Umpire Equipment (ie, chest, knee)

[Dakota]

I've never been a "package" kind of guy - I want to pick and choose too much.

In terms of where to spend your bucks, make sure your chest protector has good collar-bone protection and good heart protection. The cheap protector I started with handled just about everything over the years. I only bought the K2 for comfort. Make sure your leg guards have knee-cap protection. Make sure your mask has throat protection. Make sure you have good plate shoes, and that either the leg guards or the plate shoes protect your instep area.

Above that, you are paying for comfort, light weight, etc.

If you get into higher level fastpitch (e.g. men's and women's instead of girls) or baseball, you will want a more "armored" chest protector.