Grey Ghost (GG) Gear has been around for a bit now and makes several different pieces of tactical gear. They perhaps do not come up as often as other name brands but when you talk plate carriers, it is hard not to bring up Grey Ghost Gear.
The GG Minimalist Plate Carrier is designed solely on the mentality that “lighter is better”, so don’t expect many frills that are normally sold on plate carriers. What you can expect is a ton of functionality. The GG Minimalist Plate Carrier is designed to carry 10×12 hard plates or large ESAPI plate. They come with six rows of MOLLE or PALS style webbing and have built in matching loop material on the top three rows which allow for the option of attaching patches or ID panels.
The front of the GG Minimalist Plate Carrier also features a discrete pocket that makes it perfect for storing small items that need to be accessed in a hurry. Items such as medevac cards, a small knife or maps would be perfect for this. The rest of the vest is constructed from Mil-Spec materials to stand up to hard use as per industry standards. The inside faces of the carrier are also lined with the Air Mesh technology which allow for better comfort and breathability. The plate pockets of the Minimalist Plate Carrier are lined with LiteLok technology, which is a cloth that provides abrasion resistance. You can find it in several colour including black, coyote brown, multicam, and wolf grey.
I’m going to be honest with you, I have a bias with the GG Minimalist Plate Carrier. This has been my carrier of choice now for a while, in fact I own it in two colours and absolutely love it. With that said, this review is not paid for nor is this a promotion. As a result of personally owning one of these I have had a long time to test it out and get a perfect fit. GG does sell the Minimalist Plate Carrier as a “one size fits all” setup. I would say this is true for most body types but there might be some that find it not the case. There are shoulder straps that are adjustable and there is an integrated set of elastic side straps that allow you to keep a snug fit. I routinely use mine on the range and for training where I am running through drills and find the fit to be perfect even when doing unexpected dynamic motions.
The other important factor with the GG Minimalist Plate Carrier to note is the weight of the carrier, or the lack of it. This is probably one of the lightest plate carriers you’ll ever hold and it certainly is an advantage to the comfort and overall feel of the carrier. I think this is due to the Minimalist Plate Carrier being made out of 500D Cordura and not 1000D Cordura. I know many plate carriers on the market advertise as 1000D Cordura and I can appreciate why someone in the market would want one of these but honestly the 500D Cordura is still solid and it weighs half of the 1000D Cordura (obviously). There is also a further weight reduction as some of the Minimalist Plate Carrier is made from LiteLok, which also weights even less than the 500D Cordura. LiteLok is also water-resistant on top of being abrasion resistant as already mentioned. When GG combined the 500D Cordura and the LiteLok material, they bonded everything together with excellent stitching and made it feel solid.
You really cannot go wrong with the fit and comfort provided by the GG Minimalist Plate Carrier. Even if you are not happy with it out of the box, it is such an easy plate carrier to modify and adjust to exactly how you want it. I find with the 6 rows of MOLLE webbing, the possibilities are endless. As a result, I have run this plate carrier in several various setups.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a simple plate carrier that lets you customize it to how you want it as you go along, then get one of these! The GG Minimalist Plate Carrier might be the best carrier you ever get, and it might be the last one you ever want to buy. 9/10.
