I was approached by Iwan Luiten of EnGarde Body Armor to review one of their Level III Dyneema armor plates http://www.dyneema.com/americas/applications/life-protection/personal-armor.aspx and a vest, and I didn’t hesitate to say “yes”!
Why would a girlie girl like me be even remotely interested in body armor? Well, for the same reason I would interested in night vision goggles, a few good firearms and a nice pair of 4 inch heels. They are all wants. 
Granted, prepping is not all about having the stuff. But if you are going to have stuff, then you may as well have the best, right?
Now, I must admit I don’t have the “Big Boy Toys” that some of my friends have that reviewed the EnGarde Body Armor. But even if I did, it just doesn’t make sense to shoot the daylights out of perfectly good armor plates! Thankfully these guys didn’t feel the same way – I guess it’s a guy thing. To me it’s like breaking off the heel of a new pair of Louboutins (a very expensive pair of shoes, for you guys) – right?
Now to my review:
Let’s first talk about style and comfort - what women often look for. Have you ever seen a security guard or law enforcement personnel who looked like they were puffed out like the Good-Year Blimp while wearing their vests? Well, EnGarde’s vests are not like this at all. When I tried the vest on, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable … and lite it was. Really. It was not hot or bulky. It was soft and pliable. I didn’t feel like a slave to the vest while wearing it or that it was burdensome to move around in at all. In other words, it wasn’t like wearing an inner tube around your body. The vest moves with you not fight against you.
Unfortunately, it’s because of the bulkiness and/or warmth of other vests that some don’t like wearing them – even in the face of danger or the ever increasing threat level in our Country. EnGarde not only focuses on performance, but also on the comfort and durability of their vests. They make them with the finest materials available (Dyneema, Kevlar XP, Pro-Systems Artec and Tejin Twaron), giving their body armor a cool, comfortable fit; while still having the highest standards of protection and versatile application (that’s business talk for they really listen to what their clients want.)
So, why would you “need” body armor? Good question. And the answer for all of us will be considerably different. For me? I live in a rural area. Perimeter defense will be of utmost importance if and when the poo ever hits the fan as hungry desperate marauders head my way. What this means is, I might actually have to fight as if my life depended on it; which it probably will. By wearing EnGarde body armor “something” will literally have my back so to speak. Keeping in mind that it is not a “be-all-to-end-all” solution, but instead, just another safeguard. Body armor is no longer just for law enforcement and the military any more. With all the unknowns of the future to me it’s just another item we as civilians and preppers should consider. 
As a little background, EnGarde is the leading manufacture of high quality body armor including; bullet proof vests and bomb blankets – gives a whole new meaning to thermal blankets, huh?. Their company is from the Netherlands but they have local offices here in the USA. What impressed me though was the fact that they will replace any “duty-related assault” where the armor is damage – taking care of those who take care of us.
Now, for you guys who have been patiently reading - waiting for the “good stuff” or the shoot em up footage - here are the impressive (to say the least) reviews of Scott Henry of “The Prepper Journal” http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/09/09/engarde-bulletproof-level-iv-plate-review/ and Tom of “My Gun Culture” http://mygunculture.com/what-happens-when-you-shoot-a-bullet-proof-vest-we-test-engarde-body-armor/ I will tell you I didn’t have a clue what either were saying in their reviews but the testing was pretty awesome to watching all the same. Great job guys!
Now that you have watched both reviews … didn’t I tell you? Impressive! These armored plates can stand up to a lot of ballistic pounding.
For more information on EnGarde and how their body armor could also be an option for you they can be contacted at:
T twitter.com/concealable
F facebook.com/engardebodyarmor
G plus.google.com
W www.engardebodyarmor.com
Just sayin'
- Survivor Jane
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