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How To Survive With The Right
Body Armor
Use body armor as a supplement to your
survival strategy
Melissa Muller
Survivalists are well aware that in a life or death
situation, it all comes down to your ability to plan and prepare in advance.
And nothing offers better preparation and protection than
body armor.
In a world where it’s too easy to acquire
semi-automatic and higher-caliber weapons, urban crime statistics are too high
and political turmoil is normal – more and more civilians are turning to body
armor to stay safe.
You can’t know if you won’t suddenly find yourself in
danger or an emergency situation that calls for the use of safety equipment. So,
it’s best to always be prepared.
If a hurricane rolls through your neighborhood and
wipes out the power down your entire block, it could be days before it gets
turned back on.
Or, if you get lost out in the woods during a hike,
you will need supplies to build an overnight shelter and wait for a rescue
party.
As unlikely as these situations may seem to you now –
when you’re safe and sound in your own home – they can happen to anyone at any
given moment.
If you don’t want to learn this the hard way, start
planning early.
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Being prepared is part of the strategy to say alive
and safe. This is where body armor comes in.
Body armor can significantly increase your chances of
survival in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, but you need to learn
to rely mostly on your skills, speed and ability to plan ahead.
Use body armor as a supplement to your survival
strategy and it will fulfil its intended use.
What is the Purpose of Body Armor?
For a survivalist, body armor can be a broad concept.
You can use anything from store-bought carriers made
from cutting-edge Kevlar material that offer ballistic, stab and spike
resistance to self-made pads from extra thick clothes.
Fortunately, with the level of advancement of modern
technology and advanced protective materials, you now have plenty of choices of
affordable, comfortable and lightweight body armor with different levels of
protection.
Body armor can have different protective qualities,
which are ballistic (against bullets), stab (against knives, pieces of glass,
etc.) and spike (needles, ice picks, etc.) resistance.
Each of these types of protections are characterized
in the U.S. by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). A vest can have both
ballistic and spike and/or stab resistant qualities.
However, more commonly, body armor that provides
ballistic protection does not provide stab or spike protection.
Body armor is generally classified as soft and hard.
Soft body armor is more concealable and lighter,
making it particularly suitable in urban situations and scenarios. It can
provide protection from bullet and/or stab wounds, but the application isn’t as
hard core.
Covert soft body armor is designed to be worn under
clothing or a light jacket and protects the wearer from other threats that the
average person could face.
What Type of Body Armor Do I Need?
Body armor is rated at different levels based on the
NIJ standards.
Because the protection of the armor increases with the
level, so does its weight and the cost.
Ballistic body armor is rated by the Department of
Justice against different round calibers.
Basic soft body armor does not stop penetration from
sharp objects and weapons, but it will stop thick-bladed stabs and offers
protection against slashing attacks.
These makes them suitable to wear in places, where
there are large gatherings of people (protests, marches, during riots, etc.) as
in close quarters – people often use concealable but deadly weapons, such as
knives, broken bottles, screw drivers or other piercing objects to cause harm.
Basic levels, such as Level IIA. (Level I is not in
use anymore) through IIIA are considered soft body armor types and don’t always
offer sufficient protection in high-tension situations, while Level IV provides
the fullest protection against pistol and melee weapons but is bulkier and
heavier on the wearer.
Based on the National Institute of Justice’s rating
system for body armor and its requirements, the levels are categorized as
follows:
Level I: Generally not recommended, the
lowest level protects only against fragmentation and very low velocity pistol
ammunition, such as a. 38 Special and .22 calibers.
Level IIA: Suitable against vast
majority of threats encountered on the street by law enforcement officials,
although it does not protect against blunt trauma injuries. It is tested
against 9mm and .40 calibers.
Level II: Considered the best balanced
option between blunt trauma protection, cost, and thickness/ comfort/
concealability. It performs well 9mm and .357 Magnum calibers at higher velocity.
Level IIIA: Well suited for high-risk
situations as it covers more of the uncommon or unusual threats, such as 9mm
and 44 Magnum calibers at sub-machine gun velocity.
Level III: With more comprehensive
safety coverage, Level III extends to cover even 7.62mm NATO rounds, which
makes it suitable for military personnel and security operatives in high-risk
areas.
Level IV: The highest rating for Body
Armor offers protection against armor-piercing .30-06 caliber rounds and all
lower level threats.
Given that knife attacks and attacks with other
sharp-edged and spiked weapons, you might want to consider body armor with
combined protection.
This will keep you safe against slashing attacks that
will otherwise pierce the carrier.
With the growing number of terrorist attacks, crime
and random assaults in urban zones – investing in some quality protective
equipment is essential to staying safe.
You can choose between different styles, systems and
levels to find the one that fits you best.
If you want to ensure you receive maximum protection,
you should go for a combination of ballistic and stab proof systems that are
available for purchase online but they are more expensive.
In terms of bullets – pistol bullets are easier to
stop than rifle bullets, because they are slower.
This type of combined protection gives the best
chances of surviving in risky situations, such as riots or a scenario, where
you might need to travel from point A to point B while facing attacks and poor
weather conditions.
How Can Body Armor Keep You Safe?
It’s hard to put into words just how important body
armor is, but let’s just say – it can be the difference between life and death
in a number of scenarios.
Still, many survivalists are quick to buy different
type of guns and ammo, but overlook protective vests.
However, it’s really this simple – if you own a gun or
plan on owning a gun, you should also have a bulletproof vest in your house.
Planning ahead and being prepared for a number of
scenarios give you time to equip yourself with the right type of body armor and
stay safe in all circumstance.
Equipping yourself with adequate protection helps you
stay safe in specific circumstances.
You need to understand how body armor works, what it
can and cannot do for you against different threats, and how to select the best
one for you to make an informed decision when buying one.
Regardless of the type of protection you choose –
bullet, stab or combined – you should keep in mind that no vest is 100%
effective against the threats you can face.
Attacks can always result in serious injury and even
death, so you should not treat your body armor as a guaranteed solution in all
situations.
Staying safe by wearing an adequate bullet or stab
proof vest is only part of the equation.
Knowing how and when to react gives you the upper hand
in situations, increasing your chances of survival.
Selecting the Right Body Armor
Now, we know most people think that ‘more equals
better’, but when it comes to surviving in the midst of a zombie outbreak –
this is not necessarily true.
Higher levels of armor do provide more protection, but
they are heavier and bulkier, essentially turning you into one large,
slow-walking tin can.
Given that your survival depends on how fast you can
move and react to potential threats, you can see how this becomes a problem.
Compromising your safety by over-doing protection
sounds stupid, but is a real possibility. Don’t make the mistake of buying the
highest level of protection at the expense of comfort.
Moving and operating a weapon (or any other type of
equipment) with a vest takes some getting used to.
If it gets too hot, too stiff or too uncomfortable,
you are likely to obstruct your ability to move and compromise your safety as a
result.
Accurately measure your torso to select the most
comfortable fit. Too large vests hang loosely around the body and fail to
provide adequate protection.
Similarly, too tight vests will not only be
uncomfortable, but the fibers will be under constant strain, failing to
properly fulfil their function.
It is worth considering shoulder and groin protection
as if you’re purchasing hard armor for higher threat environments.
Make sure you try moving and running in it before you
buy groin protection, though. This will help you determine whether it’s right
for you.
Survivalists are known for their ability to plan and
prepare in advance, so it makes sense to be familiar with when body armor is
the right choice.
As it’s getting easier to acquire semi-automatic and
higher-calibre weapons, more and more police departments and civilians are
opting for higher levels of protection.
For general patrol duty and survival purposes, a
concealable, soft body armor vest in Level III will do the job.
It provides the highest blunt trauma protection rating
in soft body armor. This is the best for very high-risk situations to cover
more of the uncommon or unusual threats.
It can keep you safe from .44 Magnum Semi-Jacketed
Hollow Point, 9 mm FMJ and lower level calibers .40 S&W Full Metal Jacket
and .357 JSP.
Defense remains one of (if not the biggest) element of
survival. And with body armor being now lighter, more comfortable and more
protective than ever, it has become an invaluable asset for any survivalist.
It is a useful piece of equipment to have in general,
but in hostile situations it is absolutely necessary to ensure your survival.
Written By Melissa Muller
Melissa is one of SafeGuard Clothing's
newest and most promising interns. Her interest in public safety and the role
of innovative technology on the development of enhanced body armour stems from
her background in customer service and search for a brand with strong
commitment to setting new industry standards of quality and best practices. In
her role with SafeGuard Clothing Melissa is in charge of content creation and
quality control, using her communication skills to established business
relationships with top tier media outlets and raise awareness of the importance
of safety equipment innovation, research and developmen
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