How To Wear A Tactical Belt
Do you have a tactical belt that does not seem to fit well? Perhaps it sags, impacting your comfort and how you carry your tools. A tactical belt should significantly improve how you carry your firearm as they are specifically designed for this purpose. Learning how to wear a tactical belt is essential, though, as it’s a bit more than just purchasing anything on the market and snapping it into place.
What Is the Purpose of a Tactical Belt?
A tactical belt is not just for military personnel or law enforcement. It can be a valuable tool to use for carrying a gun properly and safely for any reason. For those that carry a concealed subcompact pistol or a larger service pistol, this belt is designed to provide a proper structure to hold the gun in place, so it is always within reach, but you’re not limited in the way you move.
Specifically, these belts carry equipment with ease thanks to the pouches and holsters built into them. Typically made of leather or nylon, they are highly durable and reliable, enabling easy carry and access to important items while ensuring a proper, secured fit if you have the right tactical belt setup.
What to Look for in a Tactical Belt
When choosing a tactical belt, focus on comfort and versatility, as well as ensuring it fits the specific needs of your gear. Whether you carry firearms, knives, or emergency equipment of any other type, your belt should make it easier and more efficient to function. To that, you need to focus on three key areas.
Materials
Many tactical belts have a nylon construction to them, though just being made of nylon is not enough to ensure it is durable and strong enough. What’s better is to look for those that have heavy-duty tensile strength as well as reinforced stitching throughout them. Some of the best have numerous rows of stitching like this to improve the stability and the amount of weight the belt can hold well. Nylon belts dry quickly and are a breathable material that will not weigh you down. They are also less likely to tear even in more difficult situations.
There are some tactical belts that have a leather design to them. Often called gun belts, they tend to be very different in their function and overall performance. Most often, nylon is the route to take because of its overall durability and flexibility of function.
Rigidity
The rigidity of the belt is very important as this is what makes carrying all of your gear easier to do. The rigidity prevents the belt from rolling or twisting when you’re moving. Often, a wider belt can be more rigid, but that’s not always the case with inferior products. The benefit of wider belts is that they are less likely to sag on you.
However, it is possible for the belt to be too rigid as well. In that situation, it’s less comfortable to wear and carry, making it hard for you to benefit from this belt in the long term.
Choose a belt, then, that’s designed for what you want to carry. If you plan to carry a much lighter pistol without a lot of other gear, you do not need the most rigid of belts. If you need to carry numerous magazines, knives, or a larger pistol, consider a stronger, more rigid belt for the job.
Tactical Belt Buckle Type
The next consideration is the belt buckle, which is available in various styles:
- Quick release buckle: Easily releases with the click of the button on either side of the buckle
- Loop buckle: A simple hook and loop style that enables you to thread the belt through a D link or other loops to secure it
- Snap buckle: With a simple snap into place, this is an easy belt to position and remove
- Frame buckle: These feature a hollow box on the back of the buckle with two windows where the belt slides through into place
If you choose a tactical belt with a weak or inferior buckle, it’s harder to wear and adjust. Metal buckles made of aluminum or steel tend to be the strongest options, though some incorporate plastic as well.
The best tactical belt setup should offer ample sizing availability to help you to get a good fit. Proper adjustability is critical, and some offer micro-adjustable buckles.
How to Set Up a Tactical Belt
After you assemble all your gear, you can check out how to wear a tactical belt with comfort and ease. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Assemble and position
Balance any of your gear with your gun or other defense gear on your dominant side. Position flat objects on the back side of the belt for the best level of comfort.
Set it around the waist
Depending on the type of belt buckle, position your belt along your hips and then buckle it into place. Then, tighten the belt properly by pulling the tip of the belt until it feels snug.
Test it
Ensure proper fit and comfort before setting out for the day. You’ll want to make sure your gear is within reach and in a position that’s comfortable for you to move and flex. You also want to ensure you have good accessibility to each item based on its importance and the situation in which you’ll use it.
Your belt should be breathable and shouldn’t feel as though it is holding you down or making movement difficult. If it does, it may not be properly sized or fitted.
