Anytime you have a gathering of gun guys, you’ll almost certainly find that they’re also into all the other gear and gadgets that go along with firearms. For many shooting enthusiasts, that gear includes nylon-type products such as plate carriers, mag pouches, IFAK pouches, and the like. Earlier this year, TFB reported on the introduction of Defense Mechanisms, a new player in the tactical nylon scene. With a strong emphasis on customizability, Defense Mechanisms has come out swinging with a modular plate carrier system and a modular placard/pouch line, among their other products like rifle slings and ankle medical rigs. Far from resting on their laurels, in the wake of their significant initial release Defense Mechanisms has just announced several additions to their product offerings. You can now expand your Mission Essential Plate Carrier’s capabilities with new side plate bags, zippered full pocket and half pocket placard components, and single pistol mag pouches.

A standalone view of the new half pocket pictured above.

The side plate bags are notable for a couple of reasons. The first is that they are designed to be mounted on the inside of the cummerbund rather than on the outside as is common with some other brands. This internal mounting system is likely to keep your side plates more secure and snugged up against your body, rather than potentially flopping or catching on anything external that you might brush up against. With that, the inner-facing non-molle surface looks to be equipped with a breathable mesh padding face. As anyone who has spent an extended period of time wearing body armor can assert, some breathability and padding can go a long way toward making an uncomfortable experience a bit more bearable.

The full pocket offers the same features as its little brother with roughly double the capacity.

The zippered full- and half-pockets for Defense Mechanisms’ placard system can provide a convenient spot to stash any number of small items, depending on your particular activity or mission set. They again highlight the modularity of this system – you have a great deal of flexibility in setting up your specific loadout and changing it to suit your evolving needs if you so choose. Finally, the pistol mag pouch lets you dial in exactly how many handgun magazines are appropriate for you. Rather than being limited to even numbers with a double pouch, if you know you’ll need just one, or three, or however many will best supply your pistol-oriented activities, you can now mix and match singles and doubles with either belt mounts or molle webbing.

The single pistol mag pouch is “designed to be a low-profile option for magazine retention”.

If you wear body armor and have to include side plates, you may find these new side plate bags comfortable.

Via interactions with their fans on social media, Defense Mechanisms has indicated that they aren’t done yet. One potential future project mentioned was a strap or harness system that will interface with their existing kangaroo panel. If it can be successfully developed, this would enable you to build a pouch setup on your kangaroo panel and then quickly and easily switch it from your plate carrier to a standalone chest rig, without having to unweave all the molle and start over every time. It will be interesting to see what Defense Mechanisms comes up with as they continue to develop and expand their product offerings. If you decide to purchase any of their gear, please let us know what you think of it in the comments below. See you at the range!

Photos courtesy of Defense Mechanisms.