External Armor Carrier

Materials

• Shell: 1000 denier Cordura nylon
• Lining: antimicrobial 3D spacer mesh confirm true mil-spec vs. mil-spec compliant, and the spec number
• Webbing: nylon, Mil-spec 17337 and Mil-T-5038, or commercial equivalent
• Binding: carrier binding spec — owner to supply

Fit and adjustment

• Sized from six measurements taken on the officer; no size range, no standard sizes
• Female fit armor takes a couple of extra panel measurements if the armor is formed and does not lay flat
• Armor pocket patterned from a tracing of the issued ballistic panels
• Adjustable shoulders, padded with neoprene
• Adjustable hook and loop side closure
• Elastic cummerbund with hook and loop closure
• Buckled fight strap

Armor

• Not ballistic rated. The carrier holds your panels; the panels do the stopping.
• Inside sleeve, front and back
• Inside adjustable plate sleeve, front and back, holds the common sizes of trauma or shooter plates
• Panels sit between the Cordura shell and the spacer mesh lining

Pockets and attachment

• Most builds run 7 to 10 pouches, with no maximum
• MOLLE: full front, or below the chest pockets
• Sewn nylon webbing, bartacked at every row — not laser-cut fabric
• Pouches patterned to the specific item carried

Identification

• Front ID: 2×5″ · Rear ID: 4×11″ · Name tape: 1×5″ · American flag
• Heat applied vinyl on hook fields, changeable without sewing — see ID panel options

Options

• Gumdrop buttons, drag strap, mic tabs, map pocket, silent key pocket

Colors

• Black · Dark Navy · Silver Tan · Coyote Brown · Brown
• Olive Green · Ranger Green · Forest Green · Gray · MultiCam®
• These are our standard colors. Ask about other options. verify against what we actually stock

Ordering

• Starting price: $407.50 sewn-on, $422.50 MOLLE front
• Lead time: 14 to 16 weeks
• Ships within 2 weeks of entering production, UPS tracking provided
• Payment: purchase order, check or card, invoiced at shipping

Origin and service

• Made in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA
• This carrier has been in production since 2011
• Repair and modification: $50/hour shop time, about one week, quoted before work starts

Carrier body

The external armor carrier body is constructed from 1000 denier Cordura nylon. This durable fabric resists tears, scuffs, and abrasions, and is easy to clean and care for. The carrier body is lined with military spec — confirm antimicrobial 3D spacer mesh. This helps keep the officer cooler during his shift and allows the carrier to breathe and dry out while not in use.

Armor and plates

The carriers come standard with an inside adjustable sleeve, front and back, that will hold the common sizes of trauma or shooter plates for added protection. Your soft panels sit between the Cordura shell and the spacer mesh lining. The armor pocket is cut from the tracings of your own panels, so it fits the armor your department issued you. panel retention — confirm

Shoulders and closure

The shoulders are padded with a layer of neoprene to distribute the weight of the carrier, and they adjust so you can fine tune how your carrier rides for greater comfort. The Velcro side closure adjusts for seasonal clothing and body armor variations. The elastic cummerbund holds the back of the carrier against your body, and our buckled fight strap secures the sides so the carrier does not become a liability if you get in an altercation.

Pockets and webbing

The pockets are made from two layers of 1000 denier Cordura nylon, edge bound, and double stitched to the carrier where you want them. Most builds run 7 to 10 pouches, and each pocket is patterned around the item it carries. Webbing is nylon Mil-spec 17337 and Mil-T-5038 or their commercial equivalent.

The MOLLE carrier is a great option if you want more flexibility with swapping items out or moving pouches around. Most carriers on the market use laser cut fabric, which frays and sags with use. We use 1 inch nylon webbing, bartacked to the carrier.

Other options

Mic tabs are placed where you want them. Gumdrop buttons are available if your department wants the carrier to look more like a uniform shirt, and a drag strap can be added. Two pieces of loop Velcro are included with every carrier to cover the side closure hook Velcro when you wash it.

Identification

Hook fields front and back accept our heat applied vinyl identification panels. Nothing is sewn, so panels can be changed when an officer changes assignments. Identification is selected inside your build. See panel options

Use a cloth measuring tape. A steel tape won't follow the curve of a torso and will give you numbers we can't use. Measure over the uniform you actually work in, and have your armor on hand.

1. Chest, without armorMeasure around the widest part of the chest, over the uniform shirt. Keep the tape level and snug, not tight.Common error: measuring over a t-shirt. Wear what you work in.
2. Chest, with armorSame place on the chest, with the armor on. The difference between these two tells us how much bulk the panels add.Common error: skipping this one because it seems redundant. It's the measurement that makes the carrier fit over armor instead of under it.
3. Stomach, without armorAbout an inch above the navel, over the uniform shirt. Stand normally and breathe out.Common error: sucking it in. Measure the way you'll be standing at hour nine.
4. Stomach, with armorAround the bottom edge of the armor, with the armor on. This one sets the cummerbund.Common error: measuring at the navel instead of at the bottom edge of the panel.
5. Height 
6. WeightHeight and weight let us check the tape measurements against each other before we cut. If something doesn't line up, we'd rather catch it here than after the carrier is built.
7. Trace the panelsPull the ballistic panels out of the concealable vest or carrier they're in now. Lay each one flat on a large sheet of paper and trace the edge of the panel itself, front and back. Label each tracing front or back, with the officer's name and department.Common error: tracing the concealable carrier or the excess material around the panel. Trace the ballistic panel only.

Mail tracings to: Cowell Tactical, PO Box 899, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
We have sizing on file for some armor companies, but we generally need your tracings. Ask before you order if you think yours might already be on file.

Configure in the Loadout Designer: armor make and model, color, pocket placement, pouch layout, identification. Pouches and identification are part of the build, not a separate order. We'll email an itemized quote. Nothing is charged up front; the carrier is invoiced when it ships, with UPS tracking. Purchase orders, checks and cards accepted, 30-day terms for departments. Orders ship UPS Ground unless you ask for something faster.

We will modify or repair your carrier for as long as it's in service. New equipment to carry, a different pouch layout, a move to a new assignment, worn parts replaced, or a refurbish partway through a career. Shop time is $50 an hour, most jobs are about a week in the shop, and every job is quoted beforehand.

If the work comes to more than the carrier is worth, we'll say so at the quote.

If your carrier arrives and the fit isn't right, we'll fix it at no charge within the first month. Wear it, work a few shifts in it, and tell us what's off. That's the whole policy, and it's why we ask for measurements and panel tracings instead of guessing at a size.

We stand behind our workmanship. If a seam, a bartack or a closure fails because of how we built it, we'll make it right. workmanship warranty period — one month too, or longer?

Finished carriers can't be returned or resold, because each one is cut to one officer and one set of armor panels. What we can do is make yours work, and keep modifying it for as long as it's in service.

If we need to fix something, we pay the shipping. If you're sending a carrier back for a change or an addition, that shipping is on you.

We'll work from your spec so every carrier matches: same color, same ID layout, same pocket placement, sized to each individual. Departments have used this to move from a class-B uniform to an outer-carrier uniform without losing the uniform part.

There's no order minimum, so a department can start with one carrier and standardize later.

Purchasing

Available on request:

• Bid specifications. We will write the carrier and pouch specifications for your solicitation, down to fabric, webbing and construction method.
• Sole source documentation. If your purchasing office needs justification for buying from us specifically, we will provide it.
• W-9 and vendor packet. CAGE code / SAM registration — confirm
• Quotes held for period, so a quote can carry through your budget cycle.

Email sales@cowelltactical.com or call (208) 267-8090 and tell us what your purchasing office needs.

Close all the Velcro first, including the cummerbund and shoulders. Hand wash or machine wash gentle, cold water, mild detergent, no bleach. Don't iron it and don't put it in the dryer; both can shrink the fabric and webbing. Hang or lay flat, and open the pocket flaps while it dries so they dry flat. For dust or dried mud, an air compressor beats a wash.

Will it fit my department's armor?

We build the external vest carrier to fit your existing armor. That is why we request an accurate tracing of your ballistic panels. Along with your body measurements, this gives us the information we need to ensure a proper fit, and that your ballistic panels are riding where they are supposed to.

Does the carrier come with armor?

We build the carrier around the ballistic panels you have already been issued. We do not sell armor or plates.

What happens when my department reissues armor?

Usually your outer carrier still works. Most armor manufacturers will accommodate the carrier you already own if you ask them to, so when you're being fitted for new panels, tell your armor rep the dimensions of your current ones. Keeping a copy of the tracing you sent us makes that conversation easy.

Where it changes is your body. If you've gained or lost significant weight, your new armor gets sized to fit you as you are now, and a carrier cut to your old panels won't fit correctly either. There are enough variables that it's worth a call at (208) 267-8090 before you order anything.

Can I add or move pockets later?

Yes. We will modify or repair a carrier for as long as it is in service. Shop time is $50 an hour, and most jobs are about a week in the shop. Modifications are quoted beforehand.

Do you build for officers issued female fit armor?

Yes. Female armor is not an issue. We just need a couple of extra measurements of the ballistic panels if the armor is formed and does not lay flat. Those instructions are in our sizing section. add the extra panel measurements to the sizing instructions

How long does it take?

14 to 16 weeks. Nothing is built until it is ordered. Once your carrier goes into production it ships within two weeks, and you will receive a UPS tracking number. If you are against a deadline, tell us when you order and we will tell you whether we can meet it.

What if it doesn't fit when it arrives?

We fix it at no charge within the first month. Finished carriers can't be returned, because one cut to your measurements and your panels doesn't fit anyone else, so instead we make yours right.

Can our department try one before we commit?

Yes. We send samples for review, or for T&E if a carrier on hand fits one of your officers. See what we have available on our sample page.