Note both handheld and weapon mounted lights.
This article is part 2 in an on going series. Part 1 can be found HERE.
In the past body armor was something most people didn’t seriously consider as part of their home defense strategy or for EDC. As things start to come full circle, the idea of keeping armor with your home defense gun just makes sense. I don’t think you’ll find many people who would disagree with that and most would encourage it.
Armor for EDC purposes is currently at the phase armor for home defense was several years ago, mocked by some and ignored by most. For me adding armor to my EDC isn’t something I feel like I need to do, however there are certainly occasions where having the option available is nice.
My first experience with body armor was back in the mid to late 90’s as a FireFighter and EMT. Being low man on the totem pole, a probie, I got rotated into some houses that were in some pretty sketchy areas. After one incident where a illegal alien wielding a machete chased another ‘migrant worker’ through my scene I felt like I needed to do something and I bought my first vest off a local officer whose department was issuing new vests to all their officers. Times and money were tight and a year~ old vest was better than no vest.
Flash forward to today. I no longer work in a “front line” role as I transitioned many years ago over to the definitive care side of medicine but I do have a home and family to defend both in the house and outside of it.
While I don’t feel the need to add armor to my EDC, there are occasions where I must travel into less than desirable areas of town. In these instances having something available in the kit simply makes sense. It’s no different than adding a spare mag carrier to your EDC routine. While fate may favor the bold, it also favors the prepared.
Soft armor is going to be the most concealable option on the market today. It’s also going to allow for the most freedom of movement and provide the most coverage. Today I have a level 3A soft armor concealable vest (from SafeGuard) that is rated to stop most handgun rounds, including high velocity 9mm from a 16″ barrel. While it offers great coverage, including on the sides, the trade off is that soft armor does not provide protection against rifle rounds.
For rifle threats I also have some ceramic plates that are rated for rifle rounds I’ll be covering in upcoming posts having to deal with hard armor options and I am looking to pick up some coated steel armor as well.
On the right is my old Second Chance vest and on the left is the StealthPRO. Note the form fitting neck, full support shoulders and mesh to help with heat build up.
My next article will be covering and comparing soft armor options, including a review of my lvl 3A StealthPRO and the advances in comfort from years past, including feel and ability of newer carriers to keep you cooler in the heat that with previous generations.
Look for the second article right here at 13C Gun Reviews by next week.
