featureless wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 11:55 am
John,
You make good points. However, the body armor would be intended as a last ditch insurance policy for home and/or bugging out. For 2 of the last 3 years, I've had to prepare to leave home on a few hours notice due to wildfire. Having your most valuable/non replaceable possessions piled by the front door or in the trunk isn't as much fun as you might think! In California, those possessions include your non replaceable firearms, so lots of people driving around with a trunk full of guns. While I haven't had to actually hit the road with 10s of thousands of others, I've witnessed those that have passing through my little hamlet. It's fucking spooky.
Last year, the main arterial freeway was closed down several times for multiple hours (and the fire wasn't even at the freeway), so anybody needing to get somewhere was forced onto lightly patrolled (first reponders are generally pretty busy getting people out rather than roaming the countryside) narrow remote roadways. Tree fall is standard around here in wind conditions. It won't be many more times before the less desirable element of our society sees the "opportunity" in these events. Couple that with the long-term summertime power outages (fire prevention efforts that, so far, haven't done shit), and I've decided light armor isn't the worst idea.
If I find myself roaming the countryside with 60 pounds of kit and a rifle, something has gone horribly awfully wrong in my planning.
I think we are all in agreement - one has to adjust to their particular need. I wish that I had a vest or some sort of protection "just in case." So I see your point.
And I've had to evacuate for a Cat. 5 hurricane that was projected to come ashore in Florida. Thank God it defied the odds and stayed offshore.
Likewise, I rode out a Cat. 2 in North Carolina and after I moved to Florida a Cat. 3 came along the same path and destroyed my sailboat. I drove back to work as a volunteer for the Red Cross. I worked as a FEMA contractor after hurricanes in Louisiana and then in Houston about a decade ago and I totally agree; disaster brings out the crazies, the looters, and the desperate.
It's funny. When I was starting up our little intel group I wanted to get a basic cop-style bullet resistant vest. My wife thought that I was crazy. Sometime later, after she saw what we were getting into, we were both at a gun show and she was looking at a display of body armor and she said of a vest "This is a nice one. What do you think?"
I didn't mean to come off too negative. I think that a vest is like any other tool: Having one handy might save your life. But sometimes when it comes to tools, the circumstances change. Sometimes you need a small hammer, sometimes you need a bigger hammer, and sometimes you need a sledge hammer.
I was just pointing out the negatives on body armor. And for me at the moment it's a low priority, but I have lots of stuff hanging in the closet "just in case". I wouldn't mind having some body armor. And if you feel that it's a higher priority for you then by all means go for one. Friends of mine are getting them.
Keep us informed My Friend! I am curious.