5 Steps to Properly Store Your Body Armor

General guidelines for storing your body armor are below, however, you should also refer to the guideline recommended by the manufacturer.To get more news about best bullet proof vests, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

1. Armor should be stored flat at room temperature in a dry, shaded place that minimizes exposure to direct light. NEVER bunch your armor, or place anything else on top of it.

2. Armor may be hung from a specially designed robust hanger made for body armor. Wire or some wooden hangers will break or buckle under the weight of the armor. Do NOT hang armor by the carrier straps, as this may cause the straps to stretch and lose their original shape and fit.

3. Turn the body armor inside out or open and lay flat to allow moisture to evaporate.

4. Air dry damp armor prior to storage.

5. Armor should not be stored in a low airflow environment, such as the bottom of a locker, nor in a potentially extreme hot/cold environment, such as the trunk of a vehicle.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the main authority for establishing and updating performance standards for body armor, and work is currently underway to revise the Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor Standard 0101.06 (PDF, 1.56 MB, 89 pgs.)to update ballistic threat categories and to ensure female-designated body armor provides adequate protection. The standard was originally approved in 2008, and the NIJ National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center’s Body Armor Compliance Testing Program (CTP) released an Administration Clarification document in 2015 focusing on flexible ballistic-resistant body armor containing two panel designs typically used in body armor optimized for women. The updated standard is expected to be released later this year.

CTP Criminal Justice Testing and Evaluation Consortium Operations Manager Alex Sundstrom attended the September focus group to discuss the revised standard, which will ultimately inform NUSTL’s selection of body armor products for the SAVER operational assessment—only products certified NIJ-compliant will be included in the assessment. He discussed NIJ’s laboratory performance testing processes and highlighted new test specifications that address body armor specifically designed for women. For instance, the revised standard will include additional specifications to account for potential weak points at armor seams and will increase the number of armor panel samples tested to provide adequate statistics for curved front panels.

“One of the most important things an agency can do is make sure the armor they purchase is listed on the NIJ Compliant Product List. All armor models on the list have demonstrated ballistic performance in accordance with the requirements in the NIJ standard and the requirements of the NIJ CTP,” said Sundstrom.

“Additionally, participating in this focus group to plan the assessment helped reinforce the need for agencies to take steps to make sure armor fits each individual end user to ensure the proper coverage,” Sundstrom continued. “Not only should this make the armor more comfortable to wear, but it will help armor perform the way it was intended.”