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Posted: 1/9/2012 10:33:38 AM EDT
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A friend and I were talking recently and he asked, "I wonder why nobody makes armor for kids?"
While the question seemed crazy at first, he explained that he would want a set for his children on the same basis that he wants one for himself: he'll probably never use it but if things go completely south, he would want his kids to have the extra protection. So why not? Is it too controversial? Is there not enough of a market for it? Would it simply be viewed as too peculiar? Have people simply not thought of it? |
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Small market. Nowhere near enough people think that children will be the victims of a shooting. But when they look at EBRs they scream "ban them, it's for the children!!!!"
A US Palm defender would be cheap and easy to get on your kid in a bump in the night setting. Just throw it over the kid and go. |
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Minuses:
Expensive - have to keep buying new carriers & larger armor as they grow. Ridicule inducing - from other parents, other kids. Hassle inducing - from school administration. Heavy - on a small growing frame. Curiosity inducing - in children who want to prove to their friends that it really works. Curiosity inducing - in folks who would otherwise not be interested in your children. Pluses: Extra protection while @ the range and hunting - albeit additional plates are needed if using deer-suitable calibers. Good protection against random street violence & mass shootings in "gun-free" zones. Gig 'em, backbencher |
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There are a few places that have backpacks with level 3A soft armor seen into them. If a school shooting occurred, you could put on the backpack facing front and have some protection from most pistol fire. Plate armor is too heavy for most kids as it would add 6-8 pounds to the backpack.
At least this is better than nothing. And it is 100 percent hidden from view so nobody but you and your kids would know it was in there. |
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Minuses: Expensive - have to keep buying new carriers & larger armor as they grow. Ridicule inducing - from other parents, other kids. Hassle inducing - from school administration. Heavy - on a small growing frame. Curiosity inducing - in children who want to prove to their friends that it really works. Curiosity inducing - in folks who would otherwise not be interested in your children. Pluses: Extra protection while @ the range and hunting - albeit additional plates are needed if using deer-suitable calibers. Good protection against random street violence & mass shootings in "gun-free" zones. Gig 'em, backbencher I don't know about the idea of sending them to school wearing a plate carrier.  I was thinking more along the lines of being at the range or sudden SHTF.
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There are a few places that have backpacks with level 3A soft armor seen into them. If a school shooting occurred, you could put on the backpack facing front and have some protection from most pistol fire. Plate armor is too heavy for most kids as it would add 6-8 pounds to the backpack. At least this is better than nothing. And it is 100 percent hidden from view so nobody but you and your kids would know it was in there. I was going to mention the same thing as far as the back packs. I mean in theory I'd hope my kid could be stashed in a safe spot away from gunfire. I think that is the parents job right there. But that is more at home and in public. At school in an active shooter situation, look how many lives that may have saved if they could either dump the contents and poncho their backpack (if it had an slot in the bottom to poke their head through or at least could flip their packs around front to act as a vest. Then again, kids tend to get a TON of homework and carry more weight than they should already. Adding 2-3lbs (soft) or 5lbs (hard) for armor plates might tip them over at younger ages. Plus kids don't tend to treat their back packs very well. Hell I used to drag mine on macadam at times. So with hard plates I'd worry about them shattering/cracking and soft plates getting ripped and torn. Personally, I'd like there to be slightly better security at schools (rather than just Dorris the secretary being a PITA and having a bad attitude like she will do anything to protect the kids when asking for ID) or better yet...how about parents actually act as such and stop blaming games and tv for their kid being a nut. How many school shooters were there back in the 20's...when you could mail order machine guns!?!?! I blame the parents for being absent and society for putting up with this crap. I could go on all day but I'll stop there. All I can say is God help those responsibly if my kid's ever put in harms way! As far as armor...good idea. But what I'm far more in favor of or maybe in conjunction...is a tracker. Give my kid a panic button of something I can tie into online to let me know their exact location. I worry about kidnapping WAAAAYYY more than an active shooter. -Emt1581 |
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How small a kid are we talking? I guess no specific age. Maybe 10-12? It was really more of a question on why nobody has produced it yet. I can see both the pros and cons of it. The smaller 8x10" Lvl 3/4 plates would be ideal then. I have two of those I use for lighter vests. |
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If you're talking soft armor, then backface deformation that would not harm an adult could possibly cause serious injury to children. Their vital organs are much closer to the surface and there is less overall width to their torso, so BFD injury would be much more severe.
Existing rifle armor is too heavy or bulky Hard IIIA plates (which are much lighter and thinner than rifle plates) are probably the only realistic option. By realistic I mean for range use or civil unrest, not for going to school in |
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Quoted: Quoted: How about a IIIA ballastic blanket? Those are much heavier than even a regular adult sized vest. It would smother a child, perhaps even an adult. yes, but you could use them for a temporary safe room, like someone mentioned, random gunfire on holidays etc. Also good for shrapnel protection in a hurricane/tornado heavy storm situation. |
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How about a IIIA ballastic blanket? Those are much heavier than even a regular adult sized vest. It would smother a child, perhaps even an adult. yes, but you could use them for a temporary safe room, like someone mentioned, random gunfire on holidays etc. Also good for shrapnel protection in a hurricane/tornado heavy storm situation. Of course you could, but I think there are better alternatives that would save you the hassle, like staying downstairs or going into a walk in closet, under the stairs, etc. I was referring to their use as body armor, as stated in the title and OP of this thread. |
| I think the best choice for very young children is to have someone like eggrolly make a kevlar Kelty style baby carrier that daddy can wear on his back, over his own armor. Protection for baby could be increased by use of small plates, and MOLLE could shield the baby even more. |
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Quoted: I think the best choice for very young children is to have someone like eggrolly make a kevlar Kelty style baby carrier that daddy can wear on his back, over his own armor. Protection for baby could be increased by use of small plates, and MOLLE could shield the baby even more. I need to find a baby to have an excuse to have one of those made! |
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I think the best choice for very young children is to have someone like eggrolly make a kevlar Kelty style baby carrier that daddy can wear on his back, over his own armor. Protection for baby could be increased by use of small plates, and MOLLE could shield the baby even more. I need to find a baby to have an excuse to have one of those made! Theyre easy to make, Ill let you borrow one of mine! 
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I usually don’t chime in on stuff like this but, the WTFO factor of this thread seems higher than the normal Arfcom standard to me  Please tell your friend to loosen the tinfoil a notch or two.
I can agree that a soft armored insert in lieu of a frame sheet or hydration bladder in a book bag/3 day pack is a realistic contingency plan. Something that will go unseen by the public and especially your kids peers. Otherwise you run the risk of setting them up for the ridicule, ostracism, etc. that is the inevitable fate of kids who are seen as “different”. Teach them what to do in an emergency and leave it at that. I.E, let them be kids and don’t lay that level of burden on them. If you do, you may well be sowing the seeds of paranoia that could produce the next nutcase “active shooter” you were trying to save them from in the first place. If your buddy’s AO is so bad that he thinks he needs to armor up the family on a regular basis, I would suggest that he look for a better area to live and/or work. If the reality of the black helicopter borne NATO troops, Zombie Apocalypse, SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation gets that bad He’s already fucked and no amount of armor is going to save him and his. Wpns Man |
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I dig the Vulli Giraffe! Sophie's in for a rough ride. |
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I think the best choice for very young children is to have someone like eggrolly make a kevlar Kelty style baby carrier that daddy can wear on his back, over his own armor. Protection for baby could be increased by use of small plates, and MOLLE could shield the baby even more. I need to find a baby to have an excuse to have one of those made! Theyre easy to make, Ill let you borrow one of mine! A baby? 
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Quoted:
I usually don’t chime in on stuff like this but, the WTFO factor of this thread seems higher than the normal Arfcom standard to me Please tell your friend to loosen the tinfoil a notch or two.
I can agree that a soft armored insert in lieu of a frame sheet or hydration bladder in a book bag/3 day pack is a realistic contingency plan. Something that will go unseen by the public and especially your kids peers. Otherwise you run the risk of setting them up for the ridicule, ostracism, etc. that is the inevitable fate of kids who are seen as “different”. Teach them what to do in an emergency and leave it at that. I.E, let them be kids and don’t lay that level of burden on them. If you do, you may well be sowing the seeds of paranoia that could produce the next nutcase “active shooter” you were trying to save them from in the first place. If your buddy’s AO is so bad that he thinks he needs to armor up the family on a regular basis, I would suggest that he look for a better area to live and/or work. If the reality of the black helicopter borne NATO troops, Zombie Apocalypse, SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation gets that bad He’s already fucked and no amount of armor is going to save him and his. Wpns Man From my OP: he explained that he would want a set for his children on the same basis that he wants one for himself: he'll probably never use it but if things go completely south, he would want his kids to have the extra protection. I'm not sure how people got the idea the he wants to up-armor his kids and have them running around the neighborhood and to school every day wearing Multicam carriers.  The whole thing was real more of a sidelong comment.
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Why doesn't anyone make an armored stroller?
I was thinking that maybe you could get some AR500 steel and make a box on top of something kind of like a stroller? Haha. Maybe even put that cool little 22LR belt fed thing on youtube on top just for asthetics.
I smell a project!
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I think the best choice for very young children is to have someone like eggrolly make a kevlar Kelty style baby carrier that daddy can wear on his back, over his own armor. Protection for baby could be increased by use of small plates, and MOLLE could shield the baby even more. I need to find a baby to have an excuse to have one of those made! Theyre easy to make, Ill let you borrow one of mine! A baby? Mine arent babies anymore but we really could use a break.
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