Eagle Industries
Plate Carrier with Cummerbund
www.eagleindustries.com
www.socomponents.com (MCA official retailer)
by Mightymints

Click any photos to enlarge

In the past I have owned a Khaki Eagle Plate Carrier but currently own an Eagle Plate Carrier in Crye Precision Multicam. Both have been in the size Large/Extra Large and the only difference between the two is that the Small/Medium has only three rows of molle attachments above the Cummerbund; whereas the Large/Extra Large has four, making it around 2 inches higher than the Small/Medium if they you were to compare them. Apart from that they are very much alike.

Starting at the top, the Plate Carrier's shoulder straps are around 2 inches wide and are padded internally. Although the padding feels fairly thin it is adequate enough to carry the plate carrier around fully loaded up for a whole day with no discomfort.
There are extra shoulder pads available which slot over the top and wrap around the regular straps, adding extra comfort and weight distribution. This makes prolonged wearing of the Plate Carrier much more comfortable (reviewed HERE). The straps also have three strips of elastic on, a one inch piece in front of the buckle and two, two inch pieces on the rear behind the buckle. The front is used to tidy the webbing used in adjusting the sitting height of the carrier, whereas I have found the back two perfect for tidying away hydration tubes and communications wires or anything else.

The front of the Plate Carrier has seven rows of molle on the Large/Extra Large and 6 on the Small/Medium and offers plenty of space for pouches and the stitching quality is excellent. One feature I particularly look for is how the ends of the webbing is finished at the ends. Some companies simply just slice the webbing off with a hot blade and leave it there, but i find this can sometimes snag and cause un-nescessary wear. Eagle go the extra mile and fold the end under and stitch it down so that it hides anything that can snag. A simple step in the design process but I feel its just one of those things that points out the extra quality control offered by Eagle.The front half of the Plate Carrier has a strong Velcro flap with the molle continuing on top of it which is where the cummerbund attaches when you have that in use. This pocket also has a Velcro pocket inside which can easily be used to holster a pistol or some extra magazines. It also has a strip of Velcro on the top left and right of the front, to attach the ends of the shoulder strap webbing to in order for it to stays secure. The rear of the Plate Carrier also has seven rows of molle allowing even more space for pouches. Both the front and rear of the Plate Carrier are internally padded enough to give a comfortable fit, and the side and shoulder strap adjustment give a very comfortable snug fit which will not move around when running or moving around whilst wearing it. The top of the rear half has a strong drag handle with velcro on. I am fairly well built and an six feet tall, and I was dragged by it easily with no effects to the plate carrier.

 

Front of the plate carrier (left).........Rear of the plate carrier (center).......Front showing pocket(right)

The Plate Carrier is constructed from 1000 Denier Cordura® and according to the Eagle Industries website also has SecureTack™ stitching which will stand up to the toughest use. From the experience I have had with this so far I would have to agree that it is extremely hard-wearing, and in the event of any wear, Eagle offers a lifetime guarantee.

The Plate Carrier has a large internal compartment on both the front and rear halves which allow the use of soft armour inserts (Triadtactical offers PACA EPC inserts) and ballistic plates. The fit of the plate carrier is certainly a better one when the plates are inserted and they certainly do not lower the comfort nor do they restrict movement.

With any system like this you are going to find that it gets warm with prolonged use, but I have found that due to it not being too bulky , air flows around enough for it to stay comfortable.

Overall the Eagle Industries Plate Carrier is up there with the best of them and so far I have had no issues with it, despite prolonged usage. The only possible downfall is that the edging tape could possibly be made of a heavier weight material but even at its current standard should take most use.

Eagle Industries Cummerbund

The Cummerbund its self is also constructed of the same material as the plate carrier and offers the same high standard in quality. I find that the Cummerbund offers a much more comfortable and secure fit to the plate carrier, and offers a greater area of molle for extra pouches. The Cummerbund runs inside the rear half of the plate carrier whilst attaching via Velcro under the front flap. The Cummerbund is highly adjustable using cord which is hidden inside the rear section of the plate carrier.The Cummerbund also offers space for soft armour inserts and six by six inch armour plates for extra protection to the sides of your body, whereas using the plate carrier alone offers very little protection to the sides of the wearer’s body. Similarly to the plate carrier, I have found that using the Cummerbund with inserts gives a much better fit and also allows pouches to fit more securely.

Cummerbund adjustment(left) .......... Cummerbund flap(center) ...........Plate pocket and insert pocket (right)