It’s now time for the Spiritus Systems LV119 Plate Carrier samples I’ve been evaluating to go back to Tactical Kit.

Part 3 concludes my series on the ecosystem, which started with two reviews.

  • Part 1 looked at the ecosystem’s components
  • Part 2 looked at the LV119 in covert mode

Since then I’ve been looking at the plate carrier in a more overt configuration – in synergy with Spiritus’ Micro Fight chest rig (my review here).

This final part of the trilogy contains my final thoughts on what is one of the most surprising products I’ve reviewed.

Is it a surprise that the LV119 is an innovative, niche-filling, well designed product? No, that’s not surprising at all. It’s a Spiritus product – go figure.

Is it a surprise that the LV119 is incredibly well made, with quality materials and stitching which is small, even, straight and true? Not really, no. Every Spiritus product I’ve reviewed has been made in the USA to incredibly high standards.

The surprise is what I see as the LV119’s special sauce: its comfort.

When you review minimalist plate carriers, you accept that comfort is relative and that there’s no way in hell that a lite plate carrier is going to be as comfortable as something like a Crye CPC.

It’s a trade off. The CPC is bulky but insanely comfortable. Lite carriers sacrifice comfort for minimalism.

However, the LV119 is more comfortable than it has any right to be.

What’s really bugging me, is that I can’t explain why. The special sauce remains a secret.

The final puzzle is how to get your hands on an LV119 in the UK. Tactical Kit is absolutely desperate to get them in, demand is so high. It must be painful answering all the customer emails which ask when this stuff will be available, without a definite date.

I don’t have an answer, but I hope the wait isn’t long.

Meanwhile the samples I’ve been looking at will go elsewhere for further evaluation. I can only speculate as to the end users – they are real world, engaged in CT – but I hope they will find this kit as useful and compelling as I have.

Want more Spiritus Systems reviews? You can find a whole list of them here. The list is updated as more reviews are published.

The Reptile House Blog is also on Facebook and Instagram