i feel like my banshee is down pretty low on my back. The top of the plate pouch on the rear is slightly under my shoulder blades on my back. The front of the pc is high enough, but I may be out of adjustments to bring the rear up. Thoughts?

You want the top of the plate to cover your heart.  It sounds to be sitting a little too low if it is down around your shoulder blades.   What size plate carrier are your running?  I had issues similar to this when I had a size Large, and switched it out for a medium.   I am 6' 175 pounds.

Some carriers I have purposely have the rear plate riding higher in an elevated plate pocket, and some are the same height front and back.  

I shoot to have the rear plate no lower than an inch below the front plate.  If it is lower than that, you need a new carrier to raise it up a bit in my opinion.

Shellback Tactical Banshee. I think it only comes in one size.

 

pic?

 





Its adjusted as high in the back as I think itll go.

This may be helpful to you, it was for me. It's a good read.

It simply summed up what I already knew, but thanks.

 

My PC looks good in the front, again I am just trying to have someone tell me if I'm G2G in the back.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_10/349140_Proper_wear_of_Hard_Armor__with_anatomical_diagrams_.html

Not sure why this isn't stickied.

The gist is the plates in the back should cover the exact same as the front. You want the same protection front and rear. So if your plate in the front is right below your collar bones, you want the plate in the same spot on the back.

You are not GTG in back. IMO.

I agree, much too low IMO. I'd say at least 2" higher in the back. Front looks spot on. Try to get the back even with where your front plate is sitting, or as close as you can.

Front might be a tad bit high. Not much though. Looks like you have it coming up to the base of your neck.


Eta- did you have plates in it for these pics?

Plate in on the front

 

I'll mess with the adjustments and see if I can bring the back up some more.


Even though it's my first PC, I am unimpressed with the quality of the banshee.

I agree with this. It looks like the plate carrier is a bit "off balance".

If you lower the front by 1", you should gain 1" in height at the rear.

You're the first person I know of that doesn't like th banshee.

It's not that I don't like it, I'm just not blown away by the quality of the PC. The adjustments up top on the shoulder pads are difficult to get just right. I'm about medium build with a muscular upper body. I've messed with it for quite a while now and I can't get the adjustments exactly where they need to be. I read positive reviews on the banshee and decided to go with it as opposed to a PC double the price. I'm reconsidering this now, and looking at other pc's that offer more adjustments.

 

How's this gang?



With the from plate in, the back is slightly higher than the front.






 

The quality of the Banshee is great, this sounds like a user error if you can't get the straps adjust right. I had zero problems with mine, the same no one else complains of a problem. Adjust the strap, try it on. If it doesn't work, readjust and repeat the steps. That isn't a quality issue.

It looks like a more appropriate adjustment in the new picture.

That is much better.  A rule I use when adjusting my PC's and/or my issued IBA/IOTV, was that if you "chicken wing" your shoulder blades, you should feel plate with your shoulder blades.  I say feel them, but they should feel just barely inside your shoulder blades and not restrict movement when trying to reach behind you  with your hands.  You're not going to have the same range of motion as with nothing on but a tee shirt, but still moveable enough to to a halfway decent burpee without awkward pressure anywhere.  I try to get the plate high enough that the beginning of the flat edge of the side of the plate feels like it is starting to touch my shoulder blades, right at or below where the canted cut angles straight down.  (this description in reference to the plate as you look as it as worn).

In the diagram, the plate covers about 3/4 of your scapula, but I'm just trying to describe "feel" as to get you in the ball park and can't tell without an X-Ray if its perfectly aligned.

If moving your arms and shoulder blades to too restrictive, you may have a too large plate.  Too large is arbitrary in a way, since I want the smallest plate possible to comfortably move around and still function by covering what needs to be covered.  

When issued plates by the Army, they rated me as a large, but i felt like i had serving platters for thanksgiving on my front and back, so I switched them out at CIF for Mediums and they're just about perfect.  Smalls being too small for my body type.  Im 5'10" 200 lbs with a thicker than average torso

(And I'm not too sure how to describe "chicken wing" ing your shoulder blades. To test the fit, I just kinda push my shoulder blades back and hunch my back to try to extend my shoulder blade away from the skin and rib cage, if all that makes sense.)




As for your front, don't sacrifice the way it sits for the back.  you should be able to feel the top of the plate at the bottom half of your collar bones or fitting right in the squshy skin right below.  Its too high and may be restrictive if it covers your collar bones.  Ask me how I know about dropping to the prone, landing on the front plate resting on my collar bones.  You also may be hindered getting a good shoulder weld on a gun w a front plate too high.

But as I see it, your front looks like where it should be.

It just looks different in person than it does in pictures. Im not saying its bad quality, just not what I expected. Is the price right? Sure it is. Do I want to upgrade down the road? Absolutely.


 

The front plate is just below my collar bone. Its a ceramic level IV AR500 plate, so its not very lightweight. I imagine when I put a plate in the rear, the PC may level out some. I knew the rear was too low prior to adjusting it and taking the 2nd photos. Now its sitting much higher and is about an inch or less below my vertebral prominence as described in the link above.

Wait...

So you're sizing a plate carrier without the plates in it? There's your problem, it's going to  wear a hell of a lot differently if you have both plates in.

Honestly, having had various different brands of expensive carriers, the Banshee build quality is on par with the other bigger brand name carriers. The only differences you'll notice are design. The stitching and materials in the Banshee are on par with other carriers.

I just started a new job, and career path for that matter, so two plates, side plates, and extra pouches of interest are not possible all at once. Chalk it up to lesson learned.

 

Take this tidbit from a guy who wears armor everyday and humps it up and down mountains.

Fuck

Sideplates

Get some IIIA insert for the cummerbund and call it a day.

Add one here to your list. I had one but hated how it shouldered. For years now it's been sitting in a box just in case. Replaced it with a PIG and never looked back.

If the pig came in black I would give it a try. Hard to find gear NOT in multi cam

 

Why did you want black specifically?  Department policy?

No I'm not in LE or mil; my reasoning for wanting all black is that the biome that I live in (NE US) is mostly dedicious forest. I feel that black is the most appropriate color to blend in, even in the wooded areas covered in snow. I would go black before ranger green simply because I feel like it might stick out in the snow.
 

I am limited by my choices for that reason.

Black is one of the worst colors for blending in there is.  Almost nothing in nature is truly black, and it sticks out at night due to being darker than the night is most of the time.  Add to that most black gear is not Berry compliant so it shows up like a Christmas tree when viewed with night vision.  Black is a color mostly used for intimidation rather than blending in.

Doesn't mean it's the end of the world, though.  If you like it then nothing wrong with it, and if you do decide to change it some rattle can spray paint can change it quickly.

Good info right here.

been there with TAG Banshee.
first, from a friend-photographer's eyes...it's misleading when you raise the camera so high...then further mislead by standing up and leaning back, the PC then slides further down.
like this:

I'm medium size, and I had to cinch all the straps...all of it to get the PC to ride higher.



pro tip no 1:
once you get it high, insert plate in the PC. Lay on the ground (with weapon if hand). Pretend you're on the ground about to do a sit up so you can shoot, between your legs (knees bent-legs far apart)...DO IT SLOWLY!
did you just bust your chin on that plate?
Yes? then your plate maybe too high.
No? good...adjust till your collar bone is covered at least.
Repeat adjustment, back on the floor. Recheck

pro tip no. 2

on strong side/ shooter side/ weapon stock side ...that buckles may interfere with how you seat your weapon stock.  Google Roecar Tag Banshee Mod
basically, from Roecar's Mod, we removed that buckle and replaced with ITW G-Hook ....see this thread :
https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=10&t=404878

I run with JPC nowadays, but maintain that TAG Banshee still, for wife or for a friend going to a class.


newer pictures says you got it right.
good luck