First line belts

[orionz06]

I've been reading through this whole thread on and off for a while and it has made me curious about setting up a padded first line belt rig, at least to try out for range work / drills, etc.
So I'm wondering who's belt pad to try? I have several belts (Wilderness Instructor, Eagle duty, LBT duty, etc.) and various pouches that I can try with the belt pad to see if I want to pursue the system further.

Can anyone offer a recommendation?

http://www.tacticaltailor.com/dutybeltpad.aspx

Here is one in use:

[orionz06]

duplicate

[rob_s]

I've been reading through this whole thread on and off for a while and it has made me curious about setting up a padded first line belt rig, at least to try out for range work / drills, etc.
So I'm wondering who's belt pad to try? I have several belts (Wilderness Instructor, Eagle duty, LBT duty, etc.) and various pouches that I can try with the belt pad to see if I want to pursue the system further.

Can anyone offer a recommendation?

Everyone is going to suggest what they already own. However...

I have tried, and seen in action, almost all of the current crop of belts. I personally find that almost without fail they are less than ideal due to shifting. Some counteract this by using a drop-leg holster which then in turn anchors the belt to the thigh on one side, but I am not a fan of drop-legs unless mandated by an armor interference issue.

The only belt I've found to stay put without a drop leg are those offered by www.usgruntgear.com, The Infidel and the Warhog. What sets these belts apart is that they are designed to be used in-conjunction with a Velcro hook inner belt that mates to a Velcro loop material on the inside of the padded belt itself. What this means is that the padded belt isn't moving.

In addition, the US Grunt Gear belts are a true, padded belt. Not a sheath or a padded sleeve that fits over your "duty" belt. This means less rolling, less movement, and less instability in the system. When you do add sleeves, to get the MOLLE attachment on the sides, they make use of the Velcro lining to help keep them in place and resist rolling, and the sleeves are not padded so they are again more stable over the larger belt.

You can see my review of the Warhog, and more pictures, here. I also own an Infidel that I use for pistol-only. I really believe that the Velcro attachment system, the fact that it's actually a padded belt and not a padded sleeve, and the 1.75" webbing on the sides to mate with standard pouches and gear if you like all combine to set these belts apart from the rest of the market, and above the rest of the market in terms of utility.

[Boxerglocker]

The only belt I've found to stay put without a drop leg are those offered by www.usgruntgear.com, The Infidel and the Warhog. What sets these belts apart is that they are designed to be used in-conjunction with a Velcro hook inner belt that mates to a Velcro loop material on the inside of the padded belt itself. What this means is that the padded belt isn't moving..

There is also the Specter Tactical Ops belt, that does the same, has the velcro backing. It mates well with tha ATS warbelt. I'm by no means an expert, just sharing.
I've been building a rig for upcomming classes this spring. I'll be doning a Safariland 6304 for a G19/TLR-1 combo, mounted of a UBL 1.5 inch drop belt attachment on the above mentioned ATS/Specter combo. Triple shingle M4 pouch, 2 ATS single pistol, Maxpedition rolly polly dump as well as a first aid and multitool pouches (optional to remove weight depending on the class).

[rob_s]

There is also the Specter Tactical Ops belt, that does the same, has the velcro backing. It mates well with tha ATS warbelt. I'm by no means an expert, just sharing.
I've been building a rig for upcomming classes this spring. I'll be doning a Safariland 6304 for a G19/TLR-1 combo, mounted of a UBL 1.5 inch drop belt attachment on the above mentioned ATS/Specter combo. Triple shingle M4 pouch, 2 ATS single pistol, Maxpedition rolly polly dump as well as a first aid and multitool pouches (optional to remove weight depending on the class).

It looks more like the Specter Tac Ops is in line with this belt from USGG, no? Not really a padded belt, but a Velcro double-belt system? How does it work with the ATS once the ATS wrap has covered up the Velcro?

[Boxerglocker]

It looks more like the Specter Tac Ops is in line with this belt from USGG, no? Not really a padded belt, but a Velcro double-belt system? How does it work with the ATS once the ATS wrap has covered up the Velcro?

Your right Rob I apologize misunderstood your post. The Specter works well in my limited opinon with the ATS war belt wrap. The Ats war belt as you may know also has the mating velcro for the Specter. Once I got it all put together it seems very stable, for me and my limited experience anyways.
The 6304 on a UBL drop attachment is solidly attached sandwiched between the belt and war belt, the draw unincumbered. I had initially tried the 6304 on a molle attach fork and found it to be way too high. My first thought was a thigh rig platform to get around it but researched and experimented with a Blade tech DOH for my USPSA G34 and found the UBL attachment will be the same for the 6304 and my G19... Should work well.
I'm so far pretty happy with the set-up though the triple shingle M4 pouch may be too far back and take a little too much real estate on the belt. Later I may end up just going to a couple of singles for the M4's but may try stacking at least one pistol mag on the shingle and move it all forward.

I'm new to this all as I mentioned before though and am building the rig on a budget for now to see exactly what I will need/want in the future.

[polkhigh]

You can see my review of the Warhog, and more pictures, here. I also own an Infidel that I use for pistol-only. I really believe that the Velcro attachment system, the fact that it's actually a padded belt and not a padded sleeve, and the 1.75" webbing on the sides to mate with standard pouches and gear if you like all combine to set these belts apart from the rest of the market, and above the rest of the market in terms of utility.

Rob, what are you opinions between the Warhog vs. Infidel belts. My main purpose of a belt would be for carbine training where I would be carrying a couple of AR and Pistol mags. Are there advantages between the two for carrying AR and Pistol mags?

Thanks,

[rob_s]

Rob, what are you opinions between the Warhog vs. Infidel belts. My main purpose of a belt would be for carbine training where I would be carrying a couple of AR and Pistol mags. Are there advantages between the two for carrying AR and Pistol mags?

Thanks,

I thought that the Warhog would be better for the heavier load because it's bigger. Now I'm not so sure. I think it might be better if you're planning on carrying a LOT, but for a pretty typical load like 2 AR mags, 2 pistol mags, and a light, dump pouch, med pouch, and holster, I think the Infidel might be a better option.

[Dave L.]

I've been reading through this whole thread on and off for a while and it has made me curious about setting up a padded first line belt rig, at least to try out for range work / drills, etc.
So I'm wondering who's belt pad to try? I have several belts (Wilderness Instructor, Eagle duty, LBT duty, etc.) and various pouches that I can try with the belt pad to see if I want to pursue the system further.

Can anyone offer a recommendation?

I'm going to be the voice of dissension here.

I keep asking myself why people think they need a padded belt?

I own a O-SOE padded molle belt and a Crye Blast Belt and I use neither. When I'm working overseas I wear a standard Galco Cop Belt and thread all my gear on. I wear holster, frag/pouch, 2 pistol mags, 1 AR mag (in an ITW Fast Mag), and a HSGI Bleeder Pouch(with Leatherman MUT attached) all on my belt. It's very comfortable and it's low profile. When I put all that shit on a belt with nearly an inch of padding, my gear pushes far enough to make entry/exit of armored vehicles even more of a pain intha Ass.
I don't have a problem with Riggers/Cobra belts (I own about 6? of them), but leather conforms to your body and has "give".
I also understand some dudes need suspenders based on their body style. I find that if I need suspenders to hold all that shit up on my hips, running/moving becomes far more awkward.

My other (and final) gripe with padded war belts is that your gear WILL shift, not much but the problem is built into the system.

If you like them, rock them. If you don't have one, you don't necessarily "need" one.


Disclaimer:
**I'm not bashing anyone's decisions to wear one, only offering a different point of view.**

[rob_s]

Dave, I certainly don't think it's a "need", but for many of us the ability to easily remove the belt, or put on the belt, is a big plus. I can't speak to overseas, domestic LE, etc. but for my applications being able to easily don and remove the belt is beneficial and my primary reason for using one.

Additionally, I'm skinny. I have bony hips. If I overload any kind of belt system with weight it frankly just hurts. So the padding is worth it to me.

yes, all padded belts shift, but the USGG system shifts less than any other I've seen. They used to make a version with thinner 1/4" padding too but I don't see it listed on their site right now. I was planning on trying one to see if it limited the shifting even more, and still gave me the added comfort.