Your belt is the foundation of everyday carry. The belt needs to be rigid enough to keep your gear where it needs to be without having to constantly adjust it, but not too rigid to where it’s uncomfortable to wear and difficult to run through your belt loops.
Over the years I’ve been through several iterations of belts from various manufacturers. It’s hard to tell whether a belt will suit your needs by looking at pictures online; you need to actually try it on to know. When I’m looking for a belt to support my everyday carry loadout and my firearm it needs to meet a few requirements:
- The belt has to be 1.5” in order to be worn with standard blue jeans or other pants.
- The belt needs to be low profile in the front to reduce printing when wearing a t-shirt. Personally, I just don’t like any belt with a large belt buckle that bulges out in the front.
- Typically any piece of kit I carry for my daily loadout needs to fill at least two purposes, if not three (that goes for the belt too). I prefer a belt that can be removed quickly to be used as either a weapon or to wrap around an overhead opening mechanism for doors (this prevents someone from opening the door if you have barricaded yourself in a room). These are usually found in hotels and other commercial buildings.
- I prefer a belt made in the United States (personal preference).
The belt I found that meets all the above criteria was designed by Jake over at Recycled Firefighter.
Simple and effective 1.5″ SCUBA webbing EDC belt. Double-stitched with 1″ Binding on each edge and with a super simple design, this belt is really thin for ultimate all-day comfort.
Check out this product and others on the Recycled Firefighter Website
Scott Witner is a former Marine Corps Infantryman with 2ndBn/8th Marines and was attached to the 24th MEU(SOC) for a 6-month deployment to the Mediterranean. He has completed training in desert warfare at the Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Mountain Warfare and survival at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, attended the South Korean Mountain Warfare school in Pohang and the Jungle Warfare school in the jungles of Okinawa Japan. He now enjoys trail running, hiking, functional fitness and working on his truck. Scott resides in Northeastern Ohio with his wife and two kids.
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