As I see it, I can have as much water and food as I want, if I can't defend it and someone who's meaner and better equipped then me comes along and wanna take it, it's useless to use gear I can't use effectively. On the other hand, if I don't have any military training or even experience on the battlefield, I can have the best kit available and I'll lose my stuff anyway (probably together with my life and the life's of the people I have to protect). I think that the best way is to buy a weapon to defend your loved ones and yourself, making sure that you know how to work with it properly and then to think about anything else (besides food and water, this is something you need anyways every day so you should buy long-lasting food whenever you have a few bucks to spare). Everything else is luxury and one should buy it like one would buy a luxury item. It doesn't help anyone if you buy an expensive kit first and can't move because you don't have the stamina, training and experience and a weapon you're not comfortable with. I think you should only use gear you actually know how tho use and are feeling comfortable wearing it. If someone comes to you, you have normally the upper hand because you know every corner of your house and it is much worth to be fast and quiet when you're at a place you are familiar with and your opponent isn't. I almost would say that it's more effective than an expensive kit + body armor. But what do I know, I was never in the army or in law enforcement. I only know that I will be shot first when the police arrive on scene and I have body armor and a full kit on me.
I wore a soft 3A as a bouncer when I got out of the military. I didn’t wear it because I was afraid, I actually put it on, on the days it was cold outside. I was the door man. One night it was cold so I threw it on under my jacket to keep warm. Long story short….i got shot by some homies that came back after being kicked out the club. I took one to my left midsection. The cold saved my ass that night.
A Medics Perspective: I can somewhat treat junctional bleeds and pneumothorax long enough to get you to a surgeon, but I cannot treat you if your heart looks like pulled pork....... and neither can the surgeon..... take that as you wish.
Admin. You forgot the Maui fire catastrophe. I live on Maui, and while I did not live in Lahaina town, I do have family over there. Immediately after the fire there was extremely limited law enforcement in the area. The local PD was however preventing access to that side of the island. The survivors and others in the neighboring town had no food or water, and of course no electricity. Fortunately good citizens were able to boat supplies in. It was a good week at least before the Feds and the state had any meaningful presence. The locals organized and created a self governing system. It really helps that the folks out there are either all family or like family because they’ve been together forever. Eventually the US government was able to organize aid, but until then the people had to defend and feed themselves (yes there were looters and shots fired.) In the tacticool world guys seem to forget that a natural disaster is THE most relevant scenario to train for.
Did you say "Natural" disaster? It felt like Plandemic Phase 3 to me.. nice to see folk now selling property they would have kept selfishly in their family to our benevolent benifactors.
@@Standefiant I live here and have friends and family who barely escaped with their lives. There were no lasers. There were no DEW. You have to live here to understand how it happened.
Do you need an airbag, do you need a seat belt, do you need a parachute, do you need a climbing harness, do you need a safety on a rifle, do you need a motorcycle helmet. No but they sure are nice to have. 😅
I did use body armor during a riot in my town. It was close by, my cop buddy told us no one was coming if we called for help. My buddy and I sat on the porch with body armor, NODs, and suppressed SBRs. When people we didn't know were looking through cars and trying house doors taking advantage of the chaos. We asked if they were lost, and they left promptly. Never made threats or aimed weapons. They wanted no resistance, and rolled out as soon as they saw it was possible. It's great for static defense.
My father always told me "son it's better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it". With that said I'm not much of the larping type but I do want to be prepared for even the most unlikely of events and that's how I look at it!
I’m retired from 33 years of law enforcement. I have body armor. Do I need body armor? Wow, I certainly hope not! I also have life insurance. I really hope I don’t need that.
The gov gooons who are the first wave of gov terrorist to take our God given liberty's are the police. Yet, these fools who make these videos are the ones who lick the boots of law enforcement. Makes zero sense.
@@stevep7346 true, but I don’t want my family to have to use my life insurance. Wait a minute…I think I may be worth more dead than alive. Note to self, cancel life insurance.
Don't forget the battle belt! Takes weight off your shoulders and rebalances them to your hip. Pistol on right, extra mags on left. Think front AND back weight when wearing a plate carrier.
@@joemama69448thing is, the argument isn’t “body armor OR chest rig”, because they serve different purposes. Chest rig is load carrying gear, and body armor is protective layering. In my opinion from my experience in Iraq, and Afghanistan, slick body armor with chest rig or LBE worn over, or by itself.
got a steel plate on sale IIIA+, wrapped it with a few layers of duct tape as ive seen tests where the "anti-spalling" coating + duct tape absorbs severe spalling. $120 all-in and I only purchased it because of incoming possible bans. will protect against most military ammo, relatively light, cheap, and still fits in a slick. Advice in this video is accurate: you can juggernaut a Level IV full set if in a defensive/stationary position but if you are mobile, you'll die from the weight and heat if not choosing something lighter. The best advice ive ever seen about kit/chest rig is, "if your rig is more detachable, you can drop what isnt necessary for the situation in the moment"
Paramedic advice: I'm privilaged enough to get to play this game on the civilian side. I tell everyone: 'your plates are there to stop the threat you didn't know about'. I run a JPC.1 that I cut the front pocket off of. I can throw my chest rigs over it for SWAT/SAR/competition. My belts and bags are also varied by mission but run light because we never know if it's gonna be a 2 hour drug raid or a 7 hour missing person search. Never be afraid to try a gear idea but never be afraid to doff gear, as needed. Remember, you are distributing your load weight over both a surface area AND time.
Well said. I work the TacMed training end of things and I will say you're absolutely correct. First those plates are for the round you didn't see coming. It's buying you that second or 2 to get to cover when a routine call for a cardiac event or structure fire was actually setup as a ambush. I'm sure you've seen and heard about fire, EMS and LEOs being baited into an area with a low risk call only to take fire immediately upon arrival. I say to students regularly from park rangers to SAR or anyone else, if you wear a uniform, you are a target. Be it an unstable person looking for infamy or someone with a general issue with the community of responders. This is a little different from the non-responder side however if anyone had to travel in 2020 or lived in an urban environment. You know that things could go from bad to worse in an instant. I watched the riots kick off in Philly in May driving down a main highway and thankfully had plenty of intel sources that things were going badly. I saw smoke start rising from downtown and got off the highway. A 40 min drive took me 4 hours. I hadn't been traveling with armor at the time because I had hardly seen another person in the road from March until that day. I would drive highway and see 1 other car ever half hour. Then all hell broke loose and I'm in a white SUV with my GF as we are coming back from a class and seeing multiple guns out. People in every direction and I'm trying to get home and not engage with anyone. I wish we had our armor to throw under a hoodie. The next days traveling back we had more hardware, armor on coming back into the city and egress plans. After 2 days riots had consumed the whole city and every cop I knew told me "You're on your own. Don't go out, don't look for a fight but plan to have a way to get to ED and also protect your house. Our response time, if we can if we show up is 4-5 hours for a serious injury. EMS is only running with an escort." This is when med bags got staged even for elderly neighbors who had an emergency or one of the 8-10 neighbors standing outside as a visual deterrent was injured. We had a plan, an evac plan and vehicles even planned for care enroute. After living through that 2 times in a year, 3 times in 3. Armor is always nearby and is fit semi annually for her and I. As well as practice in getting it on quickly. Her and I can have plates, mags and IFAK (already staged) on in under 30 seconds. This is properly fit and ready to go just in case. This is layered with our daily carry and just added additional ballistics protection. We have a higher threat matrix than others due to some things currently in court that we are plaintiffs in. Security is taken extremely seriously and was recommended to do so from numerous LEOs who do higher threat work in LE. I agree as well having multiple kits based on need and threat profile. Actually training and fitting your gear is extremely important. I have watched students come into scenarios wearing full kit down to groin armor, helmet and layers of gear on their chest. (1 student had 5 TQs on his armor setup) within 10 mins into 6 hours of scenarios you can tell who don't actually wear their kit ever. It's sliding forward from overloading it, and they're gassed from a flight of steps, pouring sweat in winter. Some summer classes we've stopped students from wearing so much because we could see hyperthermia being an issue with them moving to start. Red faced, slow to respond to questions and sweating an abnormal amount. That's when we pull them to cool off and no kit if they're going to keep going. This is where gear suggestions and setup comes into training. The guy with 5 TQs, I asked him what armor was he running. Level 3+ 11x14 AR550 plates with side plates. Just in armor and carrier he was wearing 36 lbs. Add in everything else and never wearing it to do light work to get used to it, he found out very quickly that 45 lbs on your chest you're not used to is making you a liability to your team and self. I saw him a year later In another class. He had lighter plates, a more slick carrier and was able to actually jog up steps in full kit. A year prior he got the wake up of a kit based around threat vs always wearing a breachers level of armor for everything.
Need? No. But I don’t keep a fire extinguisher because I think my house will catch on fire, or keep a medical kit in my car because I think I’ll bleed out on my way home. Having and not needing is always better than bleeding out and wishing.
@@Mitsurifan357 There is still a chance at survival, its not the worst thing you can live rest of your life with (you will be surprised how many people actually survived injuries in past that would be nearly 100% lethal even today right in hospital, like being shot with cannonball).
@@Mitsurifan357 thought experiment: You are getting shot 3 times in the chest by a 556 round. No hospitals to save your life. Do you A. Wear you bass pro shirt B. Wear LV4 plates. 20% chance of internal bleeding Just wondering.
I picked up my armor during the summer of love, there was a real possibility of a raving pack burning down people's houses. I would say having qd options for armor is highly desirable, if you can get out quick you can get in quick.
"Need" is a funny word. If politicians are talking about banning it, regardless of what it is or if I cared about it before - I now want to get it for myself. The thing about armor is the same as CCW imo. If you *expected* to need it you should get out of that situation. We carry on the off chance we need it. If I expected I would NEED my armor I would be looking for a way out, but I HAVE it for the off chance. If you don't have a couple weeks worth of water and food, you should skip armor until you do. The point about logistics is massive, you are your own logistics.
You do need it. Do not ever let someone say you do not. It is our right and is actually the final failsafe to corruption as shown in the whiskey rebellion when Washington pardoned the rebels and again when Lincoln pardoned the confederacy post war and allowed them to re enlist into the union military and pardoned them all
Depends how much armor u wear. There is normal full sets the get the whole torso groin and shoulders. Hell more than a few people have made and use custom sets with even more area protect that were quite effective
@@isaac6077 Sure. But good luck walking through swamps and deserts all day, wearing a full-body kevlar set, or looking like a medieval knight covered in ceramic and steel plates head to toe, weighing you down and hindering movement. There's a point where the soldier becomes less effective, the more effective the armor gets. Then there's also the matter of cost effectiveness. Even the best armor is useless, if you can't afford it.
This is why I don't wear a helmet, Clint Smith said that duh bad guy didn't take his class so he uh is definitely gonna be really bad n not be able 2 shoot me or something
It’s the little things that get you everyone’s worried about stockpiling ammo, plate carriers, learning CQB, having the top of the line rifles. In reality you will most likely die from disease, dehydration, infection, or exposure to the elements. Trying running an 80lb pack for 3 days with crap boots, minimal caloric intake, or no electrolyte solution. It’s not fun.
Wow, this is a ton of stuff to take in. Having lived in Florida since 1966, I am used to being a "prepper"' to some extent as we have hurricanes yearly that take out the power up to a week at worst. stores close, food stores and gas stations now have emergency power but it's pure crazy busy and people want to fight you for your spot in the gas line. So as a husband and father, I have two and one half weeks of food/ water stored up, 25 gal of gasoline for car/truck and generator. We now have a solar generator with solar collectors that run everything except hot water, and central A/c. ( two window units ) stored in garage. the gasoline generator will run both a/c units, lights , microwave, main refrigerator plus dorm size unit. Plus propane . That's been on hand and replenished for 19 years. I read an article that said citizens will begin looting and shooting as they and their families run out of food which may be a week or so. I guess thats where the gun protection comes in. That's covered as well. And all that stuff is even with a government that wants to help, not take everything away like rifles, pistols etc. I am trying to set up a neighborhood "watch" group with my buddies. Are there any suggestions on how this is best accomplished and communication? Thanks so much for your video, truly helped!!
The heat and lack of water will take more out than any battle out on the field. I’m in Florida and this is a brutal climate. I do a lot of hiking and carry 6-9 liters of water on long hikes along with my kit. It sucks big time but so does getting dead due to dehydration and exhaustion. This was a really well thought out video!!
I'm glad to see you working out in armor. It seems to be more common now. When I did it getting out of the Army in 2013, people looked at me like I was crazy. Just rucking, I've had people call the police on me. Nothing bad happened, and after the second time, they didn't even stop to talk to me, just turned around, and left.
A friend of mine was SOF in Afghanistan and his plate took a burst from an AK, which probably saved his life (he described that as "like getting hit in the chest with Mark McGwire's baseball bat", btw). He would still ditch the plates if his job was to hike up a mountain and observe an area. He'd also ditch his pistol in that scenario.
The reality is, more ounces means more pounds and more pounds mean more pain. However, politicians do not want you to have body armour. for that reason alone, you need it.
I dont get the Pound Thing especially when Body Armor IS the Difference between being hospitalized or death. Hell the reason Armor wasnt used that much anymore wasnt because IT was useless but to save cost for mass conscription
@@laisphinto6372 The point I'm making is that most successful guerillas/insurgents don't use body for a number of reasons. 1. It is bulky, and shows a particular shape. Meaning it is difficult to conceal, and any reasonably trained security force can pick that out in a crowd before you reach for your concealed weapon. 2. The extra weight. Body armour does not allow you to move efficiently in wooded areas and across rough terrain. If you are stationary long enough for someone to gain a p.I.D on you and hit you square in the chest, you are wrong. Efficient and fluid movement should be prioritized. There is something terrifying about someone who is less-equipped than you having better training and tactics. 3. Lack of utility outside CQB. Look, the vast majority of successful guerilla movements did not hole up in cities and towns. They were in the trees, the hills, and the mountains. Body is only really useful in CQB environments. All in all, despite the opinions I gave, I would still own some for the sake of protecting myself.
My thought is that if civil unrest occurs, I'm protecting my home and not leaving unless I have to. If I'm just hanging around the house, wearing body armor is totally doable.
ww1 soldier kit is best for these reasons: tested for 4 years lightweight versatile (its wool so its warm but also breathable) drip can last months in worst possible outdoor conditions simple to repair
@@laisphinto6372 all nations in ww1 except ottomans and Russians abolished peasant, also the equipment would depend on stage of war and the country because even just germany varied greatly from early to late war
Unironically, the situation I'd find myself wanting body armor the most is where people wear it the least. If I lived in the ghetto or worked a somewhat dangerous job, like jewelry store clerk or bouncer, I would wear soft body armor I can wear under my clothes. Sure, it's only rated for pistol calibers, but that's what I'm likely to face.
Be light, be fast, and most importantly do not be seen in the first place. It's nice to see gun tube discussing reality and not Seal Team fantasy nonsense. Logistics is truly what makes a good fighting force. If their logistics is better than yours, you should probably keep your contact limited.
When I started driving, at 16 my dad made me pull over in our neighborhood. He told me if I was going to drive a vehicle I needed to be equipped mentally to deal with problems and troubleshoot. He made me pop the hood and check fluids, and even made me pull out the spare and change the tire. That’s my weird story that created the “Changing the Tire” philosophy I’ve pretty much adopted. If you have knowledge and tools for a situation you’re factorially more powerful in said situation. I do see body armor as a necessity. It’s something you should have and train in just in the event you may need it. Currently working towards doing the same with night vision and thermal. It’s also why I’ve started trying to get into paramedic knowledge as well. I think the kit is something that you could get by without having; however, my qualms with soft armor is that I feel like if it’s not rated for a rifle round you’re dismissing much more threat than you may see.
This could've been summarized/scripted better, but as a freeflow thought rant style essay it works. A few diagrams on the more technical things would help for people who aren't into the jargon (like me). And if you have a point you really want to drive home, put it in text on the screen whenever it's repeated, get some humor going, helps people focus on the message and remember the repeats.
Man, I ain't even gonna lie... you caught me with sitting on the can, taking a dump, while drinking my coffee and watching your videos... gotta hand it to you. You know your audience very well, sir.
I really appreciate the emphasis on the thinking man’s game. As Americans were blessed to be able to prepare for the unexpected. But there’s tons of ways to prepare for the worst. Always weigh the pros and cons. It’s easy to imagine how a straight up gunfight would go and how to be prepared for it. But we should also prepared for how else we can survive and thrive. Kit is badass, but maybe survival skills and preparation is likely much more useful in the long term.
Laying in hospital because of a sting that somehow managed to inject bacteria directly into my bloodstream i couldn't agree more on what you said about hospitals and medical infrastructure. As a former army medic, firefighter and chemist i would think that i am better prepared for such things than other but still, even small things can get you fucked up bad.
small tatical rigs are really great for manual labor that lets you use it. i was in a golf course and kept food and water or tools. it was really nice to have hands free and not have to keep going to a cart for gear
I am a product of GWOT and what I do like is it also gave me that “Batman” style of confidence when it comes to falls, throwing yourself around through ditches etc. it protects from more than just projectiles is my point I guess.
I'm glad one of the things you talked about was physical fitness, it's really not mentioned enough. Also shtf scenario having a way to make clean water (or multiple ways) is really important.
I just recently thought someone had broke into my house and had to go clear my house (also the power was out in my neighborhood) and man Ive never been happier I had body armor to put on. It was a false alarm but man I felt just that little more confident going into a very stressful situation
7 mags is great but even in training not actual combat I realized how little that is. It goes stupid fast even on semi only. In my free time I rock British MTP webbing and a TAPs
6 in the front, 2 on each side, one in the rifle... And as many as you can realistically carry in a bag. Even if you can't get to your bag, 11 should last you till you can.
You should do a video on standoff distance. Surviving a fight depends a lot on how close to you it starts. The further you keep the potential threat away from you, the more difficult it becomes for them to land an incapacitating hit. That means, communications at distance of at least fifty meters becomes extremely important, i.e. a bullhorn.
As someone with limited money I feel like this guy is the most practical discussion. Buying body armor to prep for disaster is near the middle to bottom of my wish list after stocking up on bleach, iodine pills, alcohol, solor cookware, ammo, 10-25lb bags of rice, pasta, flour, sugar, vitamins, and as many potatoes as you can eat in a month or two before they go bad.
Bro I got potatoes that are like a year old. Keep them in a cool, dark dry place they’ll last for a long time. For me I keep them to plant Again. Usually keep about 50 or so to plant again. Bleach expires bubba. I assume it’s for water purification. Get some sawyer minis and or a sawyer gallon kit. Gets all that nasty shit out, and boil it afterwards if it’s known to have viruses. In my area waters clean, I’ll drink right out the creek with a sawyer mini. I got bags of rice and beans and lentils that are like 4 years old and still good. Keep them in a metal locker to keep pests out. I got jars that are like 10 years old looks fine.
@@jak356Yes if I had access to a root cellar like environment or extra fridge capacity I would of course keep a longer potato rotation or even a garden of them. Unfortunately I cant do that in my 1 bedroom apartment with 2 people in Georgia, nor can a lot of people. I only have enough storage of shelf stable hard grains and canned food for ~80 days of high calorie crisis food intake, with some rationing or a little scavenging and hunting I could make it till my first potato harvest which gives me time to set up cool storage. I know bleach expires. I could use it for water but in a crisis its primarily for cleaning hands, dishes, and wounds. I have ~2 weeks (25 gallons split 2 ways) worth of water jugs and life straws I got for xmas, although only have enough of those for 3 years of water. I finish the bleach before it expires for normal cleaning and buy a spare when half full. There are no streams safe to drink near me and if there were almost no water will be safe once the municipal water system or power grid goes down or there is nuclear fallout. Dysentary, Chlorella, industrial waste contamination, Malaria from mosquitoes, heat stroke, and starvation will 100% kill you and fast. People sometimes come together in a crisis and like the guy said body armor does not prevent infection from wounds on your extremities. Something like a riot shield or more robust home defenses could be more practical than a chest plate
OEF combat here, 2012-2020 as an Artilleryman. During deployment and field training in a combat arms mos I can tell you that you’ll get used to living in your kit. I hated running my bandolier even in Hawaii which is a jungle. I ran my plate carrier with the basics. 7 mags, two canteen pouches and IFAK. Getting a good prone ain’t easy with so much shit on your chest. I’d opt for a battle belt to keep extra magazines or even placing your ifak and water sources there. Since I’m no longer in the army;and it’s just me, I’m opting for less side protection and more mobility to be able to break contact.
I love how realistic you put the four mag guys because it’s true in war people think oh I can make that shot or hit those people not so far away . But clearly they never shot at a target that’s been shooting at them back
As someone working in the Air Force logistics system, I can confirm how important supply and logistics are. For most of these imaginary preparedness situations, you have to self-revive and self re-supply
My take is that body armor is a 50-50. Body armor has saved lives, it protects the vital organs and gives soldiers, police etc. the chance to survive an otherwise fatal injury. It dethroned the MP5 due to events like the North Hollywood shootout. However, it is not the end all be all. Not getting shot is equally if not better than taking one to the chest. This requires you to be light and agile, something IOTV and older body armors did not allow. That is why plate carriers offer the minimum amount of protection while still trying to retain maneuverability.
The gov gooons who are the first wave of gov terrorist to take our God given liberty's are the police. Yet, these fools who make these videos are the ones who lick the boots of law enforcement. Makes zero sense.
I really appreciate you talking about making a group with like minded people, so many 'prepper' type people think selfishly and completely neglect the human need for community and human nature of working together and the logistic support provided by both
Honestly people need to start trying to connect in these spaces to find like minded folks, because there are few common places where people feel comfortable speaking on such things. I have floated sitting on the corner of my neighborhood with a gadsen with a clipboard to just start a call down list. We need to seek each other out! Eastern GA reporting.
Every person you add also adds potential for your own downfall. As noble as it is to give people the benefit of the doubt, the reality is that doing so can burn you in our present world and if things get significantly worse this only gets worse. Don't assume people have your ideals even if they act like they do because people with personality disorders are great at playing the long game.
@@christianarrington6492 True. Honestly though I don't like the gadsen as a symbol because of it's association with libertarianism which doesn't really focus on that vital community support, at least as much as other antiauthoritarian ideologies which are inclusive of rectifying social inequities. As someone on the left also its kind of sketchy, half the time people flying them are neat and half the time they know the age of consent in each state yk.
“That stuff’s cool until you’re starving and have bad diarrhea.” Absolutely. All my cool stuff I acquired when I was single. Now I’m married and have 3 kids. Any monies I have to spend on prepping usually go to food, water, and meds. I do have my battle rifle and kit in case it comes down to having to go out and scavenge or hunt/fish
Everyone needs to keep in mind a serial number with a production date is woven into all body armor sold in the US. Soft concealable body armor, and a seperate plate rig for a best value win.
personal (best) opinion: I wouldnt wear Lvl 3 or 4 body armor unless i was assaulting a building or defending it. Lvl 3A and 2 are different stories as theyre good for catching shrapnel but realistically if youre a civilian and you plan on fighting you need to prioritize your speed and maneuverability as those will be the things that prevent you from getting shot in the first place.
Also bare in mind. You aren't in the best peak performance. You aren't physically fit(infantryman) level to just sprint from a to b without getting tired out immediately. Armor is nice but level 1-2 is fine since most of it is small arms fire. There's a chance a enemy may rocked up high calibers but personal protection. Most just flagged with pistols and sub-machine guns or a buckshot.
The first wave of people to take your rights away are the police. Yet the people making videos like this worship and lick the boots of law enforcement.
Why have body armor? Why not? Having it doesn’t mean you have to prance around in it all the time. Why have it? Because the scenario I’d most likely have to use any rifle for would require mags, IFAK, etc so if you’ve got to carry that stuff you’re expecting someone to be putting Roy rounds back at you. Armor good. Body armor isn’t supposed to be comfortable. Just comforting.
I’m glad UA-cam larpers are finally bringing this up. Especially with the long term or moving with body armor. Have you tried bringing body armor camping and hiking with instead of just flat ranging it up? It’s hard (stfu to the guy that’s going to deny it). It’s uncomfortable and gets in the way. Have you tried packing a ruck with it and rucking up mountains and extended periods with it. Once again it gets in the way and takes up a ton of space. It’s 100x more difficult than regular hikes or rucks so for people like Overton and Admin to finally point out the cons of body armor is refreshing. With that all being said, go larp and act like you know what you’re doing because it’s fun!
If you live in the mountains or woods ECT then chest rigs are the way to go if you live in a densely populated city or urban environment with multiple angles or where riots and such could break out id grab the body armor. Have both for different setups. Hiking and long periods of time in body armor sucks but in a situation where I'm going to be shot at or seen is highly likely then getting shot without it sucks more.
Orders condor chest rig. Drains beer from fermenter into keg. Looks at water purification station with water distiller, smiles. Nods from guy in the forest from that one meme.
My body doesn't react well to bullets or small fragments of metal or other things, so body armor is worth it. Full vest with soft armor panels+full coverage helmet.
My thinking has always been that hard armor is questionably worth the expense and weight for civilians given the likelihood of facing a rifle threat, but if you can afford it, there's little to no reason not to wear concealable soft armor whenever you go out (ideally with stab/spike protection). It's a similar use case to a concealed pistol. You hope you never need it and can almost forget about it as you go through your day, but it's there for your protection constantly if you do need it.
My opinion? Each situation needs it's own consideration. If you're traveling with support, other people, and vehicles, and you expect resistance, go with as heavy armor as you're comfortable. If you're doing short sorties with a small group and you can expect light resistance if any, go with light armor for mobility, because combat should not be your aim. If you're solo or doing recon, wear little to no armor, because contact should be the last thing you should look for; your armor is mobility, your ability to disengage quickly, and your ability to move quietly and in cover and avoid detection.
Plates make sense for the military because of the hospital logistics. A soldier can take a few rounds to the body as long as the vitals are protected and evac to hospital. For SHTF taking a round in the leg or arm will be fatal over a few weeks.
Between you, Garand Thumb, Demolition Ranch, Brandon Herrera, Kentucky Ballistics, Donut Operator, and now Micah Mayfield.... i only have so much blood in my body.. it can only be supplied to one of my heads at a time... fucking top drawer. solid vid brother.
Admin is slowly but surely becoming my go-to gun guy channel for a great mix of information and amusement for the average Joe. Even though I'm hobbled by being Canadian, oh well.
body armor is something we should have, but like everything else, it is a tool in the toolbox, and not always needed in all scenarios and situations as civilians
I think a plausible scenario is a hurricane Katrina situation, with rampant looting and a break down of rule of law. The neighborhood could come together and set up checkpoints at choke entry points while they wait for the rule of law to return. If I was running a checkpoint, I'd want to wear armor.
believe that minimally decent body armor is necessary, after all, you don't like bullets and you can't trust that you will never be hit in any way and most importantly, never trust body armor too much
I think the Amish are doing pretty great. Invest in community building (*). Support local farmers, learn trades and skills, have a big family, have stuff that works without electricity and is repairable. Learn how to build a community, which is a real challang in this polarized world.
I like the idea of a slick plate carrier with a clip on 6-8 mag placard, and then having the chest rig harness in my bag if I want to drop the plate carrier and run the rig solo with the plates in my bag.
I live in idaho where we mainly train in the mountains and i've decided to not go with body armor to save wieght and focus more on kit related to hiking and survival. Maybe im uneducated but when youre hiking multiple miles with a constantly changing climate you find the plate carrier to just get in the way
Infantry hikes miles and miles daily in middle eastern hills and deserts with double or triple the weight in gear, kit and plates than a you do in your plate carrier. Train better
Bloviation for the algorithm. I’ve always hated body armor since starting to use in the Army. It’s heavy, it’s awkward, it slows you down and it depends on the enemy’s precision shooting skills to hit you high center mass. But that’s a Gen X take - from a guy that lived the Fobbit life in GWOT. I knew guys whose enemies were good shots and hit that tiny plate instead of meat. If you got the muscle and cardio to huff and puff under it and function, get on with your bad self.
It's not about whether they get you center mass or not. The plates provide a level of protection to your vitals that is greater than zero. It still leaves a lot of squishy bits exposed, that is a given. I don't know anyone that thinks a plate carrier or vest makes you invulnerable.
The armor you guys carried was a lot bigger and heavier though wasn’t it? I have some friend in the National Guard that showed me their armor setups, and they were massive.
You should look into what's available now. A simple vest with lvl IIIA soft inserts and no plates gives you protection from shrapnel and 44mag and down around your vitals. I picked up one for about $250 and it weighs about 5lbs without anything attached to it.
I live in an area that gets in the mid 90s during the summer and the mid 30s & low 40s during the winter. I run a low profile plate carrier and a harness system. So I can wear the plates on my body and stack weather layers over top, then the harness over the weather layers. I have 3 harness setups, one for each of my main SOPs. Kit is good but training is the best. As a wilderness medical tech/medic volunteer, I highly recommend anyone on the "survival world" getting certified in basic wilderness first aid. It is a 2 day course and you get some really good medical info that will carry over into a SHTF situation.
Admin, you're talking about WALKING everywhere. Why does NOONE talk about jumping on a bicycle? 1. You can carry more 2. You're WAY faster 3. In some situations you're even quieter I'd love for you to look more into this maybe test it out on the flat range because I think in a potential American disaster scenario that bicycles are SEVERELY under represented in media or thought about in discussions like this video to me it's pretty obvious that it's a superior way to get around over walking even with gear on synch down your rifle if you're shot at ditch the bike and get to cover. The same could be said about motorcycles or ATVs or even the newer electric motorcycles. In some terrain it won't be viable I know that but in a LOT of terrain it will be.
pedalling a push bike while carrying 30kg of kit, a rifle plus clothing and boots is just not practical. Motorbikes are.. and they have been used by infantry units in the past.. even going back to WW2.
@@noahfyan9617 I race bicycles actually. But riding one with "tactical gear" on, a bergen and a rifle, is a bit of a joke. A fat tyred E mountain bike maybe.
Something additional to keep in mind: body armor is good for protecting against more than just bullets. NIJ (National Institute of Justice) studies have shown police wearing body armor fared better in car collisions and similar impact related cases than those not wearing armor. Stabbing, not so much, unless it's the hard level 4 plates or steel plates, those stop stabbing just fine (for the areas they cover obviously).
I did some research on stabbing and iiia soft armor actually will stop a blade from full penetration. In the tests I saw it may slightly poke through, but only enough to cause a superficial minor wound
@MinutemanMedic , that's true, I was thinking more of stabbing implements like ice picks or other similar objects. I spent 2 years researching body armor and it seemed the manufacturers really wanted anyone wearing their armor to be conscious of the fact that they were significantly more vulnerable to stabbing than gunfire. So that may have been largely the result of liability concerns. Especially after what happened to Point Blank armor systems in the class action lawsuit they got hit with. I don't know that for certain (as to whether that was the motivation) and I'm just speculating. But if I were a multi-million dollar company with multi-million dollar contracts on the line- I would probably be *really* concerned about liability.
This is coming from a combat veteran. I hated body armor; the added weight, heat, limited range of motion and worst of all it impacts your speed. The Kevlar was nice only for the NVG’s.
Hello Hello From Victoria Canada!!! I am so shocked that you don't sleep with your plate armor on in case of a break in. I think seeing a guy wearing armor and nothing else would scare or at least distract them to give you some advantage. Seriously though this was a great episode and I don't usually subscribe on a first video, but you are clear, sound experienced and seem to be knowledgeable and I really appreciate that. Keep up the awesome content and I can't wait to check out some more episodes on some of the topics you mentioned in this video. Stay safe, stay healthy and be as happy as you can be. 🤘😁👍
Best kit for civilians is a lvl4 plate carrier with lvl3 soft plates in it while leaving the lvl4’s in your ruck/bag till you think you really need them. Along with a battle belt. Don’t use a helmet it’s to cumbersome and only provides so much protection. But it makes you also stick out like a sore thumb as target number one in a non military setting. You’re basically labeling yourself as a loot drop with a helmet. Just use a ball cap for shade along with a gaiter with over the ear hearing protection. Same with nods don’t buy them. Just get a thermal clip on, and tons of other more important gear you could afford in the place of “look at me the loot drop over here” nods.
As talked about in the video, what you really need to take into account is how you're using this gear. If you're putting on full plate, helmet, nods, etc., then walking casually through town like nothing's wrong, then yeah you're stupid and just a loot drop. If you have any brains, you won't be wearing that gear unless you're expecting a high enough chance that you'll need it, and you should never be out looking for the chance to use it. Helmets can absolutely save your life, as well as host your comms system (if you have nobody to talk to, you need to correct that), eye pro, as well as NVG/Thermal. Again, you're not going to be wearing/using all your gear all the time.
Do I need it? No. Does a politician want me to not have it? I need it.
its better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
Liberal politician*
And if anyone in a political or media position says you don't need it. You need it.
@@BNatoAkany politician. They all suck.
Jewish politician*
I summon POT OF GREED, which allows me to draw 3 battle rifles from my local national guard armory
Not to mention all that 40 mike mike
@Meyer-gp7nq they'd have the launchers but no rounds :(
guard*
Will the clerk let me check them out in trade for a pot of greed if im a civvie?
@@Meyer-gp7nq You need Jar of Greed for that baby
Body armor is like a fire extinguisher. Most of the time it isn’t needed & is just fine sitting untouched, but in a specific crisis it is priceless.
That’s right! Better to have something and not need it than wishing you had it when you need it.
When female comes out confiscating,they will come to your house first.
As I see it, I can have as much water and food as I want, if I can't defend it and someone who's meaner and better equipped then me comes along and wanna take it, it's useless to use gear I can't use effectively.
On the other hand, if I don't have any military training or even experience on the battlefield, I can have the best kit available and I'll lose my stuff anyway (probably together with my life and the life's of the people I have to protect).
I think that the best way is to buy a weapon to defend your loved ones and yourself, making sure that you know how to work with it properly and then to think about anything else (besides food and water, this is something you need anyways every day so you should buy long-lasting food whenever you have a few bucks to spare).
Everything else is luxury and one should buy it like one would buy a luxury item.
It doesn't help anyone if you buy an expensive kit first and can't move because you don't have the stamina, training and experience and a weapon you're not comfortable with.
I think you should only use gear you actually know how tho use and are feeling comfortable wearing it.
If someone comes to you, you have normally the upper hand because you know every corner of your house and it is much worth to be fast and quiet when you're at a place you are familiar with and your opponent isn't. I almost would say that it's more effective than an expensive kit + body armor.
But what do I know, I was never in the army or in law enforcement.
I only know that I will be shot first when the police arrive on scene and I have body armor and a full kit on me.
@@DanY-zl3jgMost times this special thing that you need is in the trunk or at home when you really need it.
The coolest I ever felt was ditching it in Afghan.
I wore a soft 3A as a bouncer when I got out of the military. I didn’t wear it because I was afraid, I actually put it on, on the days it was cold outside. I was the door man. One night it was cold so I threw it on under my jacket to keep warm. Long story short….i got shot by some homies that came back after being kicked out the club. I took one to my left midsection. The cold saved my ass that night.
Glad you survived the unwarranted attack. You might have a Guardian Angel, my man.
Yeah, soft vest as bouncer is good call. If not stopping bullets it will help to dimish punches / kicks and knives.
Cool Story Bruh.
The vest seemed to do the saving lol.
@@aj897 It seems you forgot what made him wear it, which was explained only two sentences before.
If a politician ever wants to ban a personal protection device, you should see him as an enemy and promptly vote him out.
vote him out from a rooftop
in minecraft
ok but what about if they show up to work wearing a foreign military uniform and are a dual citizen?
Legalize grenades
Yeah, just vote harder.
@@fauxtool952you mean a ziocrat like Biden or a ziocon like Trump?
A Medics Perspective:
I can somewhat treat junctional bleeds and pneumothorax long enough to get you to a surgeon, but I cannot treat you if your heart looks like pulled pork....... and neither can the surgeon..... take that as you wish.
Who woulda thought guns and body armor make society safer
😅😅😅 Made my Day Dude
" I can take care of treatable injuries better than I can repair a completely destroyed heart " id hope thats the case
@@clalam5241 well it’s not rocket science lmao
@@theparaminuteman rocket science is NOT rocket science, if you LOVE rockets. You love medicine, and helping others, and for that alone, I thank you.
When you've got politicians calling a chi-com rig "advanced gear", you know something is a little sus.
Indeed, it’s probably because these politicians don’t know Jack shit about weapons or even armor at all
It’s fairly advanced when your buddies carry mags in their back pocket and don’t own a sling?!!
politicians the kind of niggas to call an airsoft gun an assault weapon
@@jefferyboring4410living that scav life
when the fbi came here they called my chest rig something like a "high capacity assault vest"..... its just a basic chest rig lmao.
Admin. You forgot the Maui fire catastrophe.
I live on Maui, and while I did not live in Lahaina town, I do have family over there.
Immediately after the fire there was extremely limited law enforcement in the area.
The local PD was however preventing access to that side of the island. The survivors and others in the neighboring town had no food or water, and of course no electricity. Fortunately good citizens were able to boat supplies in.
It was a good week at least before the Feds and the state had any meaningful presence.
The locals organized and created a self governing system. It really helps that the folks out there are either all family or like family because they’ve been together forever.
Eventually the US government was able to organize aid, but until then the people had to defend and feed themselves (yes there were looters and shots fired.)
In the tacticool world guys seem to forget that a natural disaster is THE most relevant scenario to train for.
The government isn't on your side.
Did you say "Natural" disaster? It felt like Plandemic Phase 3 to me.. nice to see folk now selling property they would have kept selfishly in their family to our benevolent benifactors.
"natural disaster"
@@Standefiant I live here and have friends and family who barely escaped with their lives.
There were no lasers.
There were no DEW.
You have to live here to understand how it happened.
@@shanekelley2554 nope
Do you need an airbag, do you need a seat belt, do you need a parachute, do you need a climbing harness, do you need a safety on a rifle, do you need a motorcycle helmet. No but they sure are nice to have. 😅
strange they banned me from not using my seat belt.
@@DARKthenoble They banned me from jumping without a parachute
@@RT-qd8yl that's horrible. It's a good thing it's still legal to jump in front of traffic.
For some reason they’re adamant that you shouldn’t need an ID to vote
This is the most logical response I've seen...we can all imagine a reason we could need armor. Why not have it just in case.
"Is that a class 3 firearm?"
"Are those level 4 plates?"
Gotta Love @THERUSSIANBADGER
😂
"Mmmm, touche.....how 'bout them NFA Items? "
"Too much paperwork."
"Right? We should abolish paperwork."
"Facts!"
These are my first magnitude traffic birds!
"We gotta go"
I did use body armor during a riot in my town. It was close by, my cop buddy told us no one was coming if we called for help. My buddy and I sat on the porch with body armor, NODs, and suppressed SBRs. When people we didn't know were looking through cars and trying house doors taking advantage of the chaos. We asked if they were lost, and they left promptly. Never made threats or aimed weapons. They wanted no resistance, and rolled out as soon as they saw it was possible. It's great for static defense.
2020 summer of love per chance?
@zx7-rr486 yes.
@adamcavanaugh4940 peaceful protesting you mean
I would like to make the cheap joke that: luckily you were wearing nods otherwise you mighve not seen them. But I wont :)
@@adamcavanaugh4940literally rocking up the: why hello there ruffians! Tis but a summer time? Are y'all well protected for tis tomfoolery?
My father always told me "son it's better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it". With that said I'm not much of the larping type but I do want to be prepared for even the most unlikely of events and that's how I look at it!
Thanks for quoting your father, father's deserve recognition, respect and love. Godspeed. John
Yessir
Imagine being in someone’s house and here comes a fully nude man wielding a Benelli shotgun yelling “THERE ARE NO RULES!”
All nude except for a balaclava! ;D
Shock and Awe at its finest.
@@KriegWaFFenMore shock, less awe.
SSVOA... if you ask nicely, he might send you some slick pics... of his gear
PANSHOT
I’m retired from 33 years of law enforcement. I have body armor. Do I need body armor? Wow, I certainly hope not! I also have life insurance. I really hope I don’t need that.
The gov gooons who are the first wave of gov terrorist to take our God given liberty's are the police.
Yet, these fools who make these videos are the ones who lick the boots of law enforcement.
Makes zero sense.
Cool story boyscout
Good news, you won't ever need life insurance on yourself.
@@stevep7346 true, but I don’t want my family to have to use my life insurance. Wait a minute…I think I may be worth more dead than alive. Note to self, cancel life insurance.
@@stevep7346that’s not his point
Don't forget the battle belt! Takes weight off your shoulders and rebalances them to your hip. Pistol on right, extra mags on left. Think front AND back weight when wearing a plate carrier.
Don't forget a good ifak in the lower back. Tools to make holes and plug holes
We did a range day with vests on the other day at my club. Everyone enjoyed it, just slowly trying to make it normal for full kit days
How did you comment 7 hrs ago
@@ArmedAndIndigenousI'm freaking out.
Full kit Thursdays
@@Cyberdemon-9001 That's just bad alliteration. Full kit Fridays is much better.
@user-zg1vm8ub7r lol, I would but I gotta work. It be funny to scare the shit out of my coworkers.
I didn’t think I wanted it until I saw government trying to ban it. Then I bought several of them
That's the only pro body armor arguement I'll buy into lol.
@@joemama69448thing is, the argument isn’t “body armor OR chest rig”, because they serve different purposes. Chest rig is load carrying gear, and body armor is protective layering. In my opinion from my experience in Iraq, and Afghanistan, slick body armor with chest rig or LBE worn over, or by itself.
That's how they keep the things they want out of our hands in out hands. ;)
I rock a Smersh rig over a slick carrier
@@joemama69448 ask the government why they do then.
got a steel plate on sale IIIA+, wrapped it with a few layers of duct tape as ive seen tests where the "anti-spalling" coating + duct tape absorbs severe spalling. $120 all-in and I only purchased it because of incoming possible bans. will protect against most military ammo, relatively light, cheap, and still fits in a slick.
Advice in this video is accurate: you can juggernaut a Level IV full set if in a defensive/stationary position but if you are mobile, you'll die from the weight and heat if not choosing something lighter. The best advice ive ever seen about kit/chest rig is, "if your rig is more detachable, you can drop what isnt necessary for the situation in the moment"
Paramedic advice: I'm privilaged enough to get to play this game on the civilian side. I tell everyone: 'your plates are there to stop the threat you didn't know about'.
I run a JPC.1 that I cut the front pocket off of. I can throw my chest rigs over it for SWAT/SAR/competition. My belts and bags are also varied by mission but run light because we never know if it's gonna be a 2 hour drug raid or a 7 hour missing person search. Never be afraid to try a gear idea but never be afraid to doff gear, as needed.
Remember, you are distributing your load weight over both a surface area AND time.
Ooh… great advice at the end. I’m saving that to remember
Well said. I work the TacMed training end of things and I will say you're absolutely correct. First those plates are for the round you didn't see coming. It's buying you that second or 2 to get to cover when a routine call for a cardiac event or structure fire was actually setup as a ambush. I'm sure you've seen and heard about fire, EMS and LEOs being baited into an area with a low risk call only to take fire immediately upon arrival. I say to students regularly from park rangers to SAR or anyone else, if you wear a uniform, you are a target. Be it an unstable person looking for infamy or someone with a general issue with the community of responders.
This is a little different from the non-responder side however if anyone had to travel in 2020 or lived in an urban environment. You know that things could go from bad to worse in an instant. I watched the riots kick off in Philly in May driving down a main highway and thankfully had plenty of intel sources that things were going badly. I saw smoke start rising from downtown and got off the highway. A 40 min drive took me 4 hours. I hadn't been traveling with armor at the time because I had hardly seen another person in the road from March until that day. I would drive highway and see 1 other car ever half hour. Then all hell broke loose and I'm in a white SUV with my GF as we are coming back from a class and seeing multiple guns out. People in every direction and I'm trying to get home and not engage with anyone. I wish we had our armor to throw under a hoodie. The next days traveling back we had more hardware, armor on coming back into the city and egress plans. After 2 days riots had consumed the whole city and every cop I knew told me "You're on your own. Don't go out, don't look for a fight but plan to have a way to get to ED and also protect your house. Our response time, if we can if we show up is 4-5 hours for a serious injury. EMS is only running with an escort."
This is when med bags got staged even for elderly neighbors who had an emergency or one of the 8-10 neighbors standing outside as a visual deterrent was injured. We had a plan, an evac plan and vehicles even planned for care enroute. After living through that 2 times in a year, 3 times in 3. Armor is always nearby and is fit semi annually for her and I. As well as practice in getting it on quickly. Her and I can have plates, mags and IFAK (already staged) on in under 30 seconds.
This is properly fit and ready to go just in case. This is layered with our daily carry and just added additional ballistics protection. We have a higher threat matrix than others due to some things currently in court that we are plaintiffs in. Security is taken extremely seriously and was recommended to do so from numerous LEOs who do higher threat work in LE.
I agree as well having multiple kits based on need and threat profile. Actually training and fitting your gear is extremely important. I have watched students come into scenarios wearing full kit down to groin armor, helmet and layers of gear on their chest. (1 student had 5 TQs on his armor setup) within 10 mins into 6 hours of scenarios you can tell who don't actually wear their kit ever. It's sliding forward from overloading it, and they're gassed from a flight of steps, pouring sweat in winter. Some summer classes we've stopped students from wearing so much because we could see hyperthermia being an issue with them moving to start. Red faced, slow to respond to questions and sweating an abnormal amount. That's when we pull them to cool off and no kit if they're going to keep going. This is where gear suggestions and setup comes into training. The guy with 5 TQs, I asked him what armor was he running. Level 3+ 11x14 AR550 plates with side plates. Just in armor and carrier he was wearing 36 lbs. Add in everything else and never wearing it to do light work to get used to it, he found out very quickly that 45 lbs on your chest you're not used to is making you a liability to your team and self. I saw him a year later In another class. He had lighter plates, a more slick carrier and was able to actually jog up steps in full kit. A year prior he got the wake up of a kit based around threat vs always wearing a breachers level of armor for everything.
Need? No. But I don’t keep a fire extinguisher because I think my house will catch on fire, or keep a medical kit in my car because I think I’ll bleed out on my way home. Having and not needing is always better than bleeding out and wishing.
What happens when you get hit in the plate and get internal bleeding and there’s no hospital to go to, now what?
@Mitsurifan357 still a better turn out than the alternative.
@@Mitsurifan357 There is still a chance at survival, its not the worst thing you can live rest of your life with (you will be surprised how many people actually survived injuries in past that would be nearly 100% lethal even today right in hospital, like being shot with cannonball).
@@Mitsurifan357 thought experiment:
You are getting shot 3 times in the chest by a 556 round. No hospitals to save your life.
Do you
A. Wear you bass pro shirt
B. Wear LV4 plates. 20% chance of internal bleeding
Just wondering.
I picked up my armor during the summer of love, there was a real possibility of a raving pack burning down people's houses.
I would say having qd options for armor is highly desirable, if you can get out quick you can get in quick.
"Need" is a funny word. If politicians are talking about banning it, regardless of what it is or if I cared about it before - I now want to get it for myself. The thing about armor is the same as CCW imo. If you *expected* to need it you should get out of that situation. We carry on the off chance we need it. If I expected I would NEED my armor I would be looking for a way out, but I HAVE it for the off chance.
If you don't have a couple weeks worth of water and food, you should skip armor until you do. The point about logistics is massive, you are your own logistics.
You do need it. Do not ever let someone say you do not. It is our right and is actually the final failsafe to corruption as shown in the whiskey rebellion when Washington pardoned the rebels and again when Lincoln pardoned the confederacy post war and allowed them to re enlist into the union military and pardoned them all
Totally agree if I’m driving with my gas mask and body armor on I waited to long to leave.
"The thing about body armor is, you need to fight against someone who is competent enough to hit it."
- Clint Smith
Depends how much armor u wear. There is normal full sets the get the whole torso groin and shoulders. Hell more than a few people have made and use custom sets with even more area protect that were quite effective
@@isaac6077 Sure. But good luck walking through swamps and deserts all day, wearing a full-body kevlar set, or looking like a medieval knight covered in ceramic and steel plates head to toe, weighing you down and hindering movement.
There's a point where the soldier becomes less effective, the more effective the armor gets.
Then there's also the matter of cost effectiveness. Even the best armor is useless, if you can't afford it.
@@ShootAUT Simple just add servos, motors and hydraulics to the armor embrace the power armor, become space marine.
@@-Zevin- Metal Gear? Never heard of her.
This is why I don't wear a helmet, Clint Smith said that duh bad guy didn't take his class so he uh is definitely gonna be really bad n not be able 2 shoot me or something
It’s the little things that get you everyone’s worried about stockpiling ammo, plate carriers, learning CQB, having the top of the line rifles. In reality you will most likely die from disease, dehydration, infection, or exposure to the elements. Trying running an 80lb pack for 3 days with crap boots, minimal caloric intake, or no electrolyte solution. It’s not fun.
I'm just a dude on the internet. I sacrifice my dark magician to summon this comment in the prone position.
Such rhetoric. Inspiring.
You just activated my trap reply
How did you comment 13 hrs ago
@@ArmedAndIndigenous I saw that too. It's a bot!
@@ArmedAndIndigenousTime travel, spooky.
The fact that we live in a Time in America we're preparing for worst-case scenarios is considered a negative by anyone at all is heartbreaking..
We are ran by our enemies.
Wow, this is a ton of stuff to take in. Having lived in Florida since 1966, I am used to being a "prepper"' to some extent as we have hurricanes yearly that take out the power up to a week at worst. stores close, food stores and gas stations now have emergency power but it's pure crazy busy and people want to fight you for your spot in the gas line. So as a husband and father, I have two and one half weeks of food/ water stored up, 25 gal of gasoline for car/truck and generator. We now have a solar generator with solar collectors that run everything except hot water, and central A/c. ( two window units ) stored in garage. the gasoline generator will run both a/c units, lights , microwave, main refrigerator plus dorm size unit. Plus propane . That's been on hand and replenished for 19 years. I read an article that said citizens will begin looting and shooting as they and their families run out of food which may be a week or so. I guess thats where the gun protection comes in. That's covered as well. And all that stuff is even with a government that wants to help, not take everything away like rifles, pistols etc. I am trying to set up a neighborhood "watch" group with my buddies. Are there any suggestions on how this is best accomplished and communication? Thanks so much for your video, truly helped!!
The heat and lack of water will take more out than any battle out on the field. I’m in Florida and this is a brutal climate. I do a lot of hiking and carry 6-9 liters of water on long hikes along with my kit. It sucks big time but so does getting dead due to dehydration and exhaustion. This was a really well thought out video!!
Then hike in the night time to grab water not during the high heat which will exhaust all of your clean water supplies
If the apocalypse happens lack of water is definitely my biggest fear
Hell is florida in summer at noon. You aint lyin'. And Im from Ohio...
Who lives in fla and uses the metric system
Get a water filter and carry less water
20:29
1. Stay at home and hope it all goes away
2. Get bored of stay at home
3. Go outside and look around
4. Become loot box for someone else
Get bored of staying at home? It's only 2 weeks, goyim!
I'm glad to see you working out in armor. It seems to be more common now. When I did it getting out of the Army in 2013, people looked at me like I was crazy. Just rucking, I've had people call the police on me. Nothing bad happened, and after the second time, they didn't even stop to talk to me, just turned around, and left.
A friend of mine was SOF in Afghanistan and his plate took a burst from an AK, which probably saved his life (he described that as "like getting hit in the chest with Mark McGwire's baseball bat", btw). He would still ditch the plates if his job was to hike up a mountain and observe an area. He'd also ditch his pistol in that scenario.
Outside of CQB, and vehicles, carrying a pistol is retarded.
I would have done the same over there if it was possible. At some point (like climbing mountains) it seemed like the juice wasn't worth the squeeze.
Would that be McGwire roided up or just regular?
@@JMark-zk5pj At that point he was roided for sure.
@@JMark-zk5pj There's no such thing as 'regular' Mark McGwire lmao.
“Attempting to recover from certain financial purchases.”
Good lord, I felt that in my soul.
❤
Same
The sting of "by once, cry once" lingers...
All the best purchases are financial.
@@stevep7346 haha. The best, best are the ones that go “click, boom”.
Actually a really informative and sobering POV of the question in mind. Means of survival matters even more, sustainment over body armour.
The reality is, more ounces means more pounds and more pounds mean more pain.
However, politicians do not want you to have body armour. for that reason alone, you need it.
I dont get the Pound Thing especially when Body Armor IS the Difference between being hospitalized or death. Hell the reason Armor wasnt used that much anymore wasnt because IT was useless but to save cost for mass conscription
@@laisphinto6372 The point I'm making is that most successful guerillas/insurgents don't use body for a number of reasons.
1. It is bulky, and shows a particular shape. Meaning it is difficult to conceal, and any reasonably trained security force can pick that out in a crowd before you reach for your concealed weapon.
2. The extra weight. Body armour does not allow you to move efficiently in wooded areas and across rough terrain. If you are stationary long enough for someone to gain a p.I.D on you and hit you square in the chest, you are wrong. Efficient and fluid movement should be prioritized. There is something terrifying about someone who is less-equipped than you having better training and tactics.
3. Lack of utility outside CQB. Look, the vast majority of successful guerilla movements did not hole up in cities and towns. They were in the trees, the hills, and the mountains. Body is only really useful in CQB environments.
All in all, despite the opinions I gave, I would still own some for the sake of protecting myself.
My thought is that if civil unrest occurs, I'm protecting my home and not leaving unless I have to. If I'm just hanging around the house, wearing body armor is totally doable.
Yup! My thoughts exactly, im not going out in that, so i dont have to carry it far
I'm gonna find an abandoned mansion lol
@@jason200912 Then you discover the "abandoned" mansion has a secret lab full of bio-experiments and you've made a poor decision
And when you run out of food?
@@WalrusWinking I'll have food long after the problem people starve
ww1 soldier kit is best for these reasons:
tested for 4 years
lightweight
versatile (its wool so its warm but also breathable)
drip
can last months in worst possible outdoor conditions
simple to repair
Basically every ww1 soldiers would disagree dont forget how cheap their stuff was because IT was Mass produced for Millions of peasants
@@laisphinto6372 all nations in ww1 except ottomans and Russians abolished peasant, also the equipment would depend on stage of war and the country because even just germany varied greatly from early to late war
This was less "Do You Really _Need_ Body Armor?
and more "When to and when _not to_ wear body armor." 🤣
I love watching these videos on the work computer so that your channel gets recommended for everyone at work when they also watch youtube
Unironically, the situation I'd find myself wanting body armor the most is where people wear it the least. If I lived in the ghetto or worked a somewhat dangerous job, like jewelry store clerk or bouncer, I would wear soft body armor I can wear under my clothes. Sure, it's only rated for pistol calibers, but that's what I'm likely to face.
Be light, be fast, and most importantly do not be seen in the first place. It's nice to see gun tube discussing reality and not Seal Team fantasy nonsense. Logistics is truly what makes a good fighting force. If their logistics is better than yours, you should probably keep your contact limited.
Amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics.
The overwhelming majority dont realize this.
When I started driving, at 16 my dad made me pull over in our neighborhood. He told me if I was going to drive a vehicle I needed to be equipped mentally to deal with problems and troubleshoot. He made me pop the hood and check fluids, and even made me pull out the spare and change the tire.
That’s my weird story that created the “Changing the Tire” philosophy I’ve pretty much adopted. If you have knowledge and tools for a situation you’re factorially more powerful in said situation.
I do see body armor as a necessity. It’s something you should have and train in just in the event you may need it. Currently working towards doing the same with night vision and thermal.
It’s also why I’ve started trying to get into paramedic knowledge as well.
I think the kit is something that you could get by without having; however, my qualms with soft armor is that I feel like if it’s not rated for a rifle round you’re dismissing much more threat than you may see.
This could've been summarized/scripted better, but as a freeflow thought rant style essay it works. A few diagrams on the more technical things would help for people who aren't into the jargon (like me). And if you have a point you really want to drive home, put it in text on the screen whenever it's repeated, get some humor going, helps people focus on the message and remember the repeats.
Who needs armor, I have 187 rolls of black duct tape.
The high speed kine?
Wait. Where'd the 188th go.....😅
I just stick my toilet tank lid in a backpack n wear it over my front lol
@@user-mp8ff6mv3p damnit! I wondered why that was missing. YOU PUT THAT BACK RIGHT NOW, MISTER!!!
Just weld Killdozer.
Man, I ain't even gonna lie... you caught me with sitting on the can, taking a dump, while drinking my coffee and watching your videos... gotta hand it to you. You know your audience very well, sir.
You drink your coffee while you're on the shitter?
Same here. In the oval office chugging lukewarm coffee with too much creamer and enjoying someone telling me to keep armor close.😂
I really appreciate the emphasis on the thinking man’s game. As Americans were blessed to be able to prepare for the unexpected. But there’s tons of ways to prepare for the worst. Always weigh the pros and cons. It’s easy to imagine how a straight up gunfight would go and how to be prepared for it. But we should also prepared for how else we can survive and thrive. Kit is badass, but maybe survival skills and preparation is likely much more useful in the long term.
Mo bodys armor, mo safely, mo time with the boys
All mo better!
Unless you take one to anywhere else other than that 10”x12” space. Then you are no mo
FRAS offers full coverage
@wildcat8598 but that's where 3 of your 5 life sacks are. 😮
Laying in hospital because of a sting that somehow managed to inject bacteria directly into my bloodstream i couldn't agree more on what you said about hospitals and medical infrastructure. As a former army medic, firefighter and chemist i would think that i am better prepared for such things than other but still, even small things can get you fucked up bad.
Get well soon Brother 🙏🏼✝️
small tatical rigs are really great for manual labor that lets you use it. i was in a golf course and kept food and water or tools. it was really nice to have hands free and not have to keep going to a cart for gear
I am a product of GWOT and what I do like is it also gave me that “Batman” style of confidence when it comes to falls, throwing yourself around through ditches etc. it protects from more than just projectiles is my point I guess.
I'm glad one of the things you talked about was physical fitness, it's really not mentioned enough. Also shtf scenario having a way to make clean water (or multiple ways) is really important.
I just recently thought someone had broke into my house and had to go clear my house (also the power was out in my neighborhood) and man Ive never been happier I had body armor to put on. It was a false alarm but man I felt just that little more confident going into a very stressful situation
Definitely both! People should own both a PC with plates and a chest rig.
7 mags is great but even in training not actual combat I realized how little that is. It goes stupid fast even on semi only. In my free time I rock British MTP webbing and a TAPs
PNWG made an excellent statement for having 7 mags.
You wont ever get a resupply
@@Bender_B._Rodriguez can you drop a link? I’m interested to see his take on it
@@squantosquats1465 UA-cam will never let me send a link in a comment.
I don't even know if you will see this.
Pnw guerrilla
6 in the front, 2 on each side, one in the rifle... And as many as you can realistically carry in a bag. Even if you can't get to your bag, 11 should last you till you can.
Your environment and network around your community is the best thing
I wear body armor in the shower. Never know when it'll rain rounds instead of water.
Good idea, I’ve heard of there being lead in people’s water before.
Based
Get a shower gun.
I wear it cookin for salmonella.
Shower gun
Or eggcorns
You should do a video on standoff distance. Surviving a fight depends a lot on how close to you it starts. The further you keep the potential threat away from you, the more difficult it becomes for them to land an incapacitating hit. That means, communications at distance of at least fifty meters becomes extremely important, i.e. a bullhorn.
As someone with limited money I feel like this guy is the most practical discussion. Buying body armor to prep for disaster is near the middle to bottom of my wish list after stocking up on bleach, iodine pills, alcohol, solor cookware, ammo, 10-25lb bags of rice, pasta, flour, sugar, vitamins, and as many potatoes as you can eat in a month or two before they go bad.
Bro I got potatoes that are like a year old. Keep them in a cool, dark dry place they’ll last for a long time. For me I keep them to plant Again. Usually keep about 50 or so to plant again.
Bleach expires bubba. I assume it’s for water purification. Get some sawyer minis and or a sawyer gallon kit. Gets all that nasty shit out, and boil it afterwards if it’s known to have viruses. In my area waters clean, I’ll drink right out the creek with a sawyer mini.
I got bags of rice and beans and lentils that are like 4 years old and still good. Keep them in a metal locker to keep pests out.
I got jars that are like 10 years old looks fine.
@@jak356Yes if I had access to a root cellar like environment or extra fridge capacity I would of course keep a longer potato rotation or even a garden of them. Unfortunately I cant do that in my 1 bedroom apartment with 2 people in Georgia, nor can a lot of people. I only have enough storage of shelf stable hard grains and canned food for ~80 days of high calorie crisis food intake, with some rationing or a little scavenging and hunting I could make it till my first potato harvest which gives me time to set up cool storage.
I know bleach expires. I could use it for water but in a crisis its primarily for cleaning hands, dishes, and wounds. I have ~2 weeks (25 gallons split 2 ways) worth of water jugs and life straws I got for xmas, although only have enough of those for 3 years of water. I finish the bleach before it expires for normal cleaning and buy a spare when half full.
There are no streams safe to drink near me and if there were almost no water will be safe once the municipal water system or power grid goes down or there is nuclear fallout.
Dysentary, Chlorella, industrial waste contamination, Malaria from mosquitoes, heat stroke, and starvation will 100% kill you and fast. People sometimes come together in a crisis and like the guy said body armor does not prevent infection from wounds on your extremities. Something like a riot shield or more robust home defenses could be more practical than a chest plate
If the government doesn’t want you to have it, you absolutely must own that item.
OEF combat here, 2012-2020 as an Artilleryman. During deployment and field training in a combat arms mos I can tell you that you’ll get used to living in your kit. I hated running my bandolier even in Hawaii which is a jungle. I ran my plate carrier with the basics. 7 mags, two canteen pouches and IFAK. Getting a good prone ain’t easy with so much shit on your chest. I’d opt for a battle belt to keep extra magazines or even placing your ifak and water sources there. Since I’m no longer in the army;and it’s just me, I’m opting for less side protection and more mobility to be able to break contact.
You are an inspiration. I started my own gun channel. Keep up the good work fellow officer!
My humor must be broke. The jocko clip “I work out” had me on the floor 😂
I didn’t know why it had me on the floor too.
“I work out”
-Glaring Jocko
“Really? We had no idea!”
-The rest of us
The “freaking out over toilet paper” while showing the clip of the chicks grabbing Stanley cups was diabolical. @5:59
I love how realistic you put the four mag guys because it’s true in war people think oh I can make that shot or hit those people not so far away . But clearly they never shot at a target that’s been shooting at them back
As someone working in the Air Force logistics system, I can confirm how important supply and logistics are. For most of these imaginary preparedness situations, you have to self-revive and self re-supply
My take is that body armor is a 50-50. Body armor has saved lives, it protects the vital organs and gives soldiers, police etc. the chance to survive an otherwise fatal injury. It dethroned the MP5 due to events like the North Hollywood shootout. However, it is not the end all be all. Not getting shot is equally if not better than taking one to the chest. This requires you to be light and agile, something IOTV and older body armors did not allow. That is why plate carriers offer the minimum amount of protection while still trying to retain maneuverability.
The gov gooons who are the first wave of gov terrorist to take our God given liberty's are the police.
Yet, these fools who make these videos are the ones who lick the boots of law enforcement.
Makes zero sense.
I can see that… like every piece of equipment. It can help IF you understand its purpose, its limitations, and use it wisely
I really appreciate you talking about making a group with like minded people, so many 'prepper' type people think selfishly and completely neglect the human need for community and human nature of working together and the logistic support provided by both
Honestly people need to start trying to connect in these spaces to find like minded folks, because there are few common places where people feel comfortable speaking on such things. I have floated sitting on the corner of my neighborhood with a gadsen with a clipboard to just start a call down list. We need to seek each other out! Eastern GA reporting.
Problem is 98% of prepper types are the last people I would want within 100 miles in a truly bad situation.
@@doratheexploder286 real
Every person you add also adds potential for your own downfall.
As noble as it is to give people the benefit of the doubt, the reality is that doing so can burn you in our present world and if things get significantly worse this only gets worse.
Don't assume people have your ideals even if they act like they do because people with personality disorders are great at playing the long game.
@@christianarrington6492 True. Honestly though I don't like the gadsen as a symbol because of it's association with libertarianism which doesn't really focus on that vital community support, at least as much as other antiauthoritarian ideologies which are inclusive of rectifying social inequities. As someone on the left also its kind of sketchy, half the time people flying them are neat and half the time they know the age of consent in each state yk.
“That stuff’s cool until you’re starving and have bad diarrhea.” Absolutely. All my cool stuff I acquired when I was single. Now I’m married and have 3 kids. Any monies I have to spend on prepping usually go to food, water, and meds. I do have my battle rifle and kit in case it comes down to having to go out and scavenge or hunt/fish
Everyone needs to keep in mind a serial number with a production date is woven into all body armor sold in the US. Soft concealable body armor, and a seperate plate rig for a best value win.
personal (best) opinion:
I wouldnt wear Lvl 3 or 4 body armor unless i was assaulting a building or defending it. Lvl 3A and 2 are different stories as theyre good for catching shrapnel but realistically if youre a civilian and you plan on fighting you need to prioritize your speed and maneuverability as those will be the things that prevent you from getting shot in the first place.
Also bare in mind. You aren't in the best peak performance. You aren't physically fit(infantryman) level to just sprint from a to b without getting tired out immediately. Armor is nice but level 1-2 is fine since most of it is small arms fire. There's a chance a enemy may rocked up high calibers but personal protection. Most just flagged with pistols and sub-machine guns or a buckshot.
The first wave of people to take your rights away are the police. Yet the people making videos like this worship and lick the boots of law enforcement.
Great video with a great message. More content needs to exist that encourages guys to THINK THROUGH their priorities. Good stuff dude. Miss you. ;)
Why have body armor? Why not? Having it doesn’t mean you have to prance around in it all the time. Why have it? Because the scenario I’d most likely have to use any rifle for would require mags, IFAK, etc so if you’ve got to carry that stuff you’re expecting someone to be putting Roy rounds back at you. Armor good. Body armor isn’t supposed to be comfortable. Just comforting.
OK, hear me out. Pizza body armor
he protecc
he atacc
but most important
he snacc
🤣🍕
Pizza with pineapple on it.
You started by having my curiosity. Now you have my full attention.
@@MrBalonkowhoa whoa there you monster. We’re still human beings here.
I’m glad UA-cam larpers are finally bringing this up. Especially with the long term or moving with body armor. Have you tried bringing body armor camping and hiking with instead of just flat ranging it up? It’s hard (stfu to the guy that’s going to deny it). It’s uncomfortable and gets in the way. Have you tried packing a ruck with it and rucking up mountains and extended periods with it. Once again it gets in the way and takes up a ton of space. It’s 100x more difficult than regular hikes or rucks so for people like Overton and Admin to finally point out the cons of body armor is refreshing. With that all being said, go larp and act like you know what you’re doing because it’s fun!
If you live in the mountains or woods ECT then chest rigs are the way to go if you live in a densely populated city or urban environment with multiple angles or where riots and such could break out id grab the body armor. Have both for different setups. Hiking and long periods of time in body armor sucks but in a situation where I'm going to be shot at or seen is highly likely then getting shot without it sucks more.
Damn they really screwed with my hobby....
Tldr, go outside
@@strongestgamer2501 Thats very blue of you to say.
Orders condor chest rig. Drains beer from fermenter into keg. Looks at water purification station with water distiller, smiles. Nods from guy in the forest from that one meme.
You can do better than condor for around the same money. Taps rigs are like 40 bucks with extra molle for more pouches if you need to carry more
My body doesn't react well to bullets or small fragments of metal or other things, so body armor is worth it. Full vest with soft armor panels+full coverage helmet.
And nods. Cause awesome.
My thinking has always been that hard armor is questionably worth the expense and weight for civilians given the likelihood of facing a rifle threat, but if you can afford it, there's little to no reason not to wear concealable soft armor whenever you go out (ideally with stab/spike protection). It's a similar use case to a concealed pistol. You hope you never need it and can almost forget about it as you go through your day, but it's there for your protection constantly if you do need it.
My opinion? Each situation needs it's own consideration.
If you're traveling with support, other people, and vehicles, and you expect resistance, go with as heavy armor as you're comfortable. If you're doing short sorties with a small group and you can expect light resistance if any, go with light armor for mobility, because combat should not be your aim. If you're solo or doing recon, wear little to no armor, because contact should be the last thing you should look for; your armor is mobility, your ability to disengage quickly, and your ability to move quietly and in cover and avoid detection.
This video has the best editing so far by far. Outstanding work!
I’m very glad you decided to do a video on this.
I don’t think I know anyone who has thought this all the way through.
Never realized how the situation really dictates what body armor you should consider, or even if it is a reasonable choice in certain situations.
Plates make sense for the military because of the hospital logistics. A soldier can take a few rounds to the body as long as the vitals are protected and evac to hospital. For SHTF taking a round in the leg or arm will be fatal over a few weeks.
Between you, Garand Thumb, Demolition Ranch, Brandon Herrera, Kentucky Ballistics, Donut Operator, and now Micah Mayfield.... i only have so much blood in my body.. it can only be supplied to one of my heads at a time... fucking top drawer. solid vid brother.
Admin is slowly but surely becoming my go-to gun guy channel for a great mix of information and amusement for the average Joe. Even though I'm hobbled by being Canadian, oh well.
body armor is something we should have, but like everything else, it is a tool in the toolbox, and not always needed in all scenarios and situations as civilians
I think a plausible scenario is a hurricane Katrina situation, with rampant looting and a break down of rule of law. The neighborhood could come together and set up checkpoints at choke entry points while they wait for the rule of law to return. If I was running a checkpoint, I'd want to wear armor.
believe that minimally decent body armor is necessary, after all, you don't like bullets and you can't trust that you will never be hit in any way and most importantly, never trust body armor too much
I think the Amish are doing pretty great.
Invest in community building (*). Support local farmers, learn trades and skills, have a big family, have stuff that works without electricity and is repairable.
Learn how to build a community, which is a real challang in this polarized world.
I like the idea of a slick plate carrier with a clip on 6-8 mag placard, and then having the chest rig harness in my bag if I want to drop the plate carrier and run the rig solo with the plates in my bag.
I live in idaho where we mainly train in the mountains and i've decided to not go with body armor to save wieght and focus more on kit related to hiking and survival. Maybe im uneducated but when youre hiking multiple miles with a constantly changing climate you find the plate carrier to just get in the way
Facts. Plus like he said if you get hit when up in the mountains you are basically dead. It’s all at about maneuverability.
Infantry hikes miles and miles daily in middle eastern hills and deserts with double or triple the weight in gear, kit and plates than a you do in your plate carrier. Train better
@HatsuneM1ku01 and they ruined their knees doing so and now have advanced arthritis of the knees at 40
@noahfyan9617 Well don't workout then, save your knees for later
Bloviation for the algorithm.
I’ve always hated body armor since starting to use in the Army. It’s heavy, it’s awkward, it slows you down and it depends on the enemy’s precision shooting skills to hit you high center mass. But that’s a Gen X take - from a guy that lived the Fobbit life in GWOT. I knew guys whose enemies were good shots and hit that tiny plate instead of meat. If you got the muscle and cardio to huff and puff under it and function, get on with your bad self.
Same for me
It's not about whether they get you center mass or not. The plates provide a level of protection to your vitals that is greater than zero. It still leaves a lot of squishy bits exposed, that is a given. I don't know anyone that thinks a plate carrier or vest makes you invulnerable.
The armor you guys carried was a lot bigger and heavier though wasn’t it? I have some friend in the National Guard that showed me their armor setups, and they were massive.
You should look into what's available now. A simple vest with lvl IIIA soft inserts and no plates gives you protection from shrapnel and 44mag and down around your vitals. I picked up one for about $250 and it weighs about 5lbs without anything attached to it.
You would like the newest version of the iotv’s. It’s basically a light plate carrier
I live in an area that gets in the mid 90s during the summer and the mid 30s & low 40s during the winter. I run a low profile plate carrier and a harness system. So I can wear the plates on my body and stack weather layers over top, then the harness over the weather layers. I have 3 harness setups, one for each of my main SOPs. Kit is good but training is the best. As a wilderness medical tech/medic volunteer, I highly recommend anyone on the "survival world" getting certified in basic wilderness first aid. It is a 2 day course and you get some really good medical info that will carry over into a SHTF situation.
Admin, you're talking about WALKING everywhere. Why does NOONE talk about jumping on a bicycle?
1. You can carry more
2. You're WAY faster
3. In some situations you're even quieter
I'd love for you to look more into this maybe test it out on the flat range because I think in a potential American disaster scenario that bicycles are SEVERELY under represented in media or thought about in discussions like this video to me it's pretty obvious that it's a superior way to get around over walking even with gear on synch down your rifle if you're shot at ditch the bike and get to cover. The same could be said about motorcycles or ATVs or even the newer electric motorcycles. In some terrain it won't be viable I know that but in a LOT of terrain it will be.
Electric is the only way in shtf. Gas is noisy and finite while sunshine will always be there.
pedalling a push bike while carrying 30kg of kit, a rifle plus clothing and boots is just not practical. Motorbikes are.. and they have been used by infantry units in the past.. even going back to WW2.
@@zx7-rr486 so have bicycles my dude just say you have shit cardio
Or riding a horse or motorcycle.
@@noahfyan9617 I race bicycles actually. But riding one with "tactical gear" on, a bergen and a rifle, is a bit of a joke. A fat tyred E mountain bike maybe.
Something additional to keep in mind: body armor is good for protecting against more than just bullets. NIJ (National Institute of Justice) studies have shown police wearing body armor fared better in car collisions and similar impact related cases than those not wearing armor. Stabbing, not so much, unless it's the hard level 4 plates or steel plates, those stop stabbing just fine (for the areas they cover obviously).
I did some research on stabbing and iiia soft armor actually will stop a blade from full penetration. In the tests I saw it may slightly poke through, but only enough to cause a superficial minor wound
@MinutemanMedic , that's true, I was thinking more of stabbing implements like ice picks or other similar objects. I spent 2 years researching body armor and it seemed the manufacturers really wanted anyone wearing their armor to be conscious of the fact that they were significantly more vulnerable to stabbing than gunfire. So that may have been largely the result of liability concerns. Especially after what happened to Point Blank armor systems in the class action lawsuit they got hit with. I don't know that for certain (as to whether that was the motivation) and I'm just speculating. But if I were a multi-million dollar company with multi-million dollar contracts on the line- I would probably be *really* concerned about liability.
This is coming from a combat veteran. I hated body armor; the added weight, heat, limited range of motion and worst of all it impacts your speed. The Kevlar was nice only for the NVG’s.
*hand rubbing intensifies* yes, yes, you do not need body armor! *hand rubbing intensifies even more*
Seems the problem isn’t the plates, it’s the “supporting shit” that I don’t need.
Hello Hello From Victoria Canada!!! I am so shocked that you don't sleep with your plate armor on in case of a break in. I think seeing a guy wearing armor and nothing else would scare or at least distract them to give you some advantage. Seriously though this was a great episode and I don't usually subscribe on a first video, but you are clear, sound experienced and seem to be knowledgeable and I really appreciate that. Keep up the awesome content and I can't wait to check out some more episodes on some of the topics you mentioned in this video. Stay safe, stay healthy and be as happy as you can be.
🤘😁👍
2:45 Sir get down 🤣
Certified hood classic
Edits are getting sweet
Best kit for civilians is a lvl4 plate carrier with lvl3 soft plates in it while leaving the lvl4’s in your ruck/bag till you think you really need them. Along with a battle belt.
Don’t use a helmet it’s to cumbersome and only provides so much protection. But it makes you also stick out like a sore thumb as target number one in a non military setting. You’re basically labeling yourself as a loot drop with a helmet. Just use a ball cap for shade along with a gaiter with over the ear hearing protection.
Same with nods don’t buy them. Just get a thermal clip on, and tons of other more important gear you could afford in the place of “look at me the loot drop over here” nods.
As talked about in the video, what you really need to take into account is how you're using this gear. If you're putting on full plate, helmet, nods, etc., then walking casually through town like nothing's wrong, then yeah you're stupid and just a loot drop.
If you have any brains, you won't be wearing that gear unless you're expecting a high enough chance that you'll need it, and you should never be out looking for the chance to use it.
Helmets can absolutely save your life, as well as host your comms system (if you have nobody to talk to, you need to correct that), eye pro, as well as NVG/Thermal.
Again, you're not going to be wearing/using all your gear all the time.