Battle Belts... Anyone use one?

[Mtbkski]

OK, I have been seeing these more and more lately. Anyone on here using these to carry gear around? If so, which ones do you like? What do you carry on it? What are the pros and cons?

[nitro570]

I dont use a battle belt but I have a tag tactical vest,its ok but can get heave as hell when loaded down.

[Mtbkski]

I'm getting a plate carrier. And from what I have been reading, many say that a battle belt is a better option for carrying accessories. Plus, the battle belt brings these items out from "under" the carrier. Making it easier to reach them. Also can be thrown on without the plate carrier to allow you to carry stuff when you just want to move about lightly.

Just wondering if anyone had one and what they thought of them.

[harryhere]

I have a plate carrier and a belt as well. I like to keep the belt setup with a pistol, spare pistol mags, knife, dump pouch, and some times a spare AR mag pouch. If you take the plate carrier off you still have something.

Try to place a pistol on a plate carrier and have room to draw the pistol, nothing like drawing up into your armpit.
Also if you run the plate carrier with a battle belt, keep the strong side on the vest clear so you can draw your pistol off your belt with out issues.

Also another quick note, look for a short plate carrier so you can run the belt, belts are 3 to 4 inches high, and this will allow for easy access and helps with sitting down. No one ever thinks about that.

I prefer the Infidel Padded War Belt. Lots of room and it comes with a Velcro pants belt that runs through your belt loops and keeps this belt right in place all day.

[MuzzleFlash]

Ever worn a chest rig with mag pouches? You'll sympathize with overly well endowed women in about 20 minutes. That's a lot of weight in the front pulling on the shoulders and forcing the spine to bend forward. This translates into muscle fatigue and back pain.
The same load can be placed on thigh rigs or a belt and you'll still feel free to move and run with ease. IMHO chest rigs should only be used for armor and nothing else, the weight takes it's toll otherwise. This is my first time hearing of battle belts but my experience with thigh rigs vs. chest rigs tells me it's a great idea to get that weight off the shoulders and on the hips. As for what you carry on them, mags, anything heavy, keep all the light plastic stuff up top.

[RXM]

I use one of these: http://www.usgruntgear.com/inpawarbe.html

Very high quality belt. I use a G-Code holster and Fast mags.

[Spectre6]

They were popular in Afghanistan.. especially for smaller guys with less real-estate on their plate carriers. I would caution you that if you put a lot of wieght on your hips, it will 'slosh' around when you move with a purpose. If you have a chest rig or plate carrier and you are just completely out of room I would consider them. Aside from participating in a war I dont see this a possibility.. I am a fan of a few kydex mag holders on a solid belt for 'civilian' type stuff.

[Mtbkski]

Anyone else have any input on these things. Would like to hear from you if your got one.

[TonyF]

They were popular in Afghanistan.. especially for smaller guys with less real-estate on their plate carriers. I would caution you that if you put a lot of wieght on your hips, it will 'slosh' around when you move with a purpose. If you have a chest rig or plate carrier and you are just completely out of room I would consider them. Aside from participating in a war I dont see this a possibility.. I am a fan of a few kydex mag holders on a solid belt for 'civilian' type stuff.

Anyone else have any input on these things. Would like to hear from you if your got one.

No further information is needed as Spectre6 has said a mouthful and then some.

Mtbkski,

I'm not going to attempt to change your mind about some of the decisions you've already made but do you see where this is leading?

1. A decision is made to purchase armor.
2. A plate carrier is needed.
3. Due to the nature of plate carriers, a dump pouch and battle belt is needed.

The gear train has pulled out of the station and is hurtling down the tracks.

Yes it was "just a movie" but the scene in "Saving Private Ryan" where they happened upon a radar installation defended by two machine gun nests and a decision was made to take them out, the first thing they did was ditch their battle harnesses in favor of mobility.

Someone should start a thread with the general topic of "the role of battle rattle in the context of preparedness".

[Asmodeus6]

Ever worn a chest rig with mag pouches? You'll sympathize with overly well endowed women in about 20 minutes. That's a lot of weight in the front pulling on the shoulders and forcing the spine to bend forward. This translates into muscle fatigue and back pain.
The same load can be placed on thigh rigs or a belt and you'll still feel free to move and run with ease. IMHO chest rigs should only be used for armor and nothing else, the weight takes it's toll otherwise. This is my first time hearing of battle belts but my experience with thigh rigs vs. chest rigs tells me it's a great idea to get that weight off the shoulders and on the hips. As for what you carry on them, mags, anything heavy, keep all the light plastic stuff up top.

Have one. Do not carry everything AND the kitchen sink on it. It's a very simple low profile chest rig that is literally indefinitely comfortable. I have worn this for 12+ hours straight. Sitting, standing, laying, walking, and a little running. It literally never bothers me. I am not a big human. I am not particularly fit, and have some back issues.

http://www.beezcombatsystems.com/AK4...CS-CR-AK47.htm

and this

http://www.beezcombatsystems.com/Pad...Rig-BCS-PH.htm

Loaded steel Yugo AK mags will change anyone's mind about weight. But weight becomes more cumbersome when it is free to move or hangs away from your body. This cuts that to an absolute minimum with just enough room to move freely and breathe. I added a double pistol pouch to the weak side front. My sides are clear but mags 1 and 5 are edging to my sides as, again, I'm not huge. I have experimented with using mag pouch 5 as a pistol carrier. It's an awkward draw.

The harness that came with the chest rig originally, is interlaced to the plate carrier harness now and I can just unbolt the rig and bolt it to the PC in 30 seconds. That is padded as well, but houses steel plates. So it weighs a fuck ton. That is fatigue. That hurts. That is why I picked up the padded harness to be able to run the rig with and without armor.

As for the feeling of weight sloshing around, I get zero of that with the beez rig. But again, I don't have 400.2 billion things dangling off of it either. And as it is, I can literally wear it all day and probably sleep in it if I had to as long as it was on my stomach or back. Sides and the mags eat my ribs a bit.



Which is why I would like to relegate the pistol to a decent belt. And why I'm hanging out in this thread as interested as the OP in people's opinions. I have drop leg, drop leg isn't optimal. I'd like something somewhere in between I think. Just low enough to clear my other gear, but not so low I feel like I'm flinging it around when I run. And, yes, I can run. Rifle, rigs, and all. Quickly. And as mentioned in the other post I don't like that feeling of all the gear sloshing around. I thought a belt may be optimal for this task. And it gives the ability to add just a FEW other accessories without bulking out a chest rig.