Setting Up My First Plate Carrier

[Snarf]

I've always liked the MAP pack because it's hydro + storage space and there's still MOLLE on the back for more pouches. Maybe it's not the most low profile thing but it's an idea you could use.

[Krutch]

I personally like the Yote style pack. It can attach to the back via molle, or my personal favorite is to run my back slick and then just wear the Yote as a normal backpack. it allows easier access because you can take it off if the situation calls for it and it can hold an insane amount of stuff while maintain a surprisingly low profile. www.skdtac.com/Eagle-WaterPoint-Yote-Hydration-Pack-p/eag.656.htm

[Stinger]

Feb 1, 2015 17:09:44 GMT -5 Krutch said:

I personally like the Yote style pack. It can attach to the back via molle, or my personal favorite is to run my back slick and then just wear the Yote as a normal backpack. it allows easier access because you can take it off if the situation calls for it and it can hold an insane amount of stuff while maintain a surprisingly low profile. www.skdtac.com/Eagle-WaterPoint-Yote-Hydration-Pack-p/eag.656.htm

That's pretty freaking bulky though.
I like the MAP, but I can't justify the price considering that I typically don't carry much out onto the field.

[Crusade]

Who says you need to justify it? This is airsoft, about half of the game for us is shooting people who want to shoot us for fun and looking cool while doing it. That's why I run a hydro, I never run water in that thing (not sure why but unless it is summer that thing is dry) but I still wear it because it looks sweet. But then again each is his own and if you don't want it because you want to be more high speed then that's fine, for me its about looking cool and shooting things! I love this game so much.

[Coletrain]

If you're not going to use it there's no sense in buying one.

[Gimpalong]

Yeah, guys, come on. He's said his budget is $250 total. He's not going to drop $150 on a real Yote. Hell, he's probably not going to drop $60-$70 on a Flyye replica.

The best thing to do when planning out your plate carrier is to make a list of everything you're going to want to carry.

Something like this:

Primary Magazines
Secondary Magazines
Speedloader
Radio
Water

[Krutch]

I know it was over his budget, but the MAP was brought up and I think the Yote is a better option. Either way, Gimp and Coletrain are definitely right. Only buy what you need and buy it nice.

[Stinger]

Yeah, I'm not buying this to look cool. I'm buying it because I have equipment and supplies that I need to carry to function at peak performance. And I believe everything I buy should be a justified purchase.

Feb 1, 2015 19:56:36 GMT -5 Crusade said:

That's why I run a hydro, I never run water in that thing (not sure why but unless it is summer that thing is dry) but I still wear it because it looks sweet.

I've always run hydro in a pack even with my battle belt. You need water to function, even in cold conditions (hell, sometimes even in the cold more than the heat because of how dry the air can be).
I like the ILPS option a lot, as that saves me from needing a plate in the rear, and I will go slick in the back until I can get the funds to buy an LBT MAP or something of the sort. The Yote seems a bit large for my purposes.
The suggestion of making a list of what I need to carry is helpful.

[Stinger]

I noticed that the ILPS is 10x14 while the plate carrier takes 10x12 plates. Will I have an issue?

[Knife]

You might have issues filling it all the way up, but that shouldn't be an issue in practice. Fill it up as much as you can to fit it in, and have a secondary source to refill it when necessary. It isn't rigid, so you've got a fair bit of play.

An alternative option for carrying a multitool if you want to keep your chest a bit more slick is just sticking it in a single pistol mag pouch on your belt. Keeping the back slick will also give you the option of adding smaller pouches for storage later, or running a radio on your back if needed. I'm not a fan of running radios on a belt, so to me that is a better solution, although you'll need a headset or handmic.

Edit: Looking more at the carrier an ILPS might not be the best. The top and bottom corners of it will be exposed given how the carrier is designed. The material used in an ILPS is pretty strong, so it likely would not be an issue but it might be something to be cautious of. Flipside is those openings will make it easier to run the hydro tube.

[Stinger]

Good stuff, Knife

Decisions decisions...
What kind of "smaller pouches" are you referring to? I was planning on doing something like that if I decided on the ILPS, but I honestly didn't know where to start with it.

[Gabriel]

Replica Cyre Hydros are great.

[Knife]

Really any kind of GP pouch would work. Horizontals, uprights, M60 pouches, IFAKs. Just depends on what you need to carry. There are lots of examples of people running backpanel setups like this, it shouldn't be to hard to find some pics. Just depends on what you need to carry, if anything extra at all.