Garand Thumb's plate carrier rule: stop, plug and make holes

Garand Thumb's long breakdown of civilian plate carriers comes down to three jobs: stop holes, plug holes and make holes. The hosts, a former Air Force special operator and a former Ranger, base their setups on their own experience and on friends who have served in Ukraine and Africa.

Key points

• Stop holes: They recommend Level IV plates if you can get them, noting the lightweight versions are expensive. Level IV is rated for an armor-piercing .30-06 round, and Level III for 7.62x51 ball.
• Plug holes: Carry a small medical kit for immediate use on the carrier or belt, and a larger one that a medic could use on you.
• Make holes: For a 5.56 rifle, the baseline they give is seven magazines, or 210 rounds, counting the one in the gun. They warn that people who carry too few end up needing help.
• Stay quiet electronically: In civil unrest, they argue for keeping a low electronic signature, since a better-equipped opponent may be able to find you by it.
• Test it: Their last advice is to move a couple of miles in your kit before you trust it.

Quick take

The carrier itself gets less attention than what it has to do, which is the useful part. The video is long and its gear picks date to 2024, but the three-part framework holds up for anyone building a kit from scratch.

Watch the full video: Garand Thumb