No tactical turtle wannabee here!  I want something light enough to wear for 8 or more hours a day for two weeks or more.  I hope I never feel the need to put it on and hope I only use it with formal training at a qualified shooting class with dynamic movement (shoot and scoot, shoot houses, etc).

The Crye Precision  Airlite SPC swimmer plate cut looks like a good choice with Hesco L210 special threat plates inside.

Will these plates hold up to being exposed by the Airlite plate carrier bag which is open on the back?  Small plates are only going to be ~7lbs so, that should keep everything pretty lightweight.  Do I need to get the plates covered with some fabric or some other protection?

Initially, I was thinking Crye JPC 2.0 but the Airlite looks like a 'product improved' version to breathe better and sheds water and rain better.  The other under consideration is the Spiritus Systems OVERT Plate Carrier.  For plates themselves, I am open to other suggestions but, there is so much SNAKE OIL about plates, I'm most concerned with quality and getting the right plate, not the cheapest plate or some plate with dubious science to back it up.

Lastly, I'm not married to this specific draft plate carrier and plates but, I want to stay with similar quality and provenance with alternate options.  Recommended suppliers are welcome too but, I have a couple of well-regarded sources under consideration.

TIA,
Sid

GarandThumb has a good video outlining the differences between the Airlite and the JPC 2.0. I have a JPC 2.0 with Hesco 3810s and I love it. Very light and comfortable. Hesco plates are g2g. They come with a liner on them so you won't have to add fabric or anything like that.

I'm a 'FLANNEL DADDY' fan myself and enjoyed that video which is why even though I have wanted a JPC for a long time, I'm seriously considering the Airlite.  His video is what caused me to question the plate exposure with the open weave plate bag backs.  For sweat reduction and heat removal, the Airlite seems like a better option than the JPC.  In my case, East Texas where I live now has a lot of high humidity and rain so, water retention was a valid observation that appealed to me.

If the 3810's were not 4 times as expensive, I'd consider them.  The 3810's have more padding than the L210's in addition to being multi-curve and protection at a higher level with minimal additional weight.

The L210's are attractive as a 'gateway' for people like me new to real hard ballistic armor.  L3810's are a bit like Night Vision, they will likely show up at some point but, until then an L210 is better than an ammo vest and hopefully better mobility with situation awareness.  I'm getting older and slower so, buying myself some extra time to seek cover seems like a good idea in addition to having something practical for classes next Spring.

You will be g2g with the L210's in the Airlite SPC. The shooter cut profile on Hesco plates are pretty close to the SOCOM swimmer cut profile that Crye, as well as other respectable defense manufacturers, base their designs around

Only thing is, I'm not sure if anyone makes a carrier that fits the size small L210's (8" x 10"). Closest dimensions are SOCOM swimmer cut small at 9.11 x 11.1 and SAPI small at 8.75 x 11.75 in.

I think I may try the Large L210's as I'm 9" N2N so that puts me halfway between the Small and Large size.  Vertically, as I measured it I came out at 14" Jugular Notch to Belly Button so a 10" deep plate is pretty short.  Most plate sizing references I see suggest I'm a Medium which coincidentally matches my Polo and T-Shirt size.

On a SAPI plate I come out as a Medium so, I'm assuming the single curve L210 Large (vs. Small as the only other option) is the best size for me.  Does this seem right?

On the plate carrier, should I go medium since the plates are thinner than most or, should I stick with Large which is traditional in matching Large to Large?  I guess I could always pad a little to take up extra space but, I prefer to size correctly the first time.

TIA!
Sid

I've been running the SPC with 3810's for several months now. Hottest day with it on so far was 100F. The carrier works as advertised.

Previously used a MF APC for many years. the SPC is a nice upgrade.

The bummer with the SPC is the shoulder pads, or lack of them. When fully set up with side plates, ammo, radio's, water and other needed gear it is still heavy. I am not currently running the STKSS may give them a try though.

Shoulder pads from Crye are shown as on option last time I looked.  I have a Crye blast belt so, I plan on adding the STKSS to take some of the weight off my shoulders.

The 10 x 12 is a good size if you're a medium SAPI.

I see a lot of people go with medium swimmer cut carriers for their 10 x 12 L210's with good reports on fitment so that is probably a safe bet.

Edit:

SOCOM sizing standard:

Medium Swimmer cut plates are: 9.92 x 11.6
Large Swimmer cut plates: 9.92 x 12.1