Flak vest
Armor vest
Armored vests are a somewhat common method of protecting one's body from lethal gunfire and sharp attacks (i.e. stabs, cuts, bites), as well as offering minor protection against explosions and the ever-present threat of clubs, maces, and muffalo. Armored vests can be purchased from traders, manufactured, or stripped from Outlanders and Pirates. Armored vests are typically encountered after the third or fourth raid, depending on difficulty and wealth (this assumes Rough and Crashlanded scenario, so somewhat 'standard' wealth).
Crafting
Armored vests can be manufactured at a machining table, once Complex clothing and machining has been researched. An armor vest requires 120 steel, 2 components, and 334 seconds of work (20,000 ticks) to be created, assuming baseline global work speed and no enhancements or hindrances to consciousness, sight, or manipulation.
Conclusion and Comparison
Armored vests offer slightly inferior protection, and vastly inferior coverage compared to Power Armor, but is also significantly cheaper to produce and purchase. Additionally: Power Armor can't be found on enemies, though elite Pirates may still have Power Armor Helmets. Armor Vests also only occupy the middle layer - meaning it can't be worn with tribalwear; whereas Power Armor occupies both the middle and shell layers, meaning that overgarments such as Dusters may be worn over the top.
Most, if not all, of your colonists should have an armored vest by the mid-game.
Protection Information
The following table lists how much protection an armor vest provides at each quality level.
| Quality | Awful | Shoddy | Poor | Normal | Good | Superior | Excellent | Masterwork | Legendary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp % | 24 | 42 | 51 | 60 | 66 | 78 | 90 | 102 | 126 |
| Blunt % | 8 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 42 |
- Torso | Clothing
- Button-down shirt • T-shirt (Kid
) • Tribalwear (Kid ) 
- Corset • Eltex shirt • Eltex vest • Formal vest • Formal shirt
- Slave collar
- Sash • Kid romper
- Armor
- Flak vest
- Legs | Clothing
- Pants (Kid )
- Armor
- Flak pants
- Shell | Clothing
- Duster • Jacket • Parka (Kid ) • Robe
- Cape • Eltex robe • Prestige robe
- Burka • Slave body strap
- Heavy bandolier
- Lab coat
- Armor
- Flak jacket • Marine armor (Prestige , Grenadier ) • Plate armor • Recon armor (Prestige , Locust , Mechlord ) • Cataphract armor (Prestige , Phoenix )
- Head | Clothing
- Bowler hat • Cowboy hat • Hood • Psychic foil helmet • Tuque • Tribal headdress • Veil • War mask
- Beret • Coronet • Crown • Eltex helmet • Eltex skullcap • Ladies hat • Stellic crown • Top hat
- Authority cap • Blindfold • Broadwrap • Flophat • Headwrap • Shadecone • Slicecap • Tailcap • Torture crown • Visage mask
- Airwire headset • Array headset • Gas mask • Face mask
- Ceremonial hood • Ritual mask
- Armor
- Flak helmet • Marine helmet (Prestige/Samurai helmet ) • Recon helmet (Prestige , Mechlord ) • Simple helmet (Kid ) • Cataphract helmet (Prestige ) • Gunlink • Integrator headset • Mechcommander helmet