GOTHAM R-1 BACKPLATE
- 6.4 oz
- Weight
- 28
- Vent ports
- ABS
- Shell
THE ANGLE YOU CAN'T COVER
Every plate carrier on the market is designed around the front. Front geometry, front tolerances, front test data. The rear cavity gets treated as a weight penalty you carry to check a box — usually filled with a front plate turned backwards and sold at a discount.
The R-1 was built from the other direction.
A threat from behind arrives with no muzzle flash in your peripheral, no shout, no second to turn, and no input from you whatsoever. The front of your carrier protects the fight you chose. The R-1 protects the one you didn't.
NOT A FRONT PLATE TURNED AROUND
The human back is not the human chest. It's flatter across the scapular shelf, narrower through the taper, and it carries load differently under a pack, a radio, or a bladder. Mount a chest plate at your back and it sits proud, rides high, and drives every impulse straight into your spine.
The R-1's [single-curve / multi-curve] profile is derived from rear-torso scan data, not mirrored off a front plate. It indexes flush at the shoulder blades, clears a belt line without stacking, and stays where you put it through a full sprint under load.
| Shell | ABS polymer |
| Padding | EVA closed-cell foam |
| Straps | Woven nylon, 1.5 in |
| Vent ports | 28 |
| Adult | 10.0 × 7.0 in |
| Youth | 8.5 × 5.5 in |
| Profile | Curved |
Youth — under 5'4" and under 100 lb. Adult — over 5'4" and 100 lb or more. If you're between the two, take the adult: the plate should clear the bottom of your pads and cover the kidneys without pressing into your hips when you sit in your stance.
1 · Lay your shoulder pads face down. 2 · Feed each nylon strap through the slot at the top of the plate. 3 · Thread both straps through the existing holes at the bottom rear of the pads. 4 · Pull tight and lock the buckle so the plate sits flat against your back. Under two minutes, no tools.
Orders ship within 48 hours. Free US shipping over $75; flat $6 under. Returns accepted within 30 days as long as the plate is unused and the straps are intact.
What's actually in it.
01 — ABS Shell
Vent-cut hard shell. Spreads impact across the full plate.
02 — EVA Core
Closed-cell foam bonded to the inside face, curved to your back.
03 — Nylon Straps
Woven webbing through the shell and onto the pads. No rattle.