A vest with air bag is a durable survival vest with shoulder pads and a front chest protector having ventilation holes therethrough and an attached air bag. The vest includes a shell defining a neck opening, a torso opening, and a pair of opposed arm holes. The vest also has a chest protector attached to the shell and an air bag attached to the chest protector. The air bag is configured to expand in front of a torso of a user. The vest includes a cartridge/canister, an activator, and a D-ring. The vest may include a power source, a sensor, a die marker, a cartridge/canister, an activator, a positioning device, a communication device, an antenna, control logic, and a communication bus. The D-ring is configured to operatively engage the activator to release breathable gas from the cartridge/canister when the D-ring is pulled by a user.