belt rig for hd

[uspJ]

i saw in a magazine a while back about people keeping their hd gear on a pistol/duty belt. the logic was that it kept all your gear easily accessible while providing a place to put it should you need to free your hands up for other actions.

one example had a belt with a pistol with reload,fixed blade knife, pepperspray, baton, flashlight, and a dedicated cell phone for emergency use and zipties.

this seems like a good idea to me in theory, you can have most anything you would need in defensive situation in one spot that can be put on quickly.

personally i don't think i would use a baton, or pepperspray on a home invader/ robber and i really can't see myself compromising my safety by closing the distance with them to restrain them with zip-ties or cuffs.

do you really see an advantage to this as opposed to just grabbing your primary hd weapon and a flashlight?

 

[Wildyams]

do you intend to wear that at all times when you are home? or are you going to ask the guy breaking into your house to give you a minute so you can go find your utility belt?

it sounds like a good idea in theory, but break-ins can happen very quickly, I wouldn't want to have to fumble around with a belt when seconds really matter

 

[ilikepancakes]

Not sure a belt is necessary in an average sized house, but I think it's a good idea to keep your tools all in once place, or at least in the same place(s) every time. Wouldn't want to have one of those "now where did I leave that flashlight..." moments when someone's busting in.

 

[uspJ]

good point.

in the scenario i read about a man was asleep and heard a strange noise and grabbed his batman belt. he's carrying everything in this fashion because he is still groggy and or having an adrenaline dump from the potential danger and can ensure that he has everything he needs to handle a situation.

no, i don't think it was meant to be worn the entire time you are home, i think it was more along the lines of you are alerted to trouble and snap on a belt and have everything you need quickly at your disposal.

personally, i think i would just grab my weapon (flashlight mounted to weapon) and call 911 and stay put in the bedroom/saferoom. i don't have kids so i only have to worry about my own behind at the moment.

 

[Ronsch]

Despite the attitude it is "commando" or easily identifiable, when at home, I keep my gear (cell phone when it is not on the charger, and a spare knife, as well as my Ruger LCP) in my 5.11 vest. It hangs on an over-the-closet door hanger. That way, if I need to run to the store late at night (being diabetic, it is possible), I just slip that over my hoodie, or t-shirt, depending on weather.

I also keep money in there, and my wallet, unless the wallet is on my dresser,, or in my trouser pockets.

 

[wishin]

Sounds like a plausable approach to HD. Just so I don't have to wear the thing around the house.

 

[sidheshooter]

I'd think that a grab bag (ie: maxpedition fatboy or something) would be more workable.

Not to mention that leaving a belt hanging on the door nob or bedpost with a roscoe strapped to it is potentially unfun in case of burglary while you're not at home.

JMO.

Oh, and zipties? WTH? Either someone is going waaay too walter mitty, or the plan is to be able to shore up a loose muffler on the 76' dastun pickup truck being used as a bugout vehicle...

 

[sidheshooter]

BTW, I like the vest idea; you could also hang it in the closet wedged inbetween a bunch of spare coats and the like if you wanted to leave the grab kit in a *relatively* secure place when out of the house, as opposed to locking everything down.

Or wear it, as Ronsch says.

I'm not kidding about the zipties; the only reason I can think of for zipties with all that tac gear is for restraints on a perp, and I'd sure think twice about that idea (as a search of the topic on this forum will surely reveal).

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

do you intend to wear that at all times when you are home? or are you going to ask the guy breaking into your house to give you a minute so you can go find your utility belt?

You really think it takes a minute to throw a duty belt around your waist and clip the buckle? I don't think it would take any longer than grabbing your pistol. And it would certainly be faster than grabbing your pistol, putting a reload in you pajama pants, cell phone in the other pocket, fumble around on your night stand for you tac light. And then there is the problem of what do you do with all this stuff in your hands if you have to say, make a phone call, turn on a light, provide first aid?

Something I would add to it personally is a voice recorder. If I have time to turn it on before the confrontation, great. If not, its a great place to record the description of the fleeing bad guy before adrenaline and stress erases his real description from your mind. I would think that would be a great way to both help the police, and preserve your innocence should a shooting start.

 

[ChuteTheMall]

A simple shoulder bag is discreet enough to wear if you suddenly have to run outside in an emergency, and can hold anything from flashlight and spare ammo to primary or backup handgun and still have room for cellphone, first aid gear, etc.

Of course, a woman would just use a purse.

 

[JDoe]

belt rig for hd
i saw in a magazine a while back about people keeping their hd gear on a pistol/duty belt. the logic was that it kept all your gear easily accessible while providing a place to put it should you need to free your hands up for other actions...

...do you really see an advantage to this as opposed to just grabbing your primary hd weapon and a flashlight?

I can see how someone might think it was an advantage but for me I'd rather carry my subcompact 357 SIG with a spare mag and have long guns, flashlights and etc. hidden if required but readily accessible around the house.

The advantage I see with my setup is it is so easy to carry that I always do. The disadvantage I see with an extra belt is that it would be so heavy and cumbersome that I might be inclined to not use it.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // To each they own, yes I have one.


This is for the cabin in the woods, miles from help. When things go bump in the night it is a little different. Add the 870 and you are all set.

My Tactical Flashlight is set on pulse and is in a swivel pouch easily pointed foward. The Walkies are one for me if I go out and one for whoever stays in the cabin. I also carry a small first aid kit in one pocket.

This set up makes moving around, doing various tasks, simple and allows more attention to your surroundings.

Just MHO.

 

[LiveLife]

+1 for the tactical vest, but belt idea is fine too. I think the key is being prepared instead of fumbling for gun, extra mags, flash light, cell phone etc. in the dark.

The tactical vest has more room/pockets and I can even put it on even if I have nothing but undershorts.

 

[JoeSlomo]

I keep a handgun close by for emergencies, and another on a gun belt close to a rifle.

If the situation dictates I have time to get to the long gun, I can quickly don the belt so I have a back up weapon to transition to if Murphy strikes.

 

[Izzy77]

belt , vest, pouch etc. it's all good. Just make sure your extra ammo, light etc. are all together...no need to go overboard /tacti-kewel about it if you dont feel like a superhero, and if you do that's ok as well...some of us never grow out of funderwear.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I keep an old Wilderness Instructor belt in my gun safe with an ITW FastMag 5.56 magazine carrier on it. I keep two 30 rd magazines ready to go - one for the M4 I call "Fat Bob", and one to put in the magazine carrier in case I want a spare.

Instead of a bat belt for home defense, I suggest putting several of these items in a tool bag kept in your safe room. If a suspicious or unusual noise gives you reason to believe it is caused by human activity (an intruder(s)) everybody retreats to the safe room, if possible. If you have kids, you might want the safe room to be one of the kids' rooms instead of the master bedroom, as it's easier for adults to move to children instead of vice versa. You can also keep identical tool bags in the master bedroom and the designated safe room.

Use verbal commands as part of your threat identification process, to avoid tragic shooting accidents, as well as to try to end the encounter with verbal commands shouted from a position of advantage.

Unless you train realistically with the belt, like full dress rehearsals for exactly how you plan to fight with it, it's probably going to be a distraction and not much help to you.
Good luck!

 

[Warhawk83]

I keep my 14+1 .40 next to my bed ,I have a picatinny adapter coming UPS for the light/laser I have (EMA i think).

I sleep naked and have the NoAssATall syndrome so I don't think a belt would do me any favors.

 

[bikerdoc]

Great thread guys. A lot of good ideas here.

Over the last 40 years I have continued to add to the same basic rig.

Many years ago I took a webb belt and loosened it to fit over my shoulder like a bandoleer. It resides on the bed post at night, with the EDC pistol.
At first it had just a pistol. It now has a pistol, cell phone, mini mag and full mag flashlight, 1 extra mag, and knife. No zip ties

I like the idea of the family radio and will incorpoate into my belt and the wifes.

We drill and have codes for various scenarios.

We have a "layered" defense which I will not discuss as it would highjack uspJ thread on belts.

Anyway the bandoleer belt is a good idea for me, YMMV. Good luck, stay safe.

 

[Spencer_OKC]

If you are advocating the vest approach, I would take it one step further and consider a vest with body armor.

are you going to ask the guy breaking into your house to give you a minute so you can go find your utility belt?

The belt, vest, grab bag concept is not designed for a blitz attack where you are awakened in your bed. This idea is for that bump in the night or when an intruder has alerted you to his presence.

As far as zip ties or hand cuffs, I would not generally advise someone who has no training to close distance and try to take an intruder into custody. Holding the intruder at gunpoint for responding police is a much better idea. The restraints might still be a good idea for situations where your assailant may be knocked unconscious or incapacitated by gunfire. Another reason would be the unlikely scenario of multiple intruders where you have gained control of one, but have another loose in the house with other family members.

 

[sidheshooter]

If you are advocating the vest approach, I would take it one step further and consider a vest with body armor.

Well, now you're just starting to make sense. What sort of thread is this, anyways.

It now has a pistol, cell phone, mini mag and full mag flashlight, 1 extra mag, and knife. No zip ties

That's not too unlike my maxpedition: Roscoe, 3 speedloaders (what can I say, I like k-frame .357s), surefire (and chinese olight M-20 spare that is actually brighter) cell phone, benchmade striker (dedicated to that bag) and spare polycarb glasses (with prescription). FWIW, there's also a small notebook, some pens and a mini-leatherman in there as well, but those are besides the point, IMHO.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Many years ago I took a webb belt and loosened it to fit over my shoulder like a bandoleer. It resides on the bed post at night, with the EDC pistol.
At first it had just a pistol. It now has a pistol, cell phone, mini mag and full mag flashlight, 1 extra mag, and knife. No zip ties

Just a bit of un asked for advice, but I would lose the Maglite and get a true tactical light instead. No, not because of the "tacticoolness" of it, but Maglites are a lot of weight and size for not much light. And their on/off switchrs, such as the side mounted switch for the D cell Maglites, or the twist cap for the MiniMags, make them impractical when trying to use them with a gun in your hand. Even a cheap tactical light, like the Surefire G2, which can be had for $30, is lightweight, small, easy to hold, and has a pressure switch on the tailcap that allows for ease of use while holding a firearm. Not to mention they provide many times more light than any MagLite can hope to.

 

[bikerdoc]

Point well taken and will be acted on. And so the belt evolves again!

Thanks Ragnar

 

[uspJ]

some really good ideas and suggestions.

i really like the vest approach and the voice recorder as well.

as i said before i think it's a really good idea in theory and will second the remark about making sure you train with it and run drills untill your comfortable with it.

bikerdoc wrote

We have a "layered" defense which I will not discuss as it would highjack uspJ thread on belts.

feel free to hijack away. this thread is about home defense and if you have other means than by all means share them.

 

[264]

In last month's issue of Guns Magazine, Clint Smith reviewed a product called the GO TIME Active Shooter Chest Rig by Tactical Assault Gear. Intended for exactly what is being discussed here; keeping everything together that you might need for a middle-of-the-night situation. Looks like a very simple design for a very simple purpose.

 

[testify4]

I recently added a HD belt to my closet after considering what I was going to do if I did have an HD situation while sleeping.

I have a pistol on the nightstand, check. Extra magazines. Flashlight. Cell phone. How do you keep all of this together while trying to wake up?

I picked up a nylon duty belt with a large clasp (gross motor skills!) and added a retention holster, spare magazine pouch and flashlight holder. I also have a dump pouch I may add to the rig for holding the cell phone.

I usually wear flannel sleep pants to bed and the weight of one spare mag would bring those down to the floor. With this setup, I can step to the closet, clip on the belt, add the cell phone and have everything within reach everywhere I go.

It's a good idea I will probably refine as I practice with it. I could add in a spare ammo pouch for my HD shotgun, but I am leaning toward keeping it simple.