Brit here. We tend to treat the rations and cooking kit on the belt as an emergency stash. You don't go near it unless you get separated from your daysack/bergen, so you've always got the full 24 hours of kit on your body. 6 mags, 2 HE, 1 RP, 2 water bottles, metal mug, med pouch, 24hrs stripped rations, tissue paper, cylumes, pen flares, lighter, cooker & fuel, spoon, torch, knife, multitool, monocular, IR strobe, weapon cleaning kit & oil, ear defence. PRR & GPS on the chest/yoke. I could get dumped in the middle of nowhere with this and my weapon, and know I could live and fight for at least a day.
@TheGruntPerspective Yea, it's a decent set up. Good effort, especially as you're coming from an organisation that doesn't have do this as normal, so you don't have colleagues to bounce ideas off.
@Paddyinf, 30 years ago, as a young grunt/SAW(m249) gunner..my personal loadout nearly reflected yours. Guys would see the contents when I’d refit after an exercise and wonder why I’d carry all that. My reply was comparable to yours. I was a firm believer in having enough for 24-48 hours solo if need be. Whether separated from my unit or laying up in an LP/OP. It came into play in the Sinai on Peacekeeper status. Gypos needed watching and my buddy and I got selected to go observe for a few days. When we got back, my buddy set his loadout to mirror mine. He learned.
Belt kit is the future. The GWOT was a road-trip with brief periods of violence, the next conflict is likely gonna be a camping trip with brief periods of extreme violence.
Based. Modern wars were all fought with belt kit. Old school field craft works amazingly well nowadays, and probably will work for quite a while.Its just how people are supposed to fight.
Finally, a real grunts belt setup! Everyone in the infantry these days are doing raid type of loadouts. As if everyone was a Ranger or Force Recon. Our job as big infantry is to stay out for extremely long periods of time with minimum support. Not 2-8 hour long missions, Raids, HVT type of shit to have the bare minimum high speed kit. Our load-out is supposed to be bulky, & it’s supposed to be heavy. It’s good to see fellow grunts with the correct mindset.
Exactly! Most guys watch how SF operators build their kit and make something similar. Then, they only test it at the range and think it's good. They don't realize though that shooting your gun is only 1% of what you do in the military/ militia. You have to survive starvation, dehydration and the elements first. Let alone hygiene, nobody wants to die from swampy ass.
First gulf through Somalia until OIF we wore H harness. I loved the butt pack and the kit worked great. I wore mine through ops in Mogadishu and multiple deployments. I transitioned to chest rig made by our riggers for oif. They serve their place and worked great in urban but when we took incoming it sucked. Also the weight wasn’t distributed well with all the weight on the front. H harness was excellent. We wore them lower to clear the large Alice ruck and to clear the parachute harness etc. also to eliminate the rub caused by the metal adjustments we removed and used 550 cord. Great video. Thank you
With a belt kit… if you’re prone and want to cut the buttons off your blouse so you can get lower into the dirt to avoid incoming rounds… you can always unbuckle the belt and flop your magazines to the left and right of your prone body/body armor/SAPI Plates. When the magazines are directly attached to your plate carrier or body armor… you’re f***ed.
Old Marine here. In response to your comment, I built a belt rig in the '70s that I later used in SWAT. I had a friend who did boot repair who sewed what I wanted. GI pistol belt with H-harness and ALICE gear (modified clips to nylon cable binders...also used for handcuffs). Set up for M16A1 (with cleaning kit in butt), custom 1911A1 in GI holster with 4 mags, two ALICE M16 mag pouches with 6 GI mags, Leatherman tool (when they came out), one pair of metal handcuffs in GI pouch, Marine Jungle first aid kit (improved), USAF survival knife (sharp), one stainless steel canteen and cup, a butt pack, radio pouch taped to left rear H Strap. Some gear was layered in customized pouches on straps. In the pack was small mission/admin gear plus one plastic canteen, fire kit, flashlights, GI poncho, one meal plus (started with a C-Rat), energy bars. One GI compass in left shirt pocket, map for area in large baggy inside utility jacket. Two flashbang grenades in thigh pockets. Like you, I kept stuff out to the hips so I could get close to the ground. I had a poncho size section of homemade camo net in a pouch to fasten to harness riser as needed. It served well over the years and modified as time went on. It awaits action in the garage along with a gear packed medium ALICE ruck. We later went to gear vests but I preferred the battle belt. When I started, we did not have vest. We later went to the IIIA protective vest so the lesson plans emphasized COVER. All the hard stuff came later. So, yes some vets did gear up after service. A lot of the gear we were issued in VN was circa 1945. We made do and continued to improvise. Once learned we continue to march within mission needs and parameters, right? You kit looks great. Thanks for the memories.
The order of march I was trained on ( circa ) 1970s as a teen in Floridian wilderness and 80s through the early 90s was, You live and sustain youself from your ruck. ( ALICE ) pack, you fight and survive from your waist, ( Webbing ) or 782 gear, and you survive out of your pockets. Just another old 0311. " Semper Fi!" B. 1/3.
I was recon (11B) with the 82nd Airborne late 80's early 90's. Our belt kits with H straps were super comfortable (plenty of ventilation) and hella practical. I always had an extra ammo pouch I used as a admin/utility pouch (I was RTO), as well as a Vietnam Era butt pack. Those things were gold. I could live for several days just what was on my LBE. I had a whole hooch system in my buttpack along with food. Granted, any longer in the field one needs a rucksack. I always had my ruck (large ALICE) since I was RTO anyway.
Awesome! Your emergency weapon maintenance kit is basically what we'd keep in the buttstock of our M16A1s; it's a shame that got lost when we moved to M4s with collapsible stocks. Your belt kit is essentially what we wore as ALICE LBE, just with more modern materials and design - and much more and better medical. I really like the form factor of the Platatac/Decor water bottles. Wide mouth is easier to fill, drink from, and clean; and the squared off shape saves space along the belt line and fits snugly with other pouches. I use them in my issued canteen/utility pouches - fit great. A lot of changes since I first entered service back in the early 80s; reaching mandatory retirement age now. This is great series - I really appreciate the time, thought, and effort you put into sharing this knowledge.
As a Marine scout in an LAV BN I carried an ALICE pistol belt with desert shoulder straps in the mid 2000’s (x3 combat deployments to Iraq including the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003). I could throw it on whenever I needed additional capabilities. It had my two canteens, canteen carriers, canteen cup, canteen cup stand, matches, speed loader, water purification, IFAK (in addition to items on my person), Utility knife, weapons maintenance equipment, possibly poncho and liner, additional ammunition. My normal gear as an infantryman in an LAV BN just had my body armor with attached ammunition (6 magazines, M203 grenades x10 HE and misc smoke and star clusters, x4 m67 fragmentation grenades). A camel back could be used. Being “Popped up” in a scout hatch requires a “slick” load out which was as stated just ammunition and flack and kevelar. My “belt kit” was slung by my vehicle scout hatch so I could still access if it while the vehicle was moving or don it if needed once dismounted. It was modular enough that I could easily and quickly transfer my rifle ammunition and frags from my body armor onto the webbing if we were doing a dismounted patrol or raid where I needed to be wearing the water and IFAK etc. Any additional capabilities like explosives, trip flares, claymore mines, belt fed ammunition, water, etc gets carried in some kind of small assault pack or ruck sack that can be donned as needed.
I was a US Army soldier during the Cold War. The LBE setup (pistol belt w/ suspenders) is a fighting setup. It's ammo/first aid/water/compass/pistol holster. The rest goes in your ruck. When you get into battle you ground your ruck. You can add the butt pack to the LBE add a cleaning kit, extra ammo and an MRE, or you can attach the butt pack to your ruck.
I totally agree. I too was a U.S. Army Infantrymen from 1981-85. All you need was ammo as much as you can carry and water maybe a MRE broke down in your cargo pockets. The rest in the ruck. We were trained by Vietnam Veterans. 🇺🇸
Pretty well thought out kit. I do have a few suggestions: - Reduce redundancies. 2 tq's and IFAK's are great to have. True. Put extras on the outside of your rucksack. The molle systems are so much better to be able to have quick access to your back-up supplies. Every ounce counts just like in ultra-light hiking. I literally had to choose between packing underwear or socks. Obviously chose socks. Been going commando every since then. We never went on mission without our rucks. They are staged at the ORP or designated RP prior to. -Booboo kit (including antibiotic ointment, mole skin, and foot powder). I cant tell you how many times i have fallen into a thorn bush on a night movement. -Beef up the personal hygiene kit. travel sized everything works. Brushing your teeth seems like something silly, but it feels AMAZING after eating dirt and cold MRE's for a couple of days. Having a decent supply of wet-wipes is also never a bad thing. - wrap a woobie up in the poncho and put it in a waterproof bag. The two combined make a pretty effective sleeping bag. Woobie must be cherished at all times. Woobie is king. - Bring an extra emergency blanket. Not the crinkly mylar type. Have it relatively easy to get to. Combine it with the woobie and poncho when it gets super-cold and you will be relatively comfortable. - Find/make a ~3-5 inch belt extender. In the event that you are prone for extended periods, it will become uncomfortable. The extender will allow you to get a bit more comfortable but you wont have your belt unsecured if you need to move quickly out of the prone. Plus it helps on long rucks to get some air behind the belt. - Rig the knife between a pouch and the belt. Preferably on your side. Try to rig it with a cant forward if you can so it doesnt jab you in the ribs. Having it on a drop holster seems like it should work at first, but it will be very difficult to get to quickly with gloves in the dark and you desperately need to open a surprise MRE. All in all, you did very well considering a lot of it was learned from research. it is crazy how gear/loadouts is coming full circle. We used to have to modify and jerry-rig these set-ups. You really can learn to live off of your rig through trial and error.
I love the Tactical Tailor Universal Mag Pouch. I'm a sucker for universal kit and those pouches are FANTASTIC. The cinch cord there can be used to make that mag pouch hold between 1 and 3 AR mags; they're big enough to hold 2 M1A mags; they could hold AK mags. They can hold smoke; cinched down could be an improvised holster or hold a holster for a pistol; they can hold a stripped down IFAK; a radio; the uses go on. My belt kit has 2x UMPs for mags, 2x UMPS for other stuff; 2x GP / Canteen pouches for canteens; and 2x GP / Canteen pouches for sustainment. All of those pouches are extremely versatile and flexible to be adapted for METT-TC. I love your channel, I just found it while looking for TAP mods. You earned my sub!
Theyre huge in the Australian army still. We take belt kits and only put saw or minimi pouches around it and you can carry loads. All these people with their slick plate carriers and 3 mags.... good luck to you, youll be dry in seconds. A SAW/MINIMI pouch will hold 2 of those water bottles you have perfectly. Also a chest rig that may intrest you which is Australian made and i know a lot of americans and British run is the Platatac Peacekeeper. I rly like the peackeeper jungle because its a split front design so i can open it if im hot, and theres mesh in the bottoms of the pouches to allow water to easily get out.
18:10 Bandolier gang... Always good to hear that practical advice that is so rare these days. Just saw bandoliers extensively in movie Platoon again just recently.. lessons learned!
I enjoyed this video. I liked that you started with the philosophy of the belt kit and what you would have on it/in it instead of just diving into, “this is what I carry”. I too, like the separation or compartmentalization of going with a belt kit with the addition of a small ruck or a ruck that would ride higher so as not to impede on your range of motion or load distribution with the belt kit. It seems to me to be more practical running a setup like this with a small ruck than carrying a large ruck with just about everything in it and then having minimal belt kit. Even maximizing a chest rig doesn’t give you the same capability as a well equipped belt with a micro chest rig and a pack. Certainly militia man advantageous where you might not have a large team or you might not have resupply, need to drop your ruck to fight but might want atleast a little sustainment in case you are permanently separated from your ruck because you lost your position or insert multitude of reasons here. It seems like a lot, to be sure, but it makes more sense when you consider the context, especially from a civilian or minuteman perspective rather than the infinite resources and logistics of a modern military perspective. This is a foot soldier stand alone setup, not a riding in a vehicle to whatever objective, getting out and rucking a couple miles to an OP and then leave whenever, or if engaged by ECs, disengage or retreat under cover of mortar support or air support type deals. This setup makes sense to someone on foot, in the forest or hills, in the swamps or plains, without resupply, without support, to use in conjunction with another micro rig for fighting support and a small ruck for sustainment, mission essentials and some cold weather gear. That’s my opinion. Good video, nice setup, keep up the good work! Subscribed.
1st- watch the Movie Platoon again specifically the Sgt Alias scene. 2nd talk to the old school JRTC Opfor Vets(pre- 9/11) they Mastered the LBV and Jungle Rig. We would live in the "Box" for 20+ days with just the LBV and a Blackhawk Patrol pack + 2 82mm Mortar rounds. The LBV needs to be light and ONLY combat essentials. Ammo, Piro, Water, Calories, compass and minimal admin items. Keep in mind we also parachute with our LBVs. The biggest tool we used is "field craft" If your comfortable in a Hide your carrying to much and you won't be able to move quietly and over long distance. 3rd look at how LRRPS sets up gear. Modern and Old school(BDU era). To give you an idea, my LBV was 14lbs with water and 6 mags (1 mag in M4).
I will admit that since making this video I’ve taken a lot of stuff out. Like I said in the video I don’t have a lot of experience with belt kit and kinda went off the rails. Thanks for the input
Would you ever consider doing a video on clothing and what you have on person? I know might be a minor topic, but its always interesting to see the infantry perspective on uniforms.
I really enjoing the content of your channel. Polish UKM gunner here. From my experience - The Matilda Pack from Helikon Tex works great with belt kit and plate carrier... at least for me.
@@pootytang2872 I cannot becouse I don't make videos but I use mostly direct action and helikon tex gear. From mechanized infantry perspective never use buttpack(you sit a lot in the IFV so it's uncomfortable)... My combo at that moment is Warwick zip front chestrig(with sniper pannel zipped in the middle so it's like a split rig). You can place up to 4 GP pouches for ammo belts or(like me) 2 GP pouches more towards front and 2 100round box poches more towards rear. For a plate carrier I use spitfire MK1 without a plackart... but any other slick plate carrier will do. For a ruck - Matilda from Helikon Tex.
@@davookr1830 ahh ok i can see it in my mind now that you mentioned the gear. i forgot the UKM uses 762nato, small cardboard boxes and not the huge metal lunchbox for the PKM 54r rounds
@@pootytang2872 you still can use metal lunchboxes(ukm and pkm use the same hooking method) but never variants are issued with cordura "nutsacks"... but still... there are few companies(MIWO for example) in Poland that make pouches for metal 100rounds boxes - they take only 3 rows of pals/molle but are a bit taller than MAG/240 pouches.
I was a cav scout though the '80s into the '90s. While we were mech, when you are scouting off of a jeep, and later a M113, you do a LOT of walking. We obviously used the ALICE gear back then, I had a mix of the Vietnam and Korea era gear (example, the older H harness was a lot better than the later Y harness for the LBE...). Looking at the GWOT, it seems like everyone wanted to gear up like the direct action guys, regardless of their actual mission. Some of these setups tell me that people have forgotten the importance of being able to do things like low crawl. It would appear we've also forgotten a bit of how to fight in places like a jungle. You can choose to wear body armor, but you'll quickly be a heat casualty.
Looks great. We should collectively lobby platatac to come out with nesting cup, lid, stove for their square canteens. The prepared pathfinder channel is a great resource for Brit belt kit and layering system. He'd probably tell you you are missing a long handle spork with lighter taped to it 😂
Back in the olden days, when the world was young and my knees didn't hurt. We were taught live out your bergan, fight out your belt order and survive out your pockets. we planned on 24 hrs from belt order, but if you look up the RM in the Falklands back in 82 they used bungees to attach more kit and push the time frame out further.
Marine Corps 1999-2003. We called the kit deuce gear and it was all we knew. It worked well within the confines of unit SOP. We had jungle warfare mentality, just getting to think about desert ops. I would love to talk with you about your kit and some insight that can help you. I have my original kit, and a more modern version that fills some gaps with the older gear. Problems have to do with adding armor and packs. We wore all three at once, and then slung equipment and rifles. I was an 81mm mortarman and carried all kinds of crap on top of the basic loadout. I like your shoulder straps, the thinner wider material is best. I think the FLC vest had the best straps, but I hated the vest itself. The deuce gear worked great by itself. Add a pack and there are issues with a large alice-which is what we had. The kidney pad gets in the way of the butt pack, so you have to drop the belt down to the hip. It worked, kinda, but on a long hump, the buckles wore holes in your back. We wore IBA interceptor body armor and that was an awkward fit but we made it work.
Thank you for making this video. I have tried both chest rigs and belt kits for several years now, and eventually chose the belt kit as my default kit. Your video gave me a lot of ideas on how to further improve my own belt kit setup. Belt kits might be out of fashion for a lot of people, but I think that it is a good choice, especially in a desert or a jungle environment. As you have mentioned, it allows your body to cool down faster. On those very rare times that I had some sort of heat injury, it has always been while wearing a chest rig. The other advantage is that belt kits allow you to assume a lower prone position, compared to a chest rig. As for the range card, you might also want to look at a similar product called a Wndsn telemeter.
You're definitely on the right path with putting your belt kit together! Its always good to see when it clicks with folks in how to actually use it! Good job!
the mag reindexing part where you replace the spents in the back of the stack actually is 100% the move, i did it when i went to milsim west and when i was using half spent mags of airsoft bbs i was confident i had a good mag at the front because i did the reindexing empties in the rear
FYI you can add a micro rig over top of these pretty easy helping to add to or relocate come combat load and make room for more sustainment stuff.. I’m pairing this with a fight light mk4 with double mag in front.. plus the side wings for up to 8 additional mags.. or the ability to move mags to chest and use thr 100rnd saw pouches as gp Using a drop leg medical and universal old school gi type drop holster.. it actually works reall really well! You can fit 4 mags in a 100rnd saw pouch.. they just go in sideways.. which is just a training issue for reloading non indexed mags.. Also fyi the Rothco reproduction gi packs 1 are nylon no canvis so they are water repellent and they have a cinch cord inside on the skirt which they all should have really cause they are designed to over pack upwards and expand to almost 2x the size and the lid will still cover it all.. old school version of expandable pouch on a pack lol.. My setup is pretty similar overall but quite different still.. in fact when I get home I’ll have to compare this to mine but I think I have more sustainment carrying then this while still have 4 extra mags and I’m only loading 3 into each of my 100rnd pouches.. I’m running the condor rounded canteen pouches which take up a ton less room cause if the shape.. I also only needed two rows for the field pack this way cause the round shape with side molle the outer edges of the pack actually molle to the side of the canteens.. sounds wonky but it works.. I only have a 30” waist so I had to find ways to conserve as many columns of molle as I could.
Really glad I found this fellow crayon-eater's channel. Very based takes. I've been wanting to put together a solid belt kit for quite some time now and this looks almost exactly how I've envisioned it. Getting pretty tired of all the IG fads of micro-rigs and other nonsense based off of very niche units and TTPs (No Todd, your 3 mags aren't enough for a patrol or "rEcCE"). People seem to not understand that these very sleek and light rigs being pushed by former SOF guys who had very specific mission sets, and billions of dollars' worth of ISR platforms and support/intelligence personnel letting them know about almost every threat in the area and supporting their teams. The average infantryman/prepared-citizen is not going to get that level of support and training. "SOF are not a silver bullet", and "[they] can't win wars by themselves". They are a scalpel, infantry is the hammer. Be the hammer.
Guys in Ukraine are starting to use similar belt kits in conjunction with a slick or lightly-loaded PC (for say 3 additional mags). The belt kit isn't dead at all. These guys are blowing through a lot of ammo defending or assaulting trenches so they need the extra real estate.
Hey man! To explain the ammomaxxing from a civilian's perspective concerning belt kits. You have to remember that our capabilities are drastically reduced. We do not have fire support, we (generally) do not have SAW gunners, we (generally) do not have high speed medevac. We are generally small in number, and in the few situations where we would have to go out into the field and use our rifles, that would mean our small groups would have to be punching significantly above our weight class. Contending with potentially larger forces means that each of our guys must do more and produce more fire power. Of course, we try to do that also with changing to unconventional tactics that will maximize our effect as a small force and turn an enemy's large size as a burden against them. But that only goes so far and does often require the small unit to be internally self-sustaining. Additionally to address another point - you CAN use a big ruck with belt kit but you have to be smart about it. ALICE packs work generally well as the frame kidney pads work basically as a shelf that can sit on the butt pack like a shelf. I know a buddy who does this with his mystery ranch, however you do not put the pack's hip belt around your waist. Instead, he synches them down and tucks the buckles under the kidney pad, which basically just gives the kidney pad extra padding from the folded waist belt which allows it to rest on the butt pack all the more. The weight from the ruck effectively transfers to the waist belt of the belt kit, instead of the ruck's own belt. For more info on this method, check out Sam Culpepper on instagram or listen to his podcast the Culpepper Chronicles on spotify, he goes into it in great detail. He uses the Velocity Systems jungle kit and a big crossfire ruck.
I’ve been listening to the culpepper chronicles for a while now, and his Instagram page. All good stuff, definitely one of the guys that influenced me to make this channel.
Army also. Good video. As other comments have gone....most of my instructors were Nam veterans. You un buckle your belt to wear the ruck belt. We patrolled with the belt unbuckled a lot. Semper Fi young man.
Another banger of a video. I've been enjoying the resurgence of Belt Kit. The methodology and use of it is definitely a lost art. I've been using my belt kit for about 3 years, and we more or less have the same setup down to some of the same pouches.
Good video! Belt kit is king for dismounted patrol. I still use a small ish assault pack for colder temps and extra water in addition to my Jay Jays setup but it’s a sound methodology, especially for an armed citizen. I can dump my ruck, grab my assault bag and probably extend my stay out for 48hrs if i can acquire water.
Recently started making my own gear. I've been thinking about making a suspended belt setup like this with the ability to snap in a chest rig when needed. Definitely a solid setup. Semper Fi
The belt kit is the most important skill and equipment infantryman needs. It makes your life a whole lot easier doing a patrol learned all about Bill kits when I did jungle training in Hawaii and Panama. Especially you have a plate carrier made your life easy gets rid of the assault pack fun fact, the best rations I like to put in there are the millennial bars which is about 400 to 600 cal a bar different flavors so I can make this a 24+ pack for sustenance. You probably check out the Vietnam LRRP if you did not, you should check it out. My dad was one too. When I ask him for a good kit set up, he gave me a tremendous amount of information
Fantastic video, I’ve been working on mine myself i have a HPG prairie belt and a USMC gun belt and I’m experimenting with which one i like better. Thanks for this.
I started off with a H-harness belt for a "minute man/bunp in the night/honestead" kit, found it worked well for patrols too with some tweaking. I found some mag pouches that have a buckle and velcro that work well for cover and retention, only hold 2 mags each though so they might no work for you. I found 2 mags deep plus the belts padding was about as much as I could get away with before major snag issues. I imagine you're combining it with a patrol size bag too, so having some extra mags in/on that wouldn't be too hard to bump that up to 8 and still have pretty easy access.
I absolutely love belt kits and buttpacks. I was issued all molle equipment and I immediately went to the surplus store nearby and bought Alice LBE. Your kit reminds me of the old LBT/blackhawk rifleman kit. I absolutely love the concept and still use it today and I’ve been out for 9 years.
Great video man. Coming from another Infantryman, the argument for fastex buckles on a setup like this, if you are conducting a jungle/ woodland movement or just have to bust brush, the fastex buckles will better prevent "robber vines" or "gimme sticks" from stealing your shit. A major plus on the velocity/mayflower jungle gear, it has zero water retention. Jungle belts get heavy real quick when they get wet, depending on material. It's great to see an infantryman carry a knife that's actually useful for sustainment rather than a super cool looking one that's marketed for "knife fighting". If you get an opportunity, try to attend one of ESEE's survival schools, outstanding courses of instruction. Again great video, Bro.
Welcome to the true infantry. The wearers of the brown leather personnel carriers. Where there is no walking on roads or paths. Good design on your belt kit. Enjoyed it very much.
Take this for what it’s worth… The only place I’ve found to keep my map and note book is in my cargo pocket too. Peanut butter pouches are also excellent emergency food. If you carry a sailmaker’s needle you can use the inner core of 550 cord to repair gear. Signal mirrors are an underrated piece of kit. Air assets can’t see the kind of strobes we usually carry with their pods, but if it’s daylight you can get visual with a mirror.
Army Infantry myself. Finding it interesting how many of us priors are going back to load bearing equipment (I’m using ALICE with other pouches that work) as it becomes apparent the vehicle born combat we’re used to isn’t going to be viable for what may or may not happen in the not so distant future. Agree with all of it, good ventilation, weight distribution and overall more comfortable. Got 9 mags on now and if one needs more then slapping a chest rig on would quickly remedy that. Ain’t gonna be running around mountains and forests with 30lbs-50lbs of armor along with everything else lol
I served 18 years in the ADF and I found wearing a set of webbing was heaps better than wearing a chest rig, I found the chest rigs to hot and annoying to get to most things, I ran a set of webbing with a camelbak for extra water 👍🏻🇦🇺
Alice pack with the original kidney pad fits right over a good Alice Belt kit, including its butt pack, 2 canteens, 2 magazine pouches, knife on the left, IFAK, compass in pouch. Can add a radio pouch if you want and a pistol if you want. LBE Y (or H) suspenders. Classic Vietnam 782 (Deuce Gear) setup. Don't hang stuff on the shoulder straps, it will get in the way when you don the pack. The older Alice ammo pouches only have the buckle, which I prefer.
I like your belt set up man. I went in that route at first and thought it out and decided to mitigate and distribute the gear with a mid to light chest rig for main rifle mags and couple items that filter water and a small blow out kit and some minimal survival needs and I do love some 782 belt gear like a small but pack with pistol mags and canteen w cup and the stove a larger blow out kit some lite dehydrated meals , snacks ,knife ,poncho, head lamp, signaling, another sawyer mini, and water bags with water purification Socks Knife. And fire kit
i did go to the UK belt 3 pouch to replace the butt pack. its' design was first a high back h harnass pack still have my h harness kit. back in my day 550 was HARD to get unless you were in a jump billet.
Like you I never was taught about the joys of the belt kit until recently. I have always like how the British plce looked. And wanted some more comfort while rucking with my kit for exercise. So I built a mismatched belt kit from an old construction H harness with a condor belt, and a whole range of saw, mag, H2O and other pouches. I like it for a property QRF setup and if I want to slip on my armor I can right over my H harness. Still have my 5c's of survival, calories, ammo, illumination, medical etc to support me for 24 hours.
I'm so glad my thoughts on kit are finally like out there, I've been preaching LBE on top because you can do so much with it, didn't know it was this popular and modernized, I've been using Alice lbe kits for years before I recently moved to modern chest rigs/pc's to see what the hype is, but I think belt kits are really nice and I'm really glad you made this vid
The lore about the velcro giving away your position/reloading is the same lore that said GIs would be shot when the Germans heard the 'ping' of an empty Garand clip. Is it any coincidence that your rifle kit for removing a stuck cartridge from your M4 can also be used as a surrender signal?
Something I found as a civilian running a belt kit, instead of wearing it at the waist line like a range belt, battle belt or trouser belt, wear it higher up by your navel. It helps with that leg movement, and it lets you access your trouser pockets again. (I’m also 6’6” and mostly torso so some things may be different if you’re 5’1” and all legs)
Love your channel! Just wish you would put the products you use and trust in your description and where you purchase the items or if you have Amazon affiliate link.
This gives me some inspiration for my belt. I'm using a smersh rig since my primary is an ak. I didn't think about the canteen sag until you mentioned it. Being in the south I have taken a lot of clothing and gear notes from what the troops in Vietnam had.
That butt pack had so much stuff, I can’t believe you kept going! I think this pack set up lends itself to lugging a smaller back pack or even a small chest rig. I really liked your choice of things to pack too, it helped give me a few ideas to change in my current belt. Thanks man.
as a prepper I had the same issue and Upon some researching I determined that you layer yr gear according to what yr walking into. On my ruck I will carry my static supplies. on my chest rig I'd wear ammo water IFak and other sustainment gear. on my belt I carry a slick back with fighting gear on my belt. 210 rds rifle 60 rds pistol knife ifak and water.
This used to be called web gear. We started calling it that in the 1960s70s80s so on. A belt set up with a good set of or suspenders. So for me web gear. I still rock it have since the 80s. I just updated my gear this yr from the 1970 web gear to the bigger padded belt. The one I picked is the padded airforce ABU patern(because everything tigerstipe is cool )belt with the heavy 2 inch stiff construction (SEA BEES) battalion and a very basic y suspenders/Y harness. I left room for a buttpack. I run two 3 magazines pouches 1 universal pouch a canteen pouch a multi tool pouch and 2 marine quick draw pouches. ALL pouches are ABU tigerstipe with the 2 marine quick draw and CBs belt in coyote tan. If I run a pistol it's in a U.S. drop leg in foliage green with 2 mags also on it. O and I just ordered a marine molly adapter to hang my k-BAR From the molly webbing. I enjoyed your view on the battle belt. Thanks for sharing ❤ .
Awesome. Yes, the USMC must absolutely move in this direction. Fortunately the MLR concept has already shown some openness to it. This video will likely become one of the go to references for our guys as we continue down this path...
Just used the issued gear pistol belt and shoulder straps , 2 ammo pouches 2 1qt canteens with cups and covers, and first aid /compass pouch . Field artillery 1977 to 1983 Infantry 1983 to 1992. We also humped the overstuffed alice pack with crappy CSM packing list just for weight.
Been thinking of building a belt kit for awhile now. I have the shit laying around but idk what i want yet. This is an excellent reference point fasho!
I’m not gonna give you crap about your field knife. The most important piece of equipment is your multi tool. I did the same thing as well. We’re all the same brother overall I really do enjoy your videos. This is a good video. That is the best gift you could give to this country and to fellow, Newcom war fighters the gift knowledge. I’m definitely going to support your patron. You’re doing an excellent job. You remind me of Grantham, he is actually my friend believer or not keep it up.
Forgot to mention on ambush mission....hasty or otherwise some guys used a chicom chest rig under lbe belt rig. Some used mag bandoleer instead. Ammunition for the stroll home, if not used in a direct action mission. RLTW.
Nice video. I grew up on Alice gear until we got issued the LBV88. Which was pretty useless to me as a SAW gunner. Transitioning to Molle and plate carriers was a big change. That was definitely in concert with being in more vehicle borne operations. Now that I’m retired, and not looking to get in a gunfight, simple patrolling is better suited to belt kit. I’m just finishing up sewing pouches for my own PLCE style Brit belt kit. You can easily sustain yourself for 24 hours with just that. I have managed to get some British bergens (NI patrol pack and a short back ruck) they pair seamlessly with this style kit. I’m think about trying to mod one of my medium Alice packs with an internal frame to use with it. Another great video!
One of my sergeants was a salty 0351 who would still wear his ALICE war belt kit, even though it didn't really work well with the Interceptor vest. I used it in Recruit Training, but it was the GWOT and we didn't really use load bearing gear in the Fleet because everything was attached to our flaks.
Was that Sgt me? I served in 1st LAR. I was trained as a 52 but retrained at the 1st Marine Div Schools to deploy as a 0351 because we were leaving behind the AT variant vehicles. Lol. I disagree. It worked great with the interceptor body armor. I used old school magazine pouches even though I was issued MOLLE. Two of them. Each pouch held x3 magazines and x2 M67 Fragmentation grenades and were removed by two ALICE clips. I kept those pouches in roughly the same position 10 and 2 o’clock but they were attached to the belt directly if I was wearing it and directly to the IBA if not. I was a M203 gunner my last two deployments so all my M203 frags were permanently attached to the IBA no matter what in improvised pouches. X2 40 mm HEDP rounds (or smoke) will fit in a standard MOLLE frag pouch since we were never issued the correct MOLLE 203 pouches. So I had 6 filled fragmentation pouches along with two purpose built Blackhawk civilian purchased pouches for longer M203 rounds like star clusters and parachute flares. But in a way that allowed the pistol belt shoulder straps to function if the “war belt” was needed and I wanted to add more capabilities like (full IFAK, canteens, Utility knife, magazine dump pouch, NVG’s, etc).
To me, the main purpose of the belt kit set up wise is make it to where it works for you. That is one strong aspect about it what you put there works for you and it has a lot of common sense.
I really like your water bottles. The ones I carry is the British Army canteen. I really like them because they are large and they can’t wait a kidney cup for it.
Ref. Your knife, as a police officer I always carried a tactical fighting knife on my weak side just in case someone catches you slipping and jumps you, if they go for your gun, you can retain your firearm with your dominant hand and pull the knife out with your weak hand. Same principle goes for the rifle, if someone jumps you and they are trying to take your rifle, you are stronger holding it with your strong hand and can reach for the knife on your weak side. I used to attach a gerber dagger ( forgot the exact name ) to the side of my radio pouch. Try that maybe attach with tie wraps.
When I was in 1/3 Charlie Ass I used to go in and out on running the Belt, I eventually fell on to running the shoulder straps and dropping the belt under my FLAK. For RECCE/PB Ops I'd switch between unclipping and clipping the belt buckle to rotate weight to and from my shoulder. I'd reccomend getting the older H harness from surplus stores, but I never found a good way to run a belt with a ruck so I threw it ontop of my Main pack during humps
Coming from a recon plt been thinking about the pros and cons of a belt kit for a while. Having all the shit you end up carrying on a patrol consolidated on your belt seems like a good idea especially in regards to weight distribution. Glad to see someone from our line of work out their thoughts out there most videos I’ve seen have been civilians.
Always find what the current gen are up to very interesting. Load carrying seems to be a cyclical affair. I was kicking about in the late 80's and early 90's and still had the old 58 pattern webbing. The only observation from your layout I have is the small pouches at the front. I understand the utility but I would load it up and from a run, hit the prone and see how you feel when you hit the ground on top of them. Just a thing I remember from back in the day.
I like it…get yourself an old school woodland raid top and you’ll be lookin and performing like an old timey Salty Dog. Those men knew what they were doing with the web gear. They had vests and chi-com rigs back then but they knew that they aren’t ideal for hot humid climates.
YES, THANK YOU! I'm Old School Army 11B (101st Air Assault, Alaska), trained in post-Vietnam survivability doctrine (I.e., the prone position, behind cover. We lived in it), early 1980's (also good training from Vietnam Vets). There is NO WAY I'll be caught dead standing around, kneeling around, just because I'm wearing a plate carrier (another example of our society getting dumbed-down in everything: You can't reinvent people shooting at each other with rifles). Not to say that plate carriers don't have their place. The wife and I each have one. I don't want anything on my chest, except the buttons on my shirt. I've been struggling with minimalist pistol belt, or full-MOLLE cumberbun (Like you have). My setup right now is primarily for home defense (upon hearing that a bad guy is in the neighborhood, etc.): holster for Mr. .45 on the right side, a drop pouch on the left side full of extra shells for the Benelli M2. Worst-case scenario: An army of drug crazed, starving maniacs attacking the perimeter all at once, where I have to shoot and scoot. Plate carrier would probably apply in that case, since I wouldn't have time to get into the prone. The full cumberbun makes sense, If I have to gear-up and patrol the neighborhood, post collapse (wouldn't want the plate carrier in that case). Having a good H-harness stored makes sense as well. BTW, absolutely LOVE the range-estimating ranger card you have. Gotta get one of those.
You can use a ruck with belt. I was in from 86-94, and used the ALICE system belt kit. You could use a large ALICE ruck with the frame on the belt kit. It rode a little high, but a quick adjustment on the H harness straps up or down made it work just fine. As always, your mileage may vary. One of my units was pretty liberal with gear, so I mixed and matched pouches and other stuff. Also, I had the pouches pushed back so that they didn't drag when low crawling. The chest rigs are great until you have to get low. I see some guys with so much stuff on a chest rig that it's impossible to go prone and do anything. As a civilian, I like Chicom rigs for most of the ammo, and a belt rig for everything else. That way, a ruck (to include all backpacks) is comfort items and maybe more ammo.
Oh yeah. Walked all over Bridgeport in '87, with Belt kit and Alice Mountain ruck with waist belt. Good Times. In my old age, i find i need a speed mag. I use a double HSGI with shock cord retention.
Agree Americans dont do belt kits, Britts do it very well and it seems in Ukraine its becoming the way with a plate carrier. I joined the Army in 1990 Alice gear was very lacking and I was always envious of British PLCE webbing and Israeli kit.
I was in at the end of the ALICE era. I'm not going to be surprised if the US forces move back in this direction. I already see a lot of the competition shooters going this way, with or without plate carriers. You could save some space in your misc. pouch by switching to one of Battle Systems marker panels, which pack down super tiny. We used to lash a poncho liner on top of the butt pack when things got chilly. These days, I would get one of Helikon Tex's Swagman Rolls instead.
Brit here. We tend to treat the rations and cooking kit on the belt as an emergency stash. You don't go near it unless you get separated from your daysack/bergen, so you've always got the full 24 hours of kit on your body. 6 mags, 2 HE, 1 RP, 2 water bottles, metal mug, med pouch, 24hrs stripped rations, tissue paper, cylumes, pen flares, lighter, cooker & fuel, spoon, torch, knife, multitool, monocular, IR strobe, weapon cleaning kit & oil, ear defence. PRR & GPS on the chest/yoke. I could get dumped in the middle of nowhere with this and my weapon, and know I could live and fight for at least a day.
That’s what I was trying to accomplish with this kit, I think it turned out pretty well
@TheGruntPerspective Yea, it's a decent set up. Good effort, especially as you're coming from an organisation that doesn't have do this as normal, so you don't have colleagues to bounce ideas off.
@Paddyinf, 30 years ago, as a young grunt/SAW(m249) gunner..my personal loadout nearly reflected yours. Guys would see the contents when I’d refit after an exercise and wonder why I’d carry all that. My reply was comparable to yours. I was a firm believer in having enough for 24-48 hours solo if need be. Whether separated from my unit or laying up in an LP/OP. It came into play in the Sinai on Peacekeeper status. Gypos needed watching and my buddy and I got selected to go observe for a few days. When we got back, my buddy set his loadout to mirror mine. He learned.
Very nice
6 mags only, seams very light. Feels like it's not enough, I guess depending on the platform you're using it might be plenty.
Belt kit is the future. The GWOT was a road-trip with brief periods of violence, the next conflict is likely gonna be a camping trip with brief periods of extreme violence.
Well said
Based. Modern wars were all fought with belt kit. Old school field craft works amazingly well nowadays, and probably will work for quite a while.Its just how people are supposed to fight.
"Babe, wake up- the new GruntPerspective video just dropped."
Thanks for watching!
@First_name_youtube_doesnt_like Thanks for the quality content! It helps me to be less ate-up.
@@TheGruntPerspective hey I’m a 19D Dismount I was wondering if you have any tips on plate Carriers and equipment
@@jamardornevil3921 keep an eye out tomorrow, dropping a video on that exact topic
Finally, a real grunts belt setup! Everyone in the infantry these days are doing raid type of loadouts. As if everyone was a Ranger or Force Recon. Our job as big infantry is to stay out for extremely long periods of time with minimum support. Not 2-8 hour long missions, Raids, HVT type of shit to have the bare minimum high speed kit. Our load-out is supposed to be bulky, & it’s supposed to be heavy. It’s good to see fellow grunts with the correct mindset.
Exactly! Most guys watch how SF operators build their kit and make something similar. Then, they only test it at the range and think it's good. They don't realize though that shooting your gun is only 1% of what you do in the military/ militia. You have to survive starvation, dehydration and the elements first. Let alone hygiene, nobody wants to die from swampy ass.
Thanks for watching!
As a Brit, it's good to see you guys rediscovering proper belt kit.
Yeah I hope it catches on again
First gulf through Somalia until OIF we wore H harness. I loved the butt pack and the kit worked great. I wore mine through ops in Mogadishu and multiple deployments. I transitioned to chest rig made by our riggers for oif. They serve their place and worked great in urban but when we took incoming it sucked. Also the weight wasn’t distributed well with all the weight on the front. H harness was excellent. We wore them lower to clear the large Alice ruck and to clear the parachute harness etc. also to eliminate the rub caused by the metal adjustments we removed and used 550 cord. Great video. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
With a belt kit… if you’re prone and want to cut the buttons off your blouse so you can get lower into the dirt to avoid incoming rounds… you can always unbuckle the belt and flop your magazines to the left and right of your prone body/body armor/SAPI Plates. When the magazines are directly attached to your plate carrier or body armor… you’re f***ed.
Old Marine here. In response to your comment, I built a belt rig in the '70s that I later used in SWAT. I had a friend who did boot repair who sewed what I wanted. GI pistol belt with H-harness and ALICE gear (modified clips to nylon cable binders...also used for handcuffs). Set up for M16A1 (with cleaning kit in butt), custom 1911A1 in GI holster with 4 mags, two ALICE M16 mag pouches with 6 GI mags, Leatherman tool (when they came out), one pair of metal handcuffs in GI pouch, Marine Jungle first aid kit (improved), USAF survival knife (sharp), one stainless steel canteen and cup, a butt pack, radio pouch taped to left rear H Strap. Some gear was layered in customized pouches on straps. In the pack was small mission/admin gear plus one plastic canteen, fire kit, flashlights, GI poncho, one meal plus (started with a C-Rat), energy bars. One GI compass in left shirt pocket, map for area in large baggy inside utility jacket. Two flashbang grenades in thigh pockets. Like you, I kept stuff out to the hips so I could get close to the ground. I had a poncho size section of homemade camo net in a pouch to fasten to harness riser as needed. It served well over the years and modified as time went on. It awaits action in the garage along with a gear packed medium ALICE ruck. We later went to gear vests but I preferred the battle belt. When I started, we did not have vest. We later went to the IIIA protective vest so the lesson plans emphasized COVER. All the hard stuff came later. So, yes some vets did gear up after service. A lot of the gear we were issued in VN was circa 1945. We made do and continued to improvise. Once learned we continue to march within mission needs and parameters, right? You kit looks great. Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for watching, semper Fi!
I'm an old school Marine who was issued a belt back in the 80's, so I always stuck to it since.
The order of march I was trained on ( circa ) 1970s as a teen in Floridian wilderness and 80s through the early 90s was, You live and sustain youself from your ruck. ( ALICE ) pack, you fight and survive from your waist, ( Webbing ) or 782 gear, and you survive out of your pockets.
Just another old 0311. " Semper Fi!" B. 1/3.
Thanks for watching!
I was recon (11B) with the 82nd Airborne late 80's early 90's. Our belt kits with H straps were super comfortable (plenty of ventilation) and hella practical. I always had an extra ammo pouch I used as a admin/utility pouch (I was RTO), as well as a Vietnam Era butt pack. Those things were gold. I could live for several days just what was on my LBE. I had a whole hooch system in my buttpack along with food. Granted, any longer in the field one needs a rucksack. I always had my ruck (large ALICE) since I was RTO anyway.
Thanks for watching!
Ah yes, only us old timers appreciate the value of a butt pack.
Awesome!
Your emergency weapon maintenance kit is basically what we'd keep in the buttstock of our M16A1s; it's a shame that got lost when we moved to M4s with collapsible stocks.
Your belt kit is essentially what we wore as ALICE LBE, just with more modern materials and design - and much more and better medical.
I really like the form factor of the Platatac/Decor water bottles. Wide mouth is easier to fill, drink from, and clean; and the squared off shape saves space along the belt line and fits snugly with other pouches. I use them in my issued canteen/utility pouches - fit great.
A lot of changes since I first entered service back in the early 80s; reaching mandatory retirement age now.
This is great series - I really appreciate the time, thought, and effort you put into sharing this knowledge.
Thanks for watching!
@@chipoc4917 When you retire please get involved with Civil Air Patrol. Cadets do a lot of SAR and need your expertise.
As a Marine scout in an LAV BN I carried an ALICE pistol belt with desert shoulder straps in the mid 2000’s (x3 combat deployments to Iraq including the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003). I could throw it on whenever I needed additional capabilities. It had my two canteens, canteen carriers, canteen cup, canteen cup stand, matches, speed loader, water purification, IFAK (in addition to items on my person), Utility knife, weapons maintenance equipment, possibly poncho and liner, additional ammunition. My normal gear as an infantryman in an LAV BN just had my body armor with attached ammunition (6 magazines, M203 grenades x10 HE and misc smoke and star clusters, x4 m67 fragmentation grenades). A camel back could be used. Being “Popped up” in a scout hatch requires a “slick” load out which was as stated just ammunition and flack and kevelar. My “belt kit” was slung by my vehicle scout hatch so I could still access if it while the vehicle was moving or don it if needed once dismounted. It was modular enough that I could easily and quickly transfer my rifle ammunition and frags from my body armor onto the webbing if we were doing a dismounted patrol or raid where I needed to be wearing the water and IFAK etc. Any additional capabilities like explosives, trip flares, claymore mines, belt fed ammunition, water, etc gets carried in some kind of small assault pack or ruck sack that can be donned as needed.
Thanks for watching!
I was a US Army soldier during the Cold War. The LBE setup (pistol belt w/ suspenders) is a fighting setup. It's ammo/first aid/water/compass/pistol holster. The rest goes in your ruck. When you get into battle you ground your ruck. You can add the butt pack to the LBE add a cleaning kit, extra ammo and an MRE, or you can attach the butt pack to your ruck.
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I totally agree. I too was a U.S. Army Infantrymen from 1981-85. All you need was ammo as much as you can carry and water maybe a MRE broke down in your cargo pockets. The rest in the ruck. We were trained by Vietnam Veterans. 🇺🇸
Solid setup. Thank you for this, as a civilian these really help me out.
Thanks for watching!
Pretty well thought out kit. I do have a few suggestions:
- Reduce redundancies. 2 tq's and IFAK's are great to have. True. Put extras on the outside of your rucksack. The molle systems are so much better to be able to have quick access to your back-up supplies. Every ounce counts just like in ultra-light hiking. I literally had to choose between packing underwear or socks. Obviously chose socks. Been going commando every since then. We never went on mission without our rucks. They are staged at the ORP or designated RP prior to.
-Booboo kit (including antibiotic ointment, mole skin, and foot powder). I cant tell you how many times i have fallen into a thorn bush on a night movement.
-Beef up the personal hygiene kit. travel sized everything works. Brushing your teeth seems like something silly, but it feels AMAZING after eating dirt and cold MRE's for a couple of days. Having a decent supply of wet-wipes is also never a bad thing.
- wrap a woobie up in the poncho and put it in a waterproof bag. The two combined make a pretty effective sleeping bag. Woobie must be cherished at all times. Woobie is king.
- Bring an extra emergency blanket. Not the crinkly mylar type. Have it relatively easy to get to. Combine it with the woobie and poncho when it gets super-cold and you will be relatively comfortable.
- Find/make a ~3-5 inch belt extender. In the event that you are prone for extended periods, it will become uncomfortable. The extender will allow you to get a bit more comfortable but you wont have your belt unsecured if you need to move quickly out of the prone. Plus it helps on long rucks to get some air behind the belt.
- Rig the knife between a pouch and the belt. Preferably on your side. Try to rig it with a cant forward if you can so it doesnt jab you in the ribs. Having it on a drop holster seems like it should work at first, but it will be very difficult to get to quickly with gloves in the dark and you desperately need to open a surprise MRE.
All in all, you did very well considering a lot of it was learned from research. it is crazy how gear/loadouts is coming full circle. We used to have to modify and jerry-rig these set-ups. You really can learn to live off of your rig through trial and error.
Thanks for the comment! Just to be clear, I wear this with a large rucksack as well. This is just my fighting kit.
One of the best, if not THE best, videos on the topic. Cheers,
Thanks for watching!
I love the Tactical Tailor Universal Mag Pouch. I'm a sucker for universal kit and those pouches are FANTASTIC.
The cinch cord there can be used to make that mag pouch hold between 1 and 3 AR mags; they're big enough to hold 2 M1A mags; they could hold AK mags. They can hold smoke; cinched down could be an improvised holster or hold a holster for a pistol; they can hold a stripped down IFAK; a radio; the uses go on.
My belt kit has 2x UMPs for mags, 2x UMPS for other stuff; 2x GP / Canteen pouches for canteens; and 2x GP / Canteen pouches for sustainment. All of those pouches are extremely versatile and flexible to be adapted for METT-TC.
I love your channel, I just found it while looking for TAP mods. You earned my sub!
Thanks for the support!
Theyre huge in the Australian army still. We take belt kits and only put saw or minimi pouches around it and you can carry loads. All these people with their slick plate carriers and 3 mags.... good luck to you, youll be dry in seconds.
A SAW/MINIMI pouch will hold 2 of those water bottles you have perfectly. Also a chest rig that may intrest you which is Australian made and i know a lot of americans and British run is the Platatac Peacekeeper. I rly like the peackeeper jungle because its a split front design so i can open it if im hot, and theres mesh in the bottoms of the pouches to allow water to easily get out.
Thanks for watching!
18:10 Bandolier gang... Always good to hear that practical advice that is so rare these days. Just saw bandoliers extensively in movie Platoon again just recently.. lessons learned!
Big bandolier guy here
Welcome to the belt kit clan,us Brits have been running them for ever..
Late to the party I know, thanks for watching!
“It’s just a dummy grenade, don’t call the cops.” Lmao 🤣🤣🤣
Well done video. Semper Fi brother. USMC 83-89.
Thanks for watching!
I enjoyed this video. I liked that you started with the philosophy of the belt kit and what you would have on it/in it instead of just diving into, “this is what I carry”. I too, like the separation or compartmentalization of going with a belt kit with the addition of a small ruck or a ruck that would ride higher so as not to impede on your range of motion or load distribution with the belt kit. It seems to me to be more practical running a setup like this with a small ruck than carrying a large ruck with just about everything in it and then having minimal belt kit. Even maximizing a chest rig doesn’t give you the same capability as a well equipped belt with a micro chest rig and a pack. Certainly militia man advantageous where you might not have a large team or you might not have resupply, need to drop your ruck to fight but might want atleast a little sustainment in case you are permanently separated from your ruck because you lost your position or insert multitude of reasons here.
It seems like a lot, to be sure, but it makes more sense when you consider the context, especially from a civilian or minuteman perspective rather than the infinite resources and logistics of a modern military perspective. This is a foot soldier stand alone setup, not a riding in a vehicle to whatever objective, getting out and rucking a couple miles to an OP and then leave whenever, or if engaged by ECs, disengage or retreat under cover of mortar support or air support type deals. This setup makes sense to someone on foot, in the forest or hills, in the swamps or plains, without resupply, without support, to use in conjunction with another micro rig for fighting support and a small ruck for sustainment, mission essentials and some cold weather gear.
That’s my opinion. Good video, nice setup, keep up the good work! Subscribed.
Thanks for watching! I’ve got lots of other videos in this same context!
1st- watch the Movie Platoon again specifically the Sgt Alias scene.
2nd talk to the old school JRTC Opfor Vets(pre- 9/11) they Mastered the LBV and Jungle Rig. We would live in the "Box" for 20+ days with just the LBV and a Blackhawk Patrol pack + 2 82mm Mortar rounds.
The LBV needs to be light and ONLY combat essentials. Ammo, Piro, Water, Calories, compass and minimal admin items. Keep in mind we also parachute with our LBVs.
The biggest tool we used is "field craft"
If your comfortable in a Hide your carrying to much and you won't be able to move quietly and over long distance.
3rd look at how LRRPS sets up gear. Modern and Old school(BDU era).
To give you an idea, my LBV was 14lbs with water and 6 mags (1 mag in M4).
I will admit that since making this video I’ve taken a lot of stuff out. Like I said in the video I don’t have a lot of experience with belt kit and kinda went off the rails. Thanks for the input
81mm 🪖
Would you ever consider doing a video on clothing and what you have on person? I know might be a minor topic, but its always interesting to see the infantry perspective on uniforms.
Perhaps 🤔
Can’t wait for your video regarding the pack you use in conjunction with this!
I’ll be filming it as soon as I have time to!
U.S. Army Infantryman 1980-83, issued Alice LBE and nothing beats a belt and suspenders. You are on the right track there you devil dog, Drive On!
The decision by the headshed to move away from LBE was just stupid in my opinion.
I really enjoing the content of your channel. Polish UKM gunner here. From my experience - The Matilda Pack from Helikon Tex works great with belt kit and plate carrier... at least for me.
Thanks for watching!
dude could you make a UKM gunner loadout video?
@@pootytang2872 I cannot becouse I don't make videos but I use mostly direct action and helikon tex gear. From mechanized infantry perspective never use buttpack(you sit a lot in the IFV so it's uncomfortable)... My combo at that moment is Warwick zip front chestrig(with sniper pannel zipped in the middle so it's like a split rig). You can place up to 4 GP pouches for ammo belts or(like me) 2 GP pouches more towards front and 2 100round box poches more towards rear. For a plate carrier I use spitfire MK1 without a plackart... but any other slick plate carrier will do. For a ruck - Matilda from Helikon Tex.
@@davookr1830 ahh ok i can see it in my mind now that you mentioned the gear. i forgot the UKM uses 762nato, small cardboard boxes and not the huge metal lunchbox for the PKM 54r rounds
@@pootytang2872 you still can use metal lunchboxes(ukm and pkm use the same hooking method) but never variants are issued with cordura "nutsacks"... but still... there are few companies(MIWO for example) in Poland that make pouches for metal 100rounds boxes - they take only 3 rows of pals/molle but are a bit taller than MAG/240 pouches.
Running brit belt kit, love it.. all weight on hips and slick plate carrier
I was a cav scout though the '80s into the '90s. While we were mech, when you are scouting off of a jeep, and later a M113, you do a LOT of walking.
We obviously used the ALICE gear back then, I had a mix of the Vietnam and Korea era gear (example, the older H harness was a lot better than the later Y harness for the LBE...).
Looking at the GWOT, it seems like everyone wanted to gear up like the direct action guys, regardless of their actual mission. Some of these setups tell me that people have forgotten the importance of being able to do things like low crawl. It would appear we've also forgotten a bit of how to fight in places like a jungle. You can choose to wear body armor, but you'll quickly be a heat casualty.
Thanks for watching!
Looks great. We should collectively lobby platatac to come out with nesting cup, lid, stove for their square canteens. The prepared pathfinder channel is a great resource for Brit belt kit and layering system. He'd probably tell you you are missing a long handle spork with lighter taped to it 😂
Ah yes! Thanks for watching!
“Fu*k it, I’m not gonna drink water”. Your doing good work Marine. Thank you.
Back in the olden days, when the world was young and my knees didn't hurt. We were taught live out your bergan, fight out your belt order and survive out your pockets. we planned on 24 hrs from belt order, but if you look up the RM in the Falklands back in 82 they used bungees to attach more kit and push the time frame out further.
It’s a very good system, I wish the American military would consider it
Marine Corps 1999-2003. We called the kit deuce gear and it was all we knew. It worked well within the confines of unit SOP. We had jungle warfare mentality, just getting to think about desert ops. I would love to talk with you about your kit and some insight that can help you. I have my original kit, and a more modern version that fills some gaps with the older gear. Problems have to do with adding armor and packs. We wore all three at once, and then slung equipment and rifles. I was an 81mm mortarman and carried all kinds of crap on top of the basic loadout. I like your shoulder straps, the thinner wider material is best. I think the FLC vest had the best straps, but I hated the vest itself. The deuce gear worked great by itself. Add a pack and there are issues with a large alice-which is what we had. The kidney pad gets in the way of the butt pack, so you have to drop the belt down to the hip. It worked, kinda, but on a long hump, the buckles wore holes in your back. We wore IBA interceptor body armor and that was an awkward fit but we made it work.
Thank you for making this video. I have tried both chest rigs and belt kits for several years now, and eventually chose the belt kit as my default kit. Your video gave me a lot of ideas on how to further improve my own belt kit setup.
Belt kits might be out of fashion for a lot of people, but I think that it is a good choice, especially in a desert or a jungle environment. As you have mentioned, it allows your body to cool down faster. On those very rare times that I had some sort of heat injury, it has always been while wearing a chest rig. The other advantage is that belt kits allow you to assume a lower prone position, compared to a chest rig.
As for the range card, you might also want to look at a similar product called a Wndsn telemeter.
Thanks for watching!
You're definitely on the right path with putting your belt kit together! Its always good to see when it clicks with folks in how to actually use it! Good job!
Thanks for watching!
The artic tech gear is insane, his website & craftsmanship is insane
Extremely high quality. Absolutely no durability issues yet as well
I look to be making similar quality gear soon, just gotta work out the kinks with this laser cutter 😂
@@stanquire343 when you get it up and running, I’ll probably buy something from you
10-4 bubba
the mag reindexing part where you replace the spents in the back of the stack actually is 100% the move, i did it when i went to milsim west and when i was using half spent mags of airsoft bbs i was confident i had a good mag at the front because i did the reindexing empties in the rear
Good trash
Been a bandolier fan for a long time. The old 3 cell 6 mag ones are slept on. Love them!
I fucking love those things, work good for those med mags too!
Once again a perfectly timed release for equipment Ive been looking into. Thank you for the content!
Thanks for watching!
FYI you can add a micro rig over top of these pretty easy helping to add to or relocate come combat load and make room for more sustainment stuff.. I’m pairing this with a fight light mk4 with double mag in front.. plus the side wings for up to 8 additional mags.. or the ability to move mags to chest and use thr 100rnd saw pouches as gp
Using a drop leg medical and universal old school gi type drop holster.. it actually works reall really well!
You can fit 4 mags in a 100rnd saw pouch.. they just go in sideways.. which is just a training issue for reloading non indexed mags..
Also fyi the Rothco reproduction gi packs 1 are nylon no canvis so they are water repellent and they have a cinch cord inside on the skirt which they all should have really cause they are designed to over pack upwards and expand to almost 2x the size and the lid will still cover it all.. old school version of expandable pouch on a pack lol..
My setup is pretty similar overall but quite different still.. in fact when I get home I’ll have to compare this to mine but I think I have more sustainment carrying then this while still have 4 extra mags and I’m only loading 3 into each of my 100rnd pouches.. I’m running the condor rounded canteen pouches which take up a ton less room cause if the shape.. I also only needed two rows for the field pack this way cause the round shape with side molle the outer edges of the pack actually molle to the side of the canteens.. sounds wonky but it works.. I only have a 30” waist so I had to find ways to conserve as many columns of molle as I could.
Really glad I found this fellow crayon-eater's channel. Very based takes. I've been wanting to put together a solid belt kit for quite some time now and this looks almost exactly how I've envisioned it. Getting pretty tired of all the IG fads of micro-rigs and other nonsense based off of very niche units and TTPs (No Todd, your 3 mags aren't enough for a patrol or "rEcCE"). People seem to not understand that these very sleek and light rigs being pushed by former SOF guys who had very specific mission sets, and billions of dollars' worth of ISR platforms and support/intelligence personnel letting them know about almost every threat in the area and supporting their teams.
The average infantryman/prepared-citizen is not going to get that level of support and training. "SOF are not a silver bullet", and "[they] can't win wars by themselves". They are a scalpel, infantry is the hammer. Be the hammer.
I like that, be the hammer, thanks for watching!
Guys in Ukraine are starting to use similar belt kits in conjunction with a slick or lightly-loaded PC (for say 3 additional mags). The belt kit isn't dead at all. These guys are blowing through a lot of ammo defending or assaulting trenches so they need the extra real estate.
Yaaa. You see a lot of quite substantially loaded war belts now with, essentially, suspenders (shoulder straps?). Makes perfect sense.
Hey man!
To explain the ammomaxxing from a civilian's perspective concerning belt kits.
You have to remember that our capabilities are drastically reduced. We do not have fire support, we (generally) do not have SAW gunners, we (generally) do not have high speed medevac. We are generally small in number, and in the few situations where we would have to go out into the field and use our rifles, that would mean our small groups would have to be punching significantly above our weight class. Contending with potentially larger forces means that each of our guys must do more and produce more fire power.
Of course, we try to do that also with changing to unconventional tactics that will maximize our effect as a small force and turn an enemy's large size as a burden against them. But that only goes so far and does often require the small unit to be internally self-sustaining.
Additionally to address another point - you CAN use a big ruck with belt kit but you have to be smart about it. ALICE packs work generally well as the frame kidney pads work basically as a shelf that can sit on the butt pack like a shelf. I know a buddy who does this with his mystery ranch, however you do not put the pack's hip belt around your waist. Instead, he synches them down and tucks the buckles under the kidney pad, which basically just gives the kidney pad extra padding from the folded waist belt which allows it to rest on the butt pack all the more.
The weight from the ruck effectively transfers to the waist belt of the belt kit, instead of the ruck's own belt.
For more info on this method, check out Sam Culpepper on instagram or listen to his podcast the Culpepper Chronicles on spotify, he goes into it in great detail. He uses the Velocity Systems jungle kit and a big crossfire ruck.
Thanks for the insight! And thanks for watching!
I’ve been listening to the culpepper chronicles for a while now, and his Instagram page. All good stuff, definitely one of the guys that influenced me to make this channel.
Solid setup! I have built something similar. As you said, key for understanding the belt kit is 24h sustainment.
Thanks for watching!
Army also. Good video. As other comments have gone....most of my instructors were Nam veterans. You un buckle your belt to wear the ruck belt. We patrolled with the belt unbuckled a lot. Semper Fi young man.
Thanks for watching! Semper Fi
Another banger of a video. I've been enjoying the resurgence of Belt Kit. The methodology and use of it is definitely a lost art. I've been using my belt kit for about 3 years, and we more or less have the same setup down to some of the same pouches.
Thanks for watching!
Good video! Belt kit is king for dismounted patrol. I still use a small ish assault pack for colder temps and extra water in addition to my Jay Jays setup but it’s a sound methodology, especially for an armed citizen. I can dump my ruck, grab my assault bag and probably extend my stay out for 48hrs if i can acquire water.
Recently started making my own gear. I've been thinking about making a suspended belt setup like this with the ability to snap in a chest rig when needed. Definitely a solid setup. Semper Fi
Thanks for watching!
I’ve been trying to build this type of set up after I saw your battle belt video. This is pretty much what I’ve been looking for. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
The belt kit is the most important skill and equipment infantryman needs. It makes your life a whole lot easier doing a patrol learned all about Bill kits when I did jungle training in Hawaii and Panama. Especially you have a plate carrier made your life easy gets rid of the assault pack fun fact, the best rations I like to put in there are the millennial bars which is about 400 to 600 cal a bar different flavors so I can make this a 24+ pack for sustenance. You probably check out the Vietnam LRRP if you did not, you should check it out. My dad was one too. When I ask him for a good kit set up, he gave me a tremendous amount of information
Nice setup. We’re back to LBEs. That is what pretty much ever service member wore before 2002.
Belt kit combined with a short pack is great for hot weather. I also keep a micro rig for a few extra mags and medical stuff I can throw on as well.
I’ve seen lots of people that do that as well! I’ve been looking at the Hill People gear kit bags
Fantastic video, I’ve been working on mine myself i have a HPG prairie belt and a USMC gun belt and I’m experimenting with which one i like better. Thanks for this.
Thanks for watching!
I started off with a H-harness belt for a "minute man/bunp in the night/honestead" kit, found it worked well for patrols too with some tweaking. I found some mag pouches that have a buckle and velcro that work well for cover and retention, only hold 2 mags each though so they might no work for you. I found 2 mags deep plus the belts padding was about as much as I could get away with before major snag issues.
I imagine you're combining it with a patrol size bag too, so having some extra mags in/on that wouldn't be too hard to bump that up to 8 and still have pretty easy access.
Thanks for watching!
Channels like Corporals Corner and Brent 3301 (both Marines) are believers in the belt.
Oh yeah I’m subscribed to both of them, have been for years now
@TheGruntPerspective another good channel is from Andrew, ranger survival and feild craft. But he uses the taps system
@@andresvalentinesantos8746 subscribed to him too!
I think maturing is realizing that a belt kit is actually really neat. The british f.ex. have a really great set up for infantry.
@@kniter let's see Paul Allen's belt loadout
I absolutely love belt kits and buttpacks. I was issued all molle equipment and I immediately went to the surplus store nearby and bought Alice LBE. Your kit reminds me of the old LBT/blackhawk rifleman kit. I absolutely love the concept and still use it today and I’ve been out for 9 years.
It works amazingly well
Great video man. Coming from another Infantryman, the argument for fastex buckles on a setup like this, if you are conducting a jungle/ woodland movement or just have to bust brush, the fastex buckles will better prevent "robber vines" or "gimme sticks" from stealing your shit. A major plus on the velocity/mayflower jungle gear, it has zero water retention. Jungle belts get heavy real quick when they get wet, depending on material.
It's great to see an infantryman carry a knife that's actually useful for sustainment rather than a super cool looking one that's marketed for "knife fighting". If you get an opportunity, try to attend one of ESEE's survival schools, outstanding courses of instruction. Again great video, Bro.
Thanks for watching!
Welcome to the true infantry. The wearers of the brown leather personnel carriers. Where there is no walking on roads or paths.
Good design on your belt kit. Enjoyed it very much.
Thanks for watching!
Take this for what it’s worth… The only place I’ve found to keep my map and note book is in my cargo pocket too. Peanut butter pouches are also excellent emergency food. If you carry a sailmaker’s needle you can use the inner core of 550 cord to repair gear. Signal mirrors are an underrated piece of kit. Air assets can’t see the kind of strobes we usually carry with their pods, but if it’s daylight you can get visual with a mirror.
Thanks for watching!
Army Infantry myself.
Finding it interesting how many of us priors are going back to load bearing equipment (I’m using ALICE with other pouches that work) as it becomes apparent the vehicle born combat we’re used to isn’t going to be viable for what may or may not happen in the not so distant future.
Agree with all of it, good ventilation, weight distribution and overall more comfortable. Got 9 mags on now and if one needs more then slapping a chest rig on would quickly remedy that.
Ain’t gonna be running around mountains and forests with 30lbs-50lbs of armor along with everything else lol
Thanks for watching!
I served 18 years in the ADF and I found wearing a set of webbing was heaps better than wearing a chest rig, I found the chest rigs to hot and annoying to get to most things, I ran a set of webbing with a camelbak for extra water 👍🏻🇦🇺
I absolutely loved it. I’ll definitely do it again
Thank you for your service! And taking the time to make great video of breaking down your loadout.
Thanks for watching!
Alice pack with the original kidney pad fits right over a good Alice Belt kit, including its butt pack, 2 canteens, 2 magazine pouches, knife on the left, IFAK, compass in pouch. Can add a radio pouch if you want and a pistol if you want. LBE Y (or H) suspenders. Classic Vietnam 782 (Deuce Gear) setup. Don't hang stuff on the shoulder straps, it will get in the way when you don the pack. The older Alice ammo pouches only have the buckle, which I prefer.
Thanks for watching!
@@TheGruntPerspective Thanks for the video! Nice job.
I like your belt set up man.
I went in that route at first and thought it out and decided to mitigate and distribute the gear with a mid to light chest rig for main rifle mags and couple items that filter water and a small blow out kit and some minimal survival needs and I do love some 782 belt gear like a small but pack with pistol mags and canteen w cup and the stove a larger blow out kit some lite dehydrated meals , snacks ,knife ,poncho, head lamp, signaling, another sawyer mini, and water bags with water purification
Socks
Knife.
And fire kit
i did go to the UK belt 3 pouch to replace the butt pack. its' design was first a high back h harnass pack still have my h harness kit. back in my day 550 was HARD to get unless you were in a jump billet.
Saw the stories on your IG. Was excited for this one!
Thanks for watching!
Like you I never was taught about the joys of the belt kit until recently. I have always like how the British plce looked. And wanted some more comfort while rucking with my kit for exercise. So I built a mismatched belt kit from an old construction H harness with a condor belt, and a whole range of saw, mag, H2O and other pouches. I like it for a property QRF setup and if I want to slip on my armor I can right over my H harness. Still have my 5c's of survival, calories, ammo, illumination, medical etc to support me for 24 hours.
Thanks for watching!
Crossfire packs work well with beltkits, since you can adjust them to either be short back or long back
I'm so glad my thoughts on kit are finally like out there, I've been preaching LBE on top because you can do so much with it, didn't know it was this popular and modernized, I've been using Alice lbe kits for years before I recently moved to modern chest rigs/pc's to see what the hype is, but I think belt kits are really nice and I'm really glad you made this vid
The lore about the velcro giving away your position/reloading is the same lore that said GIs would be shot when the Germans heard the 'ping' of an empty Garand clip. Is it any coincidence that your rifle kit for removing a stuck cartridge from your M4 can also be used as a surrender signal?
Something I found as a civilian running a belt kit, instead of wearing it at the waist line like a range belt, battle belt or trouser belt, wear it higher up by your navel. It helps with that leg movement, and it lets you access your trouser pockets again.
(I’m also 6’6” and mostly torso so some things may be different if you’re 5’1” and all legs)
Yeah I’m 6’2” and I’ve actually found it more comfortable for me at my waist instead of higher
Thanks for watching!
Love your channel! Just wish you would put the products you use and trust in your description and where you purchase the items or if you have Amazon affiliate link.
This gives me some inspiration for my belt. I'm using a smersh rig since my primary is an ak. I didn't think about the canteen sag until you mentioned it. Being in the south I have taken a lot of clothing and gear notes from what the troops in Vietnam had.
Thanks for watching!
That butt pack had so much stuff, I can’t believe you kept going!
I think this pack set up lends itself to lugging a smaller back pack or even a small chest rig. I really liked your choice of things to pack too, it helped give me a few ideas to change in my current belt. Thanks man.
Thanks for watching!
great stuff man. Thanks for taking the time to share.
@@mrruthless6913 thanks for watching!
as a prepper I had the same issue and Upon some researching I determined that you layer yr gear according to what yr walking into. On my ruck I will carry my static supplies. on my chest rig I'd wear ammo water IFak and other sustainment gear. on my belt I carry a slick back with fighting gear on my belt. 210 rds rifle 60 rds pistol knife ifak and water.
Thanks for watching!
This used to be called web gear. We started calling it that in the 1960s70s80s so on.
A belt set up with a good set of or suspenders.
So for me web gear. I still rock it have since the 80s.
I just updated my gear this yr from the 1970 web gear to the bigger padded belt. The one I picked is the padded airforce ABU patern(because everything tigerstipe is cool )belt with the heavy 2 inch stiff construction (SEA BEES) battalion and a very basic y suspenders/Y harness.
I left room for a buttpack. I run two 3 magazines pouches 1 universal pouch a canteen pouch a multi tool pouch and 2 marine quick draw pouches.
ALL pouches are ABU tigerstipe with the 2 marine quick draw and CBs belt in coyote tan.
If I run a pistol it's in a U.S. drop leg in foliage green with 2 mags also on it.
O and I just ordered a marine molly adapter to hang my k-BAR From the molly webbing.
I enjoyed your view on the battle belt.
Thanks for sharing ❤
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Just watched your pc video last night. Woke up to this so thats pretty cool. Appreciate the fighting sustainment.
Thanks for watching!
Awesome. Yes, the USMC must absolutely move in this direction. Fortunately the MLR concept has already shown some openness to it. This video will likely become one of the go to references for our guys as we continue down this path...
I hope so! Thanks for watching!
Just used the issued gear pistol belt and shoulder straps , 2 ammo pouches 2 1qt canteens with cups and covers, and first aid /compass pouch . Field artillery 1977 to 1983 Infantry 1983 to 1992. We also humped the overstuffed alice pack with crappy CSM packing list just for weight.
CSM must be stopped
Orc reporting in, i put 4x2 mag pouches 2 grenades poushes, mag dump pouch, med kit (2-nd echelon), and small 7-liters ratnic assault pack..
Thanks for watching!
@@TheGruntPerspective your channel deserves far more subscribers.
Been thinking of building a belt kit for awhile now. I have the shit laying around but idk what i want yet. This is an excellent reference point fasho!
Thanks for watching!
I’m not gonna give you crap about your field knife. The most important piece of equipment is your multi tool. I did the same thing as well. We’re all the same brother overall I really do enjoy your videos. This is a good video. That is the best gift you could give to this country and to fellow, Newcom war fighters the gift knowledge. I’m definitely going to support your patron. You’re doing an excellent job. You remind me of Grantham, he is actually my friend believer or not keep it up.
Forgot to mention on ambush mission....hasty or otherwise some guys used a chicom chest rig under lbe belt rig. Some used mag bandoleer instead. Ammunition for the stroll home, if not used in a direct action mission. RLTW.
Good point!
Nice video. I grew up on Alice gear until we got issued the LBV88. Which was pretty useless to me as a SAW gunner. Transitioning to Molle and plate carriers was a big change. That was definitely in concert with being in more vehicle borne operations. Now that I’m retired, and not looking to get in a gunfight, simple patrolling is better suited to belt kit. I’m just finishing up sewing pouches for my own PLCE style Brit belt kit. You can easily sustain yourself for 24 hours with just that. I have managed to get some British bergens (NI patrol pack and a short back ruck) they pair seamlessly with this style kit. I’m think about trying to mod one of my medium Alice packs with an internal frame to use with it. Another great video!
Thanks for watching!
One of my sergeants was a salty 0351 who would still wear his ALICE war belt kit, even though it didn't really work well with the Interceptor vest. I used it in Recruit Training, but it was the GWOT and we didn't really use load bearing gear in the Fleet because everything was attached to our flaks.
Was that Sgt me? I served in 1st LAR. I was trained as a 52 but retrained at the 1st Marine Div Schools to deploy as a 0351 because we were leaving behind the AT variant vehicles. Lol. I disagree. It worked great with the interceptor body armor. I used old school magazine pouches even though I was issued MOLLE. Two of them. Each pouch held x3 magazines and x2 M67 Fragmentation grenades and were removed by two ALICE clips. I kept those pouches in roughly the same position 10 and 2 o’clock but they were attached to the belt directly if I was wearing it and directly to the IBA if not. I was a M203 gunner my last two deployments so all my M203 frags were permanently attached to the IBA no matter what in improvised pouches. X2 40 mm HEDP rounds (or smoke) will fit in a standard MOLLE frag pouch since we were never issued the correct MOLLE 203 pouches. So I had 6 filled fragmentation pouches along with two purpose built Blackhawk civilian purchased pouches for longer M203 rounds like star clusters and parachute flares. But in a way that allowed the pistol belt shoulder straps to function if the “war belt” was needed and I wanted to add more capabilities like (full IFAK, canteens, Utility knife, magazine dump pouch, NVG’s, etc).
To me, the main purpose of the belt kit set up wise is make it to where it works for you. That is one strong aspect about it what you put there works for you and it has a lot of common sense.
I really like your water bottles. The ones I carry is the British Army canteen. I really like them because they are large and they can’t wait a kidney cup for it.
Ref. Your knife, as a police officer I always carried a tactical fighting knife on my weak side just in case someone catches you slipping and jumps you, if they go for your gun, you can retain your firearm with your dominant hand and pull the knife out with your weak hand. Same principle goes for the rifle, if someone jumps you and they are trying to take your rifle, you are stronger holding it with your strong hand and can reach for the knife on your weak side.
I used to attach a gerber dagger ( forgot the exact name ) to the side of my radio pouch. Try that maybe attach with tie wraps.
Thanks for watching!
When I was in 1/3 Charlie Ass I used to go in and out on running the Belt, I eventually fell on to running the shoulder straps and dropping the belt under my FLAK. For RECCE/PB Ops I'd switch between unclipping and clipping the belt buckle to rotate weight to and from my shoulder. I'd reccomend getting the older H harness from surplus stores, but I never found a good way to run a belt with a ruck so I threw it ontop of my Main pack during humps
Thanks for watching!
awesome stuff man, im trying to build something out almost just like this. keep up the content man, huge help for guys like me
Thanks for watching!
Coming from a recon plt been thinking about the pros and cons of a belt kit for a while. Having all the shit you end up carrying on a patrol consolidated on your belt seems like a good idea especially in regards to weight distribution. Glad to see someone from our line of work out their thoughts out there most videos I’ve seen have been civilians.
@@ninjafishh22 thanks for watching!
4:37 maybe the mystery ranch SATL old gen could work? its got a belt but its small af and can be tucked away, or the platatac spur
Yeah I’ve been wanting a platatac spur I just don’t want to pay shipping
Always find what the current gen are up to very interesting. Load carrying seems to be a cyclical affair. I was kicking about in the late 80's and early 90's and still had the old 58 pattern webbing. The only observation from your layout I have is the small pouches at the front. I understand the utility but I would load it up and from a run, hit the prone and see how you feel when you hit the ground on top of them. Just a thing I remember from back in the day.
They feel fine! Thanks for watching!
I like it…get yourself an old school woodland raid top and you’ll be lookin and performing like an old timey Salty Dog. Those men knew what they were doing with the web gear. They had vests and chi-com rigs back then but they knew that they aren’t ideal for hot humid climates.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it right?
YES, THANK YOU! I'm Old School Army 11B (101st Air Assault, Alaska), trained in post-Vietnam survivability doctrine (I.e., the prone position, behind cover. We lived in it), early 1980's (also good training from Vietnam Vets). There is NO WAY I'll be caught dead standing around, kneeling around, just because I'm wearing a plate carrier (another example of our society getting dumbed-down in everything: You can't reinvent people shooting at each other with rifles). Not to say that plate carriers don't have their place. The wife and I each have one.
I don't want anything on my chest, except the buttons on my shirt. I've been struggling with minimalist pistol belt, or full-MOLLE cumberbun (Like you have). My setup right now is primarily for home defense (upon hearing that a bad guy is in the neighborhood, etc.): holster for Mr. .45 on the right side, a drop pouch on the left side full of extra shells for the Benelli M2. Worst-case scenario: An army of drug crazed, starving maniacs attacking the perimeter all at once, where I have to shoot and scoot. Plate carrier would probably apply in that case, since I wouldn't have time to get into the prone.
The full cumberbun makes sense, If I have to gear-up and patrol the neighborhood, post collapse (wouldn't want the plate carrier in that case). Having a good H-harness stored makes sense as well.
BTW, absolutely LOVE the range-estimating ranger card you have. Gotta get one of those.
Thanks for watching!
You can use a ruck with belt. I was in from 86-94, and used the ALICE system belt kit. You could use a large ALICE ruck with the frame on the belt kit. It rode a little high, but a quick adjustment on the H harness straps up or down made it work just fine. As always, your mileage may vary. One of my units was pretty liberal with gear, so I mixed and matched pouches and other stuff. Also, I had the pouches pushed back so that they didn't drag when low crawling. The chest rigs are great until you have to get low. I see some guys with so much stuff on a chest rig that it's impossible to go prone and do anything. As a civilian, I like Chicom rigs for most of the ammo, and a belt rig for everything else. That way, a ruck (to include all backpacks) is comfort items and maybe more ammo.
I’ve tried it, it doesn’t seem work well for me.
Oh yeah. Walked all over Bridgeport in '87, with Belt kit and Alice Mountain ruck with waist belt. Good Times.
In my old age, i find i need a speed mag. I use a double HSGI with shock cord retention.
That's fair; everyone has their own preference. Keep making videos. They're excellent.
Agree Americans dont do belt kits, Britts do it very well and it seems in Ukraine its becoming the way with a plate carrier. I joined the Army in 1990 Alice gear was very lacking and I was always envious of British PLCE webbing and Israeli kit.
Thanks for watching! Crazy to see you commenting on my videos, I love you channel and watch it frequently
What did you feel was lacking? Would be cool to see a video on Alice and what you liked/didn’t like and how it stacks up today
I like the woobie Ranger roll adding a cheap harbor freight small cammo one.
I was in at the end of the ALICE era. I'm not going to be surprised if the US forces move back in this direction. I already see a lot of the competition shooters going this way, with or without plate carriers. You could save some space in your misc. pouch by switching to one of Battle Systems marker panels, which pack down super tiny. We used to lash a poncho liner on top of the butt pack when things got chilly. These days, I would get one of Helikon Tex's Swagman Rolls instead.