PSA - Body Armor - Get out there and walk

[Norton]

This thread could easily go into Preppers or Training, but most of the body armor stuff has been here, so for the sake of consistency.

We had a lengthy discussion about what body armor and carrier to consider during the riot season earlier this year.

I shared that I ended up with the Chase Tactical Level IV Curved Plates (they are rebranded HighCom Plates) and then put them in one of their house branded low visibility plate carriers.

It's not high speed tier 1 stuff, but I'm convinced I made the right choice when considering quality, affordability and likelihood of usage.

They biggest trade off is that they are HEAVY compared to the tier 1 stuff.

So, I had tried it on under a flannel shirt some time ago and was super surprised at how well I could completely hide these things and basically looked like a typical middle aged dude carrying a few extra pounds.

What I hadn't done was to actually get out of the house with it on.

The wife was gone today, and the weather was nice so i threw everything on and took an hour walk around the neighborhood on a route with a mixture of uphills and downhills, but all on sidewalks or the road.

Some things:

1. Yes, they are heavy - heavy on your legs, heavy on your shoulders. I thought I had cinched up the cummerbund appropriately per Rattlesnake's real world experience but I clearly hadn't. My shoulders are worn out.

2. Yes, you get winded. I am neither the least or most fit person in the world, but I do exercise and have been doing up to 8 hours hikes this year. Adding this weight makes a huge difference.

3. It changes your center of gravity and even on pavement/sidewalks it pulls you side to side more than you think. I need to get off the pavement and work on that lateral conditioning.

4. It's HOT. Even with it being right around 43 degrees, and only wearing a flannel shirt over the carrier and a t-shirt, I was hot.

5. You'll find the places that are rubbing you. I have couple of spots on my back where the bottom of the carrier was rubbing. Need to figure out what's going on there.

6. Curved plates are the bee's knees for comfort and concealability. I deliberately stopped and talked to a few people working in their yards and chatted and no one indicated that they noticed i was wearing it, again with just a flannel shirt on.

 

[Norton]

Mad props to you guys that wear this stuff all of the time, even if it's the soft armor.

 

[rootytootyshooty]

Having a hard time deciding what to get as far as a comfortable soft armor with reasonable small arms protection which is also still affordable - am I looking for a unicorn?

 

[Norton]

Having a hard time deciding what to get as far as a comfortable soft armor with reasonable small arms protection which is also still affordable - am I looking for a unicorn?

There's a metric ton of resources in this thread:

https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=241631

It's mostly hard armor discussion, but there's some soft armor info. And, some of the links take you to good sites where you get continue the research.

My purpose here was to say that like everything we have, it's one thing to have it but it's another entirely to work with it.

 

[joppaj]

Mad props to you guys that wear this stuff all of the time, even if it's the soft armor.

I just got new armor at work so I had it home last weekend getting the Velcro adjusted. I told my wife then that the person who invents lightweight, breathable Level 3A body armor will be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

 

[Norton]

I just got new armor at work so I had it home last weekend getting the Velcro adjusted. I told my wife then that the person who invents lightweight, breathable Level 3A body armor will be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

I know our SRO was ecstatic to get the new external carrier-type vest because he could take it off at meal times. I can't imagine all day being Saran wrapped into concealable armor under a uniform shirt.

I REALLY have an appreciation for what real soldiers with a full load out of gear have to schlep around and then still do their jobs.

 

[Biggfoot44]

After several weeks of daily wear , you become accustomed to it ( soft armor ) .

The good news is keeps you warm in winter

Skinny people will seem more buff. Already beefy people will seem massive . It could be noticeable to sharp eyed people if it is worn one day but not the next. Worn consistently , everyone default considers the beefy you to be the regular you .

When it's really hot .... You would have been sweating heavily anyway . Just make sure to push the non- caffeine, non- alcohol fluids so you don't dehydrate .

 

[joppaj]

If you're wearing concealed armor (and you can get away with it), this vest is an asset in hot weather. It provides a little breathing room between your carrier and your t-shirt.

https://www.221btactical.com/collections/maxx-dri-vests

 

[OLM-Medic]

I would like to add something.

Many people do not have the plate high enough to protect the top of their heart. Many of you know this, so I'm not going to go into detail about that, just how to fix it.

Recently I got a carrier that has a pocket way too deep, and had no choice but to raise the plates up.

Although I was skeptical, I managed to duck tape several layers of foam (pool noode, PVC pipe insulation, etc) to the bottom of the plate.

It works GREAT and now the plate sits in the right spot.

 

[GrimReaper]

I have gotten used to mine, weighs around 20lbs. Really sucked at first but got better rather quickly after wearing it often. I have a bigger frame so it may not affect me as much as the average person. Also lost around 20 lbs recently so I guess I'm basically back to normal when wearing it lol.

I think a mistake people make is not having the cumberbund tight enough. It makes a huge difference. Also notice alot of people have their plates too low.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[boothdoc]

Try wearing it and doing the Murph Challenge. Yeah buddy!!!

 

[lazarus]

I have gotten used to mine, weighs around 20lbs. Really sucked at first but got better rather quickly after wearing it often. I have a bigger frame so it may not affect me as much as the average person. Also lost around 20 lbs recently so I guess I'm basically back to normal when wearing it lol.

I think a mistake people make is not having the cumberbund tight enough. It makes a huge difference. Also notice alot of people have their plates too low.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

All this, lol.

My carrier breaths okay and I have anti-spall Kevlar covers in the steel plates. Which adds weight and bulk, but softens the edges that much more on top of what the plate carrier adds.

I would not want it on top of a 50# pack and weapons. F that.

But it should be fine all day with weapons and 10-15# on the plate carrier (I have a molle day pack attached to it for hydration bladder, some spare ammo, etc.)

Haven’t been out and about because it is not concealable. Not unless I strip it down. For work I have a tendency to pace my basement (it is a big basement). So a few times I’ve strapped it on while pacing.

Long meeting I can easily walk a couple miles. Sure it’s on flat, but it is still a couple miles.

Anyway, no issues at all wearing it with about 10# extra of water in it for added weight.

Then again I am mildly used to backpacking with >40# of gear, food and water.

If I really needed to bug out and carry multiple days of stuff and hoof it long distance the hard armor would get left behind and I’d just wear the IIIa soft armor I have in the concealable carrier. Carrier + inserts is about 3#.

Compared to the steel that is a bit over 20#.

I’ll just try that much harder not to get shot. Especially not by anything with “rifle” in its name.

 

[Sealion]

Great thread, great info, great advice. Thanks!

 

[Bertfish]

Given the state of the world I should probably look in to some of this

 

[MaxVO2]

****One of my range friends is a secret service agent and he showed me what I guess he is issued. It was soft armor and remarkably lightweight, at least compared to my steel plates with anti spall and some special layer behind the plates to keep my intestines and other organs from getting abused more than being in federal prison if I get shot...

I think my rig weighs like 16 lbs, and is stiff. The soft armor was quite form fitting and can stop handgun rounds and mebbe light rifle rounds. It couldn’t have weighed more than maybe 8 lbs or so I estimated.

It seemed very expensive, and well made. It had a service date tag on it as it apparently wears out over time just wearing it - mebbe from sweat or just general use. Dunno.

 

[cap6888]

Armor is no joke. The more you wear it, the more accustomed you get. It’s not just the weight, but the dexterity issues it causes. I have a slickster, and the elastic cummerbund makes a huge difference. The foam hack is a good one to pass one. Plates shifting in a carrier really messes with you. For the life of me, I can’t understand how people do it with steel plates. I know it used to be a less expensive option, but with stuff like the LAPG plates out there, steel is a no go.

 

[JPG]

****One of my range friends is a secret service agent and he showed me what I guess he is issued. It was soft armor and remarkably lightweight, at least compared to my steel plates with anti spall and some special layer behind the plates to keep my intestines and other organs from getting abused more than being in federal prison if I get shot...

I think my rig weighs like 16 lbs, and is stiff. The soft armor was quite form fitting and can stop handgun rounds and mebbe light rifle rounds. It couldn’t have weighed more than maybe 8 lbs or so I estimated.

It seemed very expensive, and well made. It had a service date tag on it as it apparently wears out over time just wearing it - mebbe from sweat or just general use. Dunno.

They generally have a 5-10 year life. I think that's more of a liability issue with the maker. I don't think that they no longer stop bullets at that time.

 

[Blaster229]

They generally have a 5-10 year life. I think that's more of a liability issue with the maker. I don't think that they no longer stop bullets at that time.

I think it's a warranty date.

 

[FrankOceanXray]

Mad props to you guys that wear this stuff all of the time, even if it's the soft armor.

You get used to it.

Don't strap it on too tight, cinching down the straps. You need to move, breathe.

I prefer an undershirt. Not cotton, but UA or silky material like material.

Most manufacturers will say do not hang. Lay down flat to dry, rest. Also, be careful with cleaning to not destroy material or put excessive chemicals on it to rub off to your skin.

ARFcom had a big presentation about proper wear. May be worth digging up. Make sure it isn't choking you out. Make sure it isn't too low. Protecting some kill zone items with placement.

As for the dates, I'm sure a lot of it is liability. Keep these out of extreme heat and sun for sure. No bleach products. I read somewhere that seatbelts significantly detororiate after X years. I'd like to refund that to learn more. same thing with these.. nylon, kevlar, polyyadayadda don't do well cooking in UVs.

 

[lazarus]

I think it's a warranty date.

Both.

Basically it is a “if you don’t treat it properly it’ll last this long”. If you don’t sweat in to it, knock it around, expose it to UV outside of a carrier, get it soaking wet from rain, or store in super hot cars in the summer sun, Kevlar and similar will last scores of years and continue to perform well. Treat it like the football teams shared jock strap and you’ll get about 5 years of life out of it.