Technical Plate Carrier Review and Setup: Shaw Concepts ARC V2

Despite being introduced in 2012, the Crye Precision AVS has gone uncontested for more than a decade as the heavy loadout, full duty plate carrier of choice for elite armed professionals the world over. With the Shaw Concepts ARC Carrier V2, Shaw Concepts has introduced the first credible challenger to the AVS. Designed as a full duty plate carrier for line infantry, the ARC V2 represents a new approach to heavy-load plate carrier design.

This begs the question: does the ARC V2 have what it takes to dethrone the Crye Precision AVS and become the new, undisputed, heavy loadout plate carrier champ for American Infantry in 2023 and beyond? Stay tuned to this episode of Qore Performance INSIGHTS to find out 

Format
Before we get started, we have a some disclosures and format notes to share:

First, before the comments blow up, a quick note on format and experimental design: we have full details on both linked in the show notes below for those who are interested. 

Second, we’re introducing a new Thermal Signature test. We got a number of questions about thermal signature after the release of our BEST PLATE CARRIERS OF 2023 video. Thermal Signature is a growing concern in today's environment. We’re going to see how each of the plate carriers from our previous testing performs, starting with the ARC V2.

Product Integration
Thermoregulation is the next night vision and IceAge Ecosystem integration is the genesis of this video series, so we’ll start there.

The ARC V2 is an excellent platform for IceAge Ecosystem integration. The body faces of the front and rear plate bags as well as the cummerbund are made almost entirely of loop, making it easy to add IceVents. While the ARC V2 does come with ARC Shoulder Pads, IceVents Aero and IceVents Classic are also an option if you are looking for load-bearing shoulder pads with ventilation. Convective Thermoregulation, check. 

The inner loop surface allows IMS Pro Combos for internal Conductive thermoregulation and hydration. The rear plate bag has full external MOLLE fields, making IMS for external hard cell hydration and IMS Pro for internal or external cooling/heating/hydration a breeze. Finally, IceShield Plus plate carrier hand warmers, leveraging the magic of radiation (which is the third form of heat transfer), nestle cleanly on the exterior of the front plate bag to keep those trigger fingers happy in cold weather, even while wearing summer weight gloves.

Dry Weight
After temperature and environmental conditions, nothing impacts human operator performance more than weight. 

This is how the ARC V2 by Shaw Concepts stacks up against the Crye Precision AVS in terms of Dry Weight:

ARC V2 = 39.75 ounces

AVS = 48.35 ounces 

For you switched on super nerds, we are going to take a deeper dive into the science behind weight and how it impacts human performance on-mission.

The science behind the impact of weight on human performance traces its origins to Nike Co-Founder and legendary University of Oregon Track and Field Coach Bill Bowerman. Part of the original PW-era Nike (pre-woke), Bowerman discovered that removing just one ounce from a shoe eliminates 55 pounds of lift over the distance of one mile when calculated using the gait of a six foot tall runner. This can add up to thousands of pounds of effort over the course of one mile, with the effect compounding over the distances commonly encountered while wearing a plate carrier for its intended purpose.

Using Bowerman’s formula, we can see that the ARC V2 is 19.52% or 8.6 ounces lighter than the Crye Precision AVS. This means the ARC V2 will save you 1,135.2 pounds of lift effort over the course of a mile.

A quick note on the weight of the ARC V2: as of the recording of this video in January 2023, the ARC V2 is advertised with a weight of 36 ounces on the Shaw Concepts website. This includes Plate Bags, Cummerbund, Pontoons, Pads & Straps. The weight of 39.75 ounces displayed on this table is from the initial weighing of the ARC V2 here in our office, right out of the box. We reached out to Shaw Concepts for comment on the discrepancy between our 39.75 ounce reading and the 36 ounce weight on their website. They weighed the ARC V2 again and got a weight of 42 ounces in plastic wrapping. To be thorough, we then weighed our ARC V2 a second time to check our work and got a dry weight of 39.6 ounces, but at this point it had already been submerged for our Wet Weight testing. If we take the average of our two measurements and Shaw Concepts updated measurement, we get an average weight of 40.45 ounces, but we are going to stick with our original, out of the box weight of 39.75 ounces for this video since that is the true “brand new in box” measurement.

The ARC Placard V3 with three magazine RAM Elastic Insert weighs an additional 7.25oz. This brings the total integrated weight of the ARC V2 with an ARC Placard V3 to 47 ounces.

In the show notes below, you’ll find a link to our Plate Carrier Weight Calculator, part of our INSIGHTS blog. It contains weight data for all of the carriers in this Plate Carrier Review series, including the ARC V2, along with weight data on armor plates, pouches and more. It is a fantastic tool for education, purchasing, or even operational planning. You definitely want to check it out. 

Wet Weight
An under-appreciated technical consideration in modern plate carrier selection, wet weight has a massive negative impact on human performance. Whether rain, salt water, or sweat, moisture is a constant presence in the field.

In our testing, the wet weight of the ARC V2 tipped the scales at 60.70 ounces with the Plate Bags, Cummerbund, Pontoons, Pads & Straps. By comparison, the Crye Precision AVS wet weight came in at 70.95 ounces. The wet weight of the ARC V2 is 10.25 ounces or 16% lighter than the wet weight of the AVS. 

Using Bowerman’s formula to compare wet weight, we see that the ARC V2 will save you 1,353 pounds over the course of a mile when compared to using an AVS.

10.25 x 2112 = 21,648 ounces/mile

21,648 / 16 = 1,353 pounds/mile

Thermoregulation and Hydration
THEME: T + H is important. Does this PC take it into consideration? If yes, how? 

Source Razor, CamelBak ArmorBak (both MOLLE Hydration pouches for 3L)

If you haven’t seen it, we have an article on the thermoregulation performance of spacer mesh. The results may surprise you…

Like the AVS, the ARC V2 doesn’t have hydration or conductive thermoregulation natively integrated. However, augmentation for this capability is simple. The interior loop of the ARC V2 accepts our IMS Pro Combo for internally mounted, conductive cooling, heating, and hydration. The outside of the rear plate bag is full MOLLE, so running a traditional soft hydration bladder like CamelBak or Source or an IMS Combo for external hard cell hydration is easy. If your mission calls for use of a pack, Shaw Concepts makes a Plate Carrier Pack that fits an IcePlate Curve perfectly, but it also has an internal hydration pocket for soft bladder use.

The ARC V2 Shoulder Pads are removable and can be replaced with IceVents Aero Minimalist Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads or IceVents Classic Heavy Loadout Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads, depending on your mission requirements and personal preferences. 

The ARC Cummerbund V2 is Loop lined, so it can also accommodate IceVents Classic Ventilation  Pontoons.

Like all plate carriers with Velcro on the outside of the front plate bag, the ARC V2 is also compatible with our IceShield Plus Plate Carrier Hand Warmer.

Thermal Transmittance
Thermal Transmittance is the transfer of heat through matter or the body-facing section of a plate carrier plate bag. By nature, all kit insulates and traps heat..yes, even our IcePlate EXO. To optimize performance in the field, find gear with the highest possible Thermal Transmittance, or the minimum amount of insulation.

With the included Pontoons, the ARC V2 has a Baseline Surface Temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit. After inserting the IcePlate Curve directly from the freezer, what we call the “IcePlate Inside Surface Temperature,” the temperature shifted down to 75°F. This is a temperature shift of 2°F. There is a 30°F shift in the Center Channel between the included pontoons.

When the included Pontoons are removed, the ARC V2 has a Baseline Surface Temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. With the IcePlate Curve inserted directly from the freezer, the temperature shifted down to between 40 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the location. This is a shift of 10°F to 30°F, again, depending on the location where the FLIR reading was taken.

The larger the Thermal Transmittance number, the more efficient the plate carrier is at expelling heat from your body/carrier interface.

Materials
The ARC V2 is constructed from a variety of materials including, plastic First Spear Tubes, metal rings, Spacer Mesh with Closed Cell Foam, First Spear Soft Loop, regular loop, Shock Cord, Tegris, and OneWrap. 

Unique Features
The ARC V2 is loaded with unique features: integrated Cable Routing and PTT Retention, Inner Face First Spear 6/12 Soft Loop for Pad Mounting, and First Spear Quick Release Tubes which can be attached to the ARC Placard. It also has a unique “Spyder System” on the plate bags which allow some flexibility in what size/shape armor plates you run in your plate bag, as well as a tight fit. 

The included Pontoons feature a bottom retention flap that goes directly into the bottom aperture of the plate bag for a smooth, rounded edge. 

The ARC Cummerbund V2 IS STRUCTURAL and can be adopted to most carriers on the market, including our IcePlate EXO.

Attachment Mechanisms
The list of attachment mechanisms for the ARC V2 includes Velcro and First Spear Loop, First Spear Tubes, MOLLE, and Shock Cord.

Variety
The sizing menu for the ARC V2 is short and sweet: Small-Medium or Large-Extra Large. Colors include Multicam, Coyote, Ranger Green, Black, Wolf Grey, MultiCam Arid, MultiCam Tropic, and M81 Woodland.

Sizing Adjustability
The ARC V2 has 6” Overall Cummerbund Adjustment and 6” of Shoulder Adjustment. 

Plate Bags
When it comes to plate bags, the Small-Medium size fits Small and Medium SAPI Plates while the Large-Extra Large fits Large and Extra Large SAPI Plates. 

Country of Origin
The ARC V2 is 100% Made in the USA from US materials.

Price
This is another area where the ARC V2 gives the Crye Precision AVS some serious competition. The ARC V2 Complete w/ ARC Cummerbund V2 comes in at $500. Adding the ARC Placard V3 tacks on another $55 and the RAM Elastic Insert adds yet another $30 for a total of $585.

Below are the tables from our Best Plate Carriers of 2023 article with the ARC V2 added for quick comparison:

IceAge Ecosystem Integration

	IceVents Aero	IceVents Classic	IceVents Classic Ventilation Pontoons	IMS Combo	IMS Pro Combo	IceShield Hand Warmer	CATAMARAN
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®							N/A
Crye Precision AVS
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Crye Precision SPC
Crye Precision JPC 2.0
Spiritus Systems LV-119
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT
Agilite K19
Shaw Concepts ARC V2

Plate Carrier Dry Weights

	Weight Dry (ounces)
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®	16
Crye Precision SPC	21.15
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5	21.6
Crye Precision JPC 2.0	22.95
Spiritus Systems LV-119	23
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT	33.25
Agilite K19	41.6
Crye Precision AVS	48.35
Shaw Concepts ARC V2	39.75

Plate Carrier Wet Weights

We fully submerge the plate carrier in water for 60 minutes, then let it hang dry for 60 seconds. The scale is always zeroed for the weight of the container bin. All of our wet weight tests are conducted in our climate controlled office (~70F) to account for evaporation, sunlight and other external factors that require consistency.

	Weight Wet (ounces)
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®	26.5
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5	31.5
Spiritus Systems LV-119	32.4
Crye Precision SPC	34.9
Crye Precision JPC 2.0	39.6
Agilite K19	62.8
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT	66.3
Crye Precision AVS	70.95
Shaw Concepts ARC V2	60.7

Thermal Transmittance

First, we’ll use our FLIR camera to take surface temperature reading of the body facing side of the plate bags. Next, we’ll place a single, fully filled IcePlate Curve, fresh out of the freezer, into the plate bag of each plate carrier. Then, once we’ve closed the plate bag, we’ll place a Tencate Level III hard armor plate on top of the plate bag for 30 seconds to simulate the effect of putting on the plate carrier. We are using a shorter exposure time to make sure we test efficiency and not capacity. Finally, we’ll remove the Tencate Level III hard armor plate from the subject plate bag and take a new FLIR surface temperature reading. The difference between the two readings is the Thermal Transmittance of that plate carrier.

	Thermal Shift (Big Numbers = Good, Small Numbers = Bad)
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®	18.0-38˚F
Crye Precision JPC 2.0	20.9˚F
Spiritus Systems LV-119	18.0˚F
Crye Precision SPC	14.0˚F
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5	8.8˚F
Crye Precision AVS	4.0-9.0˚F
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT	7.0˚F
Agilite K19	4.7˚F
Shaw Concepts ARC V2	20°F

Attachment Mechanisms

	Crye AVS Pattern	MOLLE	Velcro	Swift Clip	G Hook	Proprietary Zipper
Crye Precision SPC
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Crye Precision JPC 2.0
Crye Precision AVS
Spiritus Systems LV-119
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®
Agilite K19
Shaw Concepts  ARC V2

Size

	Small	Medium	Large	XLarge	One Size
Crye Precision SPC
Crye Precision JPC 2.0
Crye Precision AVS
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT
Spiritus Systems LV-119
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®
Agilite K19
Shaw Concepts  ARC V2

Color

	Black	Coyote	Ranger Green	Wolf Grey	MultiCam	MultiCam Black	MultiCam Tropic	MultiCam Arid	Woodland
Spiritus Systems LV-119
Crye Precision JPC 2.0
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Agilite K19
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT
Crye Precision SPC
Crye Precision AVS
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®
Shaw Concepts  ARC V2

Sizing Adjustability

	Shoulders (inches)	Cummerbund (inches)
Agilite K19	4.5	32
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®	4	14
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT	4.5	10
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5	4.5	8.5
Crye Precision SPC	3.5	8.5
Spiritus Systems LV-119	3.5	7
Crye Precision JPC 2.0	3	8
Crye Precision AVS	4	0
Shaw Concepts ARC V2	6	6

Accepted Plate Sizes

	SAPI	ESAPI	Swimmer	Additional Notes
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®				9.5" x 12.5" up to 1.1" for Medium ESAPI armor plates. 10" x 12" and 10" x 12" Shooter Cut up to 1.1" thick for Medium SAPI plates*
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5				M & L plates up to 1" thick
Crye Precision SPC			Specific Model	S-XL
Crye Precision AVS			Specific Model	S-XL
Crye Precision JPC 2.0				S-XL
Agilite K19				All 10x12 plates up to 1.5" thick
Spiritus Systems LV-119				M-XL up to 1.2" thick
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT				S-XL up to 1" thick
Shaw Concepts  ARC V2				S-M size fits Small and Medium SAPI Plates while the L-XL fits Large and Extra Large SAPI Plates.

*Use of 10" x 12" Medium Shooter Cut Armor Plates thinner than 1.1" may require sewing additional Velcro fields to the bottom plate retention flap (see instructions and placement in product photo gallery).

Country of Origin

	USA	Outside of USA
Crye Precision SPC
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Crye Precision JPC 2.0
Crye Precision AVS
Spiritus Systems LV-119
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®
Agilite K19
Shaw Concepts ARC V2

Price

	Price	Extras
Crye Precision JPC 2.0	$241.90	AVS Detachable Flap MOLLE $41.10
Crye Precision SPC	$252.00	AVS Flap M4 $101.00, Airlite Detachable Flap MOLLE $29.60
Spiritus Systems LV-119	$283.35	Placard 5.56 $59.95
Agilite K19	$289.00	Pincer Placard $69.90
Velocity Systems SCARAB LT	$338.00	Quad SwiftClip Placard $90.00
Ferro Concepts FCPC V5	$385.00	Kangaroo Front Flap $50.00
Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®	$500.00	IMS Pro $165-170
Crye Precision AVS	$661.40	AVS Detachable Flap M4 $60.80
Shaw Concepts ARC V2	$500	ARC Placard V3 $55, RAM Elastic Insert $30