Wearing body armor is a great way to stay safe when out hunting or even doing some target practice. You never know when you could get struck by an undisciplined shooter so having body armor will give you a lot of protection. The problem is that many people don’t understand much about it and often make a lot of mistakes.
Not wearing your body armor properly makes it a bit obsolete since it isn’t able to function the way it’s supposed to. You end up risking an injury or worse if your armor is not properly fitted among other issues. In this article, we will go over several mistakes that are common when it comes to body armor.
1 – Not understanding the levels
There are different levels of protection when it comes to body armor. This means that some levels are not going to give you as much protection as others. You have to understand what your ballistic needs are when you decide to buy body armor so you can get the type that will give you the most protection.
For instance, level 1 is meant for absorbing and spreading out the force of a bullet and is considered soft. It is bullet-resistant depending on the type of ballistic missile it is. For higher protection from more lethal ballistics, a level 3 body armor is what you need as it is a hard plate-based armor. This will protect you from higher caliber bullets as the material used is thicker and more resistant.
When out hunting, the general rule of thumb is to go with soft plates so you can maneuver more easily as they are lighter in weight. The higher-level protection plates are heavier and make wearing them for long periods difficult.
2 – Not distributing the weight
When you put the plates into the vest, it is very important that the weight be evenly distributed. This is going to be a big factor when it comes to your back and it can get strained easily if there is too much weight on one side.
The weight needs to be even or moving around will be difficult. If your back gets injured then you are less likely to wear the armor again and can be putting yourself into a dangerous situation. Many people tend to place the plates lower in the sleeves than where they should be so that it feels more comfortable. This is uneven distribution and will be more uncomfortable over time.
3 – Ignoring the plate direction
The plates that get put into the vest are designed in a very specific way. They are usually in a form that makes them comfortable to wear while also providing protection. This means that you have to make sure that you place them in the direction in which the front is facing out. This will help absorb the power of the bullet much better.
The plates also need to be in the correct sleeve so they will be able to perform as necessary.