Belt kit

[Surrey Yeoman]

...........my Dad is one of them! He carries all sorts of stuff, Zippo lighter in a leather case, Leathermans in a leather case, Maglite, in a leather case! He even has a set of handcuffs, although he can't, by Law, use them!

Spamel,

Why oh why does your old man carry a set of handcuffs??? Is he ex-police by any chance? If he is, he should know that case law has held that handcuffs are a "made offensive weapon" as they are an article intended to incapacitate. So, unless he's got "lawful authority or reasonable excuse" he's likely to get them seized and possibly get himself nicked (unless of course they're the pink, furry type for use in the bedroom )

 

[British Red]

Also I think the waistband of the rucksack makes it impossible to carry anything on the belt for me when I'm on a trip.

If you have longer loops made for your possibles pouch, axe, knife etc., they hang below the rucksack hipbelt. If you look for things with "dangler" or "double dangler" loops, they are comfortable even when the hip belt is on

Red

 

[gregorach]

Or you modify your pack hip belt to take pouches... Or go for a kinda Frankenstein affair using your belt kit as your hip belt - that's what I ended up doing. But then, the belt on the old Sabre 45 was rubbish anyway... So I have an arrangement whereby I can attach a PLCE webbing belt to the pack. I have two pouches on it - a canteen pouch (bottle, mug, crusader, stove, water filter, etc) and a double ammo pouch (fuel bottle, survival kit, tinder, tea / hot chocolate, bug repellent, headnet, torch, compass, etc, etc). It's a lot of stuff on a belt I guess (and yes, I do use the yoke), but it's mainly because I'm slightly absent-minded and either end up leaving stuff strewn all over camp or stuffing half the contents of my pack into my pockets. And I'm sick of that business with having loads of stuff in my pockets - I end up spending ages trying to find stuff. I'm also particularly sick of always leaving my mug on the other side of the fire... So it's a Bat Belt for me, largely out of sheer laziness.

A side benefit is that having the PLCE yoke attached to the Sabre 45 makes the back system much more adjustable. Although it does involve a lot of straps...

 

[spamel]

Spamel,

Why oh why does your old man carry a set of handcuffs??? Is he ex-police by any chance? If he is, he should know that case law has held that handcuffs are a "made offensive weapon" as they are an article intended to incapacitate. So, unless he's got "lawful authority or reasonable excuse" he's likely to get them seized and possibly get himself nicked (unless of course they're the pink, furry type for use in the bedroom )

You're tellimg the wrong person! I totally agree with you, but he likes his bat belt! I have no idea what he wants to do with them, although I do know if he detained somebody with them he'd be in the brown smelly stuff himself, hence my use of Mr Rolleyes!

 

[Seagull]

Belt kits look the part, alright, but I can't wear much more than a very small pouch.

My body fat seems to all hang around my belly and I've a very small stern. So I have to wear gallus's to support the usual high waisted outdoor type pants. Even so, it's not possible to load up my belt with clobber, or I'm continuously adjusting my gallus, taking up all the elasticity and giving myself an uncomfortable time in the nether regions. Yeooow!

Maybe the solution is to find hipster waisted outdoor pants, or even a non-elastic gallus.

These days, its just a large pouch rigged on the baldric.

Snake'ips Ceeg

 

[ganstey]

I have a bat belt Its still in the making, but currently has:

Weak Side

95 pattern water bottle & mug in PLCE pouch
Leatherman Surge in leather pouch
Leatherman additional bits in 'plastic' pouch
Firesteel in above pouch

Rear

AA Maglite lookalike in DPM pouch

Strong Side

PLCE Trauma pouch containing:

Trauma FAK - Selection of sterile dressings
FAK - Usual stuff such as plasters, wipes, etc.
Vinyl gloves (don't get on with Latex)
Natural remedies such as Arnica, Lavender EO, etc
Insect repellant
Safety pins
Re-hydration salts
Will also contain whistle when moved from other bag and 'Emergency Card'​

Silva Compass in DPM pouch
Mobile phone in Dewalt belt pouch


Perhaps I should explain a bit of the thinking behind this... When I'm down in the wood I'm often working, often with a chainsaw, and mostly on my own. I also tend to forget things, and a 6 hour round trip makes it impractical to go back home to get something I've forgotten. So my belt contains things I think will keep me alive until help arrives, and also a number of things I keep forgetting to take with me, that would otherwise be in my pockets.

My recently acquired Helle Futura is carried baldric style.

This setup allows me to also carry the backpack I recently acquired following assistance on here. I can then dump the pack back at basecamp, but still have the essentials on me.

I'm still planning the contents of the back pack (bug out bag)

G

 

[Jared]

You're tellimg the wrong person! I totally agree with you, but he likes his bat belt! I have no idea what he wants to do with them, although I do know if he detained somebody with them he'd be in the brown smelly stuff himself, hence my use of Mr Rolleyes!

Does he cycle? Seen picture of US cycle cops locking up their bicycles with a pair of handcuffs.

 

[spamel]

He does cycle, but I don't think he'd use them for that. I don't know why he carries them!

 

[Gailainne]

I think someone was hinting at a reasonable excuse for carrying them tho

On the batbelt front, I have my small possibles pouch, its a small eurohike corudra affair, it carries;

front pouch;
dc4
small fishing line, float, and hook (got it in Sweden never removed it)
Main pouch
Leatherman wave
2 small fak zip lok pouches, one with plasters wound dressings and alcohol swabs and a led light(bcuk)
the other with a flat roll plaster, alcohol swabs, aluminium foil, flat roll of gaffa tape.
also a dry bandage,
travel wipes
hand sterliser
foldacup
lipsalve
old style film container with sewing kit, including large curved needle, hm can opener, space filled with cotton wool.
and for some reason which escapes me for the moment the container is wrapped 2mm steel wire. :werd:
notebook
pencil
indelible pen.

In addition there would normally be a bic lighter, another led light, if not a torch and micropore tape.

Its a bit bulky, maybe 90mm square by 150 tall, but it weighs nothing (apart from that wire )

Stephen, still wondering about that wire.

 

[gilly0802]

I have a bat belt Its still in the making, but currently has:

Weak Side



Strong Side

PLCE Trauma pouch containing:

Trauma FAK - Selection of sterile dressings
FAK - Usual stuff such as plasters, wipes, etc.
Vinyl gloves (don't get on with Latex)
Natural remedies such as Arnica, Lavender EO, etc
Insect repellant
Safety pins
Re-hydration salts
Will also contain whistle when moved from other bag and 'Emergency Card'​

G

how usefull do you find the "trauma Pouch as opposed to the standated PLCE Utility pouch? juas wanting a general idea as to ease of access/ability to store stuff as i am thinking of getting one for my belt kit (for military exercises)

 

[Mikey P]

Aren't we forgetting a slight problem here with bat belts? Over zealous use leads to ... pants falling down too rapidly.

I've had to carry a lot on my belt for work sometimes (hip holster, 9mm, ammo, Leatherman, torch, toolkit, folder) and when I pop to the loo, gravity takes over and I barely have time to sit down before a ton of metal hits the deck. I often didn't even have to undo the buttons. I was forever having to adjust to make things comfortable and I was glad to take it off when I had the chance.

Furthermore, too much rubbish on your belt rubs the tops of your hips and wears your pants just below the belt line - and also breaks the loops. No problems with a couple of light items but some of the above appear somewhat excessive. In my opinion, belts are for holding your strides up; pockets and bags are for carrying things.

As bushcrafters/kit monsters, we (I include myself) seem to have an inbuilt genetic code to add more kit when space is available!

 

[spamel]

Hence the reason I am limiting myself to possibles and sheath. I find bat belts just a bit too cumbersome!

 

[stotRE]

As bushcrafters/kit monsters, we (I include myself) seem to have an inbuilt genetic code to add more kit when space is available!

Thats why i have ditched my bergan.

There is the tendancy to stuff every pocket with duffle and i am not going out to set up an observation post or lay a snap ambush.

Travel light,freeze at night

 

[gunnix]

If you have longer loops made for your possibles pouch, axe, knife etc., they hang below the rucksack hipbelt. If you look for things with "dangler" or "double dangler" loops, they are comfortable even when the hip belt is on

Red

Good point I am going to make such a bag with longer loops tomorrow then.
Although I also like to have things really stuck to the belt instead of having them dangling around.

 

[SimonM]

I have a double possibles pouch which I only use when teaching "outdoorsy" type activities either in school or helping out at the local Scouts.

In the rear pouch I keep a Silva Type 4 compass and 2 x 4m lengths of para cord. In the front pouch I keep whatever I need for that particular activity!

When out and about everything I need either goes in pockets or rucksac.

Simon

 

[Toddy]

My name is Toddy, and I'm a pedant I carry on a baldric

I don't use a belt if I can avoid it...never quite got the hang of this idea of standing up and using little hose attachments
Depends where I'm going and what I'm up to, but it's usually my pockets or little shoulder bags that carry my kit. I've got really neat trespass daypacks that carry all I need comfortably and leave my hands free and don't get in the way when I'm clambering about woods and burns. Maybe not as pretty as the fine leatherwork ones but simple and adaptable.
cheers,
Toddy

 

[Aragorn]

I have a double possibles pouch which I only use when teaching "outdoorsy" type activities either in school or helping out at the local Scouts.

In the rear pouch I keep a Silva Type 4 compass and 2 x 4m lengths of para cord. In the front pouch I keep whatever I need for that particular activity!

When out and about everything I need either goes in pockets or rucksac.

Simon

that is very cool, did you make that simon or have it made for you ?

 

[Steve27752]

On my belt kit I have:
From right to left. Key hook, CS Spray, Glock 9mm with 17 round mag in Safariland holster, Asp, Rigid cuffs, Leatherman wave, Fak, Motorola radio pouch, Surefire Tactical illuminator (torch), Double mag pouch (17 round Glock mag & 15 round MP5 Mag).

 

[ganstey]

how usefull do you find the "trauma Pouch as opposed to the standated PLCE Utility pouch? juas wanting a general idea as to ease of access/ability to store stuff as i am thinking of getting one for my belt kit (for military exercises)

I bought it because I wanted a pouch with several pockets/compartments so I could separate things out. Its not perfect, but it certainly does the job. It does hold a great deal, and access is fairly easy.

Aren't we forgetting a slight problem here with bat belts? Over zealous use leads to ... pants falling down too rapidly.

I wear a 'normal' belt to keep my pants up, and a PLCE as a bat belt.

G

 

[British Red]

Good point I am going to make such a bag with longer loops tomorrow then.
Although I also like to have things really stuck to the belt instead of having them dangling around.

Gunnix...aaah thats where the "double dangler " comes in you may have hear referred to. Its a second llop of leather attached to a normal belt loop with a D ring. If wearing your pack, use the extra loop and your pouch or kinfe hangs low. If just out for a stroll use the original loop and the stuff rides higher (the second loop just hangs off the bottom of the original loop on the inside and is hidden). If you look in the photo of my kit you can see the double dangler loop showing bhind my knife. The other advantage of the longer loop is that whne you sit down your knife etc tends to swing out of the way rather than dig in.

Red