Forcefield Extreme Harness Adventure

The basics

Lightweight, hardcore body armour that can suck up the punishment but not leave you feeling like the damn thing is made of metal.

The good

Paired down to be just the basics; pads with fasteners so the whole thing straps straight onto you. Chest, back shoulders and arms all get their own specifically designed pads. All of them are made from a combination of uber-high-tech materials that absorb energy on impact so slowing the forces and dissipating their harmful effect on your body.
Unlike many other hard protection pads, the type Forcefield uses in their body armour is constructed with a honeycomb of small triangular holes. This means that the pads breathe easily so even if you are playing hard you shouldn’t be drenched in sweat.
The fact that this armour isn’t stitched into an undershirt but straps directly to whatever you are wearing allows you to tailor your layers more effectively to the climactic conditions of the day. No undershirt also makes it more flexible and comfortable to wear, so even if you are out all day on a big backcountry mission you can have top-level protection without feeling encumbered.

The bad

No matter how stealth, flexible, breathable or comfortable body armour is - and this does all four well – it is still armour and still bulky. It is an extra layer of clothing and is a fuss to take on and off. There’s no lower body protection: that’s a whole other purchase.
For most people, particularly beginners and intermediates, upper body armour is arguably not as necessary as knee and coccyx protection.

The bottom line

When you really need protection, the harness will work very hard to keep you safe. Elite impact armour that is far less cumbersome than most other hard-pad options.