With the rash of mass shooting the U.S. has had over the last several years, debate has gone back and forth as to how to best address this tragic part of American life. Whether you are on the pro-gun side or the anti-gun side or anywhere in between, there is no shortage of ideas and philosophies from various different groups or individuals.
From an average joe perspective, especially individuals or couples who have children, how best to go about protecting oneself in the meantime is a perplexing one. Is concealed carry the answer for everyone? Should only licensed individuals be allowed to conceal or open carry? Should anyone be allowed to conceal or open carry regardless of training and licensure?
Until all of these things get hashed out in either the state or federal level, what can one do in the meantime to mitigate or even perhaps preserve one’s life or a loved one’s life should there be a mass shooting at your workplace, favorite mall or school?
Recently, within the last few years companies have been marketing and selling bullet proof backpacks. On the surface this sounds both ridiculous and intriguing at the same time. How effective is this technology? Could you actually survive a mass shooting with one of these back packs? How practical is the technology in terms of carry weight? Are these backpacks well made? Let’s explore this further by highlighting the technology.
Levels of protection:
There are various levels of protection to consider when purchasing a potential life saving backpack for your child or teenager.
When it comes to ballistic protection, Level IIIA is the minimum you should be looking at. At Level IIIA you are afforded protection from .357 to .44 magnum (large handgun bullets for those not familiar with firearms). Level IIIA is commonly considered soft armor.
The next step up in ballistic protection is level III. Once in you get into level III body armor now you are in the realm of armor plating. Level III ballistic plates are designed to stop the 7.62 x .51mm NATO rounds including common 7.62 x 39 &.556/.223 rounds (rifle rounds that have been commonly used in mass shootings).
Suffice to say, in the U.S there are 3-times as many firearms as there are people. Some are legal and some are not. Some are owned by responsible gun owners and some are not. Because the U.S leads the world in Mass shootings by a very wide margin, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that either yourself or your sons’ & daughters could be potentially in the line of fire.
We’ve decided to feature a high-quality backpack below, but there are a growing number of great choices available now to the public.
Sport One BulletProof Backpack:
This backpack has a very unassuming look to it. One would not know that it meets very high-level protection requirements while at the same time providing adequate storage capacity that one would expect from a normal backpack. The backpack itself can separate into two halves, both a front / back portion for both forward and aft protection.
Features:
This backpack can be purchased with one of 3 levels of armor protection. You can option out with either Level IIIA, III or IV armor type. The majority of individuals who purchase the pack for either themselves or for their children will probably opt for NIJ Leve III which is considered ballistic level protection for rifle plating armor protection.
It is up to the buyer to determine if you wish to purchase the pack with either one, two or zero plates, however common sense would suggest the reason for purchasing this backpack would be to have two plates, one for the front and the back.
Of course to keep cost down you can go with just one plate to place in the front if that is your only option financially because this backpack is not cheap, but then how cheap is one’s life.
It should also be noted that body armor is also approved by the TSA as both a carry-on and checked bag.
This bulletproof backpack can be purchased in either grey or black. The outer material is made out of a heavy-duty 1000D polyester and coated with polyurethane to make it water resistant.
Specifications:
Backpack Dimensions:
17.5”H x 12.5”W x 6”D
Backpack Weight: 5.1 lbs
1361 Cubic Inches
22.3 Liters
Additional Features:
• 180 lb drag handle
• Detachable tourniquets
• Laptop storage
• Other assorted organized storage
• Drink storage
• Emergency info card.
Pricing:
As of this writing, this backpack can be optioned out and purchased for as little as $189.99 if you get it with one level IIIA armor plate. However, this option will only offer protection for either the front or the back part of ones body and level IIIA body armor does not offer the higher level III protection as discussed earlier in this article.
Our recommendation is to go with at minimum the two-armor plate level III setup. This will drive the price up to $389.99 but it is worth the cost for the increased level of protection.
PROS:
• Unassuming appearance
• Level III ballistic protection
• Fits up to 17-inch laptop
• Adding items like laptop and books adds to protection
• Ample storage
CONS:
• No side protection (most bullet proof vests don’t have side protection either)
• Price (this backpack is not cheap)
To purchase this backpack click below:
Information of Note:
Where can retailers sell body armor:
1. You can sell body armor to any person in a face-to-face transaction. No ID or background check is required and no special record keeping is needed.
2. You can ship body armor to 49 states. Sales to customers in Connecticut can only be done via face-to-face transaction.
3. You can sell body armor via a store, gun show, website, via the phone or catalog.
Caveat:
You cannot purchase body armor in 49 states if convicted of a felony.
Where are retailers not allowed to sell body armor:
1. You cannot sell body armor to Connecticut via the mail.
2. You cannot ship, take, bring, or send body armor outside the USA without Federal permission.
