AR500 Armor Kangaroo Pouch Use, Part 2

In part 1 of this product review, I tested the AR500 Armor Kangaroo Pouch with our four full-size carriers with the Testudo Gen 2.0 and the Veritas (with and without cummerbund). In this installment, I look at how the kangaroo pouch performs with the AR500 Armor Valkyrie and AR Invictus plate carriers.

Valkyrie

The Kangaroo pouch fits into the Valkyrie’s lower admin pouch a little tighter than the Testudo, as the lower admin pocket on the Valkyrie is just a little narrower than that of the Testudo. Nevertheless, it’s possible to put three USGI or aftermarket mags such as Lancers into the pouch, with mag retrieval being on par with the Testudo.

 

One thing to remember is that, due to the design of the Valkyrie, the lower admin pouch is built into the cummerbund flap (similar to the Testudo, the pocket is sewn into the cummerbund flap). Because of this, the top of the magazines will hit the top of the carrier when you lift up the flap to undo the cummerbund, making it a little more difficult to remove the carrier, it’s something to keep in mind.

AR Invictus

The Invictus suffers the similar challenge as the Veritas with cummerbund: the flap used for the Invictus takes up some room in the lower admin pocket. But because of the Invictus’ low profile design, the pocket seems to have even less available room so the Kangaroo pouch doesn’t fit properly.

So, while you can eventually get magazines into the pouch, they are held so tightly that getting a thumb behind them is almost impossible. dditionally, the lower admin pouch on the Invictus is significantly deeper than that of the Testudo, Veritas, and Valkyrie. Removing the center mag was really the only feasible way to remove the magazines with any speed.

 

(in testing the Invictus, I did not get the cummerbund flap completely inserted, as apparent in the images. This would have no effect on how well the kangaroo pouch works with this carrier)

Conclusion

For any of the carriers, one thing that can make magazine retrieval easier with USGI-style magazines is the use of Magpul Ranger plates or paracord pull loops for USGI-style or aftermarket magazines. By giving the user a place to grab tightly stowed magazines, it eliminates one element that prevented me from removing mags from the kangaroo pouch, namely getting my thumb behind the magazine to grab it. 

Given the tolerances in the Veritas with cummerbund and Invictus, I’m not sure if old school Magpul loops would fit, and I didn’t have any to test the theory.

The final consideration about using the Kangaroo pouch is whether you must or want to run pouches at the top of your carrier. Because of the clearance needed to remove the magazine and, when there is no flexibility in the angle of removal, it will be difficult to both use mags in a kangaroo pouch and many pouches on the upper portion. 

This seems to be the case for both the Kangaroo pouch-friendly carriers (such as the Testudo and Veritas) and the less-than-accommodating Invictus and Veritas with cummerbund.

My personal plate carrier is a Veritas without a cummerbund, and I run a Kangaroo mag pouch with three PMags in the lower admin pocket. I have no plans to add any pouches to the upper PALS area of the carrier, and only plan a med-kit and tourniquet for the front of the Veritas.

The AR500 Armor kangaroo pouch is an inexpensive option to carry a modest ammo load that is always with your plate carrier, especially minimalist carriers where preserving PALS webbing on the front of the carrier.