So I’m in the market for a 1 3/4" wide belt, I like the SOE Cobra belt but I couldn’t find what width they are. I also saw the 215 gear Ultimate Rigger’s Belt and see that they are 1 3/4" wide.
Do you guys know what the width of the SOE belt is?
Also what are your thoughts on these two?
I’m not going to be rappelling or anything like that, I just like their quick-release buckles. I wish I could find a regular belt (not a riggers belt) that has the same buckles but my google-fu is weak!
This is the place to visit. Jake is at SHOT like most, but send him an email and check out his site.
Thanks man! I’m really digging their ranger belt, I emailed Jake and asked if he could make it in a 1.75" width. Hopefully he can.
Thanks for the info.
Christian
I’d have to plug one up for Rich @ Jones Tactical.
he has done 2 cobra belts for me, one for EDC (1.5wide) and one for a ‘bat belt’ setup (2in wide)
Is it normal for ARES to take so long in responding to emails? I’ve sent two emails already, including a PayPal payment and haven’t gotten a response to ETA.
PM out.
Looks like it’s just a few of my emails ended up in la la land on the webs! Thanks Jake for the response, I look forward to receiving your belt and purchasing more!
I’ve had the 215 belt for 4 months now and wish I would of just stuck with my SOE riggers belt. I was sucked in by the buckle. Putting it on and off is a pain in the ass plus the cobra buckle is ripping the velco off the belt and it isn’t that easy to thread the belt through it.
I’m still running the old Wilderness belt. As a pants belt I don’t see any value-added to the Cobra system at twice the price, although I’ve been tempted to buy one several times.
As a belt for a padded MOLLE system I can see some use, but as a pants belt not so much.
I forgot to add the pros since it didn’t sound like you would be using it to tie in. If you are then the best feature is there is no d ring for your plates push into your guts when flying.
The biggest plus I’ve found on the belts is the stiffness of the scuba webbing for supporting a handgun and several magazines for a handgun and rifle (2 each) without any sagging etc. The ranger belt for me was well worth it for this reason alone for it was night and day from when I took my 5 stitch Wilderness off and put Jake’s belt on. YMMV.
Can someone tell me how I should figure out what size of ares ranger belt to get, I’m not sure where Im supposed to measure, or does it go by pant size?
Thanks Josh
I don’t know too much about what’s out there in the belt market, but there was a post here a while back about the Wilderness belt that got me to buy one, and I love it. I use it every day. Not to mention it was very easy on the wallet.
Josh,
Unfortunate Truth #1 - Your pants size is probably wrong (i.e. not true). As you wear pants, fabric stretches, and so a guy like me can wear his 32" pants from 2 years ago.
Unfortunate Truth #2 - Your belt size may or may not be right anymore. Leather also stretches, which makes the original number unreliable over time.
The preferred method of measurement is to take your current belt, and measure from the hole that you use all the way to the tip of the buckle. This is your current size. Then you pick the range you’d prefer (30-36, 32-38, 34-40, etc). I try to encourage customers to think about where they’ll be over the next 12 months; do you plan to gain or lose weight? Are you going to or away from IWB? Will you be sharing this belt with someone of a different size (my wife steals all my belts and adjusts them all the way down…finally I started making mine a size smaller for her)?
FWIW, The Wilderness offers a “polymer lined” option for $10.
Josh,
With the current belt you have on now look down at your buckle and on the left side (if a wilderness or right side if normal belt) of it make a mark and some identifiable line etc so you know where you’re technically wearing your belt.
Then take the belt off and take a ruler or string etc where you can get a correct length in inches from that mark you made before. Then on his website find the size belt that falls around this length.
A general rule of thumb for me was me wearing my belt at about 1-2" more than my pants size IF the pants were worn properly. By worn properly I mean not falling off one’s ass like a gang banger etc. This allows plenty of leeway for IWB etc. I am larger than the average person at 6’6" and 285# and I personally wear a 42"x34" pants and my number was 44 (belt was made for 44-50 for me and there is plenty of room for fatness) so I had Jake make me a custom order. In order to do this you need to contact him via email and make proper arrangements.
Hopefully this helps…
This is true, but that option and with the 5 stitch is almost the same price as the Ranger belt and I still believe not as stiff or in a better sense doesn’t seem to wear as nice if you will. I had the polymer and non polymer version and actually preferred the non with that particular version for some reason. Odd I know.
I get what you’re saying re: price, but that depends in part on how you look at it.
A Wilderness belt with “polymer lining” is $59 vs. a Ranger belt which is $79. On the one hand, “only” $20 difference, but on the other hand the Ranger costs 30%+ more than the Wilderness.
Certainly there are other factors, and we all know the buckles are expensive. As I said I’ve been tempted several times but have yet to find a fault with my cruddy old 3-stitch 1.5" Wildnerness, even when carrying a decent sized load of 2 AR mags, 2 pistol mags, pistol, and dump pouch on it. Although my more typical load is flashlight, rifle, and pistol mags on one side, pistol & holster on the other. If I want more than that the SOC-C comes out.
Well being the fatty that I am I had to get the $5 upcharge for the 44" length and then the 5 stich and polymer upgrade put it at about the same price. That’s where I was going so for me it wasn’t 30% more like you skinny fuckers! 
Thanks for the help guys, this clears it up so now I can place my order tommorrow when I get paid! Thanks …Josh 