Ballistic carry

Plate carriers, chest rigs, vests and war belts: the systems that carry the load on the body and determine how it is distributed.

Which system for which application

The plate carrier is designed to house armour plates and distribute their weight across the shoulders and torso. The selection criterion is the plate format — SAPI, Shooters Cut, square cut — and the cut itself, because a plate that does not match the carrier pocket will shift around or will not fit at all.

The chest rig carries only ammunition and essentials, with no protection: it is lightweight and leaves the back unencumbered. It is the right choice when protection is not required or when a lighter secondary loadout is needed.

The war belts shift the load onto the hips, which sustain prolonged weight better than the shoulders. Many systems combine a belt and a harness to spread the load between the two.

Across all systems, the usable MOLLE surface area is a key factor, as it determines how many pouches can be mounted and where. A quick-release mechanism is useful when there is a possibility of needing to shed the rig rapidly.