Does anyone have any experience with the Tactical Tailor Low Profile Armor Carrier (LPAC)? Getting an armor carrier is something that’s been on my list for a while, but off my radar… meaning I haven’t had the time to give it the level of thought and research I would like to before making a purchase. But when I learned Tactical Tailor was offering 35% off through the 7th, I though I at least owed it to myself to test the waters a bit and see if I could take advantage of the savings. As I said, I haven’t given this near as much thought as I would’ve liked to, but here are my general needs/wants for an armor carrier (as per the sticky):
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[li]I’m looking for a armor carrier that will accept soft armor and hard plates with front & rear webbing to attach gear.
[/li][li]I’m a civilian.
[/li][li]The primary usage of this item is to hang in my closet. Ok, all joking aside, that is primarily what it will do, but I want it to be loaded up and ready to go should I need to don it in a SHTF scenario of any kind.
[/li][li]I’d also like to use it for training. You can’t expect to be good with your gear if you don’t train with it right?
[/li][li]I need it to fit/carry soft & hard armor front & rear (I’m thinking Level 3 steel plates and Level IIIa kevlar?), at least 2 double 30rnd mag pouches, at least 2 Glock 17 mag pouches, and I’m considering a chest mount holster… drawing your weapon in a vehicle or from a seated position sucks with a hip holster. A suppressor pouch and radio pouch would be nice too.
[/li][li]I need it for this weapon: I will be carrying an AR15 and a Glock 17, I want it to stop anything .308 and smaller, including hot 5.56 loads (hence the hard plates + Kevlar behind).
[/li][li]I prefer it to be made out of: whatever you recommend. As I said, I haven’t done as much research on this topic as I would’ve liked.
[/li][li]My budget for this item is: under $200 at the moment (sans armor/pouches). Sale price on the LPAC is around $160-something.
[/li][li]I’m looking for it in these colors: I would prefer some sort of camo. The LPAC offers ACU Digital and Multicam. Which is the preferred pattern for CONUS?
[/li][li]I don’t care if it looks ‘tactical’. Function over form.
[/li][li]I don’t need it to be low profile/concealed etc. If I’m putting this on for anything other than training, bad stuff is happening.
[/li][li]I have not looked at any other carriers. Like I said, I have not done the amount of research I normally do and am simply trying to decide whether I should take advantage of the sale and jump on this, or let it pass.
[/li][li]Sizing/Fit: I’m small. And by that I mean I’m 5’7", 125lbs soaking wet, and I wear medium shirts and sometimes they are too baggy if they don’t shrink enough in the drier. Is the Small/Medium size going to be small enough for me?
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So there you have it. My main concerns:
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[li]How is the quality? Is the LPAC a recommended carrier or no?
[/li][li]How is the fitment? The pictures look like it rides way too low to offer adequate protection… is that the case or is it just fitted wrong in the pics?
[/li][li]Does it fit my needs or will I regret the purchase/want something different in the future?
[/li][li]Is it as good of a deal as I think it is or can you normally find similar carriers in this price range? Should I jump on this sale or should I pass until I do some more research and catch the next sale that comes around?
[/li][li]Do I even know enough to make an informed decision at this point, or should I slowly put my credit card back in my wallet and step away from the keyboard?
[/li][li]If I currently have nothing in the category of tactical gear, is this something I should be looking at first or should a quality backpack (the 3 Day+ Assault Pack caught my eye as well) or other equipment take priority?
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Your advice is greatly appreciated. I’m learning and know I don’t know hardly anything about this topic, so go easy on me if this is a horrible choice, terrible load out, etc…
Thanks, but where are you going with this? Not trying to be rude, just asking, since there was no explanation or recommendation with the link… It seems to be severely limited in mounting space for additional pouches and gear… Can pouches/gear be added to the upper velcro portion or not? (Sorry if that’s a dumb question.) Also, the triple kangaroo pouch leaves me one mag short of my desired minimum, and the site isn’t very specific about the specifications of the carrier. Have you used these/recommend them or are you just throwing it out there for consideration?
It seems like you are new to this so I would first recommend ‘slow your roll’. Don’t try to get too much gear at one time. You will spend some time, and possibly some money, getting your kit right. Google around for “low vis armor carrier”. This is one I have been using for a while:
The big thing is not to spend too much money until you have good idea on how all of this works. Set up your rig, take it to the range, take some classes. Learn how it all goes together. Don’t buy things because they look cool on the web site.
To answer your specific questions:
Define your requirements. What gear do you need? All gear falls into three categories: things you need, things you might need, and things you would like to have. Focus on things you need.
Don’t hang body armor. Lay it flat. What is this SHTF you speak of?
Training is more important than equipment.
Why are you driving when SHTF? Have you done vehicle work before? I do not personally mount a pistol to my chest and question people who do.
Yes.
Kevlar is fine.
I prefer solid colors. If you must, Multicam is better CONUS. The only problem is you look like That Guy at class. Avoid ACU at all costs.
You will need a small. AND, avoid steel plates. If you are only worried about .308 get a good composite Level III plate. Steel is cheap but about the heaviest plate you can get. At your size you will need to very conscious of how much weight you are wearing. Avoid putting MOLLE webbing everywhere and avoid carrying too much gear.
There are far better option than the LPAC and based on your requirements, I would be looking at a plate carrier with soft armor backers, rather than a full on armor carrier, as it will do everything you are looking for an armor carrier to do. The TAG Banshee, http://www.skdtac.com/Shellback-Banshee-Plate-Carrier-p/shb.125.htm, would be a good start and can be had for under your budget.
There are a number of other options available if you want to spend a little more. SKD Tactical has a nice selection, fast shipping and have always done right by me.
My two cents - take it easy. By your own admission, you haven’t given this the amount of thought and research you’d like to. TT makes some great gear, but there’s a reason you never hear them mentioned when it comes to armor/plate carriers. Take a clue from what people are talking about and buying (i.e. BFG, Mayflower, Tyr, Crye, LBT, etc.).
That 35% off is a great deal, but finding a popular PC for under $200 should be no problem with a little patience. I picked up a Mayflower LPAC for under $150 in a Valentine’s Day sale (of all things). Tyr has sales of 20% and more later on in the year, just sign up for their newsletter. Forum classifieds are another great place to score deals on superb kit.
Given your size (5’7", 125 lbs) I would seriously consider moving most of your load on to a war belt. A PC plus plates and backers, four rifle mags, two pistol mags, holstered G17, and suppressor and radio pouch will weigh quite a bit. Are you used to carrying 25-30lbs on your shoulders? Move the holster, pistol mags, and a couple rifle mags to a padded battle belt, which will carry the weight much more comfortably.
Look for a SMALL carrier (not small/med) that fits 10x12 plates. Don’t haul around more nylon than you need to, and don’t underestimate the value of going low profile as a civilian. You could always throw on a chest rig or bandoleer if you absolutely need to carry more gear. Do your homework and think things through because you’re gonna drop about a grand for a full kit.
I am definitely NOT qualified to give advice on PC as I just ordered my first one today. However, I did my fair share of research and I heard nothing but good things about the Shellback Banshee. LAPG has them for $109.20 shipped if you don’t mind coyote color. That was the best price I seen anywhere.
Not saying what we did is right, but in Afghanistan, everyone hung their body armor, no one laid it flat. Why lay it flat?
Training is more important than equipment.
Assuming he can’t afford both…
Why are you driving when SHTF? Have you done vehicle work before? I do not personally mount a pistol to my chest and question people who do.
I know a lot of people who did vehicle work every day and mount their pistol on their chest because it’s almost impossible to get in any other position. Why do you feel strongly against it?
I prefer solid colors. If you must, Multicam is better CONUS. The only problem is you look like That Guy at class. Avoid ACU at all costs.
Why should he care if he looks like That Guy? I thought we were above all that superficial crap by now? Multicam is effective camo, flat olive drab is simply not as effective, and black is just bad. For all you know, the person you think of as That Guy believes Multicam is actually called OCP and was issued most of what he’s wearing.
Hanging is more of a ready-to-put-it-on thing. It’s not necesarily good for the soft panels to be kept that way all the time, because it can put folds in the stuff.
Think about a credit card or similar, fold it. Note how it deforms the material and makes a permanent crease. Now fold it to and fro a bunch of times, note what happens to it. Like that.
Lesser concern, compared to preserving the integrity of the panels in and of themselves, is that the weight of the panels can crinkle up at their bottoms, meaning the panels can start shifting/collapsing in their pockets, meaning you can end up with gaps somewhere you don’t want them. Folds or creases anywhere mean that the panel is pulling away from somewhere else.
Unless you need your armor all !Ready-Go-Now!, it’s better in the long run for the soft panels to be laid flat when not in use.
Concerns over hanging armor vice laying flat come from people who do not wear it often enough to justify having it (either issued or personally bought).
Yep, everyone uses the Roman style armor stand. It is an ancient design. I have been wear body armor of one type or another for over 20 years and every manual recommends storing it flat. The reason is to prevent the soft armor from bunching up and developing lumps and creases. Most newer designs are cross woven to keep the layers in place so this may be less of a concern. I don’t know but it doesn’t cost extra to store it flat.
Yes, every MRAP driver and turret gunner puts their pistol on their chest. And that is fine if you don’t intend to dismount. I would recommend that people who work in vehicles actually practice deploying their pistols from one of these rigs and from the seated position. PSDs routinely practice deploying their pistol from a chair.
Crye Multicam has been around for about 15 years. They first developed it for use with the Army’s Project Scorpion as part of Force XXI and the AWE (Advanced Warfighter Experiment). Crye and Natick got into a pissing contest and we ended up with UCP. The Army was forced to confront their mistake and around 2010 Crye Multicam ™ was adopted by the Army as OCP. If you are wearing your Multicam/OCP because it was issued I will give you a pass. Otherwise, you look like That Guy. Joining the Army is pretty much free.