KEY REASONS WHY PLATE CARRIERS SHOULD WEIGH HALF OF WHAT THEY DO NOW

Additional weights to carry around while on military duty? That’s a no no!

Plate carriers are protective shields; they help guard your chest, heart, lungs, and other vital organs. Therefore, its importance doesn’t come into doubt.

However, two factors that must be considered when making a plate carrier selection are protection and weight. Most times, manufacturers go for safety at the expense of weight, and this isn’t all that good.

While protection should be the priority, the ability to achieve quick mobility on a mission shouldn’t be sacrificed either. After all, protection also includes getting yourself out of a place of harm, and how does one do this with heavy protective equipment? 

An average plate carrier weighs about 10kg. This is in the face of the need to wear other defensive pieces like ballistic helmets. The key reasons why they should weigh half of what they weigh now becomes imperative.

The first reason is how personal protective equipment iscomplimentary, and there is no single equipment that caters for the protection of all body parts. The equipment weighing 10kg is an extra burden on the wearer. Protection and lightweight should go hand in hand as none should be sacrificed at the expense of another.

Another reason is the ease of removal. There are instances where protective pieces or some parts need to be removed as the mission dictates. A soldier isn’t a robotthat can achieve that quickly considering the current weight. It is then necessary for this to be considered.

Lastly, the use of the piece of protection isn’t restricted to times when a mission needs to be carried out. It is used during military trainings which are always rigorous and that needs to be done frequently to put the soldier in shape. A plate carrier of such weight stresses the body muscles and theeffect of such body strain later tells on the wearer.

Manufacturers of the tactical gear, for the reasons above, need to look for materials that will reduce the weight.

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