Debuted in 2012, Crye Precision released its Adaptive Vest System, or AVS, to offer the military a scalable system that could range from low-profile carrier to full assault configurations. Eventually, the AVS would go on to replace the Modular Body Armor Vest system and become the premiere armor system for military special forces. Sold as individual components, the AVS enables the end-user a broad array of configurations that best suit their mission or individual needs. Because of its longevity and popularity, an extensive aftermarket has also developed around the AVS.
Made from dominantly 500D Cordura nylon, the AVS is offered in a base configuration (used for this review), a two or three band skeletal cummerbund configuration, and the full assault configuration (which includes multiple pouches for magazines and side armor). While each configuration is different and for different mission needs, the base configuration consists of (1) the AVS Harness (which comes from Crye with a single-band, adjustable retention strap), and (2) the AVS Plate Bags (which will include Crye’s shoulder covers, and the Tweave shoulder strap sleeves).
AVS Harness
The AVS Harness is a patterned unique back panel that integrates both rear shoulder strap, and side cummerbunds. Inside the harness, is a semi-rigid sheet of 1/8” thick polymer that gives the AVS both structure and support under heavy load, in much the same method as a supportive exoskeleton.
The shoulder element of the harness includes steel cinch D-rings and hook-and-loop (female) material to allow adjustment in the length of shoulder strap.
The back panel of the AVS Harness itself includes various attachment points for mounting the rear plate bag, optional cummerbunds, and the elastic shock cord. This partitioned design allows the AVS Harness to flex to a minor degree and enable a more comfortable range in motion.
Each cummerbund wing of the AVS Harness includes two bands of MOLLE-spaced nylon on each side for attaching various side panels, pouches, or other accessories.
The forward tabs of the cummerbund insert into the corresponding slots on the interior of the front plate bag to give added support and transfer that load across both the plate bag and harness. The adjustable single strap that comes with the base configuration is secured to the front plate bag, then cinched. ***Editor’s Note: For the purposes of this review, the adjustable single strap cummerbund that comes included with the AVS harness was replaced with a skeletonized QD cummerbund from MOS Tactical, and thus will not be included in review.
The interior of the AVS Harness has a full-length soft, one-wrap hook-and-loop material that can be used for protecting exposed skin or attaching Crye’s AVS Harness Pad Set (sold separately).
Product Link: https://www.cryeprecision.com/AVS-Harness
AVS Plate Bags
Crye has developed three different AVS plate bags, which are based around the cut-type of the ballistic plate worn. These three plate bags are SAPI, MBAV, and Swimmer (for the purposes of this review, SAPI was selected). The front AVS Plate Bag features a hook-and-loop secured admin pouch at the top for flat items, pens, or smaller field items. On the admin pouch’s exterior is a 3” x 4” hook-and-loop (female) field for attaching identification or morale patches. The hook-and-loop is also slotted for MOLLE compatibility and attach items as needed. The bottom half of the front plate bag is double pocketed and dedicated to a 6” x 10” hook-and-loop (female) field used for attaching various AVS placards or other aftermarket items.
The rear AVS Plate Bag has a full-field of MOLLE-slotted nylon bands for attaching any matching back panel or pack. Additionally, a 3” x 4” hook-and-loop (female) field is on the upper quarter for attaching identification or morale patches. A simple nylon drag handle is at the top of the rear plate bag, and secured to the carrier via hook-and-loop. Along both sides of the rear plate bag are Crye’s YKK-patterned #10 oversized zippers, used to secure any associated back panel or accessory with matching zipper spacing.
The interior of both the front and back carrier bag include slots and webbing for attaching the various elements of the bags to the AVS Harness, or hook-and-loop panels for adjusting the shoulder straps.
Plates are inserted into both the front and rear plate bags through hook-and-loop envelope enclosures that are secured via hook-and-loop.
Product Link: https://www.cryeprecision.com/AVS-Standard-Plate-Pouch-Set
Placards
Crye does offer rifle placards specific to mounting on the AVS, while other companies also offer conversion kits, such as the Adaptive Vest Placard by AXL Advanced, that can adapt most slide-release buckle placards to the AVS as well. It should be noted that in either case, any hook-and-loop (male) backed placard will secure to the front plate bag through its corresponding fabric. The Crye Detachable Flap, M4 allots for the standard three-magazine pouch, with over-the-top flap to each pouch that secures it in place.
Product Link: https://www.cryeprecision.com/AVS-Detachable-Flap-M4
The Crye AVS is available in Multicam (featured), Black, Coyote, and OD Green, whereas it ranges in size between Small to XLarge.
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Fair (2/5): The cost of Crye’s AVS is not cheap by any stretch. Even with the base configuration (with modified cummerbund for this review), the cost of the AVS harness ($291) and AVS plate bags (sold as a front/back set) in either the Standard ($383), MBAV ($387), or Swimmer Cut ($355) are still very steep in terms of the current market. Add into that, accessories like the skeletal cummerbund ($50-$65) and Detachable M4 Flap ($113) to that total investment. Given the time the platform has been on the market, there are extensive third-party accessories for the AVS, but those are separate to the core function of the base configuration. Thus, even the base configuration of the AVS can run north of $1,100 with other setups costing more. Consumers must remember the AVS, as developed by Crye, was to meet a specific military need, and thus has a price point consummate with federal coffers that have no bottom. Crye set the price point for the AVS so high specifically to tailor to one client, and exclude others. In relationship between function and cost, the AVS does provide an almost unrivaled level of support and structure for a plate carrier, even after 12 years in production. But to reiterate, the level of weight the AVS can support is designed to address what soldiers must bear, not civilians. So a majority of the AVS’s functional design is unnecessary for most who are not in a professional capacity to warrant this level of load-bearing support. In contrast, complete carrier setups from Shaw Concepts Arc Carrier ($545), Ferro Concepts FCPC V5 ($385), T3 Gear G2 ($415), or Grey Ghost Gear’s SMU ($324) all illustrate the departure in cost between a carrier intended for the Department of Defense, as opposed to those from commercial companies. For its design, materials, and function to support large amounts of weight, the AVS still makes for a fair price point considering what the end-user gains (if used to its full abilities).
- Comfort – Good (4/5): The real comfort aspect of the AVS comes with the harness, which is key in mitigating the load bearing weight around the torso evenly. The semi-rigid polymer material inside it adds to that support and makes the overall carrier extremely comfortable regardless of the weight attached to it. There was also some ability to adjust plate height and circumference of the outer cummerbund to find a preferred fit using the multiple hook-and-loop adjustments. The included shoulder padding did anchor into the harness via hook-and-loop in the shoulder straps that prevented slippage, but the ones that come with the harness were lacking in thickness given how much weight the AVS can support. Aftermarket pads (such as the Structured Shoulder Pads by AXL Advanced sold separately) do address that need. When assembled, it did take a little getting used to having both the inner harness tabs to insert to the front carrier, in addition to the cummerbund (basically there were two cummerbunds), but that was what aided in structural support. Again, the polymer inserts to the harness and plate bags created the structure necessary that allowed the AVS to sit around the torso, rather than bearing all that weight down exclusively from the shoulder straps. There were additional Crye accessories, such as the AVS Harness Pads, that could be attached to the interior of the AVS and increase the level of comfort, but really they serve to address airflow behind the carrier and mitigate heat that becomes trapped against the torso (which was notable during the review). The AVS was designed in a time where these were not factors when designing the plate bag interiors like seen commonly on the market of today. One thing observed was also how the dimensions of the harness made stowing the AVS slightly difficult as the semi-rigid structure prevented the carrier from being folded up. Perhaps the only negative observation made in terms of comfort was that as more items/weight were added to the AVS, and accessories added to increase padding or comfort, the bulkier the carrier’s profile became. This could become problematic in narrow doorways or hallways. End-users may experience that as they shift their AVS into heavier setups, the shoulder covers that come with the AVS are not padded sufficiently, so Crye does offer the AVS Padded Shoulder Cover (purchased separately but included with this review). Over the AVS’ 12-year tenure, other companies, like AXL Advanced have offered their Structural Shoulder Pads, to improve the AVS shoulder straps with added rigidity/padding. Despite that, no impacts to shouldering a rifle or limitations in range of motion via arms or torso were experienced regardless of which shoulder padding type was utilized. One common issue noted in research was from those within the Medium size range reported the AVS harness was excessively large, resulting in overlap of the harness’s cummerbund tabs and causing a pressure point against the chest. In these instances, the resolution was to simply step-down to a Small sized harness. Crye does post an AVS sizing chart, but this is also relative to the individual’s torso dimensions as well.
- Durability – Average (3/5): From a standpoint of durability, the AVS is made from the same 500D Cordura nylon as commonly found in most tactical products 12 years ago and today (although newer materials like laminate nylon are quickly gaining popularity), and gives the overall carrier an appropriate (or average) level of durability to resist friction. Extensive bartack stitching, box and X-pattern reinforcement, were noted at key stress points, all of which reflected the carrier’s added intent to address the needs of the military. The AVS was designed from the start to survive harsh battlefield abuse. However, these high levels of durability add to manufacturing cost, and likely play a role into why AVS components have such a high price tag. At no point in evaluations were any threading, seams, or fabric observed to be fraying or presented signs of premature wear. Hook-and-loop panels functioned correctly, and did not wear excessively. The semi-rigid polymer inserts in the harness and carrier bags did gradually take on a more curved profile as the AVS was worn in. However, the polymer inserts were also what provided the structural support and did not split, crack, or otherwise fail to maintain resilience over usage.
- Functionality – Excellent (5/5): Functionally, the AVS was (back when it came out, and now) one of the most complex plate carrier systems to setup and adjust, due to its purpose as a scalable system. So end-users should take note to follow the directions included in the manual as it includes setup for all variations of the AVS, as well as setup of the emergency doffing cable. The alternative configurations of the AVS gave it one of the larger ranges in diversity between light(er) needs, to fully armored—yet regardless still maintained its weight distribution. A majority of the AVS’ functional design was for distributing high levels of worn weight on the soldier to around their torso, which directly plays into comfort and preventing fatigue. The one caveat was if the AVS was configured and worn without the harness—in which case the functional aspect of the carrier’s design for weight distribution (especially for heavier loads) was lost. Another aspect to be aware of, if end-users opt for cummerbund upgrades that are not from Crye (such as in this review opting for a three-band style with First Spear tubes from MOS Tactical) be sure to check if it does/doesn’t come with the necessitating tri-glide buckles as some aftermarket companies do not provide those and they are needed to attach the cummerbund to the harness. Perhaps one challenge end-users will find is as they add more items between the base configuration and assault, is the bulker (and heavier) the AVS obviously becomes. The split between the two halves of the harness (once assembled) did provide minimal articulation and ventilation while the AVS was worn, but only in relation to the rear carrier bag (which remains fixed). Adjusting the various hook-and-loop panels to find an ideal fit between the harness and shoulder straps did take time, but paid dividends in the end. Still, other MOLLE fields on the cummerbund, rear plate bag, and aftermarket accessories gave the AVS extensive room to be configured beyond the manufacture’s setting by adding additional pouches or accessories to meet the end-users specific mission needs. Some elements of the AVS however, did reflect its age—with elements like magazine retention (via only the detachable M4 flap with over-the-top flaps rather than open-top), or dedicated heat mitigation channels on the plate bag interiors not included in the design, whereas these are features are dominantly industry standards now. As stated previously, there are a large variety of aftermarket products to support the AVS, and with enough dedicated searching end-users can find something to meet their individual needs. Civilians should consider if the AVS is truly something they need (balancing that with the AVS’ cost), as their requirements for training and personal safety differ vastly from professionals/MIL/LEO.
- Weight – Fair (2/5): Weight of a plate carrier is always a concern. In the case of the AVS, it is among the heaviest on the market with a complete base configuration (determinate by sizeing) weighing in at approximately 50 ounces (or 3.13 pounds) without plates. As individual components, the AVS plate bags (both front/rear) measured 24.6 ounces, the harness (with single band cummerbund) itself was 23.6 ounces, and the M4 detachable flap was a lighter 4.0 ounces. Not included to that total would be other accessories added, like side armor, pack, or other pouches. Obviously, not only did material play a part in this weight, but also the added polymer inserts inside the plate bags and harness (which is something most carriers do not have) that gave those pieces structure and support. If the AVS becomes saturated (i.e. through rain or sweat) it can gain almost as much as 40% more weight. However, because of its stability as a carrier, the AVS was neither off-balancing nor fatiguing on the shoulders during dynamic movements. This illustrated why so much of the AVS’ design is around weight mitigation/distribution, as not only does the end-user have to contend with the carrier itself, but what is added to it in gear or accessories. In contrast, the complete Arc V2 Carrier (39.75 ounces) from Shaw Concepts, Ferro’s FCPC V5 (23.8 ounces), T3 Gear’s G2 (48 ounces), or Grey Ghost Gear’s SMU (24 ounces) all illustrate how Crye’s AVS is at the upper end of the current market in carriers. But that weight comes with added functional reinforcement and structural support that almost no other carriers have. So it becomes an appropriate (or averaged) draw, whereby the consumer will need to carefully consider their intended use, budget, and weight if thinking of upgrading to Crye Precision’s AVS.
Overall Rating – Average (16/25)
Product Link: https://www.cryeprecision.com/vests/avs
I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via High Ground Media, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.
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