AO Review: First Spear Stranhogg V3 Plate Carrier, Part 1 – “Bombproof?”

First Spear is a company that had first come onto the tactical market back in 2010 and ever since has been producing high quality, American-made, Berry-compliant gear for the Special Operations community, Tier 1 Military, and Law Enforcement teams. Based outside of St. Louis, their team is made up of experienced industry professionals and former U.S. service members. “FirstSpear” is the translated namesake of the Primus Pilus, the Senior Centurion of a Roman Legion. FirstSpear dedicates our efforts to present-day Centurions, those willing to sacrifice to preserve our heritage and secure our future. It is an honor and a privilege to support those who serve at the tip of the spear! So, in this AllOutdoor Review, we are going to take a look at the Stranhogg V3 Plate Carrier.

The First Spear Stranhogg V3 Plate Carrier was sent to me by First Spear for this review and while I do get to keep this product indefinitely, that does not affect how I feel about any of their products now or in the future.

I tested the Stranhogg over the course of 9 months in the fall in New England and the spring in Alabama. I have worn it on many range trips and have actually used it as a weighted running vest for my training in preparation for the Tactical games last fall.

First Spear Coverage on AllOutdoor

Specs – First Spear Stranhogg V3 Plate Carrier

Country Of Origin – USA
Color Options – Black, Coyote, Grey, Multicam, Ranger Green.
6/12™️ laser cut platform
Tubes™ Rapid-Release Technology
Comfort padding
Built-in ventilation channel
MSRP – $655

Quality and Comfort – First Spear Stranhogg V3 Plate Carrier

Let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room of this review. Most people are initially going to look at how much the Stranhogg V3 costs and say one of two things “My god” “Your out of your fucking mind”. Yes this is certainly an expensive Plate carrier but like all things from First Spear it is top-notch quality and completely sourced and manufactured in the United States of America. The Stranhogg V3 is far and away the highest quality carrier I have owned at this point in time and I have owned a few of them over the years. Some include the LBX Armatus II Plate Carrier, Ferro Concepts Slickster, and the Crye JPC 2.0.

All of those plate carries had their strengths and weaknesses while the Stranhogg V3 is certainly the most high-quality carrier I have used to date, it is also one of the most comfortable to wear for a long period of time. One thing a lot of the cheaper carriers on the market lack is padding. Many companies will sell you bits and pieces of their carriers so you get the parts you want while keeping the price relatively low at first. Later on you will buy accessories to supplement something that your cheaper carrier is lacking and before you know it, your “budget” carrier now costs as much as one of the more expensive ones. The Stranhogg will be expensive at first, but you won’t need to put as much into it to make it comfortable because it comes that way from the factory.

The Stranhogg V3 comes standard with First Spears patented TUBE system. The TUBEs allow for quick Dawning and Doffing of the Stranhogg V3. This is a feature I love so much that I modified my old Crye JPC 2.0 cummerbund and Placard to accommodate this system. The reason I love it is that you won’t ever have to worry about the Tubes wearing out like typical Velcro and its a much more present experience than undoing Velcro all the time. After talking trash about Velcro, this would be a good time to mention how all of the Velcro on the Stranhogg V3 is high quality and has stood u very well in my testing to this point. The stitching is all very good and I’m yet to even find a seam out of place. The Laster cut MOLLE is always a welcomed addition to any tactical gear in my opinion as it is a lighter weight, slimmer and stronger option compared to traditional nylon MOLLE.

In case I have not harped on it enough at this point, the plate bags feature a large amount or padding and this translates to all-day comfort while wearing the Stranhogg V3. I took this PC on a good number of runs the past summer and I’m happy to report it proved to be well-suited for this task. One of the biggest problems when running in kit is the amount of movement your gear creates, thus counteracting your movement and making every step that much more difficult. The generous amount of padding and airflow the Stranhogg V3 has made it easier for me to really tighten the PC to my body, making running a lot easier. I also did the same runs in my Crye JPC 2.0 and found it to be not as comfortable for that situation.

The review continues in Part 2. Watch for that article later today!

Patrik Orcutt

Patrik Orcutt is currently a writer for AllOutdoor who has chosen not to write a short bio at this time.