INSIGHTS: Military, Law Enforcement, Civilian

9 comments ·Apr 30, 2025

Does Qore Performance offer a discount for Military, Law Enforcement, or First Responders?

Qore Performance discount for Military, Law Enforcement and Fire/EMS personnel.

Feb 23, 2025

USMC Plate Carrier Gen 3: Full Technical Overview and Testing

We test and evaluate the new USMC Plate Carrier Gen 3 in our latest technical plate carrier overview video in our Best Plate Carriers series. Discover how the USMC Plate Carrier Gen 3 performs against modern tactical gear. In our in-depth review, we explore its design, construction, and ballistic protection—all critical for enhancing a Marine's tactical loadout. Learn about its ergonomic features and adaptable attachment options for mounting ammo pouches, hydration systems, and essential accessories. Our comprehensive analysis of the USMC Plate Carrier Gen 3 will help you decide if this military-issue plate carrier meets your operational needs.

Read Article

Feb 15, 2025

Best Plate Carriers of 2025: DATA ONLY

This is a data-only article compiling all of our testing data from the Best Plate Carriers Series in the world since inception in 2020. This article only contains data tables.

Read Article

Feb 14, 2025

Best Plate Carriers 2025 - Technical Review

Choosing the best plate carrier for 2025 isn’t just about brand recognition—it’s about performance where it matters most. Whether you're military, law enforcement, or a civilian preparing for the unexpected, your plate carrier needs to enhance mobility, durability, and efficiency.

This year, we analyzed real-world feedback from our audience—votes from social media, emails, and DMs—to rank the top plate carriers on the market. Our selection includes the First Spear Strandhogg V3, US Army IOTV, Qore Performance ICEPLATE EXO® Gen 3, Ferro Concepts Slickster, Armored Republic Testudo Gen 3, US Army MSV, and USMC PC Gen 3.

We break down the best and worst performers across key metrics so you can make an informed decision based on data, not hype. Ready to find the perfect plate carrier for your needs? Let’s dive in.

Read Article

Feb 12, 2025

What is ICEFLASK? (replacement water bottle for military canteens and Nalgenes)

CEFLASK is a high-performance cooling, heating, and hydration tool designed for extreme environments. Delivering 23 watts of cooling power in heat and 17 watts of heating power in the cold, ICEFLASK fits seamlessly into PRC-152 MBITR radio pouches and integrates with chest rigs, plate carriers, and MOLLE setups. Made in the USA from FDA-certified, BPA-free HDPE, it doubles as a rugged, reusable ice or heat block for coolers and insulated bags. Whether on duty or off-grid, ICEFLASK keeps you hydrated, mission-ready, and at peak performance year-round.

Discover more about ICEFLASK: QorePerformance.com

Read Article

1 2 3 … 30 Next

Instagram Handle: Hogrider177

Fantastic addition, makes daily carry more bearable.

Hi Kelly,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review for your ICEVENTS® Aero Holster Pad. In reading your review, it sounds like it works great for you, so I wanted to personally check-in with you and see why that resulted in a 1-Star review?
Thanks again for taking the time to leave a review!

#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Ballistic Plate Armor.

Yo, so like, ballistic plate armor? Total game-changer, no cap. It’s like having a boss shield that’s built to flex and keep you safe when the heat is on. These things are mad durable, almost like wearing a bodyguard in your fit, making sure you stay Gucci even when the situation gets lit.

Honestly, the tech in these plates is next level—light enough to not weigh you down but strong enough to handle all the smoke. It’s straight fire for real, especially when you’re out here in the field or just tryna stay plugged in about your safety.

Lowkey, the only vibe is making sure you got the right fit—because a weak plate is a no-go, fam. But overall? It’s a W. Keeps you protected, looking fresh, and ready for whatever the streets or missions throw at you. Stay safe, stay stacked. GFYMITA .

Love em

I love my ventilation pontoons. They’ve definitely made a difference in the ventilation of air in between my vest and my body. My pontoons are coupled with the ice plates, which help with the spreading of the coldness to my body. I’m glad I purchased them and would recommend them to anyone who wears a plate carrier/vest.

Instagram Handle: @Smallville_Will

The ICEFLASK is something I didn't know I needed until it became a thing. As my position has been significantly downgraded, the need for a large amount of hydro on the X is no longer a thing. But, it still gets hot, and cold.
What ICEFLASK has allowed me to do is convert ICEPLATE into a permanent heating/cooling apparatus while still maintaining an adequate amount of drinking water.
Now, why ICEFLASK over any other water carrying device? Because of durability and kit-fit. The old school bladder was probe to bursting, creating an uncomfortable situation. Much like many other (nalgene, GI Canteen), the discomfort would come from having to "kit around" something that isnt built for accommodation. ICEFLASK fits into your kit, and works around what you've already built. Nothing says Fxxx it like having to rearrange your kit to add something as insignificant as "water"...
But, yeah. ICEFLASK, like many of the Qore products, is a good piece of kit.

The ridiculous hike in price makes this the last ice plate I will be purchasing. About $80 for a water bladder is not very affordable.

Hi Qunicy,
Thank you for taking the time to leave an honest review of your ICEPLATE® Curve experience. We are sorry to hear that you feel ICEPLATE® Curve is not very affordable, but we thought some additional information might be helpful context:
1. We've actually been able to DROP the price of ICEPLATE® Curve drinkable down to $75 from over $100 where it was in 2023 - still 100% Made in USA.
2. ICEPLATE® Curve itself is actually just $50. The Source90 Drink Tube is the other $25 and is completely optional. Our ICECAP is compatible with just about any drink tube on the market today for exactly this reason: user-choice. Details:
https://www.qoreperformance.com/products/source-90?_pos=1&_sid=ad152d88b&_ss=r
3. ICEPLATE® Curve is far more than a water bladder - it is a 24/7/365, all-environments, all-season heat-injury prevention tool that weaponizes temperature to enhance performance and survivability in the field. To date, ICEPLATE® Curve has roughly 7,000,000 hours worked in the field without a single minute lost to a heat injury since commercial launch in 2017. No water bladder on the planet can match this performance track record. Given that a hospitalization for heat stroke, rhabdo, or similar costs well over $40,000 in 2025, ICEPLATE® Curve is a bargain at ten times the price...
We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Fits right side port iceplate excellent! Managed to find iceplate exitport right on ebay. I do hope these can be produced again!

Truth be told, these had the potential to be very helpful for keeping cool but unfortunately I still find myself getting hot inside my vest.

They are super simple to use and install but the material should be thicker to give more space between you and your vest to allow more air flow.

Hi William,
Thanks for taking the time to leave an honest review of your ICEVENTS® experience. Two quick notes that will hopefully be helpful for you:
1. Previous generations of ICEVENTS® Pontoons were thicker, but customers complained that they were 'too thick' and wanted a thinner profile. We obliged.
2. ICEVENTS® significantly boost evaporative 'thermoregulation' but they will not make you 'feel' cool.' Here are the two articles from our INSIGHTS blog with the science and engineering deep dives behind ICEVENTS® real world performance against legacy materials and what to expect:
ICEVENTS® vs. Spacer Mesh, Foam
https://www.qoreperformance.com/blogs/military-insights/plate-carrier-cooling-heating-thermal-transmission-performance-of-plate-carrier-liners-like-spacermesh-sportskin?_pos=1&_sid=0f35f4da2&_ss=r
ICEVENTS®, Convection Testing
https://www.qoreperformance.com/blogs/military-insights/convective-cooling-conductive-cooling-and-pressure-distribution-testing-of-life-saving-equipment?_pos=8&_sid=4423636ab&_ss=r
3. For max airflow, push your ICEVENTS® all the way to the edges of your carrier.
We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Instagram Handle: Sjblanchard18

Good for certain loadouts

These pads are good if you’re wearing a kit that’s minimalist in nature. Once you start adding a considerable amount of weight to the plate carrier, these pads simply don’t have enough padding and do not disperse the weight far enough to relieve pressure points. Great product, love the company but if you’re wearing anything more than a basic loadout I’d recommend a different product.

Hi Shane,
Thanks for taking the time to leave an honest review of your ICEVENTS® Aero Minimalist Plate Carrier Shoulder Pads. Your observations are 100% spot on and consistent with our design/engineering intent as the ICEVENTS® model you purchased (Aero) are for minimalist/lighter plate carrier loads. ICEVENTS® Classic are for heavy/full duty loads. We note same on the product page above:
'BLUF:
ICEVENTS® Aero are for lighter, minimalist plate carrier setups, SOF and SWAT type applications.
ICEVENTS® Classic are for heavy, full duty/conventional combat loads loads and similar.'
Right below that guidance, we also provide this hyperlink to an article from our INSIGHTS blog with a detailed breakdown of the difference between ICEVENTS® Aero and ICEVENTS® Classic. Here is the link for your reference:
https://www.qoreperformance.com/blogs/military-insights/what-is-the-difference-between-icevents-classic-and-icevents-aero
Good news: it sounds like you just have the wrong product for your application. Better news: easy fix. Please feel free to reach out to us at Info [at] Qore Performance [dot] com and we'll be happy to see what we can do to get you the correct product for your application.
We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Great Product!

I used the my Icevents holster pad on a True North Concepts MHA during a 8hr live fire training course. Great all day fit and function. No issues, easy installation, comfortable and well made in the USA! Thanks for making this product.

Great product, terrible colors

Outstanding design, easy to work around if need be. 3 stars bc of the hi vis only colors. Bring back green, black, multicam asap

Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to leave an honest review of our ICESHIELD HiVis Hand Warmer. Unfortunately, we discontinued ICESHIELD Plus in military colors in 2024 as part of our SKU Rationalization Program. We had some units left in black, MultiCam, Ranger Green, and Coyote which were made available to our LaunchPad email subs, but they sold out almost immediately. Details on our SKU Rationalization Program can be found here or in the product description above:
https://www.qoreperformance.com/blogs/running-the-business/discontinued-product-sku-rationalization-explained?_pos=1&_psq=sku-rationalization&_ss=e&_v=1.0

We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
#StayFrosty
Qore Performance Customer Support Team

Does Qore Performance offer a discount for Military, Law Enforcement, or First Responders?

USMC Plate Carrier Gen 3: Full Technical Overview and Testing

Best Plate Carriers of 2025: DATA ONLY

Best Plate Carriers 2025 - Technical Review

What is ICEFLASK? (replacement water bottle for military canteens and Nalgenes)

Let customers speak for us