Polyarmory's topics - tribe.net

Trojan

2007-04-12T02:21:22Z

What do you do when you want to wrassle a bear and win? Why you invent armored suits of course!
http://outside.away.com/magazine/0597/0597grizzlies.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPS2l5fQ55A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mngefPbBEFY

posted in Polyarmory - 0 replies

Smart Armor

2006-03-11T01:51:14Z

Found this over on the armor tribe. Can't wait to try this stuff out!

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/mech-tech/dn8721.html

posted in Polyarmory - 0 replies

Affordable Multi-purpose Protection

2006-03-08T17:29:45Z

I've had several friends ask me recently where they can find armor like mine... The quick and simple answer is that they can't - I custom make mine, and I charge an arm and a leg to make custom suits for other people.

But I can point out opportunities to get low cost, good quality armor, as long as you don't need it to be bullet-proof, it should fit the bill for those times when you might need a little extra protection.

Believe it or not, there are alot of companies who actually specialize in making "modern armor" - usually they are in the niche market of "mountain bike racing"... (if you've ever seen some of these guys and gals barrelling down a 75 degree slope lined with jagged rocks and awkward tree-branches, you'll understand how the market evolved... Apparently, the human body can get quite banged up on such adventures... ;)

But because of the nature of the injuries that most of these racers sustain, the need for "pressure suits" were indicated - but these aren't your "atmospheric" style pressure suits - they call them that because of the way that they place uniform pressure across the body and by keeping that pressure even and uniform, they can prevent a large degree of impact related injuries.

At first, these kinds of suits were too bulky to use, as they cut down on the mobility of the riders, but over time, the market demand finally won out, and the maufacturers started making breatheable, super-flexible, good, solid protection.

Nowadays, you can often find and piece together full suits for less than $300, and with very little modification (say, by riveting small bands of leather across gaps in the hard shell), one could easily make a suit of armor that would withstand even a viscious edged or pointed weapon with very little damage to the armor itself... (and expect to learn how to repair your armor - it's a small prace to pay in exchange for avoiding costly medical bills and trips to the emergency room)

Anyways, I figured I'd toss a few links out there to one of the bike part wholesalers, in case anyone was interested in these kinds of things - but one word to the wise; *DO YOUR RESEARCH* on the suits you find - not all suits are created equal... (I know the topic of polymers makes non-chemists tend to glaze over, but while most layfolks just call all of them "plastic", not all of them have the same properties - some protect way better than others - steer away from the PVC blends which tend to break under pointed stress).

Also, these kinds of suits are a *really* good idea, if you're a cyclist in any large city with any congestion and irrate and inconsiderate drivers - along with a spiffy helmet, you could probably take a fairly good whollup from a car (even a perpendicular impact), and roll out of it mostly unscathed and ready to punch in a car window, if you've got the right gloves & helmet)... ;)

But you can check these out and see if that inspires you to keep digging... (or better yet, building your own!) ;)

(Here's a pair of "pressurized" shin/knee guards)
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=14166&style_id=536%20SSORT4&detailName=661%20Ricochet%20Knee/shin%20Guard&dept_id=&deptName=&sub_id=&subName=&lprice=59.98&hprice=59.98

(Here's a spiffy little suit for on the cheap which gives pretty good protection, breatheability, and flexibility - it doesn't *say* it's a pressure suit, but I can tell from it's design and the fact that it is adjustable that it would fit the same bill)
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=14492&style_id=535%20GDNFJ5&detailName=Rockgardn%20Flak%20Jacket&dept_id=&deptName=&sub_id=&subName=&lprice=144.98&hprice=144.98

(Here's one that is billed as a "pressure suit", but that only has short sleeves for enhanced mobility/flexibility)
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=13009&style_id=535%20SSOAP4&detailName=661%20Assault%20Pressure%20Suit&dept_id=&deptName=&sub_id=&subName=&lprice=94.98&hprice=94.98

Now, on one final note, unless you're a big guy like me, it's doubtful that you could wear these under your normal clothes, and none of these designs were designed with being "low-profile" in mind, however, with some slight wardrobe considerations, it would be a fairly easy matter to conceal (unless you have a small body frame - in which case *any* armor you use will stick out plain to see by everyone). But a simple turtleneck and oversized jacket are great to keep upper body armor concealed, and for the lower body, I recommend oversized BDUs (military fatigues) or "cargo" style pants - which can conceal such armor very easily because of the way the side pockets fit against your leg (unless bending your knees, etc).

Anyways, hope you all found this post useful! Anyone else got links to really good, cheap armor that they've found?
Happy adventuring! :)

posted in Polyarmory - 0 replies

everyday armor

2005-08-31T04:19:56Z

So, it's not every day you're heading into battle with a full suit of chainmail. It's very clanky, and hard to pee.

What do you wear every day as armor?

I have sunglasses, to shield me from the harsh rays of sun that hurt my poor, sad, hung-over eyes. Steel-toed boots, sometimes for kicking, more often to protect my poor toes from being stepped on. A tank top worn under the shirt, so the bastards at my over-air-conditioned workplace can't see my nipples (they don't deserve it). Plus, of course, my rock-hard attitude, that protects me from all manner of jabs and digs that occur in the every-day world.

What do YOU have?

a.

posted in Polyarmory - 27 replies

Streetfighting armor

2005-07-07T06:05:06Z

or "How I learned to stop worrying and love the ATGATT"

- - -

I'm a better motorcycle rider than I've ever been. I still have much to learn of course, but when one makes a point of threading their bike through the dense staccato chaos of urban traffic nearly every single day, well... you can't help but make significant strides in your riding skills. It's either that or winding up ass over elbows in a Mission Street pothole with a two-ton SUV bearing down on your suddenly all-too-frail limbs.

That's not to say I haven't had my share of mistakes, mishaps and near-misses: My bike and I have been down more times than I care to admit. (In my defense most of these misadventures have taken place off-road and far from the bustle and thrum of city traffic.) And yet even these are illuminating, mostly, imparting a rich set of otherwise unattainable insights through the miracle of somatic slo-mo, in endless replay; left knee dropped down two inches, weight shifted over, right hand backed off throttle quick - how quick? - too quick, too sudden, slower next time, foot went... where? off peg, slightly, tentatively, next time keep it on, trust the bike, trust gyroscopic stability... And so on.

And yet, even as I notice myself getting appreciably better, faster, and more confident (read: less fearful) on my bike, I've also gained a greater understanding of the risks and potential consequences of my choice to be a rider. The endlessly unfolding, myriad ways in which the giant flyswatter of cosmic misfortune can slam down unforgivingly upon your head: oblivious cagers on cellphones, a patch of wet gravel around a blind corner, mechanical failure, drunk drivers, cagers making sudden left turns, cagers driving the wrong way down one-way streets, sheets of flat steel covering road construction, wet with rain and slick like ice. The list grows every time I ride, every time I talk with a fellow rider, or read one of their stories. I try to store all of this information, to organize it in some useful fashion in my perceptual hierarchies. Try to make myself a quicker, smarter, more predictive and more adaptable rider.

I've also learned to love ATGATT.

ATGATT, for those of you unfamiliar with the acronym, stands for "All The Gear, All The Time". What this means varies from rider to rider, ranging from a bare minimum of a full face DOT-certified helmet, boots and riding gloves to full race leathers with body armor and bulletproof kevlar panty liners. I've always been an ATGATT rider, even before I knew of the term. It simply seemed like the smart thing to do. Maybe I'm squeamish. Maybe I'm vain. Maybe I just think that chicks dig guys in black leather.

Possibly it's because of my parents. When they were younger they both rode, and I grew up with a number of vivid stories of road rash and other ugly injuries sustained from falls with little or no gear to speak of. Perhaps it's because of my many rider friends, most all of whom are ATGATT and who have dropped at one time or another and have their gear to thank for keeping them among the young, pretty and living.

Whatever my initial reasons were though, I now have a million others. They're hard to forget when you see them anew every time you ride. I've also become more informed about the types of injuries riders can sustain, have learned the difference, for example, between blunt force trauma, point force trauma and abrasion. Have learned what types of protection are required to shield against each of those injuries.

It makes sense. The more you ride, the better you understand the specific risks involved and what you can do to protect against those risks. Which brings me to this:

As my riding skills have improved, I've begun to ride more and more aggressively. Also, since my acquisition last year of Rawhead, my beloved black BMW r1100GS, I've begun to ride offroad as well, an environment that presents an entirely different set of dangers and impact conditions than freeway cruising, or city streetfighting. As a result of these and other factors I have decided that it's time to up my personal ATGATT standard once again, this time to include body armor and a back protector.

Thus it was that I recently sprang for an Icon field armor vest. While it offers both spine and chest protection, as a vest it obviously has no shoulder or arm protection. After a little research I've decided that I what I really want is a pressure suit, such as one of these two items:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&tc=photo&item=7980309180&category=6750

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&tc=photo&item=7973068993&category=6750

Only problem is I can't decide which one to choose. So I thought I'd throw the question out to you, my esteemed band of Polyarmory misfits and weisenheimers.

If it helps any, this is the jacket I normally wear, and which I will be wearing this armor under.

http://www.motorcycleville.com/Hein_Gericke_Dakar_Jacket_4436.html

Thanks all!

- Slimpermeable

posted in Polyarmory - 5 replies

I feel naked without my helmet!

2005-03-17T03:23:20Z

... and I loaned it to some clown. Of course, I should own multiple helmets. But this tribe isn't about having many of the same kinds of armor...

My question is this: once I have my helmet back, what should I protect next? Shoulders? Codpiece? chainmail for my face?

posted in Polyarmory - 17 replies

Novice Sisters fannys armory

2004-12-29T17:01:11Z

Hey all I'm a big Armor fetishist like all of ye as well!
1 Peascod
7 gorgets
4 pikemans harness ECW ERA
1 dutch pot
2 Pike pots
2 english pots
1 casquatal
I Polish Zischagge with wings!
two Morians
two Sallets
1 bridal Gauntlet
I love armor would love to do naughty things in it!

posted in Polyarmory - 5 replies

witness

2004-11-28T17:19:14Z

the practice of textbook polyarmory:
http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/template/pub%2CViewPhoto.vm/context/tribe?page=2&currentoffset=6&parentid=95810b51-37a7-4715-93f3-6ee149ef9c1e&r=10535

posted in Polyarmory - 2 replies

Shocking Stylee Armor!

2004-10-04T08:23:52Z

I want one.

http://www.no-contact.com/

posted in Polyarmory - 5 replies

plate armor

2004-09-19T02:55:34Z

Plate armor (armor class 2 in D&D) was a relatively recent historical development. It only came into wide usage around 1400 ACE.

Even after the development of plates, chain mail continued to be used in certain parts of the body, such as the crotch. Plate armor is therefore polyarmorous, despite its monoarmorous appearance.

http://users.wpi.edu/~dev_alac/iqp/index.html

posted in Polyarmory - 5 replies

mom...

2004-06-01T15:52:36Z

never let me outside without my helmet.

posted in Polyarmory - 11 replies