Corrections: The Safariland UBL platform comes in two belt sizes, one for 2" belts and one for 2.25" belts. Almost all battle belts are 1.75" or 2" but the 2.25" version of the UBL (for police style duty belts) is the most common. The video shows a 2.25" UBL low ride; I used zip ties to fill the gap and make it work better with my 1.75" belt. Kind of a shitty hack, but what can you do. The BFG version of the Tourniquet hammock has to be used in conjunction with their med kits or certain molle pouches. It does not attach with a velcro tab like the T-Rex arms TQ carrier. The BFG carrier would not work with my belt setup, and would not work to attach a tourniquet to my plate carrier either.
You know g-code makes belt slide keepers to adjust that. Lol. and yes they are $9.50 plus double to ship. I understand you pain. Believe me. And i really wanted the scorpion short pistol mag pouches.
Love how he just spends shit tons of money to tell us he hates most of the stuff he buys. Saves us time and money, big thanks to u man, appreciate the work and effort u put in.
Yes! That’s why I make my own machine guns and suppressors and SBRs without following the NFA law or register or pay the tax stamp. Freedom is truly amazing! If you have the balls to live like a free American
8:26 Be careful with the 6 oclock position. Never put anything hard there. have heard stories of officers having a cuff pouch there, falling, and breaking their tail bone. soft items only.
Yep. Many a career has been ended by carrying something at the 6 o'clock position. That's why I am really not fan of small of back carry. One bad fall and you have back pain for the rest of your life.
This very thing happened to a friend's father when he was riding a horse overseas (don't recall the reason) and one of his tools around the 6 o'clock position damn near paralyzed him when the horse bucked him off and he landed square on it. He's in a wheelchair but he can still walk somewhat
Cuffs would definitely be a no bueno back there. IFAC is generally squishy enough that it shouldn't be an issue. Do whatever you need to but try and get that IFAC placed where you can get at it with either hand in case one of your hands/arms is compromised/injured.
I found my way around the lack of velcro engagement by going to Walmart and getting some adhesive velcro strips that I put on the holster and back of my pouches.
I did the same, except I grabbed the industrial velcro from Home Depot. You know it's gonna hold good when you peel the wax paper off the adhesive backing and the chemical smell of the glue melts your nose hairs off and makes your eyes burn.
@@fresnel149 I know I’m late to the game, but if you don’t mind me asking just exactly what Velcro did you buy from Home Depot. I’m looking for the exact same thing you have.
@@poweredbyeb The stuff I got is actual Velcro brand, part number 90197, but your specific needs may vary slightly. I originally bought it to slap on the side of a cheap shotgun so I could use shotgun cards as a sidesaddle, it just worked well for this situation too.
A tip is to add Velcro to the back of whatever your adding to your belt for better engagement. Heavy duty Velcro at Walmart is cheap and works. Agreed on the outrageous shipping charges from G-Code! I just bought a system from them consisting of the carriers and belt with inner belt. The belts good and so are attachments, but they charge the hell out of you for anything and everything. Why not include the inner belt like other companies without an additional $15.
Hmm. I love how you've been doing gear reviews. Nice to see videos from someone who actually tests gear and finds out what does and doesn't work so I don't have to worry about it as much.
I totally agree about Velcro engagement but my solution was to place adhesive Velcro strips to the back of any components that had a hard, smooth surface on the back like a clip. That took care of the problem.
Re: “Velcro engagement.” Just use belt keepers like law enforcement has forever. Works great even when you’re lacking in Velcro engagement. Also, we swear by Safariland QLS because it allows us to train with several weapons platforms without having to disassemble the battle belt each time.
Great video. After years and hundreds of waisted dollars, I finally have my setup just right for me. FWIW, my BGF micro trauma now stays put, but I’m also running the (overpriced) preconfigured advanced insert. As others have said, peel and stick Velcro is a god send with two piece belts. My rig for those curious. AWS non-MOLLE belt. No D-ring. From 12 o’clock clockwise: Soil Eater CAT holder with CAT. Safariland mid-ride with QLS, Trex strap, Ragnarok holster. Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Trex rifle mag on Tek-Lok Two Trex pistol mag on Tek-Lok (forward one angled back)
Use velcro one wrap to attach molle pouches to the belt, you will get 100% velcro engagement all the way around and it's rock solid. It works really well with Esstac Kywi pouches.
I personally use Velcro One Wrap to attach all my pouches so I don't lose any velcro engagement. Works for me. Secondly the best reason to have a QLS (as a non pewtube reviewer) is to be able to remove your holster when going to public ranges. Some that I've been to won't let you even have an empty holster on your belt, but if you take it off with the QLS you can still practice reloads from the belt.
I feel your pain . I have the blue alpha gear double belt system with molly . I run G - code scorpions,a dump pouch ,a AR500 belt IFAK ,a safariland holster with a drop leg plate and QLS ,for my Glock with a TLR-1 ,and an admin pouch for a cell phone note pad and pen . It also carries a headlamp and small leatherman tool.. I also run thin suspenders that thread through the molly . I seems to help . I’m a 36 waist so I’m lucky to be able to have the room on the belt . My only issue is loosing some Velcro real estate. I plan on resolving this with industrial Velcro tape on the inside of some of my gear that take up any of that gripping surface area. It all works but nothing is perfect . Over all I’m pretty satisfied. It is heavy though . Thank you for your channel.
I wish you would've talked about Velcro more in this one 😂 I've been thinking about setting up a battle belt and this was super helpful in seeing what's worked and hasn't worked for you. Thanks Hop!
All your talk of “Velcro engagement” is an important issue when it comes to the dual-layer belts. I didn’t even think about it until I had the same issue with my BFG belt. Wish I’d seen your video sooner. It would have helped with my mag pouch choices. Rock on, man!
Bro i love how you keep it real and have no shame at throwing shade at companies like g-code... im subscribed, a no bullshit review and straight to the point
In the army I used a blackhawk patrol belt. Made my load out much more comfortable especially with a pack. Had three mags a drop pouch and a utility pouch on there. It also doubled as a bandolier type system if needed. Oh and a pillow at times!
A good friend of mine served and when he got back he gave me some BDUs and a Crye AVS warbelt. I did not realize what it was worth but I'm extremely grateful that he removed the picking process. The ability to throw it on over anything and go is great and there's just naturally crazy room.
I run the g-code w/ thigh strap and blue alpha belt. I put a piece of industrial 3M stick-on Velcro onto the inside of the rig. That piece of Velcro gives Velcro engagement to the inner belt, it works great. You can do the same thing with other pouches. Kinetic Consulting and Flatline collaborated on the best dump pouch ever made. It mounts behind any other pouch, using the other pouches molle or one-wrap. Rolls up tight under it when not it use and has a quick release tab. It also has interior features that convert it to an additional gear pouch if needed. I've been running it for a few months now and love it. It takes up no additional belt space and doesn't affect Velcro engagement. I highly recommend it.
Good job. The only video I’ve found so far that lets you know that these systems are complicated and don’t often work together. Now I don’t feel as stupid about ordering things that don’t work with what I have. Thank you.
I liked your vid. As a cheaper but acceptable alternative I run the following. A nylon Condor gun belt. I removed the their pistol mag pouches. On the right I put a Sherpa level one holster to secure the weapon and make the movement of the belt during removal of the firearm minimal. Behind that I have a single MOLLE 556 pouch with bungee retention, again with minimal movement of the belt during removal of the mag. That pouch has 1 inch pals web on the front allowing a frag pouch to be attached to it for small binos, etc. Following that an IFAK. I leave the rear slick but have been attaching a Vietnam Nam style buttpack to it for other kit priorities. On the left side of the belt I have a side by side double AR mag pouch with Kangaroo pistol mag pouches attached with bungee retention of the mags. Then a dump pouch. Roughly 3 lbs on either hip. Water is carried in a small back pack pack which can be removed. My DIY front chest rig / Dynema Battle steel level 3 plate carrier carries 3 additional mags. The plate can also be stored in the small back pack when not needed. Rain Jacket and or mid wt warmth layer ( Wiggys field coat liner ) goes in the pack. Police belt keepers can also attach the Condor belt to you regular belt.
The QLS system on the Safariland are for use with LEO. so you can enter an area where no firearm is allow i.e. a prison. That way you can leave your belt on and leave your gun locked up while in the facility
If you havent checked out HSGI they have an inner and outer belt setup like yours and their belt mount taco pouches are made so you dont loose any velcro engagement. Im pretty sure their belt mount tacos will still work with your inner/outer belt setup.
Mega late to the party on this, but whatever: for LEO purposes, the QLS system is awesome. I can stow my gun in a jail or court lock box without ever having to take it out of the holster. Also allows for swapping my duty holster between my duty belt and my range belt, since I have to keep my leather gear polished for uniform standards and I hate fucking it up on the range. The offset also allows for an easier draw past body armor. I feel like it's more purpose built for that type of application, since Safariland's biggest market is LE. Just food for thought.
I’ve never thought much about a battle belt. I’m a spunky old man but really concerned now about the SHTF. Your video is good at giving out the info of the items and the honest review of each. Gives me a direction where to start!
Great video packed full of great info. Thanks! QLS is good for competition rigs since you can change up gear to shoot in a different competition class without the extra money required to maintain multiple belt rigs.
You ever going to do a video related to your various AR's / setups? Looks like you have a few different ones so I think it would be interesting to hear what you have to say about what you like / don't like about them.
If you are concerned about velcro engagement you can used adhesive velcro strips on the clips/ belt loops of pouches to engage with the inner belt. I have done this with the various tecklocks that I use on my duty belt and it works very well.
I’m not gonna lie you drop some great knowledge like that zip tie trick when I first starting watching RU-vid gun videos you struck me as James little brother who’s mom told that if he wanted to make RU-vid videos he has to help you make them too but you grew on me man to one of my favorites 🙌🙌
My wife and I both use Condor's SLIM battle belt. It's AWESOME. She uses a Safariland holster and medium drop UBL, while I use a Blackhawk Serpa with a Blackhawk medium drop jacket slot belt loop.
Awesome vid! It is obvious you spent some time on it and we appreciate your candor. Snake Eater Tactical: They solved the problem of velcro engagement. Also your problem of having a small waist/real estate by incorporating a pistol/rifle mag IN the dump pouch. There are so many war belts out there..so hard to keep up and your video helped a lot, thanks!
This was so insightful I sub'd half way through the video. Wish this video was around last year. It's refreshing to hear why something works or doesn't work in practical application rather than a "buy this new hotness" sales pitch. Thanks!
In case anyone else is interested, HSGI makes a micro panel belt which is a Velcro backed (either hook or loop) with a grippy rubberized side to convert a battle belt into a "warbelt" that can go over jackets. It's a god send
Solid video. Regarding the Velcro engagement issue you can get adhesive backed Velcro strips and cut them to fit on the pieces covering the belts Velcro. Onewrap straps can be used to mount some pouches.
My "Goddamnit there's coyote's in the backyard again" belt is just an LC-2 pistol belt with a 3 mag ALICE pouch, two LC-1 pistol pouches and a Bianchi M12 for my Beretta. Old school but it works for what I need it to do.
After a frustratingly long trial/error period I’ve settled on 2 belts. One is a HSGI Slim padded belt and the other is a Blue Alpha inner/outer belt. The HSGI I have have fully kitted out and the BA is more minimal. It’s been working for me so far.
I started buying tier 1 holsters for my ccw and I absolutely love them. Started putting together my battle belt and went with a owb tier 1 and so far it’s pretty nice.
Safariland QLS is pretty nice. Very secure, and doesn't really add much thickness. You may shirk it for being something for gear reviewers to swap holsters, but it's nice if you already own other Safariland holsters since they all use the same bolt pattern (unlike G-code's system apparently). Inexpensive enough to just have on your different platforms to swap any holsters around (i.e. different belts or other gear). Highly recommend a deeper look at it!
Best video thus far explaining gear in general and it's great to hear someone is as picky as I am on the details. I look forward to watching your other videos, I hope you did one about plate carriers and chest harnesses as that has been an expensive and pain in the ass experience for me (mainly because I hate velco and Esstac discontinued their chest rigs that have the QD's and zipper/buckles)
@@Hoplopfheil I'm not saying we ban all belts, but we need common sense belt control. Nobody needs a military-style belt to hold their pants up. Ridiculous.
This damn near exactly mirrors my experience in setting up my belt. I went with Lead Devil instead of BAG though. The only difference in opinion is with the mag pouches. I love Esstac's rifle mag pouches, but I go back and forth between G17 and G21 mags (depending on whether it's patrol or SWAT). This makes the KYWI's less than ideal due to the added bulk that the G21 mags have. The Scorpions would work well for this purpose, along with Tyr and HSGI mag pouches. Also, since I have to have the ability to change holsters for different guns and rigs, Safariland's QLS is a useful option. But like you said, this isn't a consideration for most folks.
I’m a security contractor. I don’t have the qls, but I can maybe shed some light on why you’d want that: I often work in various levels of gear (plain clothes vs plate carrier w a badge, etc.) & being able to swap guns for different purposes (with ease) would make my life a lot easier. I’ve gone from a site where I’m uniformed, and went straight to another site where I was to remain undetected. I had to bring two belts and two guns with me. I didn’t bring my edc/iwb holster because it’s not a duty gun, and regardless of conceal ability, I want retention while on the job.
Good info. I bought a cheap belt with a drop leg holster just to see what having a belt would be like and to help me decide what I really wanted when I bought a good one. Thanks for the help.
Liked the video. I ordered from G Code 5 rifle , 2 pistol soft scorpion pouches with belt loop attachments, with the same low ride holster attachment and leg strap, and everything worked perfectly.
I know this is an old video, but the best part about the QLS that I've noticed in the military has little to do with swapping out different guns, but everything to do with wearing your belt all day, and you want to take off the pistol to put it on your desk while you work in the TOC or do admin moves in vehicles etc.
I find that "light is might". There must be some kind of balance between minimalist hunter carrying a lightweight rifle and 3 rounds and a light wind breaker jacket and a backpack, to the total "tacticool" dude with every bit of kit known to today's SOF, though I personally can't think of anything I would discard... lol I'm still trying to figure out the best way to carry it usefully in terms of trying to conceive of a real life scenario. I can think of a few: 1. Communists get "selected electronically" by leftist gorilla owned vote counting machines, and immediately degree Martial Law, and abolish the constitution, and their supporting voters taking to the streets looting everything they can get their hands on since they will lose their income and hoarding toilet paper didn't serve their nutritional requirements, hence they head for my hills and try to take mine. A single AR and mag from my porch rocking chair should repel them from my turf, so no tacticool gear needed. Pour us another beer from teh kegerator, mate! 2. Similar situation whereas the idiots have learned from the first interaction with my neighbors and I that they voted incorrectly and went out and procured illegal firearms and actually learned how to shoot them while paying exprbitant amounts of $ for inaccurate steel case ammo: I resort to the LONG RANGE precision AR style varmint repellent system and start taking out their shoes from 1000 yards away. Ok, so quick-to-grab quick disconnect belt (I'm thinking Cobra buckle?) with Glock 40 long slide 6" barrel, and 4 mags of 10mm, dump pouch? Med kit? Cell phone pouch with all the appropriate hunting apps, (like OnX Hunt with downloaded maps in high res, etc). All this on the belt, which is why I'm here... Then my quick-to-grab 511 tacticool "non bugout looking bug-IN bag" with the extra rifle mag pouches, hydration system, plate chest rig in the hydration system compartment, range finder, Cannon stabilized binocs, Raptor Razor hunting knives kit, (cuz they're already in there for deer season), snacks, more snacks, MRE, small gun tools and parts, camo Swiss army knife from Mazatlan, (VERY tacticool!), extra zombie fodder in strippers in case I have to retreat and fire, more snacks, light camo shell and integrated fleece hunting jacket, matching camo gloves and balakava. Basically, the same stuff for hunting deer in bear country! Just more snacks and ammo.... It's just a toss up between the 24" 6.5 Grendel or the SCAR17 .308 as to which long range pea shooter for repelling varmints at that point. Of course, they both have Vortex Viper Tacticool PST 4x16x50 and 6x24x50 glass on them... So, I get your point.... But hiking to the top of our mountain where I have the high ground advantage with all that stuff... Light is might.
Yes I agree that you can carry too much gear at times. I was simply saying that there is a lot of options and it’s good to try different things and see what works for you. There is different gear for different situations.
I use velcro one wrap in place of malice clips and wtf straps and all the other stuff. It doesn't decrease your velcro engagement because it also engages with the velcro!
Basically any problem with velcro engagement can be solved with a couple of belt keepers. They're what cops used before Velcro belts were the thing, and they're still the best fucking tool ever
I fuckin love you dude, you need way more subs, your channel is what the community needs, someone who will have a conversation rather than talk at me. Love your content make more
If you want velcro engagement check out the Arbor Arms SALT belt. It's a 2-2.5 belt system where you have the standard liner but the outer belt is a sleeve over a full cobra belt with full (I think) size molle. The sleeve has flap sections so where you want to attach to the belt you can expose it and then use clips without covering the male velcro on the sleeve. Pretty neat if a little bulky from the extra layer of fabric but IMO pretty good.
This was a fantastic video! And I totally agree with the Velcro mentions. That’s actually one of my worries as I order stuff, losing structural integrity. I appreciate the insight amigo
>Watch video on battle belts because tactical gear cool >Realise the similarities in appearance I share with Hop >Oh fuck Hop is an American version of me in ten years
I like this, subbed. Liked. Its straight forward, no holds barred review. Its what you need to hear when you need to learn things quick when shtf. Great content.
One of the first things I learned as a LEO was I hated the batman belt, I strongly prefer sticking as much crap as I can on my plate carrier to get it off the waste, it improved my mobility, comfort and back pain, not to mention it made going to the bathroom less of an ordeal. Good video, you do good work, your channel deserves to be bigger, not just saying that because your a fellow Northwesterner either
I just picked up a Battle/Training belt from Sentry. Have it set up with the same set up as yours. Minus the tourniquet holder. I keep 2 tourniquets in my IFAK's. An that is placed on the back of the belt. Plus an IFAK in the car. And another one in the range bag. I payed Just over $300 for the whole set up. If in ya didn't know, Sentry is the makers of the Hexmag. Thanks for the share! Edit: I'm running the Blackhawk Omnivore. This works great with a bunch of different pistols, and my O-light PL-2 Pro's.
@Hoplopfheil the solution that I have found for all your Velcro engagement worries is this: go to the local craft store and pick up some of the adhesive backed Velcro tape, cut this to the appropriate size and stick it to the back of your belt loop attachments/wtf straps/etc. BOOM now you have all the stuff you want while maintaining essentially 100% Velcro. Hope this helps
Get a true north adapter for your holster. Also, check your TQs. The one on the back of your belt looks like a knockoff, could be lighting, but definitely only buy your CATs from NAR I also recommend closing the time tab if you are running TQs below a PC or behind your body on a belt. That open Velcro can snag and work itself free or eat the environment and get grime into it. The time tab open methodology was incredibly exaggerated and gained a cult-like following. But I promise you, modern studies and SMEs agree with me on this one
