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The Effectiveness of a Bullet-Resistant Backpack

A bullet-resistant (armored) backpack is an excellent addition to your everyday carry. It can provide armor solutions in environments where concealing low-profile soft armor is inadequate protection or simply not doable. In this article, we will be discussing the effectiveness of and ability to prepare a bullet-resistant backpack. 

Wearing an armored backpack from Armored Republic

 

The Self-Defense Trifecta

It's not a stretch of the imagination to envision carrying a firearm for self-defense. Far from it, in fact, concealed pistols are a lion's share of firearms purchased each year. So if the concept of carrying a pistol to defend your life is not foreign, neither should employing more tools that will only aid in its ability to do so.  

A concept coined by us here at Armored Republic called the “Self-Defense Trifecta”, or S.D.T. for short has been an effective method for teaching preparedness. This is a mental evaluation of three things needed to put you in the highest percentile bracket of success in an armed encounter. The S.D.T. includes:

  1. Making Holes: This is a firearm, but it can also extend to carrying spare magazines and a knife. Effectively, this covers anything that maintains your offensive capabilities.
  2. Stopping Holes: Some type of armor system to prevent gunshots in vital organs. Preventing gunshots in the upper thoracic cavity of your body ensures your immediate survival. 
  3. Plugging Holes: A trauma kit, usually referred to as an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK), for treating additional wounds your armor cannot protect. An IFAK will treat wounds in all non-vital areas of your body and should have the items needed to treat ailments like massive blood loss. Learn more about IFAKs: what should go in them and where you should place your IFAK.

 

Backpack Solutions for Armor 

Now that you are aware of the S.D.T. and its importance, you may be asking yourself, “Sure a gun is easy to conceal, but armor not so much” Although there are options out there for concealing handgun-rated IIIA soft armor such as our Concealment Plate Carrier, the option to conceal a ballistic vest with rifle-rated plates is a more difficult task. 

Consider that most cannot have armor at their jobs or that the average person may feel uncomfortable going out in public with an overt MOLLE-clad vest on - this becomes a complex task to tackle. That is where a backpack with an armor plate inserted into it can come in handy. 

Backpacks are innocuous and blend seamlessly into the environment. In a crowd of people, someone wearing body armor under their clothes could be easy to spot, however, knowing what's in someone's backpack without searching it is almost impossible. 

Backpacks also aid in the carrying of additional gear in addition to the armor. They can serve as your daily pack mule, carrying spare magazines, med kits, and other gear you may not have ever considered caring for previously due to limited pocket space.   

 

Pairing a Plate With a Pack

What should you be looking for when choosing a backpack to put armor in? Are you planning on adding armor to a pack you have now? Are you intending to get a pack that has armor fabricated into it? Let’s discuss these two options below:

Adding Armor to Your Backpack  

If you are planning on adding armor to a pack, the first thing to consider is the quality of the pack. If you are planning on using rifle-rated plates, the pack will need to be a more robust design. Look for double or even triple-stitched layers when possible - specifically around the bottom and shoulder straps of the backpack. 

Most standard backpacks contain a laptop compartment that can double as an armor insert pouch. If you already have or intend to purchase a pack separately, your options are almost endless in configuring your armor in terms of what threat level and armor type you would like to use. Keep in mind armor is simplistic and so long as it is suspended between you and the threat it will do its job. Excellent armor options for this method include a blend of polyethylene and alloy or just a standalone polyethylene panel -  both of which offer an excellent balance of rifle protection and weight reduction.   

Getting an Armored Backpack

The second option is getting a plate and backpack that are fabricated together as a single unit. 

Most armored backpacks on the market today use strength-enhanced and reinforced materials like Hypalon and Cordura, and manufacture the packs with multiple layers of stitching. Armored backpacks are usually designed around the armor inside them, not the other way around, making them a bit more durable. 

Another unique benefit of these backpacks is that the armor is permanently stitched between the layers of fabric. This enhancement allows you to conceal armor better, ensuring a basic inspection of your pack to be unyielding of anything suspicious. Perfect for work and school environments where protection is needed. 

 

What About Front Side Protection?

The most common concern people have when using an armored backpack is the fact it only covers one side of their body. While plate carriers have the ability to house front, back, and often side plates - a backpack does not. Regrettably, this is a tradeoff in concealability. 

There are specialty armor backpacks on the market that expand a second compartment to the front side, but considering that these packs have both front and back plates positioned on your back side, the weight of both plates quickly adds up on your spine. 

Additionally, backpacks that expand and are worn like carriers do not allow access to the rear side pack portion (without taking all the armor entirely off). This means any spare magazines or medical supplies cannot be reached without taking a complex garment off and rummaging through the compartments separately and unarmored. 

In comparison, when traditional backpacks with armor in them are worn on the front, it will allow access to all compartments while keeping the armor over your vitals on your front side. The noise of gunfire and what your immediate task at hand is should ultimately determine if your backpack should be on your front or back side. In order for your backpack to be effective, it needs to be between you and the threat. 

Protecting onself with an armored backpack from Armored Republic

Consider the following questions:

  1. Do I need to run toward or away from gunfire? 
  2. Are you a first responder on your day off who is obligated to respond? 
  3. Is the gunfire coming from the only direction of escape? If so, your pack should probably be on your front side as you make your way to the threat.
  4. Is the gunfire coming from up ahead and now I need to turn around and go the way I came to exit? If your goal is to escape and you have a path to do so away from the sounds of gunfire, your pack should be on your back side as you escape. 

Using approximate echolocation and shifting your pack to the front / back side based on auditory clues will be the most effective way to ensure your backpack is as effective as possible. If you can tell the direction a vehicle is moving without looking at it, you should be able to do the same with gunfire.   

 

Conclusion

If you are aware of the fact firearms save lives, carrying armor in a backpack and an IFAK is simply a “no-brainer” advancement in this concept. With the advent of high-density polymers like UHMWPE, rifle-rated protection is now a realistic lightweight solution for anyone of any age. 

Categories: Armored Backpacks