HRT Tactical Gear is committed to delivering high quality, mission adaptable tactical and lifestyle gear.  My first experience with their LBAC plate carrier was in January 2022 at SHOT Show.  The LBAC, or  “Load Bearing Adaptive Carrier” had just been introduced, pending a few design tweaks.    I was in the market for a new plate carrier and I found the simplicity and versatility of HRT’s design appealing.

The LBAC  is a multi-role load bearing plate carrier that is designed to be highly modular, able to accept a variety of placards, pouches, and accessory panels.  The LBAC in its default configuration can fit torsos 30” all the way to 60”.  They also offer an XL core. The cummerbund and shoulder straps are widely adjustable, with configurable quick release buckles for either right-handed or left-handed users.  Their carriers are available in a variety of colors including black, coyote brown, ranger green, Multicam, and Multicam black.

The LBAC features HRT’s advanced chassis system that consists of a Tegris® thermoplastic composite cummerbund core. This creates a rigid system that helps with efficient weight distribution and prevents pressure points. The core can also be run slick, for maximum weight savings, or be configured with different sleeves based on mission requirements.

FEATURES

The carrier is made from 500 Denier Cordura treated with DuPont Teflon and has attachment points for an integrated Duraflex Buckle attachment system on the chest to instantly don/doff additional equipment.

HRT has a YouTube channel that gives detailed instructions on setting up and configuring their equipment.  Their early video instructions were a bit hard to follow, but their new videos are very effective.   PDF instructions are also available on their website.

The LBAC is, as the time of writing, listed at a price of $429.95  ($519.95 for the XL model).   That seems quite reasonable considering HRT uses high-quality “name brand” materials to assemble these and HRT Gear is also backed by their lifetime warranty.

Body armor, plates, carriers and the like are an investment, but they are also life-saving devices.  That means you shouldn’t cheap out on them.  Let me put it to you this way:   if your doctor told you you needed a pacemaker, your response probably wouldn’t be something like: “ok, but nothing too expensive.”  If you were going skydiving, would you want a “budget” parachute?  Likewise,  when you are purchasing something that is meant to protect your vitals from bullets or frag, you are trusting a piece of gear to save your life.  No matter if it’s for military or duty use or even (maybe especially) if it’s for personal use in home defense or training, I strongly recommend the “buy once cry once” approach.  If it isn’t comfortable, permitting good movement and shooting,  it’s not likely you will wear it or practice in it.  That isn’t a problem with the HRT LBAC.

The HRT LBAC is a good-looking piece of gear that is practically designed, easy to set up, and fast to don and doff. I found it to be comfortable – well, as comfortable is it gets adding the weight of 2 level IV ceramic plates, magazines, and tools plus slung rifle to your torso.

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience with the product.

*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.