags and any other accessories. Just remember to keep drop pouches wrapped up, so they don’t get filled with rocks or other unwanted debris.
Side pouches are also ideal for storing radios, and you can use a PRC 152 setup, like the Navy SEAL we interviewed, which allows you to run a cord around the side and keep it from overheating. Use the pouch for side plates because it gives you a little extra protection.
How about the back?
Our example shows one antenna that is remotely coaxed to the radio in the side pouch. Reception is usually not an issue, which is great. A laced white antenna is useful because it can deconflict with other army channels. With a coax on the other side, another broadband antenna can be placed for a personal radio.
Staying light is still the name of the game. Make sure that if you use carabiners, they haven’t been exposed to salt water. Saltwater exposure renders them useless for weight baring protection. A medical kit slides right up into body armor, and fits snug but is worth it. Swimmer plates are necessary for maritime operations and can have flotation added, as well.
To learn more about our selection of body armor, contact us today!
