5.11 TacTec Trainer Weight Vest

As a veteran, a strength and conditioning coach, and a gym owner, there are two questions I get asked all the time. One: what is the best weighted vest for me to get? Two: does it really make that big of a difference when I am walking or training? The answer to the first one has not changed in years, and honestly it is not that surprising. It is the 5.11 TacTec Trainer Weight Vest.

I have been a fan of 5.11 Tactical since I was a young Marine, back in the 2008 to 2012 era. 5.11 has just been the standard for so long, in my mind and in the minds of a lot of other people. The company is known, trusted, and makes quality products. So when somebody at the gym asks me the vest question, my answer is always the same.

A little over five years of Murphs and gym days, and it still hangs ready.

Plate Carriers and Me: A Long History

I have had a number of plate carriers over the years. Some of that was carrying actual gear: ceramic plates, real body armor. Some of it was purely fitness. So when I talk about how a vest fits and wears, that opinion comes from both sides of the house.

Here is my problem, and if you are built like me, it is probably your problem too. I am 5'4" and 145 pounds lean. Smaller athlete. In the Marine Corps, one of my biggest issues with vests was always the same: they dig in a little too low, they get cramped on the sides, and they never quite conform the way you want them to.

One of the First Through the Door

I have had this newest model for a little over five years now, since right when it first came out. I had a buddy who worked at the 5.11 store here locally in Frisco, and when it released, he told me about it and recommended it. I was one of the first ones to get it, and it solved a lot of what I had been putting up with for years.

First, the sand-filled plates. You have the option to run them instead of rigid plates, and they contour to your body and take the stiffness out of everything. Burpees, push ups, pull ups, all the stuff a Murph day throws at you feels noticeably less like fighting your own equipment. That is my strong recommendation: go the sand route, or the contoured plates. In my opinion those are the best, especially for a smaller athlete.

The sand-filled plate. It contours to your body instead of fighting it.

Going the sand route. My strong recommendation, especially for smaller athletes.

Second, the sides. This vest has better stretch material along the sides, and it does not dig into my hips the way the older vests always did. There is also a small side pocket for keys and the like. Fair warning: I have the iPhone Pro Max, the big one, and it does not ride comfortably in that side pocket. It fits in the front Velcro pocket really, really well though, so the phone problem has a home.

The stretch sides that finally do not dig into my hips.

The side pocket: keys yes, iPhone Pro Max no. The big phone lives in the front Velcro pocket.

Third, breathability. A plate carrier is a plate carrier. It can only be so light, and the whole purpose is added weight, especially on the fitness side. Not many of us are still out there running a gun and getting in firefights. When it comes to fitness, that is the whole game: add weight, but do it in a way that is comfortable and bearable, that does not rub your shoulders, sides, and hips any more than anything else would. This one has spacing on the inside and across the back that lets airflow actually get through, and it is one of the more breathable vests I have owned.

Mesh and spacing where it counts. Air actually moves through this one.

The 5.11 and Rogue Thing

I am brand loyal to 5.11, and they have partnered up with Rogue on a lot, which happens to be another one of my favorite brands of all time. Basically everything I have equipped my gym with is made by Rogue. So this is a partnership made in heaven for me: two of my favorite companies working together. You can get Rogue weight plates directly through 5.11 and build whatever setup works for you.

It has everything else you would want in a tactical vest too: the full MOLLE platform, the webbing. If you want to attach another pouch or extra gear, it takes it. That kind of functionality is always a plus.

Full MOLLE platform across the back. Add pouches, build the loadout you want.

The Passing of the Torch

Here is how vest ownership works in my house. I keep one for about five years at a time. When a new model comes out or something intrigues me, I gift my current vest, normally to a younger athlete, usually somebody on their way into the service or fresh out of boot camp. A passing of the torch. Then I use that as a great excuse to get a new vest for myself.

This one is nearing that point. Not because it is breaking down. It still holds up really nice. It is just about that time to try a new version or a different loadout, more or less because I want to and because it is fun. After five years of sweat, the reason it leaves the rotation is tradition, not failure.

The Honest Math

Sure, you may find something cheaper out there. As always, I think you get what you pay for. I would much rather support a company that has supported me and my community for a long time. There is a 5.11 store I can walk into locally: get help in person, see new product, try things on, get my hands on it. And I know they will not ghost me if something goes wrong. They stand behind the product and help you find a solution. I can say the same for Rogue, minus the physical location near me.

If you are on the fence: this is an investment, even if it costs twice what something else does. It will last you a very, very long time, and the only reason you will get rid of it is because you want to, not because it broke. These things are meant to be thrown into battle. Any workout you throw at it, it will withstand for a very long time.

And the second question, does it really make a difference? This thing is super versatile, and the simplest use is the best one. Throwing a vest on and going for a walk is the best place to start for anyone with a home gym, and honestly anyone just getting into fitness. Even a little added weight makes the calorie burn go up, and a little bit goes a long way when it is done consistently. That is why you see so many people out there walking with weight now. And if you are doing Murph once a year, you want your own vest for that. I do.

Every Dad Carry is reader-supported. I bought this vest with my own money a little over five years ago, probably with a military discount and nothing more, and 5.11 had no say in this review. The link is our 5.11 affiliate link and costs you nothing extra.