The Universal Armor Carrier Gets Put To Hard Use

Recently, I had the opportunity to put OTTE Gear’s new Universal Armor Carrier System to the test, as I had signed up to do OPFOR for a course at the Direct Action Resource Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. I spent an entire week wearing the set up for multiple hours each day, so I became very familiar with the features and benefits of the UAC. With this being a force-on-force course, I was going to have to wear full PPE and have equipment that could withstand simunitions fire. 

I needed to utilize the placard for ammo carriage, and therefore selected a simple configuration of the triple 556 pouch and wide flap for the admin section. Not so much for medical gear, but more so for extra coverage from SIMs. I did run the dangler pouch and stored some ammo in the elastic cummerbund.

I ran the carrier with a set of Hesco 3810s, which are my preferred plate for duty/overt applications. It’s not a heavy plate (4.8 lbs), and it features a soft backer. The UACs shoulder pads were great for added comfort especially after hours of action each night. 

The quick attach system for the cummerbund was very easy to utilize, and found myself operating it by feel the longer I used the carrier. This was useful in low light environments and when my vision was obstructed by face protection. 

One of the major characteristics about the carrier that was a huge plus for me was its minimalist design. The sleek design in conjunction with the UNITY Tactical FAST mount I was using made shooting my rifle with NODs and a gas mask perfectly comfortable. With some carriers and/or incorrectly sized plates, shouldering a rifle and getting a good sight picture can require added attention to one’s shooting technique, so I’m happy to report that was not the case with the UAC. 

I also converted the placard to a chest rig with our Universal Chest Rig Harness which shows the versatility of the whole Universal Armor Carrier system.  While this set up had reduced coverage and ammo capacity, I gained a lot in mobility and dexterity. 

Overall, I was very happy with the UACs performance as a plate carrier and can recommend it to those looking for a plate carrier that offers plenty of ammo storage and modularity while still staying light and comfortable.