6 issues to think about for your body armor
How many times have you been watching a movie and seen someone get up off the ground and reveal that he was wearing a bullet-proof vest after you assumed he’d been killed by a gunshot wound? It still gets me almost every time! Of course, sometimes it happens in real life, too, as long as the gunman is kind enough to shoot a victim in the stomach or chest rather than in the head.
If you find yourself in a situation in which getting shot is a distinct possibility, it’s very possible that body armor could save your life. Once you decide to go that route, there are a variety of choices you can make, depending on your circumstances. These involve, among other things, the thickness of the vest and the materials used to construct it, how much movement it allows you, how concealable it is, and what the price is.
I found a great article about this here, including the different types of vests and what they offer. Best of all, it gets you thinking about your particular circumstances including what types of threats you face, how often you’ll need to wear a vest, how maneuverable you’ll need to be if the threat becomes real, etc.
All of the information you just read is great, but I especially like the easy formula they provide so you can figure out the likelihood of your body armor being effective. It says that if your vest is designed to stop 95 percent of the threats you are likely to face, and if it covers 70 percent of your upper body and if it’s worn 100 percent of the time you are in a threatening environment, you have achieved 67 percent coverage (95 percent times 70 percent times 100 percent). In other words, nothing is 100 percent guaranteed, but you can increase your odds of survival based on your choice of which vest to wear and when to wear it. As the information states, the best vest for you is the one you’re wearing when you’re shot.
So, here are six factors to consider when buying body armor:
- Heat build-up – No vest is going to be comfortable in the heat, but some are less uncomfortable than others.
- Comfort – This becomes more of a factor the more you feel you need to wear your vest.
- Freedom of movement – A vest could become as much of a liability as a help if it limits your ability to move. The thicker and bulkier it is, the more it will hinder your movements.
- Weight – Depending on how long you’ll need to wear your vest at a time and how much movement you’ll require, this will affect your fatigue level.
- Concealability – The advantage of wearing a vest could disappear if your assailant sees that you’re wearing it.
- Cost – You have to determine how grave the threat is. It could be worth it to you to pay a little more for a vest if the end result is bruises rather than broken ribs. A stronger and more expensive vest may also enable you to return fire if you need to.
Have you or others you’ve known ever worn a bulletproof vest? Which factors went into your decision regarding which one to purchase? Is there one vest in particular you’re sold on, or maybe one that you’d recommend against? Looking forward to hearing your take on this.
Just stopping by to let you all know that you should check this website: http://americanarmorassociation.com/
They carry affordable and effective bulletproof armor.
I stumbled upon this article and found it really interesting. If you guys want to find good armor, i think you should check out gorillaarmor.com. They have cheap vests but they’re the highest quality. Let me know if this is of use to you.
Thank you for making us aware of issues about body armor home. I really like your effort. You have explained all important factors in very easy to understand language.
In the Liberal state of CT, we’re not allowed to own body armor unless you are military or police. Gotta get out of this state and soon!
Y’all should check out http://www.ar500armor.com they have excelent plates and carriers, also check out https://www.scorpiustactical.com, good prices, soft and hard armor
If the rounds your worried about are 7.62, 5.56, or the similar, isn’t there a pretty basic design for those plates that doesn’t differ much from brand to brand???
AR-500 level III
Don’t “FORGET” there are “WARE OUT” dates on these vest. Be sure and ask what the wareout/expiration date is. Oh yes there is a wareout DATE. Don’t be fooled.
I wore a vest with front and rear trauma plates for 10-12 hours a day for years. Hot? Yes. Uncomfortable? Yes. Would I do it again? If carrying a weapon in uniform, ABSOLUTELY!
Always amazing to see different posts and opinions..from Vietnam era to Mall Ninjas, Apocolypse Gardeners and Religious Spiritual Armor. If you have armor, you have already identified you need it or anticipate you could need it. In the moment you will be glad you did. Armor far exceeds no armor no matter what rating level, weight or temperature. Adds significantly to your survivability. Don’t listen to all of the drawbacks or “what ifs” about defeating armor. Any is better than none. Been there. Done that.
I had a vest in Vietnam. They day I got shot I was not wearing it. Luckily he only hit my arm and leg and not my chest.
That dumb ass flak jacket I had in Nam was not meant to stop a bullet, just Flack even then the old one I had it was just fiberglass plates, and made you just sweat a lot.
There are about as many different types of body armor as threats. I believe as others have said that you must know your threat situation as much as possible ,that goes along with you and your family’s situation or your personal situation while trying to protect your family. The comments we are making are in the context of Frank Bates survival advice as it applies to the whole country going to crap and you have done as you should and stacked out your survival living area and have to protect. If someone or multiple people attack your compound, I believe hard armor to protect the chest and back area is the best to work with if you have built places to defend your compound from, in your planning you should have a threat zone around your compound of 200 to 300 yards that you know as much as possible when a threat arrives. This will allow you the best protection, in a full blown fire fight that you see coming hard armor such as Kevlar should be worn to protect the chest and back, unless the attackers are capable of hitting a moving head size object at those distances you are as safe as you can be, but remember modern fire power with its energy negates any other type of armor. I will say though that some good soft armor will stop pistol rounds, depending on the distance. I also believe that if you are trying to live a normal life within your survival compound and you are outside working the garden and are aware of everything within your zone I wrote about, hard armor for your chest and back area would be helpful , of course this is negated if your attacker can shoot as good as you should be able to. I believe every type of armor can be defeated if it is body armor or concrete you are shooting from, being prepared and proper planning will keep you and yours safe in a survival mode. Armor should be hard and comfortable as possible in all circumstances. This advice is from a man who spent many years in the U. S. M. C I have been saved by armor and also have defeated it.
Simper Fe.
8yr USMC combat vey. My studies are CI & COIN.
Anyone planning to stay in a compound situation will not survive the coming asymmetrical threats. Don’t mean to disrespect but I have more than 20yrs study and experience with subversive politics and social unrest precipitated by political insurgency. The basic concepts of CI is where you need to look for real intelligent survival.
JRB
One definite factor to think about is how easy you can pull your weaPon and fire it (shouldering or not) while you’re wearing it. My vest stops crazy threats but makes me take 3 extra seconds to comfortably fire.
THE ONLY TIME I WORE A VEST WAS WHEN I WAS MOON LIGHTING AS A SECURITY GUARD FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR. THERE NOT VERY COMFORTABLE AND THEY DO WEAR YOU OUT.
I think the mission plays a big part in which vest should be worn. If I’m expecting heavy gun fire, I want AR-500. You need to be in good physical condition no matter what vest you choose. Most importantly…Train while wearing your vest!
Two comments. In VN, I sat on my body armor in my jeep and had another around the back of the seat. When on foot I saw a lot of nylon fragments and pieces of ceramic plates scattered around booby trap sites in I Corps. I may be wrong but based on experience and some examples I have seen with LE buddies, if you get hit with a Shotgun slug, a .45/70 or other such low tech weapons while wearing soft armor, it doesn’t have to be penetrated to Kill you DAID! as my old stick buddy used to say. The trauma delivered over the spleen, liver, pancreas, etc will bleed you out shortly and you will go down like a poll axed steer. Not to mention high power rifles that are very accurate, scoped and deliver massive point on energy. I think soft armor is mostly useful against fragments from explosive shells, etc. In some envoirments that is a considerable threat, in others not. Determining the threat and deciding how much inconvenience and cost you will put up with is key.
thank for the infowe
Another thing to remember is some Kevlar vests have a shelf life. Usually starts at 5 years from when it first becomes exposed to the elements, environment, perspiration, etc….
I wish you could have shown some of your best examples of body armor with sources and prices! Thanks, Sue
Just run around naked with a happy face painted on your chest as you scream out “Run Forest RUN”….Most will drop dead laughing or run away because they will think you have been infected by a mind altering biological weapon.
Hahaha this is the best comment, thanks for the laugh
Might get you shot quicker as they think you’re contagious!!!!
Determine your threat level & pick the most comfortable and lightest vest consistant with that. It must be comfortable and easy to get used to or you will not wear it. Trust me on this. BTDT.
I am a Personal Protection Specialist, a high risk body guard if you wish. I have worn body armor
in the Middle East, Africa, and here at home. There is no question that it is useful; but there is another consideration. I have studied 7 different Martial arts since I was 12. The one that has the most meaning for me is Aikido. There is a ”Path to Enlightenment” through the study of this work, and there is a Way to commune with the Divine through this Study. Love is true Budo,
and a person can totally control his environment as well as any evil forces in his environment by living, practicing, studying, breathing, acting, and being in that State of Communion with the
“Prime Creator”, the force that allows you to exist. The message is the same with all religious and Spiritual Studies, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Islam. If you are living your life with your thoughts and actions continuously focused on a Divine Relationship, while walking the dog, washing dishes, brushing your teeth, cleaning your yard or your house, and relating to others, human, animal, spirit, then what other armor is needed. Change your life and change the world. It does not work the other way around.
Well said, but one needs to be proficient at that beautiful state of being. Nice post as it makes people think about other options that could work for those who want some. I, too, have studied 5 different types of martial arts. Avoidance is best.
The Creator Protects Those Who Learn To Protect Themselves.–In Terms Of Body Armor,Something Is Better Than Nothing..
Have not worn body armor since Viet Nam. I’m sure there has been significant improvements in it since then but if not??? Well, we found the restriction of movement of that body armor not worth the wearing it in the field, especially not the ceramic trauma plates. Granted our function was not a direct line infantry company presenting targets to Charlie, and we frequently wore the “Whole Monty” when around the Hooches depending where our camp at the time was. I did see men saved from stray rounds, shrapnel and in one case a knife while wearing the body armor. Unless there has been significant improvement in the capability and silence since Viet Nam I would probably opt out again. Though the subject has brought it to my attention that I don’t know the answers to my own questions and need to get off my butt and start digging. Thanks
Question: what happens when body armor is penetrated? Is it better, or is it worse than no armor at all? Does it matter if the penetrator is FMJ or hollow point?
It always seemed to me that leaving the throat and neck area unprotected makes no sense. That is as big a target as the head, and equally lethal, and soft tissue subject to penetration even by a .22LR.
Also, I believe that it is a felony against the penile code of the People’s Democratic Republic of California to wear body armor (unless you are a jackbooted thug employed by the “people”).
As an outdoorsman who rides an ATV I have been using motocross armor for almost everything I do. It won’t stop a bullet or knife however. I have knee/shin guards that cover from boot top to above knee and a shirt with chest- back- elbow-and shoulder protection. When I’m in my boat or on the 4-wheeler or just stumbling through the woods or crawling around under my house it saves me from tons of bumps, bruises and scrapes. When I watch Deadliest Catch on TV I always think “man, those guys should be wearing this outfit to save on the beating they take”. Is there body armor available that will offer this level of protection and be bullet/knife proof and still be comfortable enough to wear? What got me started wearing it was when I invented a winch operated crane for the ATV and had the aluminum pully block fail and it snapped back hitting me in the upper chest and shoulder leaving a pretty good bruise and the realization that if it had hit me in the head I’d be dead so I also wear my helmet and armor whenever I’m using the winch. I had to reinvent the crane separate from the 4-wheeler because the wheeler frame couldn’t take the abuse. But my question remains, is there armor for knees, shins, elbows, forearms, shoulders, chest and back that will protect you from bumps and scrapes as well as bullets and knives? The motocross outfit is pretty comfortable and not too hot and also has a kidney belt that gives back support when I’m lifting firewood logs to drag out with the wheeler or any heavy lifting but its just hard plastic so won’t stop bullets or knives. Also, is there a helmet with full face protection thats bulletproof?
One of the biggest problems with the untrained using body armor,, is they think they are invincible. I go to the local community college where they are doing BLE training every semester,,, do demonstrate how easy it is to overcome body armor.
The best defense — is use your brain to keep yourself out of situations where body armor is required.
The second best defense — learn to be deadly with your own weapon while moving. Put them down before they put you down. If you are shooting hundreds of rounds on the range at stationary targets while standing still,,, you are going to be in for a surprise when everything goes 3d.
Then, we talk about body armor.
I wore a Second Chance for over 8 hrs. a day- five or more days a week. If wearing a vest for prolonged periods, think about getting an undergarment that wicks moisture away, and if possible has ribs to provide an air gap between your body and the BA. The ribs help keep you cool, and prevent sweat buildup in the vest- moisture increases the speed of armor breakdown. Also, if you can afford it, get more than one carrier, so that you can wash one while still having your vest for duty. If you keep the carriers clean, it helps prevent odors from seeping into your vest.
Like the man said! You can also buy neck and ball protection to go with your armor leaving a smaller target. Depending on your sit rep you can utilise many different types of protection. Determine what your best option is and buy the best you can for your senerio.
As was so well said by Lord Baden Powell (BSA) – “Be Prepared.” Also learn to Modify – Adapt – and Overcome.