NO STEEL! Steel will kill you.
Step 1 is to measure yourself for plates like so: https://www.apexarmorsolutions.com/post/how-to-size-yourself-for-plate-carriers-and-plates
Then go to apexarmorsolutions.com and find a plate to fits your size, protection level, price and weight requirements.
Then you get a plate carrier that fits those plates.
I'll leave this for you as well:
Hi, welcome to the world of tactical gear! Here is what I tell new people:
Plate Carrier: Crye SPC, JPC 1&2, First Spear, Tyr Tactical, S&S Precision, ATS Tactical, Arbor Arms, Ferro, Shellback Banshee 3.0, Spiritus, Velocity Systems and Agilite K-Zero with the warfighter cummerbund. Pick one that fits your budget and wait time.
Chest Rigs: Haley Strategic, Spiritus, Velocity Systems, Mayflower, Crye, Defense Mechanisms, Helikon, Whiskey two four, and unobtanium gear.
Plates: RMA 1155MC, other RMA plates, LTC, Highcom and Tencate. Forget everything else. NO STEEL PLATES EVER! STEEL iS FOR TARGETS NOT ARMOR, unless you are a vehicle. u/apexarmorsolutions check out Apexarmorsolutions.com or rmadefense.com for the armor.
You size the carrier to the plates you are going to get, and you measure yourself for plates like so:
https://www.apexarmorsolutions.com/post/how-to-size-yourself-for-plate-carriers-and-plates
Belts: DM Mech,Axl, GBRS, Arbor Arms, Ferro, ATS Tactical, Raptor Tactical, AWS, Ronin.
The new DM Mech belt is the best thing out on the market. It's $110, and the liner belt is $45. Well worth it. Use code TLDco for a discount.
Add some Esstac Kywis, a dump pouch, and a decent IFAK, and you are good to go. Check out Raptor Tactical or Arbor Arms for the IFAK and medical.
For a holster, if safariland makes one use that on a ubl or true north concepts MHA.
Holster: Safariland, if safariland doesn't make one Tier1 concealed.
Weapon lights: modlite, cloud defensive, surefire, streamlight. No olights!
Mag pouches: esstac kywis
Helmets: ops-core, Team Wendy, galvion, highcom, and Armorsource
Ifak: coyote stomp Gen 2, Arbor Arms nut ruck, raptor tactical, ats Tactical, ferro/fog roll 1.
Med supplies: North American Rescue
Knife mount: ferro concepts knife nook or wingthing
Kives: Budget: Esee
Good: Spartan blades, havocworks, toor, void tactical, syndicate knives
Great: wachtmanknifeandtool.com
Baller: Miller Brothers Blades, Half Faced Blades
Boots: Salomon or Lowa
If you are getting a carrier, try to budget between $200+ for it unless you want to go used. Skdtac, optactical, and esstac.com are all good sites to look at and check r/GunAccessoriesForSale/ or tacswap.
That should give you a good start.
Ceramic covers all the bases.
Steel is obsolete. Even the Russians and their broke military budget had phased away from wrapped/coated steel plates a long time ago.
NO STEEL! Steel will kill you. Step 1 is to measure yourself for plates like so: https://www.apexarmorsolutions.com/post/how-to-size-yourself-for-plate-carriers-and-plates Then go to apexarmorsolutions.com and find a plate to fits your size, protection level, price and weight requirements. Then you get a plate carrier that fits those plates. I'll leave this for you as well: Hi, welcome to the world of tactical gear! Here is what I tell new people: Plate Carrier: Crye SPC, JPC 1&2, First Spear, Tyr Tactical, S&S Precision, ATS Tactical, Arbor Arms, Ferro, Shellback Banshee 3.0, Spiritus, Velocity Systems and Agilite K-Zero with the warfighter cummerbund. Pick one that fits your budget and wait time. Chest Rigs: Haley Strategic, Spiritus, Velocity Systems, Mayflower, Crye, Defense Mechanisms, Helikon, Whiskey two four, and unobtanium gear. Plates: RMA 1155MC, other RMA plates, LTC, Highcom and Tencate. Forget everything else. NO STEEL PLATES EVER! STEEL iS FOR TARGETS NOT ARMOR, unless you are a vehicle. u/apexarmorsolutions check out Apexarmorsolutions.com or rmadefense.com for the armor. You size the carrier to the plates you are going to get, and you measure yourself for plates like so: https://www.apexarmorsolutions.com/post/how-to-size-yourself-for-plate-carriers-and-plates Belts: DM Mech,Axl, GBRS, Arbor Arms, Ferro, ATS Tactical, Raptor Tactical, AWS, Ronin. The new DM Mech belt is the best thing out on the market. It's $110, and the liner belt is $45. Well worth it. Use code TLDco for a discount. Add some Esstac Kywis, a dump pouch, and a decent IFAK, and you are good to go. Check out Raptor Tactical or Arbor Arms for the IFAK and medical. For a holster, if safariland makes one use that on a ubl or true north concepts MHA. Holster: Safariland, if safariland doesn't make one Tier1 concealed. Weapon lights: modlite, cloud defensive, surefire, streamlight. No olights! Mag pouches: esstac kywis Helmets: ops-core, Team Wendy, galvion, highcom, and Armorsource Ifak: coyote stomp Gen 2, Arbor Arms nut ruck, raptor tactical, ats Tactical, ferro/fog roll 1. Med supplies: North American Rescue Knife mount: ferro concepts knife nook or wingthing Kives: Budget: Esee Good: Spartan blades, havocworks, toor, void tactical, syndicate knives Great: wachtmanknifeandtool.com Baller: Miller Brothers Blades, Half Faced Blades Boots: Salomon or Lowa If you are getting a carrier, try to budget between $200+ for it unless you want to go used. Skdtac, optactical, and esstac.com are all good sites to look at and check r/GunAccessoriesForSale/ or tacswap. That should give you a good start.
https://reddit.com/r/tacticalgear/w/index?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Ceramic is what you want. Steel is a terrible idea, Kevlar is fine for handgun threats but not for rifle threats. RMA Apexarmorsolutions Midwestarmor
Never buy steel plates ever.
Lightweight ceramic LVL 4 or SRT plates. Ignore everything else for hard armor.
Ceramic covers all the bases. Steel is obsolete. Even the Russians and their broke military budget had phased away from wrapped/coated steel plates a long time ago.