British Belt Kit: A Proven Concept

The British military, along with other European based countries such as Australia, still use some version of belt kit like the set displayed above. The reason this type of gear has stuck around for so long is because of its true load carrying capability. Soldiers in the UK military generally do not appreciate their old school belt kit due to how it rubs them raw at times. However, it would seem that the troops do appreciate how well belt kit can distribute a 24hr fighting load. It has been a great piece of gear for light infantry in the past, and I do not think that has changed much, if any.

ALICE IMITATION EXPERIMENT

If you look at the picture above, not only will you see that I tried to imitate the British belt kit concept with the American ALICE gear, but you will also get some kind of idea about how the belt kit is laid out. ALICE gear is not as cheap as it used to be, but it is still a good modular option for people looking to carry their combat load strictly on their belt.

I imagine that their will be some debate about how one should carry water and how many canteens to put on ones belt, but this is just what I tend to do with my system. Regardless, when it comes to weight symmetry, this seems to be a good way to do it. If you are using a radio, you may just opt for another mag pouch that is appropriately modified to carry your specific radio, should it be bulky enough to need a pouch.

The rear utility pouches on the very back are going to vary from 3 to 4 based on your waist size, but with the ALICE imitation, I was able to comfortably get two true utility/SAW pouches for gear such as a poncho, IFAK, rations, etc. If you are smaller around the waist, you will find that you will only be able to comfortably get 3 pouches on the back with actual belt kit. SAW pouches are not the most inexpensive pouches, nor are they easy to find these days. The price of these pouches alone can make it a better investment just to get the British belt kit since it will cost less than paying for each and every pouch just for the sake of imitation. But that is up to you, depending on how necessary you feel it is to have modularity.

SIZING AND FITTING

Belt kit rides a bit lower than typical belt based load carrying equipment. The belt kit seems to be designed to ride just below the waist line but above the pivoting point of the legs. This allows the wearer to maintain range of motion and also keep the weight balanced right on the hips no matter how they are moving Fitting the belt kit is pretty much just getting the belt tight enough to prevent it from rotating around your hips. It can be a bit of a pain to adjust the straps on actual belt kit, but it pays to have 6 points of contact on the yoke. The ALICE gear is easier to adjust since there is only 3 straps to adjust. Just make sure to adjust it the same way that you would for actual belt kit. Have it ride in the same area, but see about investing in a hip pad for the belt or use a cut up iso-mat for cushioning.

When setting up your pouches, make sure that there is minimal space between each pouch. The goal is to make sure that the mag pouches on the front are not forward of the 2:30/9:30 positions. This makes it so that you have the ability to make full belly contact with the ground when in the prone position. Not to worry though, since the 3'o'clock position is absolutely sufficient for performing hasty reloads. Just do your due diligence in practicing with your gear and work on good technique.

BODY ARMOR INTEGRATION

One of the really cool things that I like about belt kit is the fact that you can comfortably put your plate carrier or body armor OVER your belt kit because of how low it sits. Personally I would say that one must be cautious about going into gear queer mode due to having alot of real estate on your body armor. I would limit the amount of gear on your chest to absolute essentials. Depending on your position in a team, you may want to carry more rifle mags if you are in a support or base of fire role. Also you may want to use your plate carrier for mounting a pistol and pistol mags. However, make sure that it is placed in a low profile manner that will not interfere with your prone position or rifle manipulations. Also, make sure that you are not putting too much weight on your chest, which will eventually inhibit your mobility and range of motion.

PACK INTEGRATION

Some people may think that belt kit will inhibit someones ability to put on a backpack or ruck comfortably. However, I have found this to not be the case. A day pack will definitely fit quite well and something like an ALICE pack may actually rest slightly above the belt kit. However, keep in mind that a pack slightly resting ON the belt kit is not a bad thing unless the shoulder straps are not fit tight and the ruck is smacking you in the back of the head. In that case, you would probably have issues with this regardless when going prone, whether or not there was gear interference. Carrying an assault pack with your belt kit is absolutely sufficient in my opinion. You can have a low profile pack that can stretch your sustainment to 48 hours if packed correctly whilst still being capable of fighting without dismounting it. In my experience, having nothing on your body armor will prevent you from struggling to fight with a pack on. Being light infantry, you are typically responsible for taking all your support and sustainment provisions, depending on the mission. It is best if you don't have to take off your packs just to react to contact. Being on the assault is a bit different however.

SUMMARY

Belt kit, when used as designed, is a very effective way for light infantry to carry their sustainment load in a way that does not require them to take off a pack for mobility and agility. You may still need a day or assault pack for your mission, but having most of your vital equipment on your belt can make your pack lighter and easier to take with you even when moving fast is necessary. This is a big difference from the typical fetish that people have for putting everything on their torso to the point that they are hurting their back and core. This system of carrying a fighting load has proven benefits and I am looking forward to testing this gear as a concept and giving specific feedback for those looking for a better system for carrying lots of gear in a manner that does not affect ones agility and mobility in a combat scenario.