This is a guest post and entry in our non-fiction writing contest by Edward R
One of the common sayings in my household is, “The more technology advances the less intelligent people become.” This is not meant to be an insult to anyone in particular, but is rather an observation of fact about our society as a whole.
A few examples:
- Because we now have matches and butane lighters which provide instant fire most people cannot effectively make fire “the old fashioned way”.
- Because we can buy paper (or virtually any other product) at the store very few people remember how to make that item at home.
- Thanks to the many places which offer fast and low-cost oil changes few people know how to change the oil in their cars.
My point in mentioning this is simply to say that many people may no longer practice the old way of doing things, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those old methods failed to work. Rather, we’ve simply forgotten about them thanks to having new, convenient, faster, and better ways of conducting our duties in life.
When the “new and improved” is no longer available or they become too expensive then we naturally feel compelled to return to the old way of doing things. That is assuming we still remember them. Yes, those ways might be cumbersome, slow, and produce less attractive results, but they do work.
Now I could go in a million directions at this point, but the example I’d like to use in this article involves body armor. Combining the two topics into a related theme allows me to convey two different ideas at once.
Body armor is, technically, bullet resistant (there is no such thing as “bullet proof” armor) and it is one of those things which probably should fit into our preps at some point in time, but for most people it doesn’t due to high cost and the low expectation it will be needed.
Besides the fact some states restrict sales to civilians, body armor is just not something most people would assign higher priority over such as food supplies, medicines, water containers, fuel, etc. Besides, body armor is too bulky, heavy, and uncomfortable to wear on a daily basis; plus it draws unwanted attention to ourselves. Would we really wear it very often? Personally, I don’t think so, but some still like the idea of having this kind of protection if only it wasn’t so expensive.
Returning to my opening thought, what did people use for protection from projectiles prior to the invention of expensive modern body armor as we know it today? Of course, we know hard and heavy metals were once used by everyone from noble knights to outlaws like Ned Kelly, but we don’t have to go back in time quite that far. In the late 1800’s Japanese and Korean body armor consisted of 30 layers of silk which could stop the bullets fired from black powder firearms.
Silk is the strongest of natural fibers and has been used in the textile industry since 3500 B.C. It’s an attractive, hypoallergenic, and antibacterial fabric which feels good against the skin. Silk is comfortable to wear in hot weather due to its absorbency and breathability while its tight weave and low conductivity helps keep warm air next to the skin when in cold weather.
At one time the Romans considered silk to be worth its weight in gold and much of it was traded along the infamous Silk Road. In todays’ currency that would amount to about $3200.00 per yard, but thankfully silk prices today range between $12.00 & $30.00 per yard (36”x45” inches wide). It can be found as low as $5.00 per yard on clearance racks while affordable silk in the form of drapes and bed sheets can also be found at thrift stores and garage sales.
Considering that taking a bullet in the arm or leg was usually less serious than being shot in a major organ, bullet resistant body armor has largely centered around the concept of a vest which protects only the torso area. Since the time soft body armor vests were made with 30 layers of silk, the goal of many entrepreneurs has been to produce stronger and thinner material for use in bullet resistant vests.
After learning a special weaving process, a Chicago priest by the name of Casimir Zeglen created a four-ply, one-eighth inch thick, half-pound silk vest which could stop a .44 caliber bullet. Zeglen survived being shot from ten paces away during a public demonstration of the vest. He also offered to give one of those vests to President McKinley who was later shot in the abdomen by an assassin’s .32 caliber bullet just two weeks before he was to receive the vest.
While Zeglen’s vest might have saved President McKinley’s life, it didn’t save the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was shot in the neck while wearing it. I mention this bit of history to emphasize a few specific points. A bullet resistant vest only works if it is strong enough to resist the caliber of bullet being fired, the person is wearing it at the time they are shot, and the bullet hits the vest instead of the person.
Regardless of its composition, a bullet resistant vest can save the life of a person only when all three of these conditions are met. Even so, the protection offered by a bullet resistant vest is better than being without body armor and thousands of soldiers and police officers choose to wear one while on duty.
In 1965, the strong-as-steel synthetic fiber known as Kevlar was developed and since the 1980’s it has become the foundation of most modern body armor products made today. Modern body armor is classified according to the threat level it is designed to protect against. Type I is the weakest form of body armor which offers protection against small .22 and .380 bullets while Type II armor offers additional protection against 9mm and .357 Magnum bullets.
There are several Types of body armor but they all work to protect the user by absorbing and dispersing the energy behind a bullet in order to prevent penetration. Of course, the user can still suffer great pain and bodily injury (e.g. broken bones, bruised organs) from the force of impact, but body armor of every type has saved a great many lives. While expensive Kevlar is the fabric of choice for body armor today, the strong qualities of silk fabric shouldn’t be forgotten.
In 1999 the Rajamangala Institute of Technology tested the bullet-stopping qualities of silk fabric. They found that a vest made from 16 layers of silk was able to stop high velocity rifle and other bullets up to 9mm in caliber size (Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/379338.stm). As a result of that study Thai police officers were able to take confidence in wearing silk vests which offered a significant level of protection against armed criminals without being too expensive. When it comes to wearable protection against bullets one would be wise not to take shortcuts, but silk body armor certainly can be respected as the next-best-thing when little else is available or affordable.
Rather than do without simply because Kevlar-based body armor is too expensive, one could back away from technology a single step by taking another look at silk. This is the same material used to make bullet resistant vests prior to the invention of Kevlar, was quite common in the early 1900’s, and is still being used today by Thai police officers.
At this point I must say that I have not tried to make home-made body armor using silk fabric, but the idea intrigues me. I like the idea of having body armor to protect me from some of the bullets strangers might fire at me (especially during a post-SHTF scenario), but I cannot justify the expense for Kevlar body armor. Neither do I want to draw attention to myself when wearing body armor, for I’d like it to be discreet.
Speaking of discreet body armor, some clothing manufacturers now offer fashionable bullet resistant hoodies and jackets which are equivalent to Type II body armor. Unfortunately, they cost hundreds of dollars and, again, I cannot justify that kind of cost. Rather than take my chances without protection, making affordable home-made body armor is certainly something to consider.
To the best of my calculations, one yard of silk fabric measures 36”x45” so eight yards of material could provide sixteen layers of silk measuring 18”x22.5”. This is enough material to create a tank top-style shirt which could fit the average adult. At four ounces per yard for the highest-quality silk the finished product would weigh approximately two pounds, which is about the same as a pair of jeans.
It would cost $40 to make based on clearance prices, an 80% savings over the price of modern Type I body armor. A 16-layer tank top which protects my vital organs better than Type I body armor might be half-inch thick, yet virtually undetectable when worn under a flannel shirt or jacket. Another idea would be to add the 16 layers of silk to the insulation found within an affordable cold-weather vest purchased from a retail outlet. Although this article of clothing would not be worn during Summer months, it could enable the warm vest to discreetly serve a dual purpose.
If a person is extremely concerned about the risks of being shot then paying high prices for commercial body armor which has been fully tested might be the way to go in some cases, but for a person who can’t legally purchase or doesn’t ever intend to buy body armor this idea could provide some additional yet comfortable protection at an affordable price.
Regardless if we’re thinking about something as serious as body armor or as minor as our paper supply or oil changing skills, our survival mindset should take into consideration how we will meet our needs in the absence of modern-day conveniences (due to lack of availability or too expensive to acquire). How did our ancestors make do without the products and technology we have today and do we know how to duplicate their old and outdated efforts?
Yes, many of us are preparing for tough times through the acquisition of things, but the mind will ultimately be our greatest means of survival. Take care to learn from the “old timers” and remember their techniques, methods, and practices just in case we need to return to those ways in the future.
This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest where you could win:
- First Prize) Winner will receive a gift certificate for $170 worth of Winchester Ammo donated by Lucky Gunner. A Smith & Wesson Heat Treated Collapsible 21″ Baton and a copy of my book Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat.
- Second Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Food Storage meat bucket and 3 dozen Tattler Reusable Canning Lids donated by LPC Survival.
- Third Prize) Winner will receive a LifeStraw water filter system donated by Eartheasy and a copy of the Wolf Pack Cookbook.
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