At least one person has criticized my body and leg (also adaptable for the arms) armor as being useless because it wouldn't also protect the face and hands.

Duh.

But I don't think that makes it useless.

I was never my intent to outfit you in full SCAdian combat armor, to include visor and gauntlets. I don't think anyone would wear it to a protest, and I'm quite sure it would earn you some unwanted police attention.

DF! has tried to make the point already, but the cops don't want to see you well-protected, especially at a protest. They want you helpless and easily subdued. Unless you've decided it's tactically wise to cross the authorities, maintain an appropriately low profile.

But don't be helpless.

Here's is my last word on the subject of protest defensive gear (unless a paying customer has specific questions).

Lightweight, concealable shield
Now shields are nothing new. You could cut out a luggable sheet of ply wood easily enough. But I can guarantee that gets heavy after a short while. And there's the concealment factor.

Enter Lexan. This is a light, usually clear, polycarbonate material; it's very resistant to impact. It's used for store security displays, limousine bulletproof windows, motorcycle helmet visors, and ...

Police riot shields.

Let's borrow the idea. Police shields are usually curved (convex, if meant for pure defense; concave, if meant to aid in crowd control), with bolted-on metal handles, often around 2' by 4' tall. These things can be obtained, but they're obvious.

Instead, hit up one of these sources (links available in subscriber edition) for Lexan sheeting, and make your own.

[image available in subscriber edition]

What the cops don't know you have, they likely can't take from you before the riot. You want a 22 inch by 34 inch Lexan sheet. Those thinking ahead may have noticed that this just a little smaller than standard posterboard. The idea is to make a shield that can be sandwiched inside two sheets of posterboard.

During the protest phase, it's a placard to express your message. If things turn nasty, you can crouch behind your surprisingly durable poster for protection.

Of course, gripping the sides of your sign/shield leaves your delicate little fingies exposed. You could mount a couple of screendoor handles on the sheet, like so:

A little extra
Using your shield
Set some standards:

View all comments on this article (Only subscribers may post comments and send feedback.)