Crye Precision JPC 2.0 vs. Qore Performance IcePlate EXO®: should you buy a hydrophobic or maritime-specific plate carrier?

The following article is by one of our long time customers, Gunnar Anderson. He approached us several months ago with questions comparing the Crye Precision JPC 2.0 to our IcePlate EXO® plate carriers. We had never conducted the tests about which he inquired for the JPC 2.0. When we informed him of this, he enthusiastically offered to do the tests himself and provide us with the results for publication. The article below is entirely his and was created without any influence from us other than to loan him a MOLLE Cummerbund for the test.

Enjoy!

- Justin 

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Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.  IcePlate EXO®, Qore Performance’s hydrophobic plate carrier, can help you avoid that unnecessary pain better than Crye Precision’s JPC 2.0.

This is the first follow-on to an earlier article evaluating the weight difference between Qore Performance’s IcePlate EXO®, a hydrophobic plate carrier made by Qore Performance, and other plate carriers.  In this article, we will compare IcePlate EXO® to a favorite of armed professionals - the Crye Precision JPC 2.0.  We will get into the hard data later, but here are the highlights:

• EXO is 29.38% lighter than the Crye Precision JPC 2.0 when dry.
• EXO is 30.06% lighter than the Crye Precision JPC 2.0 when wet.
• EXO absorbs 30.92% less water weight than the JPC 2.0.

Without regurgitating all of the details from the earlier article, here are the key figures used to calculate how ounces add up over distance:

• The average walking stride is 2.5 feet per step.
• The average person takes 2,112 steps per mile (5,280 feet per mile ÷ 2.5 foot stride = 2,112 steps per mile).
• Even an additional ounce adds up to 132 pounds over a mile (2,112 ounces ÷ 16 ounces per pound = 132 pounds).

Here are the differences between the two plate carriers after applying the calculations to the IcePlate EXO® with their EXO MOLLE Cummerbund and the JPC 2.0.

• EXO weighs 940.5 pounds less than the JPC 2.0 over a mile when dry.
• EXO weighs 1,716 pounds less than the JPC 2.0 over a mile when wet.

Experimental Design

Qore Performance loaned me one of their IcePlate EXO® MOLLE Cummerbunds to use on my EXO for testing.  Their EXO MOLLE cummerbund is made from the same unique IcePlate EXO® Laminate used in the EXO.  This laminate is hydrophobic – meaning it repels water.  

Meanwhile, a friend loaned me his Crye Precision JPC 2.0 in the name of science.  Crye Precision’s website is vague on the details regarding the material used to make the JPC 2.0 - they just say that the JPC 2.0 is made from “nylon.”  After handling it, the JPC seems to be predominantly made of the same heavy-duty 500 denier nylon used by other plate carrier manufacturers: First Spear, Ferro Concepts, Spiritus Systems, Tactical Tailor, LBT, 5.11, etc.

I stripped down each plate carrier by taking off magazine pouches, swift clips, and shoulder pads, grabbed a food scale, and headed to the saltwater pool.  I weighed each carrier dry and after spending fifteen minutes in the water:

Here are what the weights shown above mean for these plate carriers:

DRY:  EXO is 7.125 ounces lighter than the JPC 2.0.  At 2,112 steps per mile, that’s a difference of 940.5 pounds spread over that mile.  (2,112 steps x 7.125 ounces ÷ 16 ounces per pound = 940.5 pounds per mile)

WET:  EXO is 13 ounces lighter than the JPC 2.0.  At 2,112 steps per mile, that’s a difference of 1,716 pounds spread over that mile.  (2,112 steps x 13 ounces ÷ 16 ounces per pound = 1,716 pounds per mile)

One ton is 2,000 pounds.  Dry, EXO saves you nearly half a ton over a mile.  In terms of objects, it is the weight of a telephone pole, a grizzly bear, two tigers, or a grand piano.

Wet, EXO saves you over 85% a ton.  Putting over 1,700 pounds in practical terms, EXO saves you the weight of a yak, a giraffe, or roughly three and a quarter Zodiac FC 580 inflatable boats.

EXO saves you real pain over distance.  The advantages of using a hydrophobic carrier like EXO is for more than just maritime operators - the advantages apply to anyone who sweats, is ever in the rain, or is otherwise exposed to moisture.  But there is a cost to using this kind of high-end product.  For any gearheads who are reading this article, think of it as the premium you pay for horsepower.  That premium is not a 1:1 exchange above a certain level - there is an exponential cost to wring out every extra bit of performance.  Similarly, Qore Performance charges a premium for their IcePlate EXO®.  Only you can answer whether you need this Gucci AF plate carrier or whether the competition is just good enough.  As Qore Performance® states on their website, the EXO is designed for elite armed professionals.

Gunnar Anderson is a former EMT, rescue diver, and  prosecutor who now trains and advises both law enforcement and emergency management.

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