Regular belt vs gun belt?

[Kahrry]

I've been carrying for 4 years with a regular belt. Didn't really think it was necessary since I carry IWB most of the time. I've started carrying while I hunt now and IWB is not comfortable for long hikes. So I got an OWB holster for hunting. Found out why everyone recommends gun belts. Anyway, picked one up today for $35 and it is a HUGE difference. Like the picture above, it holds the holster and gun perfectly and no sagging outwards.

What brand and belt did you go with for $35? Just curious, in the market myself...
Jim

ditto

[Carry-a-Kimber]

I've been carrying for 4 years with a regular belt. Didn't really think it was necessary since I carry IWB most of the time. I've started carrying while I hunt now and IWB is not comfortable for long hikes. So I got an OWB holster for hunting. Found out why everyone recommends gun belts. Anyway, picked one up today for $35 and it is a HUGE difference. Like the picture above, it holds the holster and gun perfectly and no sagging outwards.

What brand and belt did you go with for $35? Just curious, in the market myself...
Jim

ditto

5.11. Casual Belt can be had for under $35.00
http://www.midwesthuntersoutlet.com/ite ... DyOLrQE%3D" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Grammy]

Just ordered this one yesterday and they have free shipping!!!

I added the insert, it was $39.95 shipped to my house, cheapest I have seen them anywhere.
Jim

http://www.gmstactical.com/wiorinbe.html

[Excaliber]

Blade Tech has a new leather belt with an internal kydex reinforcement that is said to be more flexible and comfortable than the stiffeners used by companies like The Wilderness. Price isn't bad either.

It's brand new and I don't have any personal experience with it, but it got a good review in the latest issue of American Cop Magazine (page 20) where the reviewers don't pull any punches.

Details here.

I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product.

[jamisjockey]

Man I feel like a shill for 5.11 today. They need to swing me some royalties or swag or something!


I found that the 5.11 Trainer's belt is a good compromise. It is double layered nylon so its very flexible, but has alot of stiffness at the holster.
I bought a good gun belt about 2 years ago, and felt like someone was strangling me at the waist. I could hardly bend over or sit with it on.
Alot less expensive than a leather gun belt, too.

[jeeperbryan]

I've been carrying for 4 years with a regular belt. Didn't really think it was necessary since I carry IWB most of the time. I've started carrying while I hunt now and IWB is not comfortable for long hikes. So I got an OWB holster for hunting. Found out why everyone recommends gun belts. Anyway, picked one up today for $35 and it is a HUGE difference. Like the picture above, it holds the holster and gun perfectly and no sagging outwards.

What brand and belt did you go with for $35? Just curious, in the market myself...
Jim

ditto

I got a 5.11 Operator. It is very well built but pretty stiff and probably not ideal for every day carry. Sorry, should have specified that I only bought this for hunting. So comfort was not as much a concern. However it is cool knowing that your belt buckle is rated for 6000 lbs in case I need to lower myself down a mountain or winch my jeep out

I bet any of the other 5.11 belts would be great for every day carry though. And they don't appear to be to expensive.

[ExMarlboroMan]

I've been carrying for 4 years with a regular belt. Didn't really think it was necessary since I carry IWB most of the time. I've started carrying while I hunt now and IWB is not comfortable for long hikes. So I got an OWB holster for hunting. Found out why everyone recommends gun belts. Anyway, picked one up today for $35 and it is a HUGE difference. Like the picture above, it holds the holster and gun perfectly and no sagging outwards.

What brand and belt did you go with for $35? Just curious, in the market myself...
Jim

ditto

I got a 5.11 Operator. It is very well built but pretty stiff and probably not ideal for every day carry. Sorry, should have specified that I only bought this for hunting. So comfort was not as much a concern. However it is cool knowing that your belt buckle is rated for 6000 lbs in case I need to lower myself down a mountain or winch my jeep out

I bet any of the other 5.11 belts would be great for every day carry though. And they don't appear to be to expensive.

I wear the 5.11 operator everyday, very comfortable, holds all my edc stuff in place (even my pants), I liked it so much after a couple months I went and bought another one "just in case". Got my wife to wear my spare one night for IDPA and now she won't give it back lol.


FYI:If you prefer to try before you buy, Top brass military surplus has a good selection of 5.11 stuff, bought both my belts there.

[TXlaw1]

Blade Tech has a new leather belt with an internal kydex reinforcement that is said to be more flexible and comfortable than the stiffeners used by companies like The Wilderness. Price isn't bad either.

It's brand new and I don't have any personal experience with it, but it got a good review in the latest issue of American Cop Magazine (page 20) where the reviewers don't pull any punches.

Details here.

I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product.

Thanks for the tip, Excaliber. I place an order today. About $20 more than the 5.11 but I think I'll like it better.

[Excaliber]

Blade Tech has a new leather belt with an internal kydex reinforcement that is said to be more flexible and comfortable than the stiffeners used by companies like The Wilderness. Price isn't bad either.

It's brand new and I don't have any personal experience with it, but it got a good review in the latest issue of American Cop Magazine (page 20) where the reviewers don't pull any punches.

Details here.

I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product.

Thanks for the tip, Excaliber. I place an order today. About $20 more than the 5.11 but I think I'll like it better.

Glad to help. Please let us know what you think of it when you've had an opportunity to put it through it's paces.

[TXlaw1]

Blade Tech has a new leather belt with an internal kydex reinforcement that is said to be more flexible and comfortable than the stiffeners used by companies like The Wilderness. Price isn't bad either.

It's brand new and I don't have any personal experience with it, but it got a good review in the latest issue of American Cop Magazine (page 20) where the reviewers don't pull any punches.

Details here.

I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product.

Thanks for the tip, Excaliber. I place an order today. About $20 more than the 5.11 but I think I'll like it better.

Glad to help. Please let us know what you think of it when you've had an opportunity to put it through it's paces.

Excaliber, I got the new belt from Blade-Tech. It is quite stiff but sufficiently flexible to be quite comfortable. The extra stiffening certainly makes the OWB holster and gun to ride very well, comfortably. It's definitely a keeper. I sure did not realize what a difference in comfortable carry a good gun belt would make!! Recommended.

The only down side is the extra thickness and width of this belt are making it harder to keep my cell phone holster on the belt when pulling the cell phone out. I'm having to modify how I do that to keep the holster in place.

Thanks again for this tip, friend. Happy New Year to you and all.

[RPB]

Blade Tech has a new leather belt with an internal kydex reinforcement that is said to be more flexible and comfortable than the stiffeners used by companies like The Wilderness. Price isn't bad either.

It's brand new and I don't have any personal experience with it, but it got a good review in the latest issue of American Cop Magazine (page 20) where the reviewers don't pull any punches.

Details here.

I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product.

Just looking at it online, and comparing to my reinforced Comp-Tac belt
I like the squared buckle better than Comp-Tac's roundish one.

I'd have ordered the blade tech one, but I don't see a "sewn in Velcro" option so it won't work with my V-clips.

Comp-Tac is "contoured" like that curved shape belts become after wearing them a year, Comp-Tac cuts them that shape to begin with. You can tell when you lay it flat .. if it's curved. I'm not sure if Blade Tech is contoured ... let us know ...

Decent price.


I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product too

[The Annoyed Man]

Comp-Tac is "contoured" like that curved shape belts become after wearing them a year, Comp-Tac cuts them that shape to begin with. You can tell when you lay it flat .. if it's curved.

If you're a fat man like me, it only takes about 3 or 4 hours to put that curve into the belt. I generally reverse the belt's direction every day so that it will keep its shape.

Lately, though, I've been using the Wilderness Instructor's belt pretty much every day. Part of it is that my leather belt from D.M. Bullard seems to have shrunk. Can't figure out why. But good leather belts generally cost more to replace, so I went with the Instructor's belt. The Wilderness makes ordering belts in my size pretty easy.

[RPB]

Comp-Tac is "contoured" like that curved shape belts become after wearing them a year, Comp-Tac cuts them that shape to begin with. You can tell when you lay it flat .. if it's curved.

If you're a fat man like me, it only takes about 3 or 4 hours to put that curve into the belt. I generally reverse the belt's direction every day so that it will keep its shape.

Lately, though, I've been using the Wilderness Instructor's belt pretty much every day. Part of it is that my leather belt from D.M. Bullard seems to have shrunk. Can't figure out why. But good leather belts generally cost more to replace, so I went with the Instructor's belt. The Wilderness makes ordering belts in my size pretty easy.

All my belts shrink,

Of course in the last 2 days, I had 2 whole punkin' pies, and a loaf of banana nut bread, another loaf of pumpkin bread, and some orange flavored holiday bread and an unknown quantity of white chocolate that a neighbor gave me. Last night a freind brought a peanut butter pie covered in whipped cream, I could only eat half so far, I was kinda full after goin' to Dairy Queen.

I think maybe they'll stretch back into shape if I sweat some this Summer though. ....

[Excaliber]

Blade Tech has a new leather belt with an internal kydex reinforcement that is said to be more flexible and comfortable than the stiffeners used by companies like The Wilderness. Price isn't bad either.

It's brand new and I don't have any personal experience with it, but it got a good review in the latest issue of American Cop Magazine (page 20) where the reviewers don't pull any punches.

Details here.

I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product.

Just looking at it online, and comparing to my reinforced Comp-Tac belt
I like the squared buckle better than Comp-Tac's roundish one.

I'd have ordered the blade tech one, but I don't see a "sewn in Velcro" option so it won't work with my V-clips.

Comp-Tac is "contoured" like that curved shape belts become after wearing them a year, Comp-Tac cuts them that shape to begin with. You can tell when you lay it flat .. if it's curved. I'm not sure if Blade Tech is contoured ... let us know ...

Decent price.


I'd like to hear more if anyone has experience with the product too

In my experience, BladeTech is a pretty responsive outfit. If you'd like the sewn in velcro option, try calling them about it. I'll bet they give you a positive response.

[TXlaw1]

Comp-Tac is "contoured" like that curved shape belts become after wearing them a year, Comp-Tac cuts them that shape to begin with. You can tell when you lay it flat .. if it's curved.

If you're a fat man like me, it only takes about 3 or 4 hours to put that curve into the belt. I generally reverse the belt's direction every day so that it will keep its shape.

TAM, I've worn this new belt from Blade-Tech for about 5 days now, all day with a OWB holster and fullsize 9 mm with 13 rounds and have seen no curving. Stiffener built in must be working. It is very comfortable and snugs the holster right in.