Weapons belt - **Completed**

[TR0N]

Thanks for the compliment.

I'm in the New Mexico desert near a string of inactive volcanoes. The tallest of which being the one behind me.

[zoiders]

I know that this is kind of a tangential issue, but I think it needs to be really addressed in context of the war belt. Since the war belt isn't compatible with a ruck's weight-bearing waistbelt, what does one do when wearing one? If I'm going to be taking my ruck on and off all the time, where do my pistol reloads go? The challenge is going to the issue that I'm taking my ruck on and off, so I don't want to put anything on the ruck's waistbelt that I might suddenly need to defend myself or whatever...this would defeat the purpose of it being "first line gear."

I'm not trying to threadjack this thread with my personal beef about ruck compatibility, I'm really not. I am getting serious about training and competition, and just want to make sure I don't get into a situation where I find a solution that works great for training and competition but falls apart when I try to put it all together in the real world.

Simple answer, wear belt kit and a yoke/suspender, stick three heavy duty flat top utility pouches across the rear where a butt pack would be with odds and sods to the left or right.

With belt kit with a suspender or yolk on you can put the waist belt out of the way and rest the ruck/bergan on the rear pouches.

Sounds silly but it works, I have yet to meet anyone who might need to dump a pack quickly who wears the hip belt - they are over rated and a carry over from climbing packs to keep it from dangling free as you lean back to stick an ice axe in. On the ground they have little use with heavy rucks, leaning into a hill and making a good pace they do nothing at all as all the weight is on your upper body.

[Jeriah]

My recent experiences training have led me to the conclusion that some of my misgivings about ruck/war belt compatibility may have been misguided.

Doing the tactical training I did, which is I'm sure far less strenuous than actually combat, there is no way in HELL I am doing that shit with a ruck on! I mean, does anybody actually fight with a ruck? That's crazy.

So, if wearing a ruck, I think I'd just throw a 3x carbine mag pouch and a couple pistol mag pouches on my ruck's belt, keep the pistol and its drop leg holster on my pants belt, and keep the carbine on a Kifaru Gunbearer (which I need to get) if going overt. If covert, some kind of pouch to stash the pistol in, or even a jacket pocket.

I want a war belt, now, for training, competition, and cases where I expect a fight but cannot avoid it.

[KnightoftheRoc]

Re: Jeriah's post, and the belt problem-

Have you considered using a belt extension? This would be a short section of belt material with a male and female connection that you could "plug in" on the end of a belt. I've seen them for what I believe is the MC style clasp, which works on the ALICE pack my fiancee has, and also a pistol belt with the same clasp. If you slapped an extension onto the pistol belt, it could ride slightly lower, allowing the pack hip belt to ride where it needs to. With suspenders on the pistol belt, you might even find that just shoving the back portion of the pistol belt down will do what you need. If you can't find one ready made, buying a single replacement buckle of the correct type would let you make your own for pretty cheap- all you need is a strap and some needle time. Also, I noticed on the one I have, that if you clip it to itself, the extension can be slipped over the belt for storage without getting in the way.

With me? Viking gut and Asain ass = belt falls down with a few pounds on it. Though I have had success with padded duty belts in the past 1.5 years. If I cinch it down tight it bites in good on my hips and I have hiked miles succesfully with a "war belt" and no suspenders (load: 92fs w/ holster, 2 mags, multitool and light, Gerber Prodigy knife, empty dump pouch all rolled up).

My friend refers to this condition as his "Irish Curse- all gut, no butt"

Considering that I'm beginning to have quite a "food storage area" of my own developing- I call it my Tactical Caloric Storage Unit- I'm forced to put my pistol belt a bit lower than I used to, but it still rides on the hips OK. As I use an ALICE pack, I have to also vote for letting the pack 'ride' on the buttpack for weight support onto the hips. The pack's waistbelt keeps the pack on the buttpack, and rides high enough to not interfere with anything except my TCSU, and the pistol belt then takes the weight pretty nicely.

[BigDuke6]

OK, I finally got everything in

So this is what I got from left to right

Double pistol mag pouch
Triple M4 w/pistol mag pouch
Maxpedition Rollypoly MM Dump Pouch
Multi-tool pouch
FAK
Blade-Tech Drop&Offset SRloop holster
Springfield Armory XDM .45ACP

Weight empty: 4.2 lbs
Pistol config - XDM .45 w/light and 6 mags: 11 lbs
Rifle config - 3x30rd PMags: 7.4 lbs
Pistol & Rifle config: 14.2 lbs
3 gun config - Pistol & Rifle + 25 round shotgun ammo: 16.6 lbs

I have the ATS Warbelt in Multicam with the following (I am left handed):
1st pouch on right is a EMDOM single pistol mag pouch
2nd pouch is an EMDOM double M4 mag pouch, holds 2 M16/M4 mags, currently run w/o cover over the mags
3rd is an ATS Dump Pouch attached to the core belt insert as designed
4th and dead center rear is my IFAK/Trauma Kit, this is an EMDOM BOMB pouch
5th is a Maxpedition Jumbo Roly Poly, keep it rolled up, but it is there if I need it
6th will be a holster, not sure what I am going to do yet, but may look much like your setup
7th and 1st pouch on the right is a Gerber Multitool
Inbound is a pair of suspenders from Blueline Gear, purchased from a private party for about 1/2 price

I'll post a picture when I can.

[Kutter_0311]

Doing the tactical training I did, which is I'm sure far less strenuous than actually combat, there is no way in HELL I am doing that shit with a ruck on! I mean, does anybody actually fight with a ruck? That's crazy.

No, J, as far as I've ever known, grunt doctrine has always been to drop ruck at the first sign of TSHTF. Honestly, any time a grunt has been able to find a "ride" for his ruck, even though he may not be able to get said ride, the ruck gets lashed, stowwed, tied, or 'binered on to something going his way. All mil rucks (at least since ALICE) have had QR straps for these, and other, purposes. The issue we have at present is one of overloading the fighting man beyond reason. BTW, thank you, engineering and planning types, for your assistance in this. I will bayonet-fuck you in hell.

J, you're not a grunt, but you train like it anyway, so I love you. That said, you and Steph don't have to hump all your bug out gear in a 'combat ready' manner simply because you are not on a contact patrol, like a grunt may be. If you want to adopt a method of carry for SHTF that is close to the grunt requirement, good on ya! I would simply suggest loading the needed gear onto your FLC or a chest rig. This does not preclude running a gunbelt/warbelt system at other times, or with certain features mixing, but I think you would be best served, in a real bug-out, by a low-profile chest rig. Here is my reasoning...

1) You live in Chicago. Just to get your full battle rattle you have to drive out of Chicago, or walk all that way if roads are not drivable. With a pistol on your chest rig in the car, you can at least defend yourself while behind the wheel. If you and Steph had ammo/mag commonality, whoever isn't driving can do reloads. Also, if your holstered pistol is in usable reach of both hands, it would be helpful. Belt holsters kinda suck here, IMO, and drop holsters suck hard.

2) Humping all that gear. Any time you have to hump, you and Steph are going to be carrying enough stuff that you don't need to screw up how you carry it by trying to interject an infantryman's full fighting load. If you use the waistbelt on you ruck in a load bearing fashion, make that first priority. Any PALS webbing on that waistbelt should go to hump-oriented gear, like water and snacks. I like carrying a 2qt canteen on each side because I go through a lot of water humping, and the carriers also have room for snacks, maps, and other shit. If you want to have a weapon/fighting load handy while humping, I don't blame you, I do too. A chest rig is a good fit here, as it fits in that otherwise-unused chest area, and allows some of your ammo to offset the weight in your ruck. Like I mentioned before, you're not on a contact patrol, you don't have to slug it out in a shooting match, so I doubt you'll need 8 rifle mags and 6 pistol mags. Go as minimal as you feel comfortable, maybe 3 rifle reloads, 2 pistol. That leaves room for a pistol, small IFAK/GSWK, dump pouch, knife, flashlight, etc.

So, what I'm getting at here, is that I don't feel you should have to shoehorn your warbelt into your ruck loadout when the two don't naturally mesh. You use the hipbelt properly, don't feel guilty because grunts haven't been able to. We are eligible for VA compensation for our fucked up bodies, you ain't. (For the record, I think I'd rather have my 23y/o body back, but that would also undo a lot of great memories, so lets call it good ) You have the benefit of using any gear you see fit for the missions you assess as neccessary, don't let yourself get trapped into half-assing a single gear-set for all missions. Adapt.

[navajojoe]

Kutter_0311

I laughed out loud so hard when I read, "I will bayonet-fuck you in hell" my wife asked me what was going on. You are spot on with your comments and loved the one about not giving up those memories!

People who train to a standard or who just get out there and train, I truly respect and not the "Mall Ninja's". However, when you are forced to train to a standard day after day, this is when you get hurt and stay hurt for the long haul.

I hope people understand this and take the correct steps to build up and keep up with their training. Thanks for you comments.