So, I just bought my first plate carrier, and as you can tell, I am of the larger variety.  I am already down 50lbs since August, and have another 150 to go, but was going to use this as a motivator, before i spent money on a good carrier.
I have a set of ESAP 10x12 I plates for it (should be here today).

My question is-where does the plate carrier need to ride height wise front and back on my body? Again, I know I am overweight.  I bought this for more HD than anything else, due to my neighborhood, and will hopefully get to train with it after I lose the rest of my weight.  I am scheduled for gastric bypass in July, but with the way I am going, wont need it.


Again, please, dont tell me i need to get in shape. I know this, and am working on it already. I am looking for information on how to use what I have, for now.

Thanks
Attached is where the PC rides now. It has plenty of adjustment up/down,  both back and front.

Good luck with the weight loss, don't let all the tier one bullshit here get to you. Not everybody is 150 pounds and have super model wife's.

Judging by the pictures that PC is a little small for anybody, I would assume it needs to ride like a shirt and give your neck room to move with equipment on your head and what not. If it's a cheaper PC like you said I'm guessing to say it won't ever fit right.

It is a Shellback, one of the $50 overruns they had for the Saudi Royal Guard.

Where the the trim around the wall go...


Also that thing has no plates in it yet right?  Its going to be a uncomfortable SOB digging into them rolls when you get some. Ask me how i know.

Haha, yeah, we are remodeling. Just laid new laminates.


The thing is, I dont really have any rolls...im just...big.

Thanks for the info though, now I wont freak when it happens. More push to get in shape!

That. Perfect. THanks

 

Got beat to the anatomical picture.    You may need to just buy a bigger plate carrier.  I'm 6'3", 220 with a LONG torso.  A 10X12 plate on me feels like I'm wearing a IPHONE on my chest.  It just doesn't provide enough coverage.  You may have to look into a large or extra large carrier like I did and bigger plates to get adequate coverage.  They're not cheap but LBT makes great carriers of different sizes and has sales pretty regular.  Mayflower and others also make different sizes too.  A "standard" carrier and "normal" sized plates just don't work for everyone.

Good luck with the weight loss, I'm rooting for you.

Thanks-yeah, i looked at the Stranddhogg, as I guess it can be in XL...and that is definitely what I needed, but, couldnt justify it YET. Although it looks like it may have been the way to go.

I couldnt pass this PC up, and a free set of plates.  At least it will be a start

Anyone recommend any specific XL plate carriers?

The Strandhogg is NICE.  First Spear makes good stuff.  I couldn't afford it though and went with the LBT 6094(on sale).  I got a First Spear retro cumberbund with the tubes and it made a real slick carrier.  I tried the Mayflower APC but the shoulder straps were too narrow for me and rubbed on my neck.

And they make the 6094 in XL?

Yep.  Med, large, and XLarge.

Edit to add:  Sizes are based on plate sizes but offer more coverage and larger cumberbunds as well.  Nice thing is, when you drop all that weight, you can get a smaller cumberbund to take up the slack.

Awesome....where is the best place to look for them on sale?

Their sales are kinda random.  They are having a 12 days of Christmas sale right now with new items listed everyday.  So far, the 6094 hasn't made the list.  They offer 50% off sales pretty regular though and that's how I got mine.  Usually have some type of sale every major holiday.  Beware Ebay, there are a lot of knock offs there.

beat me too it.

Plate should cover both nipples, sit level with collar bone and allow you to be able to sit in a chair without the plate riding up or rubbing hips.

OP, what is your height and final target weight? This will give a better idea of what plate size you need as right now due to your weight it may be hard to judge the correct size of plates. Also congrats on the fantastic weight loss and keep it up!

For reference i am 6'-0" and 190lbs and i use size large ESAPI plates.

That picture should be stickied somewhere in this board.

6'4", 240-260 is my target weight.  Will probably get smaller than that with the surgery if i get it, BUT, 240-260 with my body style looks good.

I would be slightly less worried the "it's too small" look for the reason 1) you'll be getting smaller, 2) Look up bigger dudes like Jason Falla that use the crye JPC.  They look like they have iPhones on their chests and backs too. And 3) mobility  I traded my med IBA for a small at CIF so I could move around better, just squished my med ESAPI's in the small IBA.

This is another reason I like and went with the JPC.  Mobility.  I can bend down and grab mags off the ground and not feel the plate dig into my stomach, and a 6 pack I do not have.  Mine rides pretty high. The med plates in my JPC are at my collar bones (I can rest my chin on the top of the plate when tilting my head down with minimal straining to try, and ends right around the top of my belly button, which is plenty far enough down to get below my diaphragm.  I gladly trade off that last 2 inches of coverage for flexibility/ mobility over the IBA's and IOTV's I've used before.  Fuck those things......

You guys have been a great help. Thanks for the encouragement.

Now to get some tacos... (for the mags...not to eat)

I LOL'd.

Good luck with the weight loss OP.

Thanks!

Alright-now, my next question:

For a home defense/possible SHTF carrier, what would be recommended to have ON the PC? I was thinking an IFAK and some Tacos....a few rifle and pistol, and that should be good? Im not going for totally kitted out...just if i need to get out of dodge or, you know, the typical gun battle in the streets of America

You could go for this look

Heres another option for you.......just get some soft armor in a carrier that will accept plates(if you would like to add later) and then go with something like a peacekeeper rapid deployment pack........more than enough to hold mags, hand gun, and nice size internal pocket to add your ifak or Whatever you like.


They come in all black or tan as well


http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/US-Peacekeeper-Rapid-Deployment-Pack-Active-shoot-p/usp%20p20305.htm

Congrats on the weight loss OP, dont let the mall ninjas get ya down! Senior year of high school I was 310, Im a senior in college now and 230 with a ton more muscle, and Im not done yet. It can be a slow process sometimes but you just have to keep with it. Its 90% mentality and diet. Good luck man!

OP....two things.

1. GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!

2. I'm learning about all of these options, too, so thanks for asking. I will take every chance I can learn and read options.

For home defense a Couple mags, IFAK and maybe a knife should be sufficient.

for something home defense, you won't need a ton of shit, further reinforcing the mobility aspect.  On the plate carrier if its dedicated to by the bed work ONLY then 2 rifle mags, 1 pistol mags, 1 tourniquet stashed with a couple bleeders and another pistol pouch to hold a flashlight.  All this is what id consider MAX for this concept.  

For me, I just use the same JPC, just download some extra shit I won't need in that situation once i return it from range/field duty.

I would recommend this system till you gather more gear and/or have systems that are dedicated to one or two scenarios (having one pc minimally loaded for HD, and another PC for range training), if you so choose to have gear set up that way.  The PC you have right now is small and lightweight enough to flex into both roles if need be.  You could go ahead and put the amount of pouches you want on it and just toss a couple of the rifle mags into the range bag from the PC once you return it to the bedside.  You may have some extra pouches not filled with stuff but you could easily put a cell phone (for 911), or other "oh, shit" items in those pouches when you need it at 3am.  I wouldn't rely on pockets of pants bc at 3am, in that situation, all I will be wearing is the PC and some basketball shorts.

Thank you.  you have all been so helpful and much appreciated.  I am honestly surprised because Arfcom is usually a cesspool of...haters.

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

HSGI pouches pretty much the go to is what I am reading as well?

OP from your picture your plates might be ok once you lose down to your target weight.  Still, you may have to go up in size but I would wait and see.  

The Armory is kept a lot cleaner than most places on ARF, unless you do something specific to get lots of ridicule.

A lot of people like HSGI tacos for mag pouches.  I don't have any myself but they seem to work really well for most people.  For little stuff you might want an admin pouch.

As a medic student, I read OP and thought "Well the point of the plate carrier is to hold the plate over your vital organs and largest arteries so I sould get an anatomical drawing and photoshop a plate shaped shodow over what we want to protect." And then I scrolled down to see perfection, nice work.

Congratulations OP on the weight you've already lost, and the best of luck meeting your goal in time. Getting back in shape is so hard, but so rewarding. I hope you don't need the surgery, they've gotten better,  but there are still risks and adverse effects that would be better avoided if possible. Again, strong work.

My favorite pouches by far are the HSGI Tacos.  They are the most versatile pouches out there. They can take any 5.56 mag, as well as AK mags (even with the locking tab downward), and can flex no problem to fit .308 mags.  Like I stated before, they can fit a phone or basically anything thats generally the dimensions of a mag.  The same goes for the pistol mag versions.  They offer the best flexibility of any  from double stack 9mm mags like for glocks, to 1911 single stacked to my HK USP .45 double stacked mags that are huge, the Tacos are highly versatile, and I recommend them and almost exclusively use them.  

The closest competitor for flexibility in the market would be the TAG universal enhanced pistol mag pouches.  They use elastic and a magnet for tension and work very well also.  The next closest competitor for rifle mags are more distant.  The Blue Force Gear pouches are all elastic and are pretty flexible.  (Pretty good flexibility in their pistol mag pouch line as well). I guess the only downside to the Tacos, which is worth mentioning, is that they are kinda bulky in comparison to other pouches that are basically sewn cordura only, but thats a tradeoff i'm willing to make for the versatility.

If you can't tell, I trent towards the most flexibility possible out of my rigs, haha.  I use my kit with 5.56 set up most of the time but it allows me to literally insert the different mags only if I wanted to shoot AK or .308 AR10 style rifle the next day without having to switch pouches on the carriers.  I do it this way so I don't have to have a dedicated .308 kit and a dedicated AK kit.  Some guys do, and thats fine and will work just fine, I just prefer to not have a gajillion pieces of corder nylon gathering dust in bins only being used when I shoot AK every 5th time I shoot 5.56(even though it's inevitable and I still wade though random pouches and shit......)

How tall are you?
The PC definitely looks small but it is better than nothing.
You already have purchased the plates so you are stuck with that size, if you get a larger PC maybe soft inserts behind the plates.
I am 6'2" and 200lb and the XL plates fit me perfectly, the only drawback is it can be hard to find a PC that can accept XL plates.

I am 6'4".  

The thing is...i was given the plates as a birthday present, so, im not actually out anything. This was just to get me going, so I wouldnt have a problem going to larger plates if needed to, as I lose weight.

Just so you'll know how it'll fit, I'm about 5'11" and 240, and this is how my XL LBT 6904 fits.

That's GD
Good luck and keep it up

Not sure how much help it'll be but you can get 3A in custom sizes on ebay among others.   I'm a big guy, 6'4", 275lb and just broad chested and shouldered. (ex jock, football, wrestling all that crap)  While losing weight helps and frankly mine are more padded than they were in college but under it all those bones don't shrink. :)

The place I bought them from, "publicsafetysupply1" on ebay (no affiliation, no compensation) also told me they did custom PC's when I reached out to them with what I wanted.   Note this was... 2011?   I do see they're still in business.

I ordered a custom size pair of 3A's, I want to say 11x17 but it was a long time ago.  I then sewed up a lightweight vest using a standard As Seen On TV Cop Shows to hold them using some wicking fabric and velcro.  

In full disclosure I'd just picked up a set of standard 3a's for the DW  who has to make bank runs at store closing and it was a concern.  I also got a single side 6x8'ish piece for testing, this was for my wife after all who might actually get shot for real and all that. I tested with 9mm +p's, .40 and .45 with a clay block backing and while the damage to the clay was disconcerting to think of all that force going into a living body, there was no penetration.  

Anyway, long story short, if you're more worried about pistol or buckshot then a 3A in a custom size with a simple to make, even hand sewing pocket vest may be an option.

When plates are in just try and touch the bone right under your Adams apple, if you can, adjust up. Then have some one count three vertebrae down from the c7 ( i think, I usually just tell guys the bump on your spine where your neck meets your shoulders) and if you can touch that, adjust up. I bought one of those carriers also, I'm pretty sure it will take a 11x14 plate. My 10x12 are really loose in it, like by a lot, something to consider.