Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Bulletproof Backpacks Are Hot Ticket For New School Year
By Myles Barker
Published 7 years ago on
August 1, 2018

Share

Backpacks are usually used by students to hold things like pencils, notebooks, and textbooks.
But some students returning to school this month will tote backpacks with a feature that’s a sign of our violent times. Their backpacks are capable of stopping bullets.
Due to the increase in school shootings in the United States, families are going the extra mile by purchasing bulletproof backpacks in the hopes of keeping their kids safe.

“Anything that is an accessory that you want to bulletproof, we can do that.” — Ben Hansen, owner of Active Violence Solutions in Huntington Beach

Sales Going Through The Roof

Sales for such backpacks soared after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and are climbing again as students prepare to return to school.
“Our sales increased probably by 300 percent,” said Ben Hansen, the owner of Active Violence Solutions in Huntington Beach.
We’ve had these shootings on and off, but that last one for some particular reason really hit home with a lot of people and people started calling in ordering mostly backpacks.”

Where To Purchase A Bulletproof Backpack

There are a number of online websites selling bulletproof backpacks and bulletproof inserts, including BulletBlocker, Everyday Bulletproof, TuffyPacks, Leatherback Gear, EP Armory and Active Violence Solutions. Most of the backpacks range from $120 to $500.
Hansen, who is a firearms instructor and teaches active shooter classes, said Active Violence Solutions also sells bulletproof jackets, purses, and notebooks, among other things.
“Anything that is an accessory that you want to bulletproof, we can do that,” Hansen said.

Backpacks That Stop Handguns and Shotguns

In terms of bulletproof inserts, Hansen said he typically recommends Level 3A soft armor to his customers, which he said can be made to fit inside any backpack. Hansen said the Level 3A insert can stop virtually every handgun up to a .44 Magnum, and practically every shotgun blast.
What it’s not designed for, however, is rifle caliber ammunition, which is what a lot of mass shooters have used.

“Although it is still very, very rare that one of these incidents might happen in your school or with your child, it gives a lot of peace of mind to some people.” — Ben Hansen, owner of Active Violence Solutions 
When parents hear that, Hansen said they request something that can also provide protection from rifles.

Stopping Rifle Ammunition

Hansen said a steel plate would do the trick, but noted that the lightest one that would fit into a backpack weighs about seven pounds, which may not be practical for every student.
Hansen said a better alternative is a Polyethylene plate, which is about an inch thick and weighs around three pounds.
“We are starting to see a lot of parents wanting those,” Hansen said.
Hansen said that parents are also interested in a Leatherback Gear backpack that includes two Level 3A soft armor panels, which can protect against rifle caliber ammunition.
“There’s a red zipper and when you unzip the backpack it splits into two parts and you can put your head through the center part and now you have the front and the back side protection to it,” Hansen said. “It is sort of like a vest.”

Peace of Mind

Even though bulletproof backpacks may not be a solution for everyone, Hansen said, it helps students feel safer at school.
“Although it’s still very, very rare that one of these incidents might happen in your school or with your child, it gives a lot of peace of mind to some people,” Hansen said.
 

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

DON'T MISS

Trump Trade War Has Already Had Huge Effect on California Ports

DON'T MISS

Cambodian American Chefs Are Finding Success and Raising Their Culture’s Profile. On Their Terms

DON'T MISS

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

DON'T MISS

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

DON'T MISS

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

DON'T MISS

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

DON'T MISS

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

DON'T MISS

Trans Athlete Competes in California Championships in Clovis Despite National Controversy

UP NEXT

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

UP NEXT

General Is a Good Boy — in English and Spanish

UP NEXT

Two Renovated Tot Lots Promise Family Fun at Roeding Park

UP NEXT

Visalia Police Hand Out 55 Citations During Motorcycle Safety Crackdown

UP NEXT

How Gentrification Is Killing the Bus: California’s Rising Rents Are Pushing Out Commuters

UP NEXT

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

UP NEXT

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

UP NEXT

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

UP NEXT

Medicaid Work Rules Could Leave a Million Californians With No Health Insurance

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

7 hours ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

20 hours ago

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

21 hours ago

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

21 hours ago

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

21 hours ago

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

1 day ago

Trans Athlete Competes in California Championships in Clovis Despite National Controversy

1 day ago

Tim Walz Urges Democrats to Fight Back Harder Against ‘Bully’ Trump

1 day ago

US Defense Secretary Warns Indo-Pacific Allies of ‘Imminent’ Threat From China

1 day ago

Hamas Responds to the US Ceasefire Proposal for Gaza While Seeking Amendments

1 day ago

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

For your next trip, have you considered townsizing? What about choosing a detour destination? And instead of forest-bathing, maybe it’...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

6 hours ago

Trump Trade War Has Already Had Huge Effect on California Ports

7 hours ago

Cambodian American Chefs Are Finding Success and Raising Their Culture’s Profile. On Their Terms

7 hours ago

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

20 hours ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

21 hours ago

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

21 hours ago

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

21 hours ago

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend