The final plate carrier part is the cummerbund or belt: This is an adjustable waist strap that most plate carriers have. The purpose of this plate carrier component is to hold the plate pockets and help the shoulder straps stay appropriately fastened and securely onto the plate carrier- more importantly, to help keep the plate carrier properly level and centered on the wearer’s torso; otherwise, the armor plate can move around when a plate carrier is worn on top of regular clothing. The cummerbunds also serve as additional protection from gunfire or trauma by holding soft armor panels or hard armor side plates in front of vital organs- such as your kidneys and liver- and the ribcage which protects the stomach, lungs and heart.