Body Armor For Every Day Carry
Body Armor is no longer something reserved for the military and law enforcement agents. It’s a piece of versatile equipment that can give you the upper hand in a variety of situations. This is especially valuable today given the rising number of shooting incidents, terrorist attacks, random assaults and crime all over the US. But while most people are quick to arm themselves and stock on ammunition, few stop to consider the other side of staying safe – namely, equipping themselves with adequate protection.
Benefits of Everyday Carry
Even if you’re not expecting, under most circumstances, an imminent threat to your well-being or life, it is still common sense to be well prepared to protect yourself, your family and friends. Off-duty cops are among the largest user group of body armor in their everyday life given their knowledge of threats and the likelihood of coming in harm’s way.
Concealable body armor is therefore becoming more popular with those people who are regularly under a higher threat-risk, because they live and work in high-crime areas or are concerned with a specific threat from another individual or group of people. Having just a firearm alone in these cases will not be enough to ensure your safety, and quality soft body armor will enhance your safety level. Interestingly, Rich Davis, the founder of the original Second Chance Body Armor Company, invented concealable soft body armor it after being shot while delivering pizza. His intention in creating the armor was to provide protection for individuals who work in high-threat areas. So you can see how anyone can benefit from this type of equipment.
How to Choose Body Armor for Everyday Use
There are a number of things to consider when selecting body armor. There are many varieties and brands of armor on the market, as well as a wide range of price ranges. Finding the most ideal body armor for yourself can be a difficult task.
Threat levels and ballistic ratings are determined by the National Institute of Justice, which provides test-verified levels of protection so any purchaser (law enforcement or civilian) can make an appropriate choice based on their needs and context. As such, concealable soft body armor is only rated to stop various pistol or shotgun rounds. It can’t stop rifle fire from cartridges that will exceed pistol ballistics and penetrating power.
Level II is a popular choice for everyday carry as it has proven to be the best compromise between comfort, conceal-ability, and ballistic protection. This is particularly important for civilians who don’t want to draw attention to the fact that they are wearing armor. If you are a civilian under threat, you don’t want to advertise that you are protected as all exposed areas of your body will become a primary target.
If you want to make body armor a part of your personal defence plan, it is a good idea to actually purchase several. Buy them in different colors and styles to be able to discreetly match them with your wardrobe as well as rotate for washing. You can even consider getting one in overt style to be able to quickly slip it on top of your clothes if need be. Whatever you choose, be sure it fits you well depending on your physical build as this is crucial to your safety.
This post was written by Benjamin Atkinson, Communications Executive at Safeguard LLC. Ben is one of SafeGuard’s leading ballistics experts, and focuses on working with industry partners to provide updates on new research and developments in ballistic protection.