Emerson Jumpable Plate Carrier
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:45 pmA relatively new item to the market, Emerson's Jumpable Plate Carrier (JPC) is a replica of Crye Precision's new lightweight platform designed for the US special forces. Examples of genuine Crye JPCs can cost many hundreds of dollars, putting them out of reach for many. But as Emerson becomes more widely distributed, this replica and other accessories are showing up at more and more airsoft retailers.
The Emerson replicas are available in Coyote Brown, Ranger Green, and Multicam. Some are included with replicas of ITW Fast Mags (such as the ones carried by the friendly folks down at Airsoft Outlet Northwest), or without, such as mine which I purchased from EB Airsoft.
The first thing one will notice about the JPC is its size. The front panel is roughly a foot tall from top to bottom and when adjusted properly, the whole rig sits high on the chest, providing little coverage for the stomach. While somewhat unusual compared to other, larger carriers, this affords the wearer with considerably better range of motion. My only gripe about the height is that it can make accessing mag pouches on the cummerbund a little awkward, as the wearer may have to contort their arm a bit to draw out a new mag.
With that being said, Molle real estate is not so much limited, but instead requires the wearer to pack more efficiently. The front and back panels are six rows high and six columns wide, the front panel has enough space to hold three attached M4 mag pouches abreast in addition to the integrated pouches on the front of the rig. The Emerson JPC provides the versatility and coverage of a plate carrier, with the lightness, fit, and flexibility of a chest rig. The rig also has a Molle cummerbund which is attached by elastic straps on the back for flexibility, and secures to Velcro under the front panel, as is typical of most carriers. The cummerbund is backless, which helps with weight saving and ventilation. Despite its low profile, the cummerbund still fits snugly and helps to keep most of the weight off the wearer's shoulders. The shoulder straps attach to each other with Velcro and are secured by an elastic sheath. The sheath also features Velcro loops to secure a hydration straw or radio cables. The sheath is made of a thin elastic material which feels somewhat flimsy. The straps are also unpadded, which means an overloaded carrier could become highly uncomfortable after a couple hours of play. That being said, due to the rig's small size, the wearer will want to focus on cutting unnecessary weight and bulk from their loadout to maximize the comfort and effectiveness of this rig. 6 to 8 mags and only the barest essentials should be included in a loadout built on this platform. Another advantage is that shorter or smaller-framed players who otherwise don't fit into full sized carriers, may find the Emerson JPC to be a very good fit due to it's adjustability and compactness.
All-in-all, the fit and finish of the rig are above average. While the rig is not advertised or tagged as 1000D Cordura, the material quality of the rig feels robust. Stitching is tight and secure, Molle loops all line up straight, and the material has a slight sheen to it. One gripe is the included "ballistic plates" which are made of low-quality high density foam (like you find holding a TV in its box). The plates are stamped with "strike face", which is a nice touch, and they provide adequate support and rigidity for the rig. However, out of the box, the front plate already had a large, deep crack in the back. I would highly recommend purchasing higher quality plastic plate replicas to replace the included Styrofoam garbage. In spite of the disappointing plates, the construction quality and appearance brings Pantac to mind, which considering the price point of this carrier, is not at all a bad thing. The stellar build quality and price point means that players wanting to finish off their US Special Forces loadouts, or anyone seeking a more compact alternative to larger plate carriers make the Emerson JPC a superior choice.
Thanks for reading, I hope to add a field test as soon as I can get out to another game, I'll post here whenever I get around to it.
The Emerson replicas are available in Coyote Brown, Ranger Green, and Multicam. Some are included with replicas of ITW Fast Mags (such as the ones carried by the friendly folks down at Airsoft Outlet Northwest), or without, such as mine which I purchased from EB Airsoft.
The first thing one will notice about the JPC is its size. The front panel is roughly a foot tall from top to bottom and when adjusted properly, the whole rig sits high on the chest, providing little coverage for the stomach. While somewhat unusual compared to other, larger carriers, this affords the wearer with considerably better range of motion. My only gripe about the height is that it can make accessing mag pouches on the cummerbund a little awkward, as the wearer may have to contort their arm a bit to draw out a new mag.
With that being said, Molle real estate is not so much limited, but instead requires the wearer to pack more efficiently. The front and back panels are six rows high and six columns wide, the front panel has enough space to hold three attached M4 mag pouches abreast in addition to the integrated pouches on the front of the rig. The Emerson JPC provides the versatility and coverage of a plate carrier, with the lightness, fit, and flexibility of a chest rig. The rig also has a Molle cummerbund which is attached by elastic straps on the back for flexibility, and secures to Velcro under the front panel, as is typical of most carriers. The cummerbund is backless, which helps with weight saving and ventilation. Despite its low profile, the cummerbund still fits snugly and helps to keep most of the weight off the wearer's shoulders. The shoulder straps attach to each other with Velcro and are secured by an elastic sheath. The sheath also features Velcro loops to secure a hydration straw or radio cables. The sheath is made of a thin elastic material which feels somewhat flimsy. The straps are also unpadded, which means an overloaded carrier could become highly uncomfortable after a couple hours of play. That being said, due to the rig's small size, the wearer will want to focus on cutting unnecessary weight and bulk from their loadout to maximize the comfort and effectiveness of this rig. 6 to 8 mags and only the barest essentials should be included in a loadout built on this platform. Another advantage is that shorter or smaller-framed players who otherwise don't fit into full sized carriers, may find the Emerson JPC to be a very good fit due to it's adjustability and compactness.
The shoulder straps attach to each other with Velcro. An elastic sheath secures it in place, but feels flimsy. A user may wish to replace these with more robust shoulder pads, which would also make the rig sit a little more comfortably. A medium utility pouch has been attached to the back, demonstrating how Molle can be looped through the backless cummerbund.
The elastic straps on the back of the plate carrier hold the cummerbund in place. The front panel has plastic loops for straps, allowing the rig to be worn without the cummerbund for a lower profile setup.
All-in-all, the fit and finish of the rig are above average. While the rig is not advertised or tagged as 1000D Cordura, the material quality of the rig feels robust. Stitching is tight and secure, Molle loops all line up straight, and the material has a slight sheen to it. One gripe is the included "ballistic plates" which are made of low-quality high density foam (like you find holding a TV in its box). The plates are stamped with "strike face", which is a nice touch, and they provide adequate support and rigidity for the rig. However, out of the box, the front plate already had a large, deep crack in the back. I would highly recommend purchasing higher quality plastic plate replicas to replace the included Styrofoam garbage. In spite of the disappointing plates, the construction quality and appearance brings Pantac to mind, which considering the price point of this carrier, is not at all a bad thing. The stellar build quality and price point means that players wanting to finish off their US Special Forces loadouts, or anyone seeking a more compact alternative to larger plate carriers make the Emerson JPC a superior choice.
The fake plates included with the rig provide adequate rigidity and support, but are made from Styrofoam, which may not survive much abuse in the field.
Thanks for reading, I hope to add a field test as soon as I can get out to another game, I'll post here whenever I get around to it.
