Plate carrier is an important part of your tactical gear, that during everyday action is facing various conditions, wind, raid, dust or mud. It is therefore important to take proper care of it so it is always ready into the action just like yourselves.
Tactical equipment is usually worn when we go through tough situations, when in addition to above mention conditions is also facing your sweat. So sooner or later your plate carrier will not smell and look really nice. If you take proper care of your plate carrier - regular cleaning and right storage conditions - it will not only last longer, but it will be also much better to carry.
Hand wash only
Your plate carrier can be washed in hand, do not use washing machine. You could damage plate carrier as well as washing machine itself. Do not use tumble dryer as well. Just give it good old fashioned hand wash and air dry. Of course you need good conditions too - hot but not too humid.
Also do not use bleach or any kind of stronger chemicals as this could cause damage of the fabric and your plate carrier would not work as well. For most of the impurities you should be fine using regular soap only, for tough dirt and stains use laundry detergent or washing liquid.
How to clean it and wash it
Before the (hand) wash, make sure you remove all the ballistic plates. Also remove all the accessories if you can. If they can not be removed, make sure they are empty. Just as you would do with your pants for example.
Dry mud and dust can be removed using brush. But be careful and use fine bristle brush only otherwise you could cause damage. For not so tough dirt and stains, simply wipe it down using fine cloth or toothbrush along with soap or gentle detergent.
Of course we are still talking about hand washing only. If your plate carrier needs more thorough cleaning, you can then soak it in lukewarm water with little bit of soap or laundry detergent. Plate carrier laundry guide should include water temperature symbol. The water temperature should not be too warm as this could cause damage too.
Rinse it well after washing and let it dry under dry and well ventilated conditions.
How to store it
The right storage is just as important. You have two basic options. The first one is to place it flat in your bag or another luggage. if you choose this option, then make sure your plate carrier is separated from another gear and do not put anything on it.
The other option is to hang it on a strong hanger in your wardrobe. Before you do that, remove all your ballistic plates. If you wouldn´t do that, the plate carrier could loose its shape and fit over the time.
If you do not have your plate carrier yet and need one, we have wide selection of various brands. You can choose for example popular pattern 95, which is also used by the Czech Army.
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- Pavel Kreuziger
- Paul joined our team thanks to many years of writing about anything. However, topics such as outdoor and survival, he enjoys much more than the current focus. He loves nature since his childrens camps years, from which he smoothly moved to tramping and hiking. After years of sitting in front of the computer, he realised that the warm office does not make him a man, and started returning to the roots. We need to mention, that he also loves dogs.
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