Top Ten Things You Notice When You Begin Wearing a Plate Carrier
[Music] hello again everyone and welcome back to the underground here are the top 10 things that you will notice when you start wearing a plate carrier number one is the weight armor plates are heavy there's just no way around it soft armor is pretty lightweight but most solid ceramic plates are very heavy and if you have steel blades you're talking about carrying around an insane amount of weight when carried over time over time you will get used to the weight somewhat but most people who are new to wearing body armor will rely on number two which is comfort poses we've all seen and done most of these ourselves at some point and once you start looking around you can tell who is not used to wearing body armor or who has set up their gear to be uncomfortable the classic example of this is using both hands to pull down on the front plate bag at the collar another classic example is pushing outward on the top of the front plate bag with both hands slouching leaning squirming and other movements can indicate that the wearer is still adjusting to their gear but these poses can provide some relief to those who are fatigued similarly to the old classic infantry lean or slightly leaning fo
ting to their gear but these poses can provide some relief to those who are fatigued similarly to the old classic infantry lean or slightly leaning forward at the waist to counter a very heavy backpack even something as comparatively lightweight as an 18-pound plate carrier can result in a lot of pain and discomfort for people who aren't used to it especially if you have to wear it for many hours number three is flexibility as one might expect armor plates restrict movement a lot that's why service members routinely have to re-zero their weapons while wearing armor because wearing body armor is going to change your cheek weld and body positioning armor plates also make it very hard to bend over and do things like wear a backpack in fact a lot of research has been done to design rucksacks that are decently comfortable to wear with plate carriers so you might find that your backpack firearm holster weapon sling or other gear just flat out doesn't work with your plate carrier number four is a slipping ride height a painfully common thing that happens with both plate carrier newbies and experts alike is plate carrier slipping the front plate coming up too high and the back plate saggin
that happens with both plate carrier newbies and experts alike is plate carrier slipping the front plate coming up too high and the back plate sagging too low this is especially common for those of you who run an assault pack attached directly to the back of your plate carrier this can be mitigated by putting more weight on the front weapons magazines will often counterbalance this weight but if you're running a really heavy amount of weight on your back your back plate could slip dangerously low also if you're running a backpack or rucksack that isn't directly attached to your carrier this could push your back plate down as well number five your feet and knees will hurt even though most plate carriers aren't really that heavy even a little bit of extra weight when worn all day can increase pressure on your knees ankles and feet as such you might find out that your sweet hiking boots that you've used forever no longer cut it you might also find that you wear out your footwear a little bit more quickly than not such as the cushioning and insoles and things like that it is one thing to go backpacking and have a heavy backpack walking for miles and miles per day but still taking brea
and insoles and things like that it is one thing to go backpacking and have a heavy backpack walking for miles and miles per day but still taking breaks but it's another thing entirely to stand in a relatively static position on hard concrete ground for over 12 hours a day it doesn't seem like it would be that much of a difference but it certainly could be a big deal for people who suddenly find themselves having to wear protective gear for a long time number six is heat you will get really hot from the plates heating up this is especially a factor for steel plates it only takes leaving your plate carrier in the sun one time before you realize that you've made a mistake ceramic armor is also prone to this as well but it's not nearly as bad as steel plates with steel armor oftentimes you will find that if you wear it for many hours your body heat alone will heat it up to an uncomfortable level this can happen with ceramic plates as well since ceramic armor is well ceramic essentially the same category of material that is used in a lot of stoves and fireplaces for its properties under heat so if you leave your plate carrier in the sun for a while and go put it back on you'll find tha
of stoves and fireplaces for its properties under heat so if you leave your plate carrier in the sun for a while and go put it back on you'll find that you have essentially just sandwiched your body in an oven not super fun also your body heat and the fact that the armor plates don't breathe means that you might develop a heat rash or other heat injuries even in temperate environments this is especially a consideration for those of you who don't normally wear plate carriers number seven is concealability you'll find that there are almost zero chances to wear your plate carrier without getting noticed the market is starting to take this into account by making more and more low profile plate carriers but for the most part it really isn't going to be feasible to wear your gear in a concealed manner which means that you probably won't have it on you when you need it a soft armor vest that you actually wear under your clothes is far more valuable than the gucci plate carrier that you leave in your closet granted there are situations where this isn't a big deal but we have found that a lot of people purchase plate carriers and plates only for them to be used only at the range or by a bed
this isn't a big deal but we have found that a lot of people purchase plate carriers and plates only for them to be used only at the range or by a bedside table and not really in a serious consideration for everyday life number eight is separation anxiety if you end up wearing your armor for most of the day you'll find that when you take it off you'll have a light form of separation anxiety for lack of a better term you might feel nervous that you aren't protected anymore that your armored turtle shell is no longer surrounding you also you might find that you have sleep issues where you either can't sleep without a weight on your chest or you will dream that you feel your armor on you you also might find that you're much colder as i mentioned before armor plates store a little heat so when you take off your armor you might find that your body has adjusted to that heat throughout the day and when you take off your plates you might find yourself being a little chilly number nine is changing kit you will almost certainly get rid of most of the cool guy gear that you bought anyone who wears a kit for a living finds this immensely entertaining to watch that shameful moment that the newb
of the cool guy gear that you bought anyone who wears a kit for a living finds this immensely entertaining to watch that shameful moment that the newbie begins unthreading those random molly pouches because it's just too heavy it's perfectly normal everyone who owns a plate courier or armor system goes through a bunch of phases that phase where you've gotta have everything side plates a hydration sleeve a zip on panel seven mag pouches an admin pouch and two tourniquets and that phase where you strip everything off and have just the bare minimum or even a slick plate carrier so don't feel bad about it everyone's kit is always changing and number 10 is plate sizes in today's modern world we don't just have one style of plates there are many different cuts one of the bigger issues that has come up lately is civilian plates versus military style plates for some plate carriers this won't matter that much but for others this could be a big deal especially with all of the new innovations in the world of armor protection for instance you could buy a plate carrier that is a civilian style shooter cut but a couple of years down the road you realize that a swimmer cut would be better for you
ld buy a plate carrier that is a civilian style shooter cut but a couple of years down the road you realize that a swimmer cut would be better for you which is not a super big deal because a swimmer cut can fit inside a larger plate carrier than was designed for it but if you go the other way and get a swimmer cut plate carrier now but in a few years some other type of plate becomes popular or you realize you want something bigger this means that you're going to have to buy a new plate carrier whenever you get new plates of course most plate carriers on the market are very forgiving and will accept a lot of different plates so it's not really so much a concern now but it's becoming more of a concern with every day that goes by in today's culture of plate carriers getting smaller and smaller a lot of manufacturers are beginning to make carriers that are only meant for one style of plate so that was 10 things you might notice once you start wearing a plate carrier hopefully this was helpful and if you like this video please give us a like or a comment and also please check out our other content as well as our other platforms such as key base and element servers and if you'd like to s
ke or a comment and also please check out our other content as well as our other platforms such as key base and element servers and if you'd like to support us the link to our merch store is below thanks for watching and we'll see you next time and as always fight in the shade [Music] [Music] foreign