Sunday, March 4, 2012

Proper Fit, Care and Maintenance of Body armor clothing


Proper size is critical with bodyarmor clothing.  While it is tempting to get a larger vest with the idea of adding more ballistic protection, most officers end up either not wearing their vest or they are miserable wearing a vest that is too big.  The best solution is to get yourself a true, custom-fit vest tailored specifically for your body shape and dimensions.


Front Panel of Body armor clothing
Normally a front ballistic panel should be two (2) and one half inches (2 ½”) off the top edge of the gun belt when standing and be no higher than the second button on your uniform shirt.  The space between the bottom edge of the front armor panel and the top edge of the gun belt is required so that when the officer sits down this space will close and the vest panel will rest on the edge of the gun belt without riding up into the throat.



Rear Panel of Body armor clothing
When standing relaxed with your arms at your side, the back ballistic panel should rest one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch (1/4” – ¾”) off the top edge of the gun belt and should be no higher than 4 inches down from the collar seam.  Having the space between your gun belt and the bottom of the back panel prevents the vest from riding up when going from a sitting to a standing position. While you may want the front and back panels to overlap on the sides it is important to realize this can make a vest much more uncomfortable by creating more bulk. In addition, the front and back panels will be rubbing against each other, causing premature wear to the panel covers.  The most comfortable option is to have your vest fitted with a small gap between the front and back panels.

Body armor clothing manufacturers always give out manual for sizing so there is no need to worry. you can also buy Advanced Combat Helmet Cover.

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