U.S. Palm Defender AR15 Armor

When the worst-case scenario turns out to be the optimistic version of events, being prepared for anything will prove to be beneficial.

U.S. Palm's Defender AR15 body armor certainly falls in the "being prepared" category. While we normally don't think about body armor in our day-to-day lives, prudent planning should incorporate a "everything that can go wrong, does" category, and if we ever need that extra layer of protection, we'll be happy to have planned ahead. This model is lightweight, comfortable and faster to don than a T-shirt.

Made of 500 denier nylon and incorporating pockets both front and rear for plates, the carrier offers magazine pouches and a hook-and-loop section for patches/name badges. The plates (one is included; others are available in both Large and XL sizes) are NIJ-06 Certified IIIA rated, meaning it can stand up to nearly every pistol-caliber up to .44 Mag.

MSRP: $199.99 (large), $249.99 (XL). Available in black, coyote, Multicam and Ranger green.