Basic Guidelines on the Proper Care and Maintenance of your Tactical Body Armor

In order to use your Tactical Body Armor throughout its service life or longer, proper care and maintenance is important. The following are the basic guidelines on the proper care and maintenance of your tactical body armor so it will last long without any decrease in its ballistic performance.

1. Always have your tactical body armor properly fitted on you. Make sure that the straps are tight enough so that there will be no movements in your body armor and that you can breathe and move comfortably. Strapping it too tightly will cause curling and unnecessary wear to the panels of your body armor. Also, physical performance and mobility is restricted when there is over strapping. You will know that the there is over strapping if there are creases appearing along the strap lines and when you cannot breathe properly.

2. Trauma pockets are available in your tactical body armor where you can place trauma plates. These trauma plates are meant to protect you from blunt force trauma on the most vulnerable part of the body. These trauma plates are not meant to protect you from additional bullets. Make sure that trauma plates are worn on the pockets specifically provided for the plates.

3. When washing your tactical body armor, do not immerse it in water because this will weaken the fabric of your body armor. Remove the ballistic panels of your tactical body armor and just gently wipe it with damp cloth. Clean it with mild soap and water using sponge. The armor carrier can be washed normally but also with proper care. You can machine wash the carrier as long as it is not prohibited but hand washing would be better.  Do not bleach you tactical body armor.

4. When storing your tactical body armor, never hang it. This will cause curling and prematurely stretch the straps of the armor. Always store it in a flat position and away from other equipment or things.