Patent ID: 8808048

Claim:
A tactical vest to be worn about the torso region of a user, comprising: a front panel; a rear panel; first and second spaced apart shoulder straps, each of said first and second spaced apart shoulder straps securing an upper end of the front panel to an upper end of the rear panel; a first side panel extending between said front panel and said rear panel; a second side panel opposite the first side panel extending between said front panel and said rear panel; each of said first and second side panels defining a covering housing an inflatable bladder when the bladder is in a deflated condition and a source of compressed gas coupled to said inflatable bladder; an actuator coupled to each of said inflatable bladders for selectively inflating said inflatable bladders; said front panel, said rear panel, said first shoulder strap, and said first side panel cooperating to define a first opening for receiving a first arm of the user; said front panel, said rear panel, said second shoulder strap, and said second side panel cooperating to define a second opening for receiving a second arm of the user; and said bladder in each of said first and second side panels having a plurality of lobes defining a cutaway region therebetween when said bladder is in an inflated condition, the cutaway region in each said bladder being aligned with a respective one of the first and second arms of the user when the user is donning said tactical vest and said bladders are in the inflated condition.