Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

[DannyUK]

Hello guys and girls,

Just a quick post to find out what people most enjoy running on regular skirmishes, Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs? What are the pros and cons of each? Have you tried both or just one? Are different game-types better for a certain loadout? (I'm just curious and a little nosey to be honest )

Discuss...

[tackle]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

When I was serving I loved my belt kit, but back then the issued kit was 58 pattern webbing, hardly state of the art....but back then I had a waist, which meant belt orders stayed where they were supposed to.
These days tend to stick with chest rigs/plate carriers, as they don't slip down lol.

[CKinnerley]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

Tried various types of both and various combinations thereof. I think everything on a belt is better for outdoor usage and hotter weather, whereas a nylon rig on your torso will keep in a fair bit of heat and can be handy in that respect for winter usage (and vice versa on both of course). Keeping everything on a belt also allows your arms more freedom of movement, especially if you mount things right under your arm pits on a chest rig, but they can have more of a tendency to bounce around if not setup just so. Take in to account whether you'll be lying prone/crouching a lot as well, more considerations there, not forgetting that belt rig or webbing tends to make you wider overall and can snag you in tight indoor spaces more than having pouches up on your chest (obviously varies with pouch stacking/type etc). Might want to consider running most stuff on a belt with mag pouches that are easy to access with just a micro chest rig to carry a few more on to re-plen the belt.

I settled a while back on putting a couple of pouches and a holster on a belt with extra capacity on a low-profile PC or chest rig. Tried numerous and varied other combinations but I'm yet to find anything that works more efficiently with such minimal hindrance on movement.

[jimbo477]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

It really depends on your own feelings, when I served I had a battle belt as we often had to wear osprey body armour within the PBs but didn't want all the added clutter of ammo and stuff. But a slim line plate carrier or chest rig for CQB environments is definatly better as the added bulk of a battle belt can make movement in confined spaces more difficult. In the end it comes down to personal choose depending how much kit you want to cart around.

[DannyUK]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

Sounds like a good compromise I usually play at Skirmish Airsoft down in Mansfield, for any who don't know its a mid-to-CQB-range outdoors area and at the moment I run a South African Assault Vest which is okay but all of the massive side pouches do restrict movement a fair amount and also mean I present a larger target to other players, so I think a good amount of manoeuvrability is going to be needed in my future loadouts :P

[bobthebuilder]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

I use both. Battle belt with the essentials (sidearm, dump pouch, sidearm mags, flashlight and a spare primary mag(usually my one hi-cap)) and a chest rig with the rest (bulk of my primary ammo, snacks, loose ammo etc)

That way, when I'm at a CQB site, or running fast and light, I can just use the belt kit, but when I'm at a woodland site, or I'm expecting big long firefights, I can add the chest rig without having to re-jig what I'm already carrying.

[Russe11]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

I used to wear Molle vests until I started doing WW2 gear. I have to say, I find Pattern 37 webbing to be much more practical. Unlike other webbing designs, it has the pouches up on the chest allowing easier movement in confined spaces. You also get the easier arm movement and less overheating that other designs or webbing provide. I'm not sure how well it would work with M4 mags but for long thin mags for Stens or Thompsons you can carry a significant ammo load very easily (6 Sten mags in a pouch). The main downside is the weight, but you don't tend to feel it until the next day anyway :D

[ElZer0]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

Personally i find people over load there chest rigs.

I try to make my 6094 as light as possible, 3x mags and hydration pack and radio.

Belt has 2xmags, 2xpistol mags, 2xgrenades and pistol.

This splits the weight between my spine and hips.

I do have a acm d3cr chest rug which is super light, v nice. Sadly cant fit my scar h mags.

Small chest rig and belt is a great summer set up

[Rich83]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

I don't use a pistol so I have a Hellcat MK1 chest rig with six integrated mag pouches on the front, a until pouch on the right and a dump on the left. That's it really. It has a camelbak pouch on the back too which is massively useful.

If you wear your chest rig on your chest, it doesn't impede you laying down and accessing your mags.

I have tried it all from modern issued webbing, molle webbing, plate carriers etc but my spec is this:

Carry six mags for my recoil
Carry my camelback
Carry a Mars bar and some ammo
Carry a dump pouch
Carry a radio and somewhere to mount PTT

The chest rig does all of this and there is nothing better IMO for low profile comfy carriage. If I was to carry a pistol I'll probably make a bib for my chest rig and serpa mount it.

I have always found that webbing is hard to balance my load, and by using open top mag pouches nothing is quicker or easier for quickly grabbing mags for a combat reload.

Its all personal preference, but google for the Hellcat MK1 and the optional hydration yoke and you'll see what I mean.

The only benefit of webbing, and it is a big one, is that you can more comfortably carry a large pack with webbing over any other rig. If you need to lug loads of kit then perhaps the webbing is the way to go.

[Rich83]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

rig 1.jpgrig 2.jpgme in rig.jpg

You can see the radio on my left shoulder, which is now changed to a PTT as I use a headset so the radio will be on the back or one of the sides. The mag pouches are integrated which is fantastic as it means I don't have a molle rig, with molle mag pouches on - reduces bulk and weight. I use the minimal pouches I can get away with as I mentioned above.

In the non-action pics you'll see that I added some bungee to the molle on the back of the hydro carrier so I can stick one of those lightweight goretex jackets in it, just in case the temperature drops or it gets a bit wet/windy.

This is my rig, I thought I'd attach some pics to give you an idea.

The last picture was taken of me at the Gunman big weekender last year... I was minding my own business, looking down the sights having just shot some guys when bam! press dude snaps me and it looks like I'm using my rifle stock to keep my mouth shut lol.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh also that tripple mag pouch on the back left is where I put my little ammo pouch flask! never go into the field without it!!! If my lot are static and defending a point it's good to have coffee

[akey]

Re: Discussion: Battle Belts vs Chest Rigs

I prefer having my main kit on my chest, either on a PC or in a chest rig (I have a very old skool ARTKIS NI chest rig) and then I tend to have all my grenades and some spare stuff in my belt rig if I'm wearing it. I think my preference comes from being mainly vehicle born when serving so I used a chest rig all the time, hence just got used to it.

If I want to go very light I have a sabre leg platform and a few pouches / holster on my belt which gives me enough for a quick skirmish or some sneaky CQB action.