The Human Booster Rocket: How do I wear IcePlate® Classic or IcePlate® Curve?
Originally designed for the US Army in 2016, our IcePlate® line of wearable water bottles that warm you up or cool you down can be found on the backs of hundreds of thousands of professionals in a variety of industries in addition to US and Allied military personnel.
This diverse pool of military, law enforcement and safety professionals has driven us to create an equally diverse ecosystem of Vests and Carriers for IcePlate® Classic and IcePlate® Curve.
This article is about standalone systems to wear/use IcePlate® Classic and IcePlate® Curve, but if you want to know how IcePlate® works with backpacks or armor, check out our articles on IcePlate® Backpack Compatibility and IcePlate® Plate Carrier Compatibility. If you are a travel enthusiast or road warrior, then this article on The Best Carry-On Water Bottle for Travel/Flying might be more helpful. If you wear a hivis safety vest regulated by OSHA, click here to view our HiVis Class 1 and Class 2 Safety Vests with Cooling/Heating/Hydration.
If you are in a hurry, here is a quick video and infographic showing just SOME of the ways to carry your IcePlate® Curve:
IcePlate® Curve
IcePlate Configurations
Chest and Back:
#1. IcePlate EXO®
Best for: Direct Action, Armed Reconnaissance, General Purpose/Infantry, SWAT, Patrol, Maritime/Amphibious, VBSS/OIB, Force on Force Training (sims, airsoft, milsim), Tactical Games, CrossFit/High Intensity Interval Training, Patriot Games, Home Defense/Personal Security, Disaster Response, WROL
Markets: SOF, Military, Law Enforcement, Fire/EMS, Security Contractors, Trained/Prepared Citizens
IcePlate EXO® is the new standard in military and special operations plate carriers. Nearly two years in development, IcePlate EXO® allows the end-user to natively integrate multiple performance-enhancing technologies never before seen in a body armor system: Conductive Cooling, Evaporative Cooling, Conductive Heating, and Hydration. It is the only plate carrier in the world that can actually boost your physiological state/capacity.
IcePlate EXO® can be used with Medium ESAPI hard (like these DFNDR Armor Level III and Level IV options) or soft armor plates and/or with IcePlate® Curve because they share an identical geometric profile. IcePlate EXO® is incredibly versatile and because it is skeletonized, hydrophobic, and ventilated in every direction, it drains and repels water with incredible ease and speed (hence the open bottom corners). It can be used as a chest rig with hydration/cooling/heating IcePlate® Curves worn in place of armor. However, when armor is required, Medium ESAPI hard armor plates can be worn with or without IcePlate® Curve/IMS Pro, depending on your specific mission requirements.
Above: IcePlate EXO® in Coyote Brown with DFNDR Level III hard armor plates front and rear with an IMS Pro Combo internally mounted for conductive cooling/heating/hydration. IMS Pro mounts to IcePlate EXO® internally or externally.
Above: IcePlate EXO® accepts any combination of IcePlate® Curve and/or Medium ESAPI armor plates like those from DNFDR Armor, making it the only plate carrier in the world with integrated body armor cooling, heating, hydration and ballistic protection.
IcePlate EXO® can also be used to carry two IcePlate® Curves in-lieu of armor for CBRNE/HAZMAT/EOD applications.
#2. IcePlate EXO®-XFT (Functional Fitness)
Best for: Physical Fitness, Murph, High Intensity Interval Training, Functional Fitness, Weight Vest Training
Markets: Crossfit, The Tactical Games, The Patriot Games, and similar
IcePlate EXO®-XFT isn’t just a weighted training vest. It is your key for Building A Superhuman Future. With the magic of two IcePlate® Curves, IcePlate EXO®-XFT uses conductive cooling (or heating) to power you to the top of the podium. A hardened external IcePlate EXO® chassis shields an incredibly soft internal lining that will protect your skin for miles on even the most arduous runs. Secure, stable, and soft, IcePlate EXO®-XFT isn’t just a class leader, it is in a class all by itself.
Above: IcePlate EXO®-XFT in Ranger Green worn for CrossFit.
Important Note: IcePlate EXO®-XFT is NOT a plate carrier and is NOT designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Security or Defensive applications. For MIL/LE applications, use IcePlate EXO®.
#3. IcePlate EXO®-CRH (Chest Rig Hydration)
Best for: Armed Reconnaissance/Recee, Long Range Patrol, Border Patrol/Border Guards, surveillance, etc.
Markets: Military, Law Enforcement, Search And Rescue (SAR), Trained/Prepared Citizens
IcePlate EXO®-CRH (Chest Rig Hydration) is the most advanced, most capable hydration harness ever developed for chest rigs, using the conductive cooling/heating power of IcePlate® Curve to create competitive advantages where none previously existed in recce applications. Starting with the unbeatable durability and versatility of the IcePlate® Curve hard cell hydration bladder, IcePlate EXO®-CRH uses the rear plate bag of our incredibly powerful IcePlate EXO® ultralight ventilated plate carrier to carry a single IcePlate® Curve on your back. Thanks to our all-new SizzleStick attachment mechanism, IcePlate EXO®-CRH is adjustable for fit to accommodate layers for every climate while also have adjustable stretch to make breathing easy without sacrificing security. IcePlate EXO®-CRH is compatible with any/every chest rig on the market today that uses one inch side release buckles (think Velocity Systems, Mayflower Research, Haley Strategic Partners, Spiritus Systems.
Above: IcePlate EXO®-CRH (Chest Rig Hydration) is built around the incredible durability of our IcePlate® Curve hard cell hydration bladder for plate carriers, chest rigs, adventure hydration packs, and cooling safety vests.
#4. IcePlate EXO®-SLK
Best for: Outdoors (walking, hiking, mountain biking, off-road), commercial/enterprise, drone pilots, mechanics, maintenance technicians, trades…basically any application where you need cooling, heating, and hydration without HiVis.
Markets: Enterprise, Commercial/Industrial, Energy/Natural Resources, Government/Military, Drive-Thru/QSR (Quick Serve Restaurant), Utilities, Public Transportation/Infrastructure (rail, airports, rental car facilities, etc.), Oil & Gas, crime scene investigators, car washes, drone pilots, longshoremen...the list is literally endless!
IcePlate EXO®-SLK is the ultimate cooling/heating/hydration vest for everyone from drone pilots and wedding photographers to tradesmen and outdoor enthusiasts. Engineered using the exact same IcePlate EXO® laminate found on our eponymous ultralight ventilated plate carrier for military and law enforcement, IcePlate EXO®-SLK bridges the gap between our outgoing IceVest Black and our top of the line IcePlate EXO®. Carrying two IcePlate Curves instead of hard armor plates, IcePlate EXO®-SLK delivers 140 watts of cooling or 104 watts of heating and 100 fluid ounces of hydration in an ultralight form factor optimized for intense athletic movement, yet comfortable for all day wear around the yard. IcePlate EXO®-SLK packs the power and durability found on IcePlate EXO®, but without all of the highly technical features specific to armed combat applications. This trade greatly increases accessibility for everyone: private and professional users alike. IcePlate EXO®-SLK is Building A Superhuman Future® as the next-generation of human thermoregulation and hydration tools designed for everyday peacetime use.
Above: IcePlate EXO®-SLK in Cooling/Warming configuration.
Important Note: IcePlate EXO®-SLK is NOT a plate carrier and is NOT designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Security or Defensive applications. For MIL/LE applications, use IcePlate EXO®.
#5. IMS Sport
Best for: Outdoor enthusiasts, runners, hikers, walkers, skiers, snowboarders, hunters, stand-up-paddle boarders, watercraft (jet ski/wave runner)
Markets: Outdoor, Ski/Snow, Hunting, Watersports
IMS Sport is a ground-up reimagining of the adventure hydration pack, but now with the added bonus of thermoregulation (cooling/heating). Super thin and incredibly durable, IMS Sport is slim enough to fill with hot water and wear under a jacket when skiing or snowboarding, allowing you to finally sit flat and safe on a chairlift. It is also conformal, allowing you to take full advantage of the performance-enhancing and environmental inoculation powers of IcePlate® Curve. The laser-cut MAPs (MOLLE Attachment Points) on the outside mean you can attach your favorite activity-specific accessories like first aid kits, radios, phone batteries, jackets or just about anything else you can imagine!
#6. IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Class 2)
Best for: Professionals who need ANSI/OSHA Class 2 high visibility safety apparel with cooling, heating, hydration
Markets: Enterprise, Commercial, Industrial, Energy/Natural Resources, Government, QSR (Quick Serve Restaurant), drive thru, Utilities, Public Transportation/Infrastructure (rail, airports, rental car facilities, etc.), Oil & Gas, crime scene investigators, car washes, drone pilots, longshoremen, crossing guards, the list is literally endless!
The IceVest HiVis Safety Vest is the result of a unique collaboration with a group of Arizona Drive-Thru Restaurant Operators to combine multiple work functions into a single piece of kit. Shortly after the program launched, these Quick Serve Restaurant Operators referred us to Dutch Bros Arizona and Dutch Bros West Valley who were also looking to combine the powerful personal cooling capability of IcePlate® with their own Safety Requirements to keep their teams safe in the drive thru.
IceVest HiVis Safety Vest is a powerful, multi-purpose HSE (Health, Safety and Environmental) and productivity tool built to the safety compliance standards outlined in ANSI 107-2015.
Built from an incredibly durable, yet lightweight structural mesh, IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Class 2) is so breathable, it makes for a perfect year-round, all-climate ANSI 107-2015 Class 2 high visibility safety vest solution. IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Class 2) can be worn without IcePlates® as a regular hivis Class 2 safety vest. This is ideal for temperate days when supplemental cooling/heating are not required and is easy on the budget too. This is the last safety vest you will ever have to buy. IceVest is also available in Black for users and applications who do not need Safety Yellow colors or high visibility.
With these premium materials, IceVest HiVis Safety Vest meets internal Safety Requirements:
"A yellow, high-visibility reflective piece (for example, reflective strap or vest) securely buckled/fastened over shirt. Safety wear must provide increased visibility of Team Member from every angle, so reflective features must provide 360 degree coverage."* IceVest HiVis Safety Vest features body-facing 300D black nylon to limit IcePlate® condensation in humid climates for a clean look & reduced maintenance with the ease of being machine washable for easy care (IceVest HiVis is hang dry only). Webbing Ears help prevent pressure points while providing for convenient modularity by allowing for the easy replacement of individual components as they wear out from daily use and need to be replaced. We integrated a large 5"x4" chest-height Safety Yellow loop field for additional branding or identification placards to help with customer or team-facing messaging requirements. There is a PVC IcePlate® zipper pull for easy IcePlate® replacement on the bottom of IceVest. The IceVest is made in America from domestic and imported materials.
Above: IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Class 2) with SwiftClip connectors for hands-free carry of IceCase iPad Cooling Case.
Important Note: IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Class 2) is NOT a plate carrier and is NOT designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Security or Defensive applications. For MIL/LE applications, use IcePlate EXO®.
#7. IceVest HiVis Cooling / Heating / Hydration Safety Vest (Type O)
Best for: Professionals who need need high visibility safety apparel with cooling, heating, hydration but without an ANSI/OSHA Class 1 or Class 2 Requirement
Markets: Drive-Thru/QSR (Quick Serve Restaurants) and anyone who does not have a Class 1 or Class 2 OSHA requirement
IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Type O) is a powerful, multi-purpose Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) productivity tool. The most powerful cooling/warming safety vest on the market, IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Type O) is the result of a unique collaboration with a group of Chick-fil-A Arizona Operators to combine High Visibility, cooling, heating and hydration into a single safety vest.
Above: IceVest HiVis Cooling / Heating / Hydration Safety Vest (Type O) in Drinkable configuration with IceShield HiVis Safety Hand Warmer.
Important Note: IceVest HiVis Cooling / Heating / Hyrdation Safety Vest (Type O) is NOT a plate carrier and is NOT designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Security or Defensive applications. For MIL/LE applications, use IcePlate EXO®.
#8. IceVest Black Cooling/Heating/Hydration Multi-Purpose Utility Vest
Best for: QSR (Quick Serve Restaurants), drive thru, walking, day hiking, travel/amusement parks, auto mechanics, car washes, Range Safety Officers (RSOs), landscaping, construction, food packing/processing, farming
Markets: QSR, Recreation, Firearms Training, Food, Agriculture, Construction, Automotive, anything where you need cooling/heating/hydration but without the ANSI/OSHA requirements for high visibility
IceVest Black Cooling/Heating/Hydration Multi-Purpose Utility Vest is a versatile Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) PPE tool that inoculates commercial and recreational users against environmental risks on the job or on the trail by keeping core temp down (cooling) or up (heating). The most powerful cooling/heating safety vest on the market and the only cooling/heating vest with hydration in the world, IceVest Black combines multiple utility functions into a single piece of kit, enabling users to realize their full potential.
IceVest Black also feature SwiftClip adapters so users can clip in their IceCase iPad Cooling Cases for hands-free use/carry on the job. This functionality is also found on IceVest HiVis Class 2.
Above: IceVest Black in Drinkable with Cooling/Heating configuration with SwiftClips for hands-free carry of our IceCase iPad Cooling Case.
Above: IceCase iPad Cooling Case with SunShield is the world's most powerful and most useful iPad cooling case.
Important Note: IceVest Black is NOT a plate carrier and is NOT designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Security or Defensive applications. For MIL/LE applications, use IcePlate EXO®.
#9. IceVest Special Environments (Anti-Static/FR Cotton Duck)
Best for: Munitions Handlers, EOD, Bomb Technicians, anyone with an Anti-Static requirement
Markets: Military, Law Enforcement
IceVest Special Environments is the first Cooling/Heating/Hydration vest built from 100% Cotton Duck with 100% Cotton Webbing specifically for environments with unique safety requirements like non-sparking, intrinsically safe, non static, fire resistant, and confined spaces where static electricity is a concern. Munitions handling is a good example of such an environment.
Important Note: IceVest Special Environments is NOT a plate carrier and is NOT designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Security or Defensive applications. For MIL/LE applications, use IcePlate EXO®.
#10. IcePlate® Hydration Backpack with Cooling/Heating
Best for: QSR (Quick Serve Restaurants), drive thru, walking, day hiking, travel/amusement parks
Markets: QSR, drive thru, recreational, county fairs, school yards
IcePlate® Hydration Backpack carries a single IcePlate® Classic or IcePlate® Curve on the back. It can be used for cooling/heating only or for cooling/heating/hydration and features the same SwiftClip strap interface found on IceVest HiVis Cooling/Heating/Hydration Safety Vest (Class 2) and IceVest Black for hands-free carry of our IceCase iPad Cooling Case. It is perfect for petite and/or female team members who find wearing an IcePlate® on their chest to be uncomfortable.
Above: IcePlate® Hydration Backpack Yoke Pocket storing an external battery bank.
#11. IMS and IMS Pro
Best for: Military and law enforcement plate carriers in need of plate carrier hydration, plate carrier cooling and/or plate carrier heating while preserving the ability to preserve their plate carrier MOLLE field for mounting additional kit without worry of bladder compression or bladder rupture. Ideal for mounted personnel (vehicles).
Markets: Military, Law Enforcement, Private Security, Contractors, Fire/EMS, Prepared Citizens
Above: IMS vs. IMS Pro. What is the difference? Click here to find out.
The all-new IMS and IMS Pro replace our incredibly popular IMS Flex with a range of new features and improvements to deliver our most capable Sleeve yet. Designed from the ground up for IcePlate EXO® compatibility, IMS Pro is also universally compatible with any plate carrier on the market today thanks to the hook on one side and loop Velcro on the other with MOLLE on both sides. Dual side MOLLE + Velcro facilitates mounting on the inside (Cooling, Heating, Hydration, Impact Protection) or outside (hydration only) of any plate carrier with any combination of MOLLE and/or Hook and Loop Velcro.
Above: IMS Combo is compatible with Crye Precision Zip-On Panels
By contrast, IMS is made from traditional 500D nylon with four permanently attached MOLLE straps for the ultimate in fixed, external hard cell plate carrier hydration only.
Designed specifically for use with IcePlate® Curve to deliver hydration with the thinnest profile on the market at just 1" thin, IMS and IMS Pro are the hard cell hydration and body armor cooling solutions for tactical professionals in austere, no-fail environments.
For a full breakdown comparing and contrasting IMS vs. IMS Pro, click here.
#12. Side Release Armor Straps
Best for: Body Armor Users (entry level mounting system - not recommended, see below for why)
Markets: Military, Law Enforcement, Private Security, Contractors, Fire/EMS
The Army requirement for a universal body armor compatibility is what led us to the shape you see today in IcePlate® Curve: a medium ESAPI plate. Size medium armor plates account for more than 80% of both US Military armor plate inventory as well as private sector commercial production. In other words, medium plates cover 80% of the population. That is why IcePlate® Classic and IcePlate® Curve come in size medium.
We designed IcePlate® Classic and IcePlate® Curve with Integrated Strap Loops so it could be secured to the shoulder straps of an IOTV (or any other body armor system with shoulder straps) using our Side Release Armor Straps without the need to remove your armor per the Army's request for a low-cost (they used the word "cheap") and universal mounting system. This simple mechanism gave IcePlate® universal mounting capability from IOTV to the minimalist designs like our IcePlate EXO® we see today and everything in between. HOWEVER, this is an entry-level mounting option that only exists to satisfy the US Army requirement for universal mounting. We recommend using our IMS or IMS Pro when running IcePlate® Curve or IcePlate® Classic with a plate carrier. Click here to see which one is right for you.
The Side Release Armor Straps use IcePlates® Integrated Strap Loops (patent pending) which give end users the ability to secure IcePlate® Curve to their armor using almost any field-expedient resource: 550 cord, folded-over tape (medical, electrical, duct, Gorilla or 100 MPH), boot/shoe laces, nylon webbing, string or a length of just about anything else you can find in the field. We wanted IcePlate® Classic and IcePlate® Curve to be usable in the direst circumstances because as the most indestructible (and modular) hydration source (and the only cooling tool) ever created for tactical users, the probability of IcePlate® Curve being around in a tough situation was high. We had to make sure it had utility to compliment its durability. SWAT LEO @seven_ty_nine provided us with a great example of how to use field expedient resources to lash your IcePlate to your rig:
Above: IcePlate® Curve mounts to any plate carrier (Velocity Systems SCARAB LT shown) on the market today using the Side Release Armor Straps.
Inside Plate Bag
Depending on your specific armor plate/plate bag combination, you may be able to run your IcePlate® Classic or IcePlate® Curve inside your plate bag with your hard or soft armor plate. While IcePlate® Curve and IcePlate® Classic are not designed specifically for this application, it can be done for special fitness applications like The Tactical Games and Crossfit. IcePlate® Curve comes with Medium ESAPI conformal geometry and can easily be worn inside a plate bag with hard armor plates using carriers with larger plate pockets like the 5.11 TacTec or the TacticalTailor LowVis MBAV pictured here:
IcePlate® Classic is shown here in an issued First Spear Strandhogg rig worn by a SWAT team in Southern California:
If you own IcePlate® Classic, this internal carry method can still be used sometimes thanks some DIY ninja skills from one of our early customers. IcePlate® Classic can be molded to match the contours of your hard armor plates thanks to this technique pioneered by IcePlate® user and tactical medic @angry.canadian. This does not apply to IcePlate® Curve since it comes pre-formed to the exact contours of a Medium ESAPI hard armor plate.
Between all these products, there is a carrier solution for nearly every IcePlate application. Contact us on LiveChat, email us or call us at 703.755.0724 with any questions.
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