If your plan is to get shot and have your body armor absorb it, you need a better plan.

If I were ever in a situation where I had to shoot somebody to defend myself, if they didn't go down on the first shot and instead made a kind of "gong" sounding noise, the next shot would be to the head. Even if they didn't go clank when I hit 'em, if they didn't go down from a solid chest hit then a head shot would be coming next. In self defence, you don't shoot to wound. You shoot to incapacitate and stop the attack. If they're still standing, they're not incapacitated.

We shouldn't assume the OP plans on getting into a gun fight or even carrying a weapon. What if it offers an extra piece of mind? There are instances where wearing a vest may not be a bad idea. Unarmed security guards, business owners who make large cash deposits at night, convenience store workers, etc.

There probably is a place for a vest, but I agree that it's pretty low-down on a list. I grew up near LA and as a kid I was enamored with having a surplus flak-vest ... never got one, but that should tell you about the TV news coverage at the time.

Having now lived through Philadelphia, Detroit, and Afghanistan, I can tell you that I've never needed a vest. Sure, mandated to wear, but fortunately didn't use.

while most vests have a 5-year life, I'm sure they last longer if seldom worn. It's the moisture and repeated impacts that affect them - maybe UV too, but I assume most folks wear something over them.

that being said, when you need one, you really NEED it!

The same could be said for wearing a gas mask around town as well. I think the "likely benefit" vs. the cost, weight and hassle of both these items lean towards leaving them out of your daily wardrobe or even your bug out kit. But that's just my opinion. I'm sure I carry lots of stuff that some would scratch their heads in wonder about.

Maybe I just lack imagination, but it's hard for me to think of a disaster situation where I'd wear a vest on a regular basis except a complete, prolonged breakdown of order. I'm more worried about tornadoes, power outages, etc.

I don't think we need to rule out anything, even a bullet-proof vest, but this is really just a matter of priority for me. For the same amount of money, you could get other things that you're far more likely to use. Heck, I need to improve my emergency water supply, and I get thirsty fast!

My guess is that if you might need a vest, you'd probably know already.

DB

That's my thought as well. Good body armor is expensive. Unless you plan on wearing it all the time to get your monies worth, it's pretty low on the priority list for the average person.

I actually own a plate carrier and hard plates, which were a gift from a friend. Yea, they're neat to have. However, I don't even keep them with my bug-out gear. They're heavy, bulky, and annoying to wear with a backpack. At the end of the day, I'd rather carry an extra 15lbs of food and water than 15 pounds of hard armor.

The objective of a bullet proof vest is to prevent stray bullets from killing you in a freak accident.

If you are targetted with a red dot or looking down a dark barrel. Better get out of the line of fire, take cover. Do not depend on the vest to save you.

???

Where i come from, bullet proof vests are used to stop rounds aimed intentionally at one's center of mass; hopefully, the rating of the vest will exceed the strength of the round employed.

i believe in most departments these days, bullet proof vests are worn routinely when on patrol.

They don't always work. Just before I retired, I donated two weeks leave to the widow of a ranger who caught an AK-47 round that sneaked in between the seams of his vest.