What's on your belt?

J

joeshredd

Joined
May 8, 2002
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2,254
Specifically, what do you carry on your belt to hold stuff in, and maybe what's in it...

There have been several threads on stuff by Maxpedition and others, and I've tried several styles and brands...

Problem is, I work in an office so I have to consider my attire, the tools I need and how public I'm displaying what I carry... I usually wear a loose Hawiian style shirt untucked, so I don't want a huge bump sticking out from my hips (except maybe for the Guiness bulge I seem to have developed lately!)... tacky... :rolleyes: but I also carry a Gerber Multiplier, Surefire E1E and enough bits to get the average job done...Hence, most pockets for the belt stick out too far...

Until I started thinking about something a little cheaper and lower tech (after all, all those expensive little organizer thingys have zippers and loops and other wonderful things, but they add to cost and size...)

I found a nice triple mag pouch at our local gunshow that has three belt loops, one on the back of each pocket, so I can actually position the pouch around a belt loop - this helps to keep the pouch from shifting back and forth between the loops whenever I undo the belt buckle! And each pocket can hold a huge double-stack mag, so I can carry a bunch of stuff if I want... and since I have now been trying this system for the past month, I find it's been easy to carry and easy to access anything I have in them!

Hope the pic actually illustrates what I mean!
 
I am always searching for the right belt pouch myself. I like the looks of yours. Could you post of pic of what it looks like when it's closed? Also, any idea where I could order one?

I usually have a nylon cell phone holster, EMT/FF pager, and sometimes Swisstool or Leatherman, and sometimes a latex glove pouch with a few extras stuffed into it.

Thanks.
 
I got a case like that with a leatheman wave, a minimaglit and a multibit screwdriver from a place called cases4less.com. They call it a "tool kit' I don't know if they sell the cases separately.
 
LOL!!!!! I shoulda known y'all would want more!!! :p

Sorry, I had to sweet talk my boss into taking the pic and her assistant to resize it for me to post here... I don't think I want to push it! ROTF!!!! :D

However, it looks like three mag pouches with velcro flaps lined side by side on my belt... and the vendor was some surplus outfit that displays at the local gunshows... And since the next one ain't until next month, I won't be able to come up with the name till then... Don't think ya wanna wait that long... ? I have seen nice double pouches for cheap at Cheaperthandirt.com or the Sportsman's Guide .com.. and Brigade Quartermasters or US Cavalry... some of them may have triple pouches...

Sorry I couldn't be more help...
 
I too work in an office. It's a casual environment, so jeans and a sweater suffice most days. Sweaters also help hide what I carry on my belt. :)

I carry on my right side a cell phone. On my left side I have a leather belt loop with a snap that holds my Swiss-Tech Micro Pro XL and Inova X1. These tools hang suspended into my front jeans pocket.

I carry my SureFire E1e in an old Victorinox nylon belt pouch borrowed from my SwissChamp. My SureFire E2e rides in a RipOff CO-124 holster from www.brightguy.com.

All of this is generally hidden most of the time by my wearing sweaters, pullovers, turtlenecks, etc. Everyone knows I have it, though.
 
I have found that horizontally-mounted belt pouches seem invisible to most people. I work in an office environment and I normally wear three of the things.

My favorite type is the TAD Gear S1 knife sheath. It can accomodate most multi-tools (including the SOG PowerLock and Victorinox SwissTool) but it is very flat and low-profile. Very tough. I've had mine for a looong time. It currently holds a spare magazine for my H&K P7 M8 and a Latshaw PocketWrench II.

For larger items that won't quite fit the S1 I like the Eagle Industries KS-F folding knife sheath. It has more than enough room for thicker items like large SAKs (it worked for even my huge Victorinox SwissChamp XLT). Blackhawk makes a very similar sheath that is also quite good, but I've found that I prefer the Eagle version for both design and workmanship. Mine currently holds a Victorinox CyberTool 41.

My Motorola T720 cell phone rides in a custom-made neoprene sheath from The Pouch. They can make a protective pouch for just about anything and have great customer service. They fitted mine for horizontal carry at no extra charge. Neoprene doesn't seem like it would be all that tough, but mine shows no signs of wear at all after more than a year of daily use.

--Bob Q
 
Now you guys are cooking... I've tried the horizontal pouches, too... and there are occassions where I'll add one of those for items I tend to carry after work... ;)

Basically, I've found that the little belt pouches like the Liberty series from USCAV or stuff by NiteIze requires one to stack stuff... so you end up with something sticking way out too far to be stylin' in a work environment like Cardimon wrote...

Keep the ideas flowing!

Thanks!
 
Bob Q,

Okay, I am officially envious. ;)

I shall have to pay the taxman before I can play "Keeping up with Bob," however.

To paraphrase a movie villain, I want those wonderful toys, too.
 
cardimon said:
Okay, I am officially envious. ;)
Click to expand...

Cool! :)

The good news is that the CyberTool 41, PocketWrench II, and pouches aren't all that expensive. The bad news is that the P7 more than makes up for it. :eek:

I did forget to mention my other belt accessory. Most of the time I wear a Blade-Tech TekLok belt holster and the rest of the time I wear a FIST #8 tuckable IWB holster, both in kydex.

--Bob Q
 
bquinlan said:
Cool! :)

The good news is that the CyberTool 41, PocketWrench II, and pouches aren't all that expensive. The bad news is that the P7 more than makes up for it. :eek:

I did forget to mention my other belt accessory. Most of the time I wear a Blade-Tech TekLok belt holster and the rest of the time I wear a FIST #8 tuckable IWB holster, both in kydex.

--Bob Q
Click to expand...

No worries here. I don't have a P7 or anything along those lines. Just blades and flashlights.
 
I also work in an office environment, formal wear is the standard albeit without ties or jackets. Many have probably seen my little rave about my pouch in other posts by now, but anyway... I use a horizontal pouch that was intended for a Nokia 8000 series cell phone:

mleroux-Imgp2008.jpg


What's important for me is that it's very discreet and allows me to EDC a rather heavy Leatherman Wave, without me (or sheeple colleagues) even knowing that it's there until I need it. It doesn't shout "tactical", "Batman" or anything of the sort, since it's only marginally bigger than the original Wave leather pouch and is leather, not nylon.

mleroux-Imgp2019.jpg


In it goes a cheapie electronic lighter (non-smoker) and Photon II, then Victorinox Signature and finally the Wave on top. Easy access in order of my frequency of usage.

mleroux-IMGP2028.JPG


It secures onto the person with a combo belt-clip-and-loop pouch, which is nice because you don't have to take your belt out to put it on or take it off and you can carry it even without having to have a belt. It closes with four magnets - two sewn into the lid, two in the body - so it allows perfect one-hand access for both opening and closing.

My cellphone is flat enough and very light, so it's happy in my right pocket and doesn't need a pouch.

What I am saying is: consider unlikely candidates, such as pouches for PDA's, cellphones and other tech gadgets. You may be pleasantly surprised.
 
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bquinlan said:
I have found that horizontally-mounted belt pouches seem invisible to most people. I work in an office environment and I normally wear three of the things....

--Bob Q
Click to expand...

Penny for your thoughts on this, Bob.

(You're worth more than that, but I'm seriously paying down my credit cards and that's all I can afford at the moment. ;) )

Such pouches tend to be worn in the back, so they're not visible when you're facing someone. I have a horizontal pouch I tried once. My big problem was when I got into my car. The thing dug into my back. I felt it during my entire commute to and from work. I couldn't get comfortable with it.

Okay, let's try it up front. Results: Even worse. If I'm facing someone, having a conversation in the hallway, I tend to stuff my hands into my jeans pockets up to my thumbs, with my thumbs hanging out. It's just a habit -- the way I stand. I can't do that comfortably with a horizontal belt pouch mounted up front.

My only solution was to stick with vertical pouches on both sides. I can have two vertical pouches on each side. I couldn't get the horizontals to mount comfortably on the sides.

I hope I have stated my problems with horizontal pouches clearly. Bob, if you have any ideas, throw them over my way. Anyone else, I'm wide open over here.
 
sputnik said:
Read a recent post on the CPF forum, and I ordered this horizontal pouch for my Swisstool. It has spare room for my Latshaw PocketWrench and metal match. The horizontal version when worn with a black leather belt draws much less attention than the vertical pouches. I also like the way the weight is distributed more along my center of gravity. Anyway: http://www.swiss-knife.com/asp/detail.asp?lan=EN&shop=SK&code=4.0833.LH
Click to expand...

My envy gene is getting a real workout on this thread. Yeesh. Something else I want.
 
I no longer wear a suit jacket at work ( I now wear the same uniform as my staff! Bloody cheek!) so I cant really wear a knife pouch on my belt, but the Nokia pouch looks superb, Im off to the Carphone Warehouse 1st thing tomorrow.
 
cardimon said:
Penny for your thoughts on this, Bob.
Click to expand...

I agree with you about wearing anything substantial across the small of the back. It's okay for hiking and outdoors where you're mostly upright, but they become torture devices after a little while of sitting in a regular chair.

I don't have the problems you do with either front or side wear. My cell phone pouch rides just to the left of my belt buckle. The other two pouches are pretty much centered on my left side. It's the side ones that would be in the way of my front pants pockets, but I can bend my wrists enough to fit around them without discomfort. I'm not clear on why verticals are less in your way on the sides, so I may not be picturing your arrangement adequately.

I suspect that what works depends a lot on your hip-to-waist ratio (I'm heavyset) and the design of your pants (I usually wear cargo pants). It helps to put the thinnest items directly over your front pockets, but that may not be practical.

I have recently lost a lot of weight and discovered, unsurprisingly, that it really affects how much I can carry on my belt. I used to wear four belt pouches instead of three, but I no longer have enough room for a right-side pouch in front of my holster.

I hope you're able to find a compromise that works for you!

--Bob Q
 
A good belt is key, best on I've ever had is one from Wild Bill, here in NC. It's two pieces of leather sandwiching some kind of plastic material, very comfortable, and looks good, and holds whatever I want to put on it very well. edc on campus is a leatherman wave in the brown leather pouch on the right, and a kyocera cell with a caribeaner(sp?) type thing built into the battery cover on the left (actually hangs off a belt loop rather than the belt). Off campus I might or might not add a G2 black leather sheath for a 4X series BM bali, appendix, and a Wild Bill's Summer Comfort with a CZ75B in it right in front of the leatherman. Bill hooked me up with a mag pouch too, but I generally keep the spare in either a cargo pocket or a jacket pocket. Not optimal, I know, but the batman factor gets to me with the extra pouch. I'll swap the CZ out for a 2" snubby with Barami hipgrip depending on where I'm going and what I'm wearing, very discreet, and I've never had it shift on me, I was suprised at how secure it it was, and it just plain vanishes with anything untucked over it.
 
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