This is my first Mayflower product and I was immediately blown away at the comfort and design of the product. I am in fact wearing it as I write this article to remind myself of the warm kangaroo pouch feel of it. I currently use 11x13 swimmers cut AR500 steel plates that are quite thin, but a little heavy, and provide ample protection even from multiple 7.62 NATO rounds. But that is for another review.
The Bad
One bad thing is that it is a fairly traditional design, but with some great improvements. There is no padding at all inside the carrier or on the shoulder straps themselves, but it does come with removable padding for the straps. While being well stitched, I would have liked to see the shoulder straps continue farther down the inside of the plate carrier for maximum durability and support.
One bad thing is that it is a fairly traditional design, but with some great improvements. There is no padding at all inside the carrier or on the shoulder straps themselves, but it does come with removable padding for the straps. While being well stitched, I would have liked to see the shoulder straps continue farther down the inside of the plate carrier for maximum durability and support.
The Good
I'll start at the shoulder pads because they are an excellent item that can be purchased separately, although mine came with the carrier, and can be used on almost any carrier. they slide on via two elastic straps on top and have nylon flaps that are closed with hook and loop so that comm wires and drinking hoses can be easily routed through. The shoulder straps themselves are no frills hook and loop adjusted straps that are sewn to the front and loops through plastic on the back panel. They are very rugged and leave quite a bit of room for adjustment. I am a big guy and I still have some room. One bonus, for me, is that I have plenty of available loop on the straps left over for moral patches.
I'll start at the shoulder pads because they are an excellent item that can be purchased separately, although mine came with the carrier, and can be used on almost any carrier. they slide on via two elastic straps on top and have nylon flaps that are closed with hook and loop so that comm wires and drinking hoses can be easily routed through. The shoulder straps themselves are no frills hook and loop adjusted straps that are sewn to the front and loops through plastic on the back panel. They are very rugged and leave quite a bit of room for adjustment. I am a big guy and I still have some room. One bonus, for me, is that I have plenty of available loop on the straps left over for moral patches.
The Rear Panel
The rear panel has 6 columns and 7 rows of PALS webbing. There is no hook and loop on the rear panel which could be a no go for some, but is fine for my uses. The cummerbund attaches to the back very much like the front of a traditional plate carrier would with a flap that over laps and folds underneath, doubling as a closure for the rear panel armor pocket. The rear panel pocket itself does have an inner closure flap as well. Inside the rear panel pocket is a strap that holds the armor plating as high in the pocket as it will go. It is not a universal carrier though and the size of armor plates you want will correspond with the size of carrier purchased. There is no provision for soft armor in either of the panel pockets, but soft armor could be squeezed in behind a plate.
The rear panel has 6 columns and 7 rows of PALS webbing. There is no hook and loop on the rear panel which could be a no go for some, but is fine for my uses. The cummerbund attaches to the back very much like the front of a traditional plate carrier would with a flap that over laps and folds underneath, doubling as a closure for the rear panel armor pocket. The rear panel pocket itself does have an inner closure flap as well. Inside the rear panel pocket is a strap that holds the armor plating as high in the pocket as it will go. It is not a universal carrier though and the size of armor plates you want will correspond with the size of carrier purchased. There is no provision for soft armor in either of the panel pockets, but soft armor could be squeezed in behind a plate.
The Front Panel
Like the rear panel the front panel has 6 columns and 7 rows of PALS webbing. 3 rows are above the front flap. The flap itself opens on the top and a triple magazine pouch, sold separately, can fit inside if desired. There are also two pull tabs sewn to the corners of the front flap for easy manipulation of the flap. The upper portion of the front panel also has a pocket with hook and loop closure that can accommodate many items. Mine holds a rite in the rain notebook, several pens, and an MRE spoon. One unique feature of the front panel is two loops of PALS on either side of the front panel that are situated vertically. They were intended to accommodate attachment points for comm gear, this creates a multitude of options for you to do things with. Personally I use them to attach ITW Grimlocks. The front panel pocket is similar to the rear with the exception that the front flap does not fold underneath.
Like the rear panel the front panel has 6 columns and 7 rows of PALS webbing. 3 rows are above the front flap. The flap itself opens on the top and a triple magazine pouch, sold separately, can fit inside if desired. There are also two pull tabs sewn to the corners of the front flap for easy manipulation of the flap. The upper portion of the front panel also has a pocket with hook and loop closure that can accommodate many items. Mine holds a rite in the rain notebook, several pens, and an MRE spoon. One unique feature of the front panel is two loops of PALS on either side of the front panel that are situated vertically. They were intended to accommodate attachment points for comm gear, this creates a multitude of options for you to do things with. Personally I use them to attach ITW Grimlocks. The front panel pocket is similar to the rear with the exception that the front flap does not fold underneath.
The Cummerbund
It features 9 columns and three rows of PALS webbing, on the L/XL size, and has elastic on the rear portion for form fitting while moving. The rear attaches with hook and loop as well as the front. The cummerbund itself features two pockets the first being a pocket that almost spans the whole length and has hook and loop closure. The smaller inner pocket will hold most side plates securely. The triple magazine insert also fits perfectly in the cummerbund pocket and allows very nice placement of three extra magazines, or six if you use both sides for maximum deadly potential.
It features 9 columns and three rows of PALS webbing, on the L/XL size, and has elastic on the rear portion for form fitting while moving. The rear attaches with hook and loop as well as the front. The cummerbund itself features two pockets the first being a pocket that almost spans the whole length and has hook and loop closure. The smaller inner pocket will hold most side plates securely. The triple magazine insert also fits perfectly in the cummerbund pocket and allows very nice placement of three extra magazines, or six if you use both sides for maximum deadly potential.
At around 200 bucks this is a high value product that I have thoroughly enjoyed wearing in the field. The lack of padding can be made up for with soft armor inserts, some foam padding purchased from a craft store, or by having more testicular fortitude.
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