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When asked so broadly what is body armor used for there is no other answer than defense. But, as we start to narrow down the question we can get more information about what we can defend from and how. Ballistic body armor is made to protect from bullets, and there are big differences when it comes to types of ballistic armor, their hardness, weight, and levels of protection. Each piece will protect a different part of your body and may...

Probably the biggest confusion in the world of personal defense is the difference between Level III and Level IIIa body armor. Not only do they sound very similar, but it is also confusing that IIIa refers to a significantly lower level of ballistic protection than Level III. Also, even though the standard is to write the NIJ ballistic levels of protection in Roman numbers, there are blogs and even manufacturers who will use regular numbers and issue products as NIJL3a...

Although the collective terms for body armor doesn’t actually specify what is body armor made of when talking about ballistic protection we have some tried and tested materials. For those of us who haven’t been to the proper schools to know the exact processes of how these fibers and ceramics work, we need to observe how they act and what their purpose is. There are two distinct categories of body armor, soft and hard, and each have been made with...

If you want to know exactly how heavy military body armor is, imagine gaining 30lbs and needing to run, jump, and climb. Then there is the backpack and everything you need to carry in it. While not as hard at first, after a while the weight gets to you, ankles start aching, feet start swelling, and you just stop having such a swell good time. There are three sets of armor that a soldier might wear when deployed: Plate CarrierFront...

Humans started dreaming about being impervious to damage the first time one caveman smashed another with a club. We don’t like being hurt and always wonder how effective is our body armor and how much do we need to become untouchable. Sadly, there is no such thing as a perfect piece of armor that will protect you from anything at all times. The best we can do is to try to predict the risk we might face and take the...

It is easy to imagine any type of armor as a shield that keeps a barrier between us and the things that want to do us harm. But, the way soft body armor works is the opposite, using layers upon layers of tightly-woven fabric to catch the round and dissipate the impact without allowing penetration. Unlike hard plates, soft armor adopts the ‘Bruce Lee’ school of thought and acts more as water than as a rock. It twists and folds...

Although at first glance it might seem that the difference between concealable and overt body armor is just in the way you wear it, the truth goes much deeper. Not only will you need to consider weight, protection, and mobility, but also how other people will perceive you. While in most cases you won’t be bothered with aesthetics alone, there are some cases where this part is crucial. In some missions, it will be paramount that you stay out of...

Helmets are a vastly misunderstood piece of gear. Most people don’t understand what different types of ballistic helmets even do and the fact that a bullet wound in the head is not something you will often encounter in the field.  Helmets are there to shield your cranium against flying debris, shrapnel, blunt attacks, projectiles, as well as you falling somewhere. And while the latter sound silly, difficult terrain is often a soldier’s biggest enemy. There are three ways to categorize...

Even though some states are debating if it should stay this way, it is legal for all law-abiding citizens to own and wear body armor. Most body armor laws by state are simply a recognition of 18 U.S.C. 931 with no additional restrictions. But, as always, things are not as straightforward as they seem at first glance. Not all types of body armor are allowed even for owning, and there are situations and locations where you can’t wear your armor...

There is a wide debate can and should civilians buy and wear body armor. While some believe that any militarization of civilians will result in more conflicts, the numbers suggest the opposite. In places where body armor is more common there is the same number of assaults, but a lower casualty rate. By law, most countries in the world and all states in the US forbid convicted criminals from buying body armor of any kind. But some suggest that this...