Here’s the deal… i am tryng to set up a belt for a carbine course.
I don’t want to run a chest rig or a molle belt.
So far i have the holster…Safariland 6320
I need a suggestion on the following 3 items.
1)A rigger’s belt is the answer for hanging a lot of crap on if you don’t want to go the “battle belt” route.
The Wilderness 1 1/2" 5-stitch belts are impossible to go wrong with. Stiff enough to support all the crap you could put on a belt, but they still flex enough to be comfortable for everyday wear when you aren’t in a class. I’ve tried several different makes and always return to these. There are plenty of other high quality riggers belts that others prefer though. http://store.thewilderness.com/product_info.php?cPath=43&products_id=2007&osCsid=u2hsk5e1bh7ha959q8ibnq8fj5
2)I only really recommend staying away from most injection molded magazine pouches as I’ve heard from people I respect and seen that they have a tendency to crack. Most kydex stuff from the big names should be fine. If you chose a larger belt size then these are hard to beat. http://www.skdtac.com/Eagle_M16_Magazine_Pouch_p/eag.236.htm Otherwise something from Raven/Bladetech/etc… will work fine. If you can wait these should be winners for a class/range environment. http://www.blueforcegear.com/product.cfm?type=cat&cat_id=6&prod_id=175 I’ve also heard good things about these, http://www.skdtac.com/Ready_Tactical_AR15_Mag_Pouch_p/rdt.110.htm and the pistol version of the same.
3)My only real experience with pistol magazine pouches is limited to this one, so I hesitate to say anything else on the matter other than that I’ve had no issues with it. http://www.blade-tech.com/Double-Mag-Pouch-W-SR-loop-IDPA-APPROVED-pr-1015.html
I too did not want to run a chest rig etc in a carbine class. Below is an excerpt of my AAR re my set up.
“Gear: My set up was a bit unconventional but it worked. I used a Wilderness 5 stitch belt as an underbelt and attached my Maxpedition Rolly Polly as a dump pouch. I then used another five stitch belt over the first and attached a Blade Tech double 1911 mag carrier on the left, three Deployment Solution kydex AR mag pouches up front from the left moving to center line, and my Blade Tech holster on the right side. I was able to loop the second belt through some of my pant belt loops and I attached the belts together with four belt keepers. I put a Blade Tech AR pouch with Tech lock behind my back so I always had a total of 5 mags with me on the line. The set up was stable and worked well. I figured that putting my rifle mag pouches on my belt line would work as I already have many repetitions going to the belt line for my pistol mags. In the future I would probably add some suspenders just to get a bit of weight of my waist and lower back.”
david of vcdgrips.com
Im curious why you dont want to run a chest rig or molle belt? If I had a choice I’d like to run your setup as well and for range trips and defensive situations your setup is more than plenty but to keep up with the pace of the class its handy to keep more than 2 spare carbine mags on you. ( I know it sucks having to buy equipment that you’ll use sparingly) I’d suggest looking at some of the AARs that are on here as well to get an idea of what everyone else is running.
What about something like this [URL=“http://www.tacticaltailor.com/minimav.aspx”] Its low pro enough to still allow flexibility in movement and handy enough to allow you to carry the essentials.
I was able to support two handgun mag pouches and two AR mag pouches just fine on a wilderness belt, along with an OWB handgun holster. I will second the recommendations above rather than flood you with links.
A rigger’s belt is not the only solution. I would also look at a duty belt from TT, Eagle, etc. I use a TT duty belt and I can carry two rifle mags, two pistol mags and my pistol comfortably, with a little extra carrying capacity left over to accommodate anything I might carry in my dump pouch. Any more weight than that and I’d need suspenders to keep it up.
One issue you may find with a belt-only approach is that the pouch attachments aren’t always as snug and secure as you’d get with a molle belt. The pouches end up being a little floppy. That shouldn’t necessarily be an obstacle but it can be annoying.
Don’t forget to test your belt (fully loaded with pistol and loaded mags) well in advance of your class. Run around a little to make sure it stays put and can bear the weight.