# Need a bullet proof backpack?



## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Here is a so-called bullet proof backpack for only $80 (+$5 shipping). Might be some that want for a get-home bag or for their kids school bag. 
Those using a motorcycle as a bug-out vehicle would be safer with one of these on their back. Just thought I would post it for your viewing pleasure.



> Official NIJ Level III A Certified for bulletproof protection - Certification included with each backpack
> Auxiliary multimedia connection from inside the backpack to the outside shoulder strap for music and hands free phone usage
> Enhanced Comfort Padding - Added support on back and shoulder straps for ultimate comfort, durability and longevity
> Over 20 interior and exterior organizational panels, including tablet/laptop pocket
> Weighs only ounces more than non-armored backpacks


https://sellout.woot.com/offers/gua...erm=0_c5ca76da11-c80295818d-309090485#tracked

Woot is part of Amazon


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## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

hiwall said:


> Here is a so-called bullet proof backpack for only $80 (+$5 shipping). Might be some that want for a get-home bag or for their kids school bag.
> Those using a motorcycle as a bug-out vehicle would be safer with one of these on their back. Just thought I would post it for your viewing pleasure.
> 
> https://sellout.woot.com/offers/gua...erm=0_c5ca76da11-c80295818d-309090485#tracked
> ...


Looking into it. I have a pack that I picked up for close to this that I carry into movie theaters and place you aren't able to "carry" a weapon into. Being that it has no metal I don't get messed with.


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## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

To the best of my knowledge level IIIA is bulletproof against a pistol round. Will not stop a rifle round. 
Probably need one of these in your backpack if you want to stop an AK round as well:


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## bigg777 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks hiwall, my wife and I will be the proud owners of a pair of these next week.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Out of curiosity, what is the added benefit of having a pistol round proof backpack? Just trying to think why I would want something like that and am coming up blank. Anyone want to run through the benefit they see of such a thing so I can see if there is some aspect of this I haven't considered? Just thinking I'd rather have soft armor under my shirt. Guess it would be a less hot way to protect my back. If soft armor was the way to go id still want a soft vest on to protect my front though. I can't see the backpack protecting sensitive electronics. Even if the round doesn't go through the blunt force will destroy anything sensitive. Maybe you folks have a thought on this I haven't considered.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> Out of curiosity, what is the added benefit of having a pistol round proof backpack?


Your family is mall shopping. A nut open fires and shoots your daughter as she is running away...in the back.

TSA frowned on you wearing soft armor last time so you left it at home. You are waiting for your plane to debark when SHTF. You make it back to your car in the parking lot. Traffic jam, no way you'll be able to drive back home. From the trunk you pull out you GHB backpack with the built in armor. Any bullet protection is better then none.

You're walking down the sidewalk when "Allahu Akber!" with a machete is taking a swing at your neck. You twist to the right so your armored backpack takes the blow while your right hand empties the 1911 into martyr's gut.

You show up to a knife fight with a knife. Your opponent came with a pistol. You swing your backpack onto you chest as you charge hoping to get within knife range.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

I fully admit that I don't have any kind of bullet proof anything. I have mixed feelings at best on them. 
I could maybe see a backpack though. Especially for your kids whether they were in grade school and all the way up to and including college.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

hiwall said:


> I fully admit that I don't have any kind of bullet proof anything. I have mixed feelings at best on them.
> I could maybe see a backpack though. Especially for your kids whether they were in grade school and all the way up to and including college.


I think it's a generation thing. I trust (hope) more in my ability to avoid a 2-way gunfight. Armour (IMHO) expense would better used towards more practice ammo. Back in my day you turned sideways to present the smallest torsional target possible.

My son on the other hand has a full set of Armour with carrier. His reasoning is to permit defensive fire so his wife and little ones can get away. The Armour could help the odds of him joining them. Today they teach chest towards the threat to utilize your Armour.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> Your family is mall shopping. A nut open fires and shoots your daughter as she is running away...in the back.
> 
> TSA frowned on you wearing soft armor last time so you left it at home. You are waiting for your plane to debark when SHTF. You make it back to your car in the parking lot. Traffic jam, no way you'll be able to drive back home. From the trunk you pull out you GHB backpack with the built in armor. Any bullet protection is better then none.
> 
> ...


Maybe. A machete isn't going through a backpack with stuff in it anyway. All the others I'd rather have a proper soft armor vest. Maybe the daughter one holds water but if it's full of school books and other stuff anyway it would probably have to be a 10mm to go through without getting knocked off course. Maybe that would be a good test. 2 normal school books, 2 notebooks full of paper a thin laptop and a sweater and see what the penetration is. It would have to be a pretty direct hit for a bulletproof backpack to be necessary i think. Not that it wont penetrate, especially depending on the round, but it would have to be a pretty direct hit. Not a big fan of soft armor in the first place but I guess I can see some specific scenarios it would be useful.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> Maybe. A machete isn't going through a backpack with stuff in it anyway. All the others I'd rather have a proper soft armor vest. Maybe the daughter one holds water but if it's full of school books and other stuff anyway it would probably have to be a 10mm to go through without getting knocked off course. Maybe that would be a good test. 2 normal school books, 2 notebooks full of paper a thin laptop and a sweater and see what the penetration is. It would have to be a pretty direct hit for a bulletproof backpack to be necessary i think. Not that it wont penetrate, especially depending on the round, but it would have to be a pretty direct hit. Not a big fan of soft armor in the first place but I guess I can see some specific scenarios it would be useful.


You're relying on a lot of ifs, ain't you? Disposable cash and other preps aren't sacrificed a bit of amour plating can't hurt, can it?


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> You're relying on a lot of ifs, ain't you? Disposable cash and other preps aren't sacrificed a bit of amour plating can't hurt, can it?


I guess not. If it's not significantly heavier (which the description says it isnt) then I guess I can't really see a downside. It's really not any more expensive than other backpacks either. Still think it's a little overkill but why not.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I see soft armor equating to a pistol. They are items you might carry just in case. If I knew I was going into a firefight the extra weight of a rifle and plate armor would be worth it. 

I can't ever see myself buying a bullet resistant backpack but if I had one I would use it. Fill it full of books and it might actually stop a rifle round, though it would really hurt. 

Some people will carry a smaller gun than they would like with certain types of clothing. They want to be armed but they can't conceal a larger gun. Sometimes the best option isn't the best available.


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## learn2live (Jan 31, 2017)

This is something I had never considered. I have my plate carrier for when I go to the rifle range (yes, I'm "that" guy), but never considered anything for EDC (other than my trusty USP Compact).

This is on my list to read up on and decide if my family and I need to make this a part of our preps.

Thanks!


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

I've been thinking about this. The materials are right but looking at reviews, the build quality is somewhere between poor and mediocre.

Personally, cost isn't a factor for me when choosing a good backpack. I just need the damn thing to work and hold up. I'm just not convinced on this one. I have packs that have been through hell and back (or just give it to my teenage son for a year... same thing). Those that don't hold up are discarded or set aside. 

If I feel a need for ballistic gear, I'm throwing on a vest.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

They sell stand alone ballistic panels that you could put in a pack or in a briefcase. If you want a ballistic pack you can adapt your favorite pack. Some places that sell body armor also sell out of date armor for practice shooting. These could be used in a pack although they are technically out of date.


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## bigg777 (Mar 18, 2013)

My Guard dog backpack is going to replace my current GHB in my daily driver. Why not add inexpensive ballistic protection to my get home "bag of tricks". I can't see myself packing a full plate carrier around in my truck pre-SHTF.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

I don't see how the cheapest soft armor vest I can find are used police issue for $190 and this bulletproof backpack is $80. If anyone does buy this is hope they do a quality control test on it before they trust their lives to it. I would be interested in the results if anyone does so.

Edit......maybe I'm wrong. Here is a video of it being tested. I may have to stand corrected.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> I may have to stand corrected.


You're a good man CBL.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

hiwall said:


> You're a good man CBL.


I'd be even better if I did research before falling back on my assumptions :rofl:


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## AmmoSgt (Apr 13, 2014)

Body Armor is a pretty complex issue. I would like to know bit more than what seems available onlne.

Reputable manufacturers are careful to use the term "bullet resistant" over "bullet proof" and you don't buy the armor " off the shelf" .. you send in your measurements and it is made to fit, because that is important to insure the important organs are covered. And you have the option to buy inexpensive one time use trauma plates .. a non Newtonian plate that is normally soft and flexible that becomes rigid when struck spreading out the area of impact reducing blunt force trauma to the body.

I have conventional body armor, and I insist the family wears it when doing fugitive recovery or similar specific jobs where there is a high probability of getting shot at ... IIIA is good for most pistol rounds including 44 mag soft points and 9mm hard ball. My first big question is how big is the IIIA area of protection .. with a conventional vest, that is pretty self evident and pretty consistent, you wear it the same every time, it fits close to the body , all the protection is in a single layer next to the body.. it doesn't protect what is in your pockets ... My second question is does the bullet have to pass thru the outer fabric/padding of the pack pack farthest from the body when full and then the layers closest to the body or thru a side panel then the fabric closest?

3rd question Does it count on the back pack being full? or is that rating empty .

It advertises itself as only a few ounces more than a regular back pack .. that seems a red flag to me , or regular back packs inherently offer significant protection. Light weight has never been a selling point for soft body armor.

Soft body armor requires significant care.. in use the fibers wear against each other . aggravated by dirt getting between the threads and increasing the natural abrasiveness with each body movement.. Moisture, either sweat or water/rain breeds mold and deteriorates the fabric .. typically warranties re good for 5 years or less with proper maintenance.

Wearing body armor, even the newest tacticoolest stuff is a royal PITA .. but when you wear it critical areas are protected even if totally surprised .. but it is hot and heavy and not done for the fun of it except for the few truly demented or super paranoid or those that just want to be too tacticool / combatsexy for their for their own good... yeah I know .. one must suffer to be tacticool ...

How often do you carry your back pack , especially a heavy one , or one that should be relatively heavy because of the protection? would you go thru the care routine of carefully hand washing and dirt or gunk off it and carefully drying it between uses and keeping in a protective container between uses .. or would it get dragged around like my grand kids book bags and have all and sundry including things with sharp corners stuffed in and out of it and thrown in a corner or dragged thru the mud and puddles.

Also bullet resistant material is not, in and of itself, necessarily good protection against knife or machete .. there are additional layers of Kelvar added, using much tighter weave if you want that kind of protection.

Only you can decide what is right for you... just know, depending on care of the backpack , it's effectiveness can be seriously degraded after only a year or two.

These are also the reasons most "in the know" folks consider surplus vests over the internet worthless.

https://www.policeone.com/police-pr...les/81945-Care-and-maintenance-of-body-armor/

http://www.policemag.com/channel/pa...things-you-need-to-know-about-body-armor.aspx

http://www.officer.com/article/10227196/protecting-your-protective-armor

The whole book bag / back pack format seems to run contrary to best practices of care and maintenance... the hanging up the vest so fibers to not get all scrunched or distorted in climate controlled environment/ protective case when not in use and keeping it dry in particular.


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## AmmoSgt (Apr 13, 2014)

one quick thought .

Is this really the kind of item you want to buy at the lowest price possible?

and this http://www.racked.com/2014/10/8/7573957/outlet-mall-stores

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/outlet-stores-quality-1.3392279

This is a common practice these days, driven by the price point the retailer wants to sell at..if they decide they want to have a sale, the simply order a product at a quality level that minimizes any loss of profits

You see this a lot around Christmas time when stores want to be seen selling the cheapest 32" TV to bring in more customers .. especially if they are offering to match any price to give you a lowest price deal.. companies can make up to 50 different versions of the exact same TV because the difference versions aren't actually the exact same TV .. they are short a feature, have different trim, can have the controls rearranged.. sure they are the same brand and the same size .. but comparing them to that brand that size that you were looking at last August.. is pointless, corners have been cut, but it is so hard to tell and people don't really pay attention, so the same reviews are used for the " economy' model

same with body armor

http://militaryhandbooks.com/body-armor-king-sentenced-to-17-years/

http://www.bodyarmornews.com/military-body-armour-scandal/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Skin

and then understand the rating system .. the NIJ standards are the armor has to stop any given caliber and weight and velocity of bullet at least 50% of the time to get the rating .. the other 50% of the time.. it's okay for it to penetrate. and yes, per US Government acquisitions rules .. the contract does go to the lowest bidder. You have to be very frugal with the tax payers hard earned money.


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## AmmoSgt (Apr 13, 2014)

AdmiralD7S said:


> Can you cite laws/regulatuo s/instructuons where this is true? The following is strictly from a DoD perspective, so may not hold true for other departments.
> 
> Having lead numerous evaluations of industry proposals, I can verify first hand that our procurement contracting officers and buyers do NOT have to go with the lowest bidder. We typically go for "best value" which is not a synonym for cheapest. We truly strive to get the best bang for the buck that we can. Take a look at the USG's Better Buying Power 3.0 initiative.


Well, thanks for the correction, it's always good to know that my cynicism can sometimes be misplaced.... however there are those two examples of the US Government getting taken for 10's of millions of dollars on the Dragon Skin and Interceptor vest scams I linked to, I suppose I was just riffing off some old resentments ... and then there was the whole " families having to buy their sons and daughters protective vests because the military didn't have enough" thing.. but the Army forbade the troops from wearing privately bought vest anyway on the theory that having no vest is better protection than a vest the Army hadn't tested yet. speaking strictly from DOD perspective.. not even going to get into the big Pmag scandal and how having to use tested and approved US Army AR mags that did jam regularly was better for troop life longevity than using unapproved and untested Pmags that never seem to jam.. totally my fault.. it's my out of control sense of cynicism and the total Alice in Wonderland nature of seeing the bureaucracy being defended, given it's track record

But you do make a good point.. look at the F-35 for example.. definitely NOT low bidder

It's my inability to grasp the Big Picture and my tendency to take personally things that personnaly impact myself or my buddies ... in fact I got EER's that comment on my inability to grasp the Big Picture and from the same clowns that are the ones that have to write the letters...


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## trevortex (May 3, 2021)

a plate carrier backpack can also help with the same purpose as you can carry heavy metal-made


AmmoSgt said:


> Body Armor is a pretty complex issue. I would like to know bit more than what seems available onlne.
> 
> Reputable manufacturers are careful to use the term "bullet resistant" over "bullet proof" and you don't buy the armor " off the shelf" .. you send in your measurements and it is made to fit, because that is important to insure the important organs are covered. And you have the option to buy inexpensive one time use trauma plates .. a non Newtonian plate that is normally soft and flexible that becomes rigid when struck spreading out the area of impact reducing blunt force trauma to the body.
> 
> ...


Plates in them which would cover you from the back and the metal plate would prevent the bullets from penetrating. You are bound to feel a minor concussion on your body because a bullet usually comes with high speed and hits you hard. You can check the best one here: bestplatecarriers


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