Skidz185
New Member
Looking into purchasing body armor/plate carrier.
Any body have any suggestions?
Any body have any suggestions?
Helpful Info. Body armor
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Good morning Skidz! If you go to Search in the upper right, you can put in body armor and it will find all the great conversations we‘ve had about them. There are some really good recommendations!
before you get started - make sure there's no local or state restrictions on body armor - both in general and any thing personal ...
tmttactical
A True Doomsday Prepper
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What if you want boxers?
Don’t think thongs would do much for the ladies.
Don’t think thongs would do much for the ladies.
Yeah, I wouldn’t go with steel plates; they are heavy and there are mixed reviews on if they will get you killed when the bullet impacts steel as the round can fracture essentially causing shrapnel. Before all the cyber commandos tell be about the special, amazing, magical, high tech, lining on the steel (kinda feels like a truck bed lining) that makes that not happen…. Yeah, I don’t buy it. Not to mention moving with them really sucks. I’ve moved distance with both steel, ceramic, and FRAS armor before, and I can tell you which I preferred. (The steel and FRAS was on the civilian side the ceramic plate was while in the military.)
You really get what you pay for. Spend the money on a good plate carrier that fits and then get the quality plates. Remember that cheap isn’t the best when your life depends on it. Also remember that what works for someone else might not work for you. Get a system that works AND FITS you.
Best of luck, and have a good day.
I am new, but I came upon this discussion. I have a USMC vest but it is quite heave. I would be slowed down tremendously if I actually wore it now (I've been out of the Marine Corps for several decades). Besides, if you run out of Body Glide, your nipples will rub off and that will kill you! Think about it. If you get hit with the BDA on, you will be incapacitated for s certain length of time--not a good thing in a situation. If you get hit somewhere NOT protected, you are in a world of shit anyway, since there will be no medivac or field medics. My BO location is rural, so I will move fast and find cover and shoot back--hoping for the best! lol
Nice to meet you Tom! My opinion is it very much depends if the person wearing it is going to be hidden and sitting still or trying to walk 20 miles with it on. Gary, who I hope joins in on this conversation has solid advice in this area.
Thank you. Good to be here. Choosing your IBA is a complicated issue. The Marines simply told me what to wear and I did it, no questions. Now, there are just too many considerations. Since I cannot dimply buy a vest for every member of the group, how many do I get? Just for the forward observers / guards? How mobile will they have to be? What size is a universal size? Out here in the country, I suspect a lot of deer rifles to be used. In addition to AR's. If all the bad guys used 9mm, it would be an easy choice as far as levels go. The problem makes me crazy! And like I said, if someone gets hit, they are down for a bit anyway, and if the round hit an area not protected by the armor, then its a world of shit. My conclusion is not to go with any sort of BDA. If I were urban, of course, it would be an easier problem. Oh, BTW, Gary apparently did not see the thread. Thank you for the welcome.
Take it a step at a time. Purchase what you can, even if it is only one or two. The most exposed naturally would wear them. Can’t afford a level 4? Get the level 3. It will be much better than nothing.
tmttactical
A True Doomsday Prepper
With all things, set your priorities, based on YOUR finances and needs. Body armor while being a very good idea, it is a bit further down my list. For defenses, I want Thermal monocular and night vision scopes, ahead of the body armor. I want to see them long before they see me or my defenders.
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bigpaul
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trouble is that night vision stuff is all out of my budget.
no point in breaking the bank for stuff that will only be used post apocalypse.
no point in breaking the bank for stuff that will only be used post apocalypse.
BucketBack
Active Member
Night vision helps harvest compost pile critters
Night vision and thermal vision help keep you alive by spotting the bad guys trying to kill you and yours to TAKE your food!
Oddcaliber
A True Doomsday Prepper
I see a need for both but one must prioritize the need.
tmttactical
A True Doomsday Prepper
I think level 3 for scouts and level 4 for home defense / stationary / ambush defenders. Level 4 is typically heavy and would ware (pun intended) on the person carrying it. The scouts would need freedom of movement. Weight does have it's costs in fatigue and mobility. Financial cost is also a big factor. The main purpose of scouting is to detect threats, not to engage them.
A good solar / battery powered infrared light, connected to trip wires / motion sensors would make an ideal perimeter alarm system. Defenders equipped night vision devices could see the alarm but most likely the intruders would not be aware they had tripped an alarm. Good advance warning system and semi-budget friendly. The perimeter alarm could provide enough time to prepare a warm reception.
A good solar / battery powered infrared light, connected to trip wires / motion sensors would make an ideal perimeter alarm system. Defenders equipped night vision devices could see the alarm but most likely the intruders would not be aware they had tripped an alarm. Good advance warning system and semi-budget friendly. The perimeter alarm could provide enough time to prepare a warm reception.
Can you point me in the right direction for the correct motion sensors? Do they come with infrared lights or do you get those separately?
“A good solar / battery powered infrared light, connected to trip wires / motion sensors would make an ideal perimeter alarm system.”
Flood the area with IR from multiple emitters. Confuse the heck out of anyone using thermal night vision.
tmttactical
A True Doomsday Prepper
GP, I can't point you in the right direction, due to the fact I don't know your layout or intended purpose. Sorry. You can find motion sensor lights with infrared lights. I used my setup (modified by me) to turn on the infrared lights when a ground level (four foot high) motion sensor was tripped. The light portion was mounted very high up a tree and was visible (line of sight) from my location. The lights and sensor were solar powered. This setup was very helpful during the night time hours but was not a great system during the daytime. With perimeter alarms / lights, the power source is the weak link. During normal times, batteries can easily be replaced / changed out but during a real SHTF event, that may not be the case. Distance and line of sight also play an important part. Are you trying to detect intruders near the house or at a much longer distance? Too many unknow factors to make any viable recommendation.
