A Prepper’s Guide to Body Armor for the End of the World

Many preppers are eager to equip themselves with all kinds of weaponry.

But the need for proper protection is something that few are aware of.

This is exactly why they need to read up on a Prepper’s Guide to Body Armor.

Quick Navigation
  Body Armor for Preppers!
  Bullet Proof Vests Protection Ratings
  Protection from Edged Weapons
  Protection From Blunt Force Impacts
  Covert Vests to Draw Less Attention
  How Does Body Armor Work?
  Situations Where Body Armor Could Save Your Life
  SafeGuard Body Armor Analysis
  How does the GHOST wear?

Body Armor for Preppers!

I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t want to be shot. I don’t want to be shot while wearing body armor. I really really don’t want to be shot while not wearing body armor.

Bullet Proof Vests Protection Ratings

bulletproof vest

Bulletproof vests are rated by different levels, depending on the ammunition it can stop, so it is important that you consider what types of firearm will most likely be used by your potential attackers.

If things ever go south, you can bet that normal people will become desperate and start doing whatever they can to eat, feed their loved ones and survive. I can’t say that I blame them, but we need to do what we can to keep ourselves safe so we can protect our loved ones.

There are many types of body armor. You can get everything from Level IV plate carriers down to slim Kevlar t-shirts. If you are not up to speed on current body armor materials and technology, SafeGuard Armor has the information you need to make an educated decision.

Armor at Level IIa can protect against 9mm, .45 and .380 rounds, whereas armor at Level IV can stop armor-piercing ammunition. These Levels refer to the US National Institute of Justice’s levels of protection (NIJ Levels) as decided on through their own rigorous testing methods. Each Level is capable of stopping all ammunition outlined at lower levels.

Protection from Edged Weapons

arm protection sleeve

As time passes and the world continues to turn, covered in inhospitable weather, with roaming bands of scavengers or even shambling reanimated corpses, firearms will be lost in battle or break, become scarcer and scarcer.

Your preparation will ensure you survive as long as possible, maybe even long enough that knives and spiked weapons have become a more serious threat than firearms.

While the ballistic materials used in bulletproof vests can protect you from brute force, the nails and teeth of these rotting horrors will simply rip and tear the fabric, much like an edged weapon does.

Making sure your body armor has stab and spike protection will not only stop all types of weapons, but the layers of chainmail and/or laminate will help stop anything from penetrating through your vest.

Edged and spiked weapons are easily accessible and deadly weapons, and it is important that you can protect against these also.

You may wonder how someone could get close enough to you to do damage with one of these weapons, but all it takes is a lucky shot, with a crossbow, from an amateur Daryl Dixon and all your preparation is wasted. Therefore, you will need edged and spiked protection.

Protection From Blunt Force Impacts

tactical vest

Even where weapons are not used, your body armor can protect you. The materials, used in a bulletproof vest, are excellent at absorbing and dispersing energy, meaning that blunt force and impact trauma can be negated.

Debris strikes and vehicular accidents become less deadly when wearing body armor.

Adding additional layers of protection will increase the size and weight of armor. This increase is negligible, and the extra protection is invaluable. The increase in size and weight is so slight that even armor offering the highest levels of protection can be worn comfortably underneath clothes.

Some of these vests even use temperature-regulating technologies to help draw moisture away from the skin and keep the wearer cool.

Covert Vests to Draw Less Attention

Vests worn underneath your outer layer of clothing are labeled as a covert vest.

These covert vests are best when you do not wish to draw attention to your protection. You may wonder why you’d need a covert vest in a hostile and violent new world.

Those with advanced training and aim may choose to attack the unprotected areas of you body, rendering your protection useless. Many experts also hotly debate the fact that overt body armor might even make you more of a target, inviting attacks.

This can happen whether or not you are wearing covert armor, and you may wish to have additional protection for areas like the upper arms, groin, throat and neck. This will necessitate an overt vest, which is worn over clothing, yet is still lightweight, flexible and comfortable.

Covert-and-Overt

The presence of body armor should help deter potential attackers, who will think twice about attacking in light of your obvious preparation.

Whatever your choice of vest type, it has to reflect your preparation and be suitable for the potential threats. You can be confident that it will keep you protected while remaining comfortable.

Almost every person on Planet Earth requires some kind of protection.

Some individuals require financial protection, the others need social protection, the third are eager for protection from racial prejudice, and the list goes on and on. But, in the modern society, where the bubble of World War III, deadly virus outbreak, or global cataclysms can explode from day to day, a regular person has to take care of their personal protection. This is one area where body armor comes in to play.

How Does Body Armor Work?

child wearing chain mail

Bulletproof vests are designed to stop a bullet from penetrating them and causing harm to the wearer.

They are made up of many layers of incredibly strong fibers, which when hit act as a net that essentially catches the bullet, and prevents it from traveling any further.

Each layer twists as the bullet passes through, creating a stronger barrier and slowing the bullet until it comes to a complete stop.

This process deforms the bullet, flattening it into a dish shape, and the force of the impact is spread over a large portion of the bulletproof vest.

Obviously, the impact of a bullet is massive, and while the bulletproof vest will stop the penetration of the bullet, both the bulletproof vest and the wearer will still absorb the bullet’s energy.

The impact of the bullet may be enough to cause what is known as “blunt force trauma” to the wearer at the impact point.

As a bulletproof vest is not solid the bullet will not instantly be stopped by it, it will travel through the vest but not actually penetrate it completely.

This means the wearer will still feel the impact of the bullet on their body, and while the blunt force trauma of the bullet will undoubtedly be painful, it should also not be life-threatening.

Situations Where Body Armor Could Save Your Life

Working at a School
Recently, there have been many instances where shooters have decided to go into schools and kill many innocent people.

If you are working in a school, having a vest that you can throw on during dangerous situations could mean the difference between saving your life and dying on the spot.

man carrying captain america shield

Many shooters do not take the time to aim for someone’s head, when they are on a rampage. They will aim for the largest mass of the body, which is the chest. Having the vest on could save your life and allow you to have the protection needed to stop the gunman from killing many other people.

Working at a Bank
While most banks have guards that work inside of them, if the guard is killed, the people in the bank are going to be left to fend for themselves.

Having on body armor will better your chances of being able to make it out of the bank alive. There are covert vests that can be worn under any type of clothing. They will give you protection without being noticeable.

Working at a Convenience Store
There are many night tellers that find out the hard way how dangerous working at a convenience store can be. People often choose to rob these types of stores at night because there are not a lot of people around and the tellers usually work on their own.

Wearing the vest will increases the chances that even if someone comes in and shoots you in the chest, you will not die from the injury.

Working at a Postal Office
There are many people who are stressed out by the postal office. There have been instances where workers and even customers have come into postal offices brandishing firearms. When this happens, the employees are left in danger and are often injured or killed by the individuals.

Wearing body armor under your uniform will increase the protection you have, in case this type of situation arises.

Other situations:

  • Depositing Money at a Bank
  • Withdrawing Money from an ATM
  • Walking alone
  • Car Jackings
  • Random violence

There is no need to go to work and risk your life every day. Body armor is affordable and comfortable. It gives you the best chance of making it home safely at the end of the day and give you peace of mind as you go about your business in even the most dangerous of situations.

SafeGuard Body Armor Analysis

Let’s look at a real-world example of a solid piece of body armor to see how they work. I will be testing a design from SafeGuard Armor called Ghost, which is a lightweight & Small Concealable body armor.

The Ghost is:

  • NIJ Level 2 or 3A Ballistic Protection
  • Edged Blade And Spike Protection
  • Carrier Made from 100% Coolmax® Cooling Material
  • Light-Weight Extra Small Carrier
  • Adjustable Velcro Shoulder & Waist Straps
  • Built to be Worn for Long Periods of Time
  • Weighs Less than 2.5kg
GHOST Protection Levels SafeGuard Armor Geek-Prepper

How does the GHOST wear?

armor7

The good thing about this body armor is that you can wear it under regular clothes.

I’ve been wearing the Ghost vest around for a few days and it’s surprisingly comfortable and no one has managed to kill me yet.

Seriously though, if something is uncomfortable, you’re not going to wear it, this vest is very comfortable and blended in nicely, when I wore the right clothing combinations. This vest is a keeper and will see a lot of wear time!

Sure, you can see that I have something on, under my shirt, but a jacket or sports coat, would really limit that. Yes I know, I am a big guy 😉

Body armor is a great idea. It would be good for you to learn about it and figure out how it works, before you need it. If you have to bug out or protect your homestead after SHTF, then body armor could make all the difference.

I plan to get a set for each of my family members to wear in a SHTF situation, even when riding in vehicles.

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