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MVT Battle Belt

There have been a  few inquiries about how to set up a battle belt. I took a couple of photos of my battle belt after this weekend’s training. It’s an evolving thing but this is the current configuration.
This is a variation of a full battle belt that is ideally used for dismounted light infantry operations. It sits your gear nicely on your waist and the harness (suspenders) is important to take up some of that weight and ensure that you don’t have to do up the belt itself uncomfortably tight to stop it falling down over your hips. This kind of battle belt should sit below your hips. You can still wear a PC with it for the ballistic protection, and a ruck or patrol pack will sit nicely on your back, resting on the rear pouches.
The beauty of it really is that you can carry a decent fighting and basic sustainment load on this belt. You can go on short patrols with just this battle belt. If you lose your patrol pack or are forced to dump your ruck, always keep your battle belt on and you will be able to fight and survive from it. My philosophy is that if I intend to remain as an active fighter, i.e. continue to carry my rifle, then I am not dumping my battle belt. Rifle and battle belt will remain on me at all times.

 

Above from left:

1) Magazine pouches for 9 mags. 3 are in open topped pouches for ready access, then the pouches with flaps contain up to another 6 magazines. I did this by attaching the 6 mag pouch to the molle on the outside of a triple stacker open top pouch. This combination allows a decent mag load but takes care of the frequent disadvantage of belt rigs in that mag access is sometimes slower in pouches than in open topped pouches such as on a PC. Best of both worlds here.
2) IFAK
3) Issue canteen pouch. Contains NVGs and a couple of other items.
4) Issue canteen pouch: Emergency rations (currently stuffed full of Clif bars!)
5) Issue canteen pouch: Contains Brit issue 58 pattern waterbottle, that is shorter and fits flush unlike the standard US Canteen. The little side pouches contain water purification stuff.
6) FLIR Pouch: contains FLIR Scout.
7) Holster for Glock.
8) 2 pistol mag pouches. Yes, they are on the wrong side – but I put them where I could and they are my last line.

The little pouches on the side of the canteen pouches are useful for stuff lie spare batteries etc.

On the left side harness strap is a CAT tourniquet for ready use. (Non-firing side). Keep your firing side shoulder clear of equipment and obstructions.

Above: another view of the top of the belt. I have a VTAC padded battle belt, rigger roll-pin belt threaded through that.

Some of these pouches are purchases, some are the issue style. At least one of these pouches was originally ACU pattern, but I use Krylon camo spray to make the whole belt green. Its just a case of using what you have, with a few purchases, to make a usable belt.

Live Hard, Die Free.

MV

42 responses to “MVT Battle Belt”

  2. In my experience, balancing the load on the battle belt worked better than having one side heavier than the other. What do you do to counter the weight of 9 loaded mags on the left side of your battle belt? Your glock, a couple mags, and the FLIR pouch alone wouldn’t mitigate the offset, I don’t think, or is the weight difference on non-issue?

    • I understand. It works for me, not an issue it does not seem to pull. The issue is the handgun. Old school, I would have had ammo pouches on each hip, maybe 6 mags on each hip (2 x 3 mag pouches each side). Carrying a handgun on the belt causes a problem, it uses up real estate. There is also no room for a dump pouch, but I use my shirt front. With a battle belt like this, it does not work with a drop leg holster. It’s either on the belt or somewhere else. I could remove the FLIR pouch, put the mag pouches where the holster is, and move the holster back to where the FLIR pouch is. But I want the FLIR accessible on my belt to scan the ground with. Lots of options….

    • The SOP when I was in was for ammo pouches on your front left and right (like this: http://i.imgur.com/BlL9Acw.jpg), my troop Sgt moved the right hand side ammo pouch over to the left and had some roll pins and eyes sewed on to a water bottle holder and carried his there. I always wondered how that didn’t go flying and all twisted when we did RTR but he always seemed to be just fine. That jaded old bastard was 100% pure bad ass.

      As for the electronics pouches, in my opinion you have them in the right place if you’re planning on going prone regularly (which I guess in light infantry work you do a lot). Just out of curiosity Max, what have you done to protect the NVGs and FLIR device inside the pouch?

  3. Dear Max,
    As a question of a matter of insight into what a firefight can be like, (and I can understand not any two could ever be alike).

    As you would use up the 300 rifle rounds you have there on your practical looking rig, what is your cut off point where remaining rounds you have becomes a unequivocal determining factor in how you would conduct yourself?

    There probably is no straight or easy answers to my question, and I apologize if it puts you on the spot.

    I am constantly trying to think how my own practical ammo load limit would effect my fighting.
    It is probably not to much of a stretch if it comes to it, I would have to throw caution to the wind and use every round as lethally as possible as a matter of ultimate survival,(the lethally effective as possible part is how one should fight in any case), but there is the other side of the coin in which it is wise to live to fight another day.
    And the consideration too, that fighting as a partisan re-supply might not be possible.

    Seems like a tough question to ask you.
    But I have never been in a fire fight.

    Must be nothing like it.

    I have played many games of woods paintball over tens of acres of mountain forest type courses where 50 to hundred players took part. Some games where hours, some as much as 3 day affairs with hundreds of opponents on each side.
    No one of course got wounded or dead for real, but on board ammo supply was a constant concern that effected how I fought.
    I noticed as my load decreased I would become more aggressive in using more move shoot and scoot tactics and shoot only when a hit was very promising, (Paintball guns at the time where not all that minute of body accurate past 15 meters). I would become much more appreciative of cover and concealment and use of cover. I think in part because my reduced ammo count would keep me from using a high volume of suppressive fire as part of how I played when I had a full load and or it was a clear advantage in doing so.

    Any insights you could share would be highly regarded.
    Thanks much.

    • MTP: as I consider this, I need to apologize to you – you recently made a comment and I hit the wrong button, deleting it beyond recovery, rather than publishing it. There was nothing wrong with the content, I did not moderate it out. You probably know which one?

    • No sweat Max.
      You are probably busier than a one legged guy in an arse kicking contest (-:

      If memory serves the last comment was in thanks to the remarkable piece you wrote in regards to using the flank.
      That was a fantastic, thoughtfully written dissertation. I got so much out of what you wrote I can never thank you enough.

  4. Ammo pouch config is almost identical to how I had my battle belt set up, but instead of 3 x double closed flap pouches I had 2 x single closed flap pouches and in lieu of the 3rd pouch I had a smoke grenade pouch.

    Having a battle belt slung below my PC definitely made life easier.

    SP

  5. Thank you Sir! This gives me a good starting point. Don’t think I can afford the VTAC, but Condor’s looks pretty good.

    • Go for the Gen II model. The Gen 1 was too padded and tended to flop. My Gen2 condor and condor harness ran me about $30.00 total. It works really well too.

  6. As attractive as this concept looks I keep turning towards chest rigs because I anticipate often enough (often enough that I don’t want to be changing things around) carrying a heavy ruck and wanting a hip riding, weight bearing hip belt. I know how to pack light but it’s a matter of fact, in my arctic “AO”, that I’ll be carrying stuff.
    Seems a lot of soldiers forgo a weight bearing hip belt on their backpacks. I really don’t know how they manage!!
    If your ruck rides on you BB below your hips, as you state, the weight is still all on your shoulders by way of the suspenders.
    The BB concept is very attractive but with a chest rig I can properly wear a real backpack, worn as intended.

    • @Anonymous

      You have no idea what you’re talking about. Rucks ride very nicely on a BB set up similar to the one Max displayed and distributes it very nicely. A chest rig is no good for light infantry work where you’re on your front a lot, ever tried staying prone for a prolonged amount of time with a chest rig on? I have and I switched back to a BB as soon as I could.

    • HA! It’s great to see you, Justin! I thought you’d fallen off the end of the earth. Best to you and your family!

      Hey, instead of being short with me why not explain HOW I can get a full backpack hip belt to work along with a BB? I said I liked the idea.. just couldn’t see how to make it work.

    • Anon 8:40: It’s simple you don’t.
      The whole idea is that a battle belt rides nicely just below your hips. The array of pouches on the back make a nice ‘ledge’ upon which an assault pack or a ruck will sit. It works best with the old school style shorter backed rucks, or a patrol pack, not a long alpine style ruck.
      As FormerSapper says, it works very well. A BB rigged properly distributes weight between hips and shoulders. A ruck sitting on this also does the same. Soliders regularly carry very heavy rucks like this.
      If you are carrying so much weight that this is a problem, I advise you look again at that issue, not the BB/ruck. Of course, with a BB you will be able to carry a decent amount of gear/weight in the BB itself, reducing what needs to go in the ruck/patrol pack. I have operated in various places in the arctic myself and I didn’t see rucks heavy enough to cause a problem.
      If you have a need to carry heavy loads, then revisit the problem with an eye to mobility. Can you tow a pulk while x-country skiing? Can you ride an ATV or a snow mobile?

  7. BB what I know from the days of 782 gear the new stuff being a bit handier. Gonna buy a new Taco to make it a pair then put some flap mag pouches on their outside. So with add ons I’ll have from 4-6 on my belt 1 in rifle. Then I’ll have to experiment to see if ALICE pack with frame can work with BB with SOTech GObag, it should. Robroy

    • I was in the Corps in the early 70’s, everything was still the Korean War and 1956 issue stuff, we barely had any of the VN nylon gear. Carried the VN ruck a lot, ALICE wasn’t around yet, they issued those the day I got out in Oct ’76.
      I have gone to a Brit desert MOLLE vest with the USMC coyote tacos, 2 tacos on the front left and 1on right. IFAK on right side between taco and canteen. Canteens/cups on the hips and a butt pack low rear(chow/poncho). Pistol mags left chest. USMC ILBE day pack still fits on back. Pistol on thigh w/1 mag.
      Very comfortable setup, pistol belt w/H harness always rubbed my hip bones raw in the field, can’t go that route anymore. Chest rig was a bust for me, and can’t get out of one fast enough, scary.

  8. LOL my gear has been ‘evolving’ since my first gear issue in 83′!
    I’m running a battle belt with suspenders these days and feel like I’ve gone full circle back to ALICE!

    • Imagine being in the prone, then rolling to your right or left before jumping up to sprint forward for three to five seconds before dropping to your knees then the prone to fire your weapon, then change mags before repeating the process for 50 to 100 yards or so. Now, imagine that with a bag slung over your shoulder then go through the same mental exercise with belt (or chest rig or fighting load carrier) carrying that same gear.

      Should be self-explanatory, but this is the sort of thing you have to actually do to grasp the concept adequately.

  10. I do not have military experience, and so far I’ve been unable to assemble (or become a member of) a team of like-minded people… Working on it…

    I do however try to achieve a level of training which will make me a bit more confident about my ability to defend my wife and kids in a bad situation.

    I have no problem with planing my PT.
    But I do have a problem figuring out stuff that I have never had experience with, such as this article.

    I hate being a “keyboard commando”, so I try to get practical.

    For the benefit of people like me, may I ask you to write a post (or a book) which explains the basics of building a belt like that one you have, please?
    Also, it would be great if you could kindly provide links to Amazon products.
    AK-47-related as well… :-)

    I know that for those of your readers who have real combat experience, the idea of a fat-ass middle-aged couch potato trying to teach himself how to become a Rambo, is laughable.
    I understand that, I always feel inadequate.
    But we are (or will be) on the same side, and I am a good person, and I am not too dumb to be unable to understand good explanations, and I have to do something, and please consider this: some day, under some circumstances, you guys may end up with me as your only ally who will fight with you side-by-side… Whatever I can do to get trained now, it may also be in your and your families’ best interests to point me in the right direction so I can be helpful when the time comes. Makes sense, right?..

    Back to my plea:
    Max, if you have time, please write on how to get started to build the right gear.

    Thank you.

  14. Is the IFAK standard issue or did you modify it and how? Also what type NVG do you use?

    hbbill
    Somewhere behind enemy lines,
    Peoples Republik of Kalifornistan

  15. Good stuff Max. I like the return to the old school belt kit (as it was called in the day). I too have been playing with this stuff since ’76. I think if you are in (unsupported) light infantry mode, your ammo load out needs to increase. And the only really practical way to carry 9-12 mags is with a belt kit.

    Integrating belt kit and rucksack can be difficult. In the end, you need a shorter, wider ruck to sit on the belt kit “shelf” in the rear. As much as I love the internal frame mountaineering rucks, they just don’t work when you already have one belt on your hips.

    Chest rigs are great for certain applications, just as bandoleers, and even possibles bags. Remember the context in which you plan on using your kit. What might be good for home defense, disaster events, etc. might not necessarily work as well for extended patrolling ops.

  16. Why a nylon holster and not Mil issued kydex (dis-including the serpa)? That sort of set up gives you zero retention if you were to take a spill or put in a hands on confrontation.

  18. Max, you said you changed the color from ACU to OD green with a rattle can. Why not just get OD green to start with? Also, I saw a vid somewhere saying to mix up the pouch camo colors, instead of having all the same color/pattern.

  19. Great posts on Battle Belts, but what do you do with the Battle Belt (which seems to ride low on the hips) when you need to carry a large ruck like the USMC ILEB with a hip belt to designed take the load off the shoulders? Thanks.

  20. Can you recommend a better pack than the old ALICE pack that has the room for your third line gear and you can use with a Battle Belt set up? Thanks.

  22. Sorry if I am missing something here when reviewing previous threads and post on this subject.

    What is a good design to carry third line gear with the battle belt? If the USMC ILEB is a bad design for a infantryman what do you recommend.

    I don’t see how you can wear a large capacity ruck (other than an USGI ALICE Pack) and still wear a Battle Belt.

    Thanks.

    • There are many rucks you can wear, mainly they have to be of the ‘short back’ design rather than the alpine thin and long design. A ruck is best to sit on the top of the battle belt pouches. You sit the belt as little lower on the hips to allow it to do that. I have a Kifaru ruck that works with my battle belt. However, the best type is actually the ALICE pack, which I think is an awesome ruck. You can use the large as a full ruck or the medium as a ‘three day’. Some people don’t like the ALICE: you can get improved versions through places like Tactical Tailor. I used to prefer the British SAS/PARA Bergan which is very similar to the ALICE with an external frame. I don’t have one of those anymore, but find the ALICE to be ideal. I just keep going back to it. Why the need for all this fancy modern crap?
      The other thing, if you check my ‘update on gear philosophy’ post, is that you need to analyse why you may need as ‘full ruck’. The ‘3 day’ pack concept may actually be a lot more realistic and any one of those three day type packs will sit very nicely on top of a battle belt. Those packs can be large but kind of squat and they sit just right.

  23. Max,

    How do you wear your plate carrier with this rig? Over top of the harness or underneath the harness? I assume you wear it underneath and just draw up the front straps if you need to drop armor for some reason. Thanks.

  26. Hi just wandering what colours you used to spray your beltkit with, and how you layered it up with what colour?

    (Yeah I said ‘beltkit’, I am a Brit haha)