A quality gun carrying specific belt is not listed as a necessity because I have found work arounds. That being said, having a belt that was designed with pistol-carrying in mind is very nice. The belt is an intergral part of the carrying system, it is an equal partner with the holster. For them to work properly, the belt must be the appropriate size for the holster. Most holsters are built around a specific belt size, although some holsters have adjustments for different belt sizes. There are belts made specifically for carrying guns and these are the ideal. However, I have found that wearing a belt of the appropriate size will solve most of the problem. For instance, I found a thick black leather belt at a Bass outlet that looked sharp and also fit my Blade-Tech holster. Besides stabilizing the gun very well, the belt didn't scream "I'm carrying a gun." An excellent solution that was designed for carrying a pistol are the belts from The Wilderness. These belts are available in 1 3/4" and 1 1/2" and look sharp. They are also designed to be used as an emergency rapelling harness should you need it. Since technical rescue was a collateral duty at the time, I thought that this backup system was a nice feature, and I actually still wear mine as an inner belt for my duty belt. Also, to the best of my knowledge, the Wilderness' product is the only 1 1/2" belt that is rated for technical rescue. The other belts that have this same look have not been tested for rappelling. Return to Main Gear Page

Click on an Image for a Full-Size View Belt from Bass The 1 1/2" Wilderness Instructor Belt