Battle belts, comp belts, war belts, and belts oh my

I recently decided to get a competition belt for USPSA, instead of using the tactical belt I had been using for a long time. Figured now was a good time to talk about belt setups, and try and help people avoid some of the fallacies and pitfalls of belts. 

First lets touch on my experience, and where I’m coming from. I first started running a belt in 2010 on my 2nd deployment to Iraq. I was working as a turret gunner in an MRAP or Humvee at the time, and it was nice to have a slick IOTV and a belt with an IFAK, a few M4 mags, and a dump pouch on it (for snacks), while in the gun.

Belt kit, Iraq, circa 2010

From there, I followed the trends and got a “Tactical” belt like everyone else. And thought that and a plate carrier was just gonna be my kit for preparedness from there on out. After all, it's what the military and special units were doing, good enough for me then too right?

Well, not really. I already talked about why I’m mostly out on wearing a PC, so let's discuss what belts are good for, what they are not good for, and what you should be considering with your belt set up. 

First lets define what we are talking about so we are on the same page. I am talking about belts that are somewhat rigid, usually molle compatible, sometimes padded, sometimes not. Typically consisting of an inner and outer belt.

I am NOT talking about “jungle belts” “belt kit” or any other load bearing equipment that includes a suspender system. 

They came to prominence during the GWOT, from LE who have been running belts for over a century, and from the rise of the tactical training industry that really kicked off during the magpul dynamics age in the early 2010’s.  

What are they good for?

Number one, flat range training. Having a place to put a holster, have some mags, have a rifle mag or 2, have an IFAK and dump pouch to facilitate training is awesome, and I still keep my tactical belt for just that purpose.

Short-term missions, there and back, very little travel required. That’s one reason they took off so hard with SOF forces. The downsides of belts don't really rear their head on short movements. For raids, CQB, and things of that nature, having a pistol right there, and keeping some of the load off your PC is great. 

What are they not good for?

Long dismounted movements, wearing a ruck, moving through the underbrush, sitting in vehicles (ask all of the cops who suffer chronic hip/back issues. There is a reason tactical vests have become a thing in more recent years), long-term standing, long term sitting, basically any time you are doing anything for more than a few hours. Oh, and those leg straps on your holster? Have fun on your next ruck, let me know how that thigh is feeling.

I want to state this clearly right here. The severity of how uncomfortable belts can be in a field environment, is highly dependent on two factors, your body dimensions, and your belts setup. Shorter guys, or guys with high torso-legs ratio, really suffer more than tall dudes, with long torsos. 

My point in all of this is that if you are preparing for a SHTF/Collapse/Whatever scenario, you need to test your kit. And just doing some range days with the boys isn't going to cut it. You need to be wearing your kit for days on end. Walking significant distance, with a ruck. A ruck’s hip belt is crucial to carrying the weight well, and if your hip belt interferes or pinches you with your tactical belt, you are in for pure misery. 

Building your belt. 

So you have decided you want to have a belt. First be clear on your purpose, whether that is range training, competition, SHTF, whatever. Every decision you make needs to support that purpose.

What considerations should you take?

• Attachment method. There are many options. Molle, Tek Lok, bolt-on, OneWrap, etc. The end-all be-all here is probably @baersolutions belt. It allows for basically any attachment method. If that's too rich for your taste, you need to decide on an attachment method, and stuck with it, because you need pouches and holsters that are compatible. 

• Padded or non-padded. Padded belts are more comfortable, but without a proper setup can be loose and shaky/inconsistent, which is suboptimal if you are running a pistol on it and want a consistent draw.  Non-padded belts require a second inner belt through your pants loops, and unless you just got yourself a FAT dumpy back there, they have to be rather tight to not fall off while sprinting. 

• Buckle design. Cobra, threaded webbing, plastic snap buckle, it's really your choice. Cobra has always been my preference for a secure connection, and lack of loosening or breaking potential.

• Positioning of pouches. If you are running a pistol and an IFAK, those two things take priority. They need to be in an optimal spot. IFAK reachable by both hands (usually small of back) and pistol where it needs to be for a consistent and speedy draw. Then comes mag pouches next, in a place where you can easily and quickly access them. After that, throw on whatever else you want wherever it fits, and not interfering with the important 3 items. 

• Clearance with a PC. If you are running a PC, again torso dimensions are coming into play. Be sure you can lean, bend over, and go prone without the belt and PC banging together. Short kings, this may not be possible. 

Final thoughts

In closing, I have decided to nix the battle belt almost entirely. Im only 5 ft 8in, it's just not comfortable for me long term in the field. It took many painful experiences for me to just realize that while it may be cool and popular, it just wasn't for me. I was only using it for range training and USPSA, so I decided to get a competition belt to better pursue those endeavors. That being said, I’m gonna keep my tactical belt for training rifle and as a backup. 

You have to test your kit in the environment in which you plan to use it. Do NOT make your gear decisions based on what the military, guntubers, or your buddy says. Test and know for yourself what is and isnt going to work for your use case