War belts

[wojoman676]

I see you guys like chest rigs, plate carriers, vests, and such. What do you guys think of war belts? how do you think they hold up against other rigs, especially when you are on the run? What are the pros and cons of the belts?

[Reaver]

First off
 [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co Welcome to the forum. Nice to meet you.

Second. I'm also hoping for some input, because I do not run a belt. I run a chest rig with a riggers belt knife and drop leg.

Send it gents.

[Outonowhere]

Personally I run a chest rig WITH a war belt.  Now my belt isn't loaded down like its the only thing I got on but this is how I break it down.  (BTW, check out this site by Curahee [sp? {sorry it's WAY past my bedtime and Ive been humping my ass off all night}] http://everycitizenasoldier.org/id12.html ).  I know mine is a little different from his but that is because I separate the first and second line since there are a lot of people out there that do not have a pistol but do have a rifle.


First line (which is the shit in my pockets) is the most basic bare bones gotta have it to survive in the woods cause I don't pretend to be Rambo or Chuck Norris.  This is stuff that is included in my current EDC so it is on me at almost all times.

Second line for patrol/guard duty/combat is the War Belt.  this is a sturdy belt that goes over my belt that keeps my britches in place.  i keep on it the things that if I did not have my chest rig I could easily E&E.  Since this is where I keep my secondary (pistol) this is also where I keep the mags for it, on the opposing side of the belt from it.  I also keep a spare mag or two for my primary, my IFAK, flashlight, and MT as well as a couple other things I cant remember.  Again, the premise behind this setup is to have something to supplement my chest rig in combat, but to have a system in place that if I have to ditch my chest rig or cannot or do not have the option to run a  more combat oriented system.
Now remember how I said the War Belt is for combat, etc., etc.?  That is because if I am just strolling around the community or maybe tending the fields I will have a different setup for my second line.  The premise will be similar but geared more to responding to an immediate threat and withdrawing or holding on till help arrives.  This would be a basic IFAK and secondary with mags.

Third line is the "fighting load" with the chest rig, mother load of ammo and anything else that make me effective lead and whoop-ass dispenser.  Check out the link above for more specifics, or shoot me an email if you are that curious about my load. 

[Outonowhere]

Sorry forgot to go into the belt more, damn insomnia! lol

So when you talk about the effectiveness of the war belt, it all depends on 1. how you use it, 2. how you outfit it and 3. what if anything else you are running, as well as the situation.  If you are running some mondo beefy vest with the belt right beneath it, you might find yourself getting caught on your other gear when you try to pull something out of your belt.  Also, be aware of your loadout if you are for instance clearing a house.  Shit may get caught and that could lead to worse scenarios.

Now with me running a war belt with my rig works great.  Now when I am in the grass rolling around behind a barricade it's a tad annoying rolling on things (like an AK mag!)  but it is well worth the minor inconvenience.

[thatGuy]

I try to run my belt as if it was a independant rig. Typical load would be IFAK, 2 pistol mags, 3 M4 mags (getting ready to upgrade to a double stacked kydex unit instead of the old school Vetnaim shit), dump bag and I will be adding a flashlight and knive shortly.

My thinking is inline with Currahee's. If I only got time to fill two hands I grab my belt and my rifle and I am still squared away.

As far as a stand alone belt... That is going to cause problems with movement and place all the load on your hips and thighs which is no go for running.

[Reaver]

I like entertaininthe idea but cant seem to actually find a use. I mean i for one always have a firearm on my belt.

Why would Wrol change that? & why do I need a whole seperate sub par rig to the rig I already have?

Not being a dick here guys really.
I'm all ears to good ideas I just need to be convinced first.
RvR

[thatGuy]

I suppose its all about retention and flexability. You're not going to want to hoe the garden full retarded but you're also not going to want to be compleatly unarmed. So having a rifle mag on your belt might increase your ability to fight without getting in the way of life.

[Reaver]

I suppose its all about retention and flexability. You're not going to want to hoe the garden full retarded but you're also not going to want to be compleatly unarmed. So having a rifle mag on your belt might increase your ability to fight without getting in the way of life.

That makes sense but I have a double in my rifle and a third on the but stock AND my side arm on my hip.

That's 90 rounds of rifle and 36 from handgun.

[WhiskeyJack]

I used the old pistol belt and suspenders LCE when i was active. the army has since gone away from that set up. But for years it was the standard. I actually liked it well enough when i used it. You can adjust the suspenders to rais the pistol belt higher taking weight off your hips. The rig will carry alot of equipment, but i have to stress that when using the alice clip systems you must dummy cord everything to the belt I would say the bigges pluses would be Its a very durable and time tested system, and you can get them dirt cheap at any surplus store. And many molle gear items will fit on the belt so you can mix and match some gear to suit your needs. I still have a Pistol belt and suspenders in my wall locker. its a great system to have as a primary or a back up. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[JohnyMac]

WhiskeyJack, I have been trying to find exactly what you are discribing loacally but none have it. Suggestions? Local or internet.
Thanks

[wojoman676]

Thanks guys! I've been running my infidel belt from U.S. Grunt Gear and I love the fact that it is a ready to go system but I HATE running in it. I was thinking of using it in conjunction with a chest rig. Reaver, I agree with it being impractical if you already have a gun on your belt. However for a young buck like me that cant have a gun on my person, I think it makes a good setup for home defense or grab'n go

[thatGuy]

I would also like to point out that festooning your rifle with mags, lights, lasers, grips, extra batteries and what not does more than increase your level of readiness. It makes it heavy as fuck which slows down target acquisition and increases fatigue.

I prefer to keep the necessary rifle 'food' on a load bearing system so that I can focus on the fight. I know this flies in the face of modern military thinking but I am not in the modern military. As a citizen I can only see limited use for most of the accessories that one can attach to a M4 system. That said I can see the place for a Ready Mag and a light. The rest is just useless "go fasters" in my book.

If you want to argue about it I am willing but the above is just one man's opinion.

[wojoman676]

I would also like to point out that festooning your rifle with mags, lights, lasers, grips, extra batteries and what not does more than increase your level of readiness. It makes it heavy as fuck which slows down target acquisition and increases fatigue.

I prefer to keep the necessary rifle 'food' on a load bearing system so that I can focus on the fight. I know this flies in the face of modern military thinking but I am not in the modern military. As a citizen I can only see limited use for most of the accessories that one can attach to a M4 system. That said I can see the place for a Ready Mag and a light. The rest is just useless "go fasters" in my book.

If you want to argue about it I am willing but the above is just one man's opinion.

I totally agree. theres no point to bubba up one's rifle

[Veritas]

WhiskeyJack, I have been trying to find exactly what you are discribing loacally but none have it. Suggestions? Local or internet.
Thanks

http://stores.alleghenywholesale.com/-strse-Belts-cln-Army--fdsh--Quick-Release-Grey-Buckle/Categories.bok

[JohnyMac]

Thx Veritas! I just added this Co. to my favorits and at a GREAT price!

[sledge]

I would also like to point out that festooning your rifle with mags, lights, lasers, grips, extra batteries and what not does more than increase your level of readiness. It makes it heavy as fuck which slows down target acquisition and increases fatigue.

I prefer to keep the necessary rifle 'food' on a load bearing system so that I can focus on the fight. I know this flies in the face of modern military thinking but I am not in the modern military. As a citizen I can only see limited use for most of the accessories that one can attach to a M4 system. That said I can see the place for a Ready Mag and a light. The rest is just useless "go fasters" in my book.

If you want to argue about it I am willing but the above is just one man's opinion.

I totally agree. theres no point to bubba up one's rifle

Just curious.  Does that term invented on SP, "Full Retard" apply to MBR's too?   LOL!

For example: Did you see the guy's rifle, he had it full retard!

[UnBroken]

Redi mags are so wortth the money. I dont find a light being a need on my system but a good optic is always a must.... You nees to be light boys. And yes i am making this clear  you can go "full retard" with a rifle

[sledge]

And yes i am making this clear  you can go "full retard" with a rifle

Yeah, I agree.  LOL!  My ak is set with a red dot and a compensator that I like, but that's about it.  It remains with a wood stock and wood color furniture.  The reason being, and this ties back into the possibilities of a war belt, I want it to look as non threatening as possible and still be an effective tool if need be.  How I envision that applying to a war belt is primarily in winter when you could travel on foot with it covered by a coat.

I still think things would have to crumble all the way down before people can walk around in full retard brandishing military style weapons without drawing unwanted attention to themselves.  How we can be adequately armed for self defense purposes while still remaining non threatening in only a partial collapse situation will require some thought.   

[Reaver]

I would also like to point out that festooning your rifle with mags, lights, lasers, grips, extra batteries and what not does more than increase your level of readiness. It makes it heavy as fuck which slows down target acquisition and increases fatigue.

I prefer to keep the necessary rifle 'food' on a load bearing system so that I can focus on the fight. I know this flies in the face of modern military thinking but I am not in the modern military. As a citizen I can only see limited use for most of the accessories that one can attach to a M4 system. That said I can see the place for a Ready Mag and a light. The rest is just useless "go festers" in my book.

If you want to argue about it I am willing but the above is just one man's opinion.

Beep beep back the truck up..

Hey bro I'm all about being light on the feet and ready for the fight.
That doesn't mean I'm not going to keep a mag on my buttstock for easy carry when it stops me from investing another 50 bucks in a battle belt. Plus this system actually helps me get on target. I'm not running optics Irons are the way I like to go, I'm just better with them & I cannot break them ( Knock on wood on that one )


http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=magazine+butstock+carrier&hl=en&prmd=imvns&resnum=3&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=610&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=11874663286814075465&sa=X&ei=NWtQT8u9GK_H0AGDmeHZDQ&ved=0CHEQ8gIwAg

That thing, if you fasten it apposite your face, you can use another sensory ( feeling ) to line up your sites. Works pretty well for me especially running irons and quick acquisition.......
lol  I'm also using a sopmod stock so as soon as I get a cheek weld I'm lined up anyway.  [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

[Outonowhere]

Rvr, we know you wanna be like Rainbow 6 with all that shiit on yer rifle.  I bet it could blend smoothies too, huh? 
Just kidding.  Couldn't help myself  [url=http://yoursmiles.org/p-m


But really I just like having that separate rig that I can grab if I'm in a hurry but still be effective, or for when I am just around the camp.  It is also the same type belt and similar set up to what I wear for my job so it's what I'm used to.  And get it set up where it is comfortable for you and after a while you'll forget you are wearing it.

[JohnyMac]

Well thanks to all of you I finally have the motivation to put together my war belt.

I currently have:
1) Olive 2 1/4" utility belt
2) Y suspenders to support the belt with clasps that clip into the utility belt
3) Olive US Army 1911, 2 mag holder (Alice Clips)
4) Olive drop-bag
5) Flash light
6) Canteen

I want to add:
A) 5.56 30 rnd mag holder
B) Ontario Tanto Bayonet and scabbed
C) First Aide kit, and
D) A holster. The holster is where I am running into a problem and would welcome some advise.
I usually conceal carry a 1911 full size pistol- Both of my holsters are Galco. One is a paddle type and one is IWB type; both leather. Neither of which fits on my 2 1/4" utility belt. I want a holster that fits lower then what I am currently carrying so not to interfear with the crap I have on my Rhodesian or my plate carrier vest.

I am not a big fan of drop down thigh holsters as they tend to ride much lower then what I am currently use to; however, I want to be able to draw the weapon without thinking about getting it caught up on crap carried on the other two vests.

I welcome any suggestions: Type and companies.
Thanks