5.11 TacTec Weight Plate Sandbag

Ground rules first, in plain English: this is a product overview, not a review. I do not have this exact item in hand yet, so there are no photos of mine on this page and no wear notes. The hands-on review comes once I have lived with it.

What makes this overview different from most is that the subject is not a stranger. I run sand-filled plates in my own vest, and I put that on record in my full 5.11 TacTec Trainer review: sand-filled plates contour to your body and take the rigidity out of burpees, push ups, and pull ups, and going the sand route is my strong recommendation, especially for smaller athletes. Read that review for the vest itself. This page is the spec read on the sandbag, ahead of a dedicated hands-on with its own photos.

The Spec Read

You get two sandbags per package for $55. Each bag runs 12.75 inches high by 9.75 inches long by 1 inch deep, built from 600D polyester with a roll-top closure and a hook-and-loop flap to lock the fill in. The pair weighs about 2.25 pounds empty. That is the whole story: they ship empty, and you supply the sand.

Inside, each bag has a center baffle to distribute the weight evenly and cut down on shifting, plus internal PE boards that add structure so the bag does not slump into a lump at the bottom of the carrier. An ergonomic centerline break curves the bag to your body. They fit the TacTec Trainer Weight Vest and the Taconic Weight Vest, and they come in black only.

Who It Is For

Anybody who owns a TacTec vest and has not loaded it yet. Smaller athletes especially, for the reasons in my vest review: sand moves with you instead of fighting you. And anyone who travels, because an empty pair is barely over two pounds in a suitcase and sand exists everywhere you are going.

One thing to know: the listing states no target filled weight, so filling both bags evenly and hitting the load you want is on you. A cheap scale solves it.

The Honest Math

The math is why this page exists. 5.11's rigid plates run $100 for the 5.75 pound pair, $120 for 8.75, $180 for 13.75, and the Weight Vest Plate 18.75 at $220. The sandbags are $55 for two, plus whatever a bag of play sand costs, which is not much. That is the cheapest way to put weight in this vest, period. When I checked, the page showed a low-inventory flag, so it may come and go. No discount is stated on the product page itself, though 5.11 runs a site-wide military and first responder program. Get it

Every Dad Carry is an approved 5.11 Tactical affiliate through impact.com. Links on this page pay the site a commission at no extra cost to you. I did not receive this product free, and this overview is published ahead of my own testing.