I like gear. No, let me amend that - I LOVE gear. One of the big downsides to retiring was I no longer had a viable excuse to buy the latest and greatest pouch, plate carrier, or chest rig. But when I retired, I no longer had a reason to buy that stuff because quite simply, I didn't need it.
Til now. I was jealously looking at one of my bro's battle rattle recently and one of his pieces was a wide padded belt covered in MOLLE webbing. He had a few pouches on it - mag pouches, IFAK, light and a knife. I was intrigued by it and asked him what it was for. "That? That's my war belt. I use it to store extra stuff so I don't have to run sub-loads on my thighs. Let's me move better."
That got my wheels turning. I spent most of my career using an LCE - Pistol belt, suspenders, pouches attached by ALICE clips. The war belt reminded me of that set up, just updated with MOLLE gear. And I could justify setting one up. I don't need a plate carrier or chest rig because I don't wear body armor any more. But I do need something to stash a few rifle and pistol mags, a light and a holster for when I go to the range, attend a class or teach a class. It's also nice to have something handy to grab up for those late night social situations.
MY WAR BELT
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The belt is a two piece affair from ATS tactical. It consists of an outer padded section covered with MOLLE webbing and an inner belt with a fastex buckle. Both pieces are separate, so if you have a rigger's belt all you need is the outer section.
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Here's a look at the inner belt. The inner belt is covered with hook tape so it'll attach securely inside the outer belt.
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The holster is from Tactical Assault Gear (TAG) and is completely adjustable so it can accept a pistol with or without an attached light. I mounted it a bit lower at the second row of MOLLE webbing to put it in a more natural position for my hand.
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This is a 5.56 two mag shingle from TAG. It has elastic tabs that are easy on/easy off and do a good job of keeping the mag secure inside the pouch. Mags, both aluminium and polymer, fit easily without a lot of slop. The pouch also comes with outer slots that'll accept single stack pistol mags from pistols like the 1911 or Sig 220.
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Here's a close look at the TAG two pistol mag pouch. It'll easily take most any double stack 9mm/.40/.45 ACP mag. The mags are secured by hook and pile tape flaps.
I'm right handed, so I tend to load the left side of the belt in order to keep my right side free for gun handling. I also tend to keep the rear center of the belt clear so I can use a Camelback and not have it get caught by a pouch or other piece of kit.
I like to wear the belt a little snug so it doesn't move around a lot.
I've used it a couple of times out on the range to tweak my pouch placement and I gotta say it's pretty convenient to have what you need on you (Again) without the encumberance and heat of a rack system or IBA.
