bullet proof vests

[s-38]

boys i have a question for you.im a 10month rookie . my ballistic vest drives me crazy when i wear it. you veterans is their any way to kkep cool in one? i also hear alot about these second chance vests that go under the vest do they work?

[Groundhog]

It's hard down here in the South where it's so humid. You're probably a little cooler up there I know (my mom's from Boone...couple of hours away I guess?) than here in Ga., but not by much I suspect. The only thing I can tell you is using talcum powder seems to help some, and alot of guys like Under Armour t-shirts & the knock-offs from Wal-Mart. I've also been known to bring an extra t-shirt to work & change halfway through the shift if there's time.

[s-38]

thanks for the info never thought of talk.

[SammyCal1]

They also make shirts that are ribbed to keep a small pocket of air between you and the vest and it allows heat to escape. They are a bit expensive.

I tried the Under Armor under the vest, but I did not like it because I now felt like the vest was against my skin and the heat still could not escape.

Just keep wearing it, you'll get used to it. I am now uncomfortable without my vest. I feel like something is missing.

Remember, the vest will help to protect you from other things such as traffic crashes, punches and other fight related injuries, and even though they may not be rated for knives, a knife still has to penetrate the vest before it gets to you.

Good luck,

Sammy

[DETSGT]

When my Daughter went through the Academy 2 years ago they had to have their vest the first day and were made to wear it from then on for the duration of the Academy, during their P.T. their run's and all weapons and hand to hand combat training. Seems like a good idea to me as you will get used to the vest prior to going on the street with it.

[setexas]

Gold Bond Powder works ok to keep that cool feeling. It's better than nothing. You will just get used to it.

[e-man]

They also make shirts that are ribbed to keep a small pocket of air between you and the vest and it allows heat to escape. They are a bit expensive

Sammy
I used to wear one of those Ribbed shirts, ITCHY as Hell. Better off getting the Underarmour or knock offs. IMO.
ALso one of the best I ever wore was a plain old white cotton mesh football type jersey. It doesnt do much for absorption but I dont think a tshirt really absorbs sweat. I jsut startted wearing the Underarmour Loose gear{I cant fit in the heat gear} and a NIKE Dri-fit. Nike is nice,fits well but isnt cooling enought but comfortable.

[SuperSix5]

Remember to drink lots of fluids, be it water, gatorade, powerade, etc and keep that A/C in the cruiser cranked up in between calls.

[MattG]

I wear Under Armor under mine...actually the cheap knockoff stuff from Wal-Mart. Only $10 bucks so I got 4 of them, so every day I wear a different one.

It was over 110 degrees for 2 straight weeks a few weeks ago and I did okay. I can feel the sweat run down my back sometimes when I'm standing outside for a while. Mostly I just try to stand in the shade as much as I can. It's only 105 degrees under a tree. :cool:

[safetyobc]

what's the name of those knock off shirts?

[MattG]

The ones I have are just Starter.

They are the tight fiitting stretch material that takes the sweat and just spreads it all around the shirt. Plus they keep a nice tight neck line and don't bunch up under my vest like a T-shirt.

[s-38]

one other question is they sell a second chance vest that goes under ballistic vest.it has a smaller trauma plate for double protection. i was curious if anyone else had any input on them

[Centurion44]

boys i have a question for you.im a 10month rookie . my ballistic vest drives me crazy when i wear it. you veterans is their any way to kkep cool in one? i also hear alot about these second chance vests that go under the vest do they work?

You get used to it. I'm in GA also and I average about 30 miles on a bicycle in a 4 day work week to boot. If I can wear one while wearing pedalling a bike and wearing all black, you can too.

I wear Underarmor shrits. Doesn't do much for feeling cooler but it does wick away moisture pretty quick and at the end of the day your undershirt isn't as heavy as a shirt that would have simply just absorbed the sweat. Also drink plenty of water.

After a while the vest will become part of you. I feel naked without mine now- even in this God-awful heat.

[Caspertoo]

Yup underarmor for me too, tried the loose fit for a while, but it just didn't do much to keep me cool, tried the heat gear once and was sold on it, I have 4, with a 5th one lost somewhere in my home.

Anyone have a link to those ribbed shirts? Everytime I get back into the car and sit down, my vest adjusts so the top is angled slightly away from my body, it shoots a blast of warm air on my face. LOL no air circulation there, but the UA does help.

[Groundhog]

Everytime I get back into the car and sit down, my vest adjusts so the top is angled slightly away from my body, it shoots a blast of warm air on my face. LOL no air circulation there, but the UA does help.

Yeah, I get those "vest burps" too. Those are nice aren't they?

[USP45FAN]

I went from wearing my PACA vest at work to wearing the Point Plank Interceptor Body Armor in the sandbox. I will never ever complain again about my PACA vest.

It also does not get up tp 135 degrees back in Ohio either. Not to mention carrying all the ammo, first aide, bayonet, iron sights (CCO is on weapon), and etc. We've even had the A/C go out on our vehicles, then life is sucking bad. Until then, keep the A/C cranked and think about how it could be a lot worse. Right now I prefer to think about how light and cool my PACA vest will be when I get back to it. :D

[OffDuty]

We got a PACA, and I bought my own SC Monarch due to the better fit and lighter weight. That helped for me a lot.

As for keeping cool, I use the UA & Nike loose fit shirts. They do make the biggest difference. I also keep my car as cold as I can stand it at all times. In winter I dont wear a jacket unless I am out of the car for a prolonged time. Going in & out or on a short traffic stop I layer it up.

One other suggestion I found is nice (by accident) is getting a frozen ice pack. I found one at crate&barrel and one at Target (I think). Its like a 12"X12" sheet with these little bubbles of blue ice. They are in little squares to use in a cooler. I stuffed it down between the vest and the UA. On a super super hot day it cools the core & makes you comfortable. Youre the only one who knows its there.

It lasts about 2-3 hours though, so maybe enough to get you thru the hot part of the day.

I also saw this: http://www.coolcop.com/
Looks kind of neat. I wonder if anyone here has that. I bet it works good.

Long story short, you DO get used to it, but I still look forward to end of shift to rip that damn thing off.

[Rally]

Please nobody wear a Zylon vest!! I hope the word is out about these things. Please replace yours ASAP if you have one. I know of a Zylon vest being penetrated by a 9mm when it was only a few months old.

[jeeper]

I'd like to get some UA or knockoffs, but I want "tall" sized ones so they stay tucked in better. Unfortunately, I can't find them, if anyone knows where I could get them, please tell me!! I've resorted to buying cotton t-shirts (Eddie Bauer brand ;) ) and removing the sleeves on them. They work well, but certainly are no where near as cool as the UA I wore when playing football.

A good friend from a neighboring county got issued a new vest this spring. The vest actually comes with special pads that allow you to freeze or warm them prior to putting them into the vest, much like a trauma plate. He's found that by freezing them, he can stay significantly cooler for up to 4 hours at a time. I can't for the life of me remember what brand the vest was though...

[WSPD916]

Please nobody wear a Zylon vest!! I hope the word is out about these things. Please replace yours ASAP if you have one. I know of a Zylon vest being penetrated by a 9mm when it was only a few months old.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/pressreleases/NIJ05044.htm?popupWindow=Y

[marshaldan]

When I was hurt not wearing my vest I was just plain lazy.
I did not even have a weather excuse.
I remember looking at it. Nah, this is nothing. Not worth the bother.
Well, as it turned out it was worth the bother. There were a couple of other things that I could have done. I had the means.
After so many years of dodging danger, I fell into complacency.
Don`t do as I did.

[Kerz]

...Just keep wearing it, you'll get used to it. I am now uncomfortable without my vest. I feel like something is missing.

Remember, the vest will help to protect you from other things such as traffic crashes, punches and other fight related injuries, and even though they may not be rated for knives, a knife still has to penetrate the vest before it gets to you.

Good luck,

Sammy

I echo Sammy's comments. Once you've got accustom to wearing it...
Vic

[gamecockfan]

2 words= work nights

[Squad Guy]

We aren't authorized to wear one. They will do the inevitable and wait till one of us is stabbed. They've come close a couple of times with some of us. Wear em if ya got em!

[nacorbier]

Your not even authorized to wear a stab vest? That's crazy talk.

[Cerberusdog]

The underarmor shirts (and knockoffs) are OK, but the ribbed shirts, such as those nifty military ribbed pullovers are my favorites. But the very best heat-control measure we have discovered is simply to put our ballistic panels into an external carrier. Having the uniform as a buffer instead of as another barrier makes a big difference.

[Bigg Dogg]

Only way is too wear it and get used to it.

[DoTheNumbers]

[QUOTE=OffDuty]

I also saw this: http://www.coolcop.com/
Looks kind of neat. I wonder if anyone here has that. I bet it works good.

One of our corporals has one and he swares by it.

[suburban_cop]

Great info on keeping cool, but, as an FNG myself, this will be my first IL winter on the street. Does the underarmor, etc. actually keep you warmer than good old fashioned thermal underwear? I'm not very familiar with all the specialty under-clothing, but know it's all pretty pricey, and thought I'd get some input before I shell out the bills. Thanks for your input!

[SammyCal1]

Great info on keeping cool, but, as an FNG myself, this will be my first IL winter on the street. Does the underarmor, etc. actually keep you warmer than good old fashioned thermal underwear? I'm not very familiar with all the specialty under-clothing, but know it's all pretty pricey, and thought I'd get some input before I shell out the bills. Thanks for your input!

Everyone that I've spoken to about the UnderArmor Cold Gear said that it is MUCH better than regular thermals. I am about to buy 1 myself.

Good luck FNG

Sammy

[fedcop64]

I hate now that we've gone to long sleeves now I'm even more hot then normal 15 yrs of wearing a vest I have never liked wearing it with long sleeves and a tie.

[VSP_Troop]

PACA makes cooling plates you get get for their vests. Combined with underarmour heat gear shirts, thats about the best you can do