^ This is me, too.
@Annihilator , this was actually where I was going to go with my reply to you above.
With a sturdy enough "battle belt" setup, it makes for a great "quick response kit" for home-defense -
View attachment 2189
^ That's what I keep in the bedroom, in my closet. It's instant-access to a handgun that's ready-to-go (probably can't see it, as in this pic, I had to hang it out from where it usually situates, I apologize!
- it's a 4.5-inch XDm9 w/Insight M6 running a LumensFactory drop-in, holstered in an RSC light-bearing Phantom), a spare mag for both it and my AR (which is also stationed in the bedroom), a handheld light (Surefire Z2S-LED body running a Malkoff M61W drop-in), a utility knife (Emerson PUK), and a CAT tourniquet (rest of the medical supplies are in the nightstand with our bedroom fire-extinguisher and main handheld light, a Surefire M6 running a Malkoff MD60 drop-in).
It's nothing fancy, just a plain-Jane Bianchi "police duty belt" with a comfy padded insert that's supplemented with belt-keepers (
@Susquash , I guess I did have them, I just forgot about them!). Instead of fancy, I needed/wanted something that I could literally throw on over my boxers and do business with.
You'll notice that the setup of this kit replicates that of my range/training setup, both in terms of hardware as well as how they are positioned.
And that brings me to my "war belt" - and
@Grifter , this is where things may get interesting for you.
View attachment 2192
My apologies for the background clutter: this is just hung-up in my basement.
You'll note that there is a black band running the inner circumference of the belt above, and that's because this is a Volund Gearworks inner/outer pairing, as I described above (
https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/battle-belt.690/#post-13211 and
https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/what-kind-of-plate-carrier-rig-do-you-run.436/#post-7264).
My setup is to help me learn in classes (you'll see a few pictures of it in-action in this old post:
https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/lets-see-your-ar-setups.258/page-2#post-3579) - it has a few roles:
- allows me to take notes (the general-purpose pouch sitting between the mag pouches on the left, my support side)
- keeps the guns fed (the stacked ESSTAC magazine pouches - https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/how-do-you-carry-back-up-ammo.522/#post-9580 - behind and in front of the GP pouch)
- keeps the lights that are lumens-racers having sufficient backup (the flattened pouch that's in front of the forward most mag pouch usually holds a spare handheld light, which you can see in some of the live-action picture above, and the cylindrical thingie immediately to the rear of the holster - which is towards the windows in the pic - is a CellVault XL, which safely holds spare batteries)
- keeps me hydrated (that bungee-corded item is an MSM Bottle Corset), which helps me learn
- keeps a multitool handy (the HSGI Pistol Taco perfectly swallows and firmly holds a Multitasker V3), which again helps me learn in that I don't have to sprint off-line to remediate something that might have come loose, etc.
- keeps me safe: the medical kit to the right of the dump pouch is a HSGI M3T with a NOLATAC insert, and holds two CATs plus has a pair of RipShears tucked in, more of this is visible in some of the live-action pictures versus on the hanger above), and there's a battery-powered light-stick for self-marking that resides on top of the dump-pouch (more on this in a minute), which is oftentimes a requirement in low-light classes; what you can't see is that there's also a Grimlock clip close to the front of the belt, adjacent to my strong-side handgun mag pouch (this helps with single-handed pistol reloads, as the clocking of this much gear can make for accessibility issues, even with folks who are slim-build, much less those of my body-type!
), to which gloves and earpro can be rapidly clipped/uclipped.
You'll find that folks will either run a "permanent" dump-pouch like I do or will run a fold-out one (BFG Ten-Speed, TT Fight-Light roll-up, EGL Loppy, ATS SlimLine roll-up, or even something like the HSGI Mag-Net. I used a EGL Loppy in my first few classes and found that once I started storing things in there (you'll see in some of the live-action pictures I cited that I even sometimes pop my drink or my bipod in there, if I didn't have time to store them properly), these tend to swing and dangle just a bit too much for my liking. So I dug around in my old airsoft stuff, and found an awesome (and sadly now discontinued) Eagle Industries SAS-DMP sitting in a box, so I repurposed it, and I've been really happy with it. If you get a chance, this is the one thing that I would encourage shooters to try different setups of, as your individual tastes and how you intend to use the dump can make a lot of difference with user-satisfaction, here.
As you can see, my "war-belt" setup is a bit unconventional. It's not designed for me to "fight," per-se, but rather, so that I can successfully LEARN how to do so, so that I not only have the ability to successfully run my guns, with enough ammo to last through even the highest round-count evolutions, but also so that I can take notes and keep myself well-hydrated throughout.
What I equipped my daughter with below is much more typical:
View attachment 2193
Left to right -
- feeds the guns - Raven Concealment Systems Sonny Rig supported by a single pistol ESSTAC shorty
- keeps her safe - BFG CAT TQ NOW! pouch and Micro Trauma Kit NOW! - this setup, much as mine, allows for ambidextrous access; you'll also note the Grimlock clip in front of the holster, much like where I have mine
- RCS Phantom holster for my XDm or a RCS Perun for her Glock
As I noted in my reply to
Grifter above (
https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/battle-belt.690/#post-13511),
@Annihilator , there's really currently two main "battle belt" setups: one that's slimmer and more like a traditional "police duty belt," and the other more like a weightlifter's belt in terms of width (but typically *not* support). Kinda like the dump-pouch, this separation in the line is where most shooters will get benefit out of being able to try out a few different setups to see what they like, as each has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, while the more traditional setup offers a lower profile, it can sometimes transfer "focused" weight to the waist of the shooter. And while the latter, wider setup definitely helps minimize that kind of hot-spot, some shooters dislike it because the increased coverage area around the waist and back make them feel hotter, and also because if the fit is a little off, these types of "overbelts" can shift and move around awkwardly as the shooter moves his/her body.
Regardless, unlike armor, "battle/war-belts" are oftentimes more considered second-line gear (especially when the sidearm/handgun is attached to the shooter's main pants belt and is only routed through the battle/war-belt). It allows the shooter to be able to access his/her main source of ammunition at the waistline in much the same way that their first-line gear would, and thus helps build primacy and speed. (
That said, you'll also see many times that modern SWAT/urban LE will forego this type of belt and instead make "low-profile" plate carriers their main load-bearing platform - this is because while the battle/war-belt allows ammunition and other vital gear to be accessed at the waist, they often will increase the overall width/girth of the individual to a level that makes it difficult for them to in/egress via residential windows.)
Hope this helps give you a bit of insight into "war belts"/"battle belts,"
@Annihilator !
But you can bet I make darned sure that both my wife and daughter knows it whenever I found a use for something or other that I had stashed away years ago!!!!!!
