Body Armor
By Safe Life Defense. Posted on July 7, 2023
A duty belt is one of the signatures of a law enforcement officer or security officer and one of the key tools of the trade. Duty belt setup can say a lot about an officer while providing the basic platform for him or her to work from. The duty belt has been a law enforcement standard for over a hundred years. The utility of a tactical belt has also made inroads with military personnel in recent years with a huge resurgence in the battle belt concept.
An officer’s duty belt provides a simple platform for carrying tools and equipment. It has to be reasonably comfortable and provide rapid access to specific equipment. Setting up a duty belt sounds pretty straightforward, but there are a lot of small details that can make all the difference between being comfortable on shift and being miserable. Much more importantly, duty belt setup should optimize access to life-saving equipment, first and foremost.
The Importance of a Well-Organized Duty Belt
A well-organized police duty belt (also called a gun belt) will do a few things. First, it will give you immediate and instant access to life-saving gear. The thing that comes immediately to mind is your duty pistol; when you need it you need it instantly. In conjunction with a quality retention holster, your duty belt will secure your firearm to your body, preventing it from being used against you.
The duty belt also allows one-handed access to items such as the Taser, pepper spray, and handcuffs which are equally important. It also carries other essential equipment that doesn’t need to be accessed regularly, like your radio. The duty belt acts as a patrol officer’s toolbox, securely holding job-specific tools. It keeps them retained while subduing a suspect or chasing one, and it should do so while being relatively comfortable.
Comfort can be easy to overlook until you’ve worn your belt for a shift or two. A poorly assembled duty belt can poke and prod, which makes sitting in your patrol car miserable. It can make getting in and out of the car a hassle, impacting your on-duty performance. Being uncomfortable and overly tired can reduce your attention and effectiveness. Though it isn’t the primary consideration, comfort definitely is a consideration!
Key Factors to Consider when Setting Up a Duty Belt
There are some guiding principles when it comes to setting up a duty belt. One very important one is weight distribution. The equipment must be somewhat equally distributed, weight-wise. Otherwise, one side of the belt will sag, causing not only discomfort but causing issues when running or doing other vigorous activity with your duty belt on.
Accessibility of equipment is another essential consideration. The pistol must be instantly accessible while still being defendable, meaning placement on the dominant-hand side is critical. It also needs to allow you to clear bulky body armor during your draw. This problem becomes obsolete with SafeLife Defense’s Hyperline™Body Armor.
Next, comfort and mobility need consideration. Loading too much equipment on your belt will; not only weigh you down but also create bulk. This can cause issues moving in tight quarters. Extra bulky duty belts make getting in and out of your cruiser difficult, creating a higher likelihood for stuff to get caught up in seatbelts and other snag hazards.
Finally, personal preference and job requirements will influence duty belt setup. Obviously, you have to carry at least the minimum equipment loadout required by your agency or police department. Beyond that, everything else is up to the user. Many may choose to carry the bare minimum, but you may choose to add an additional item or two.
Understanding Different Types of Duty Belts
Most duty belts consist of an outer and inner belt. Older, legacy belts were made of stiff leather, and some cops still use these leather belts today. The inner leather belt that coupled with these belts was a just standard, leather belt. The outer belt (sometimes called a Sam Browne) was attached via belt keepers to the officer’s belt anchoring it and keeping it from riding up or sliding down.
Newer duty belts like the SafeLife Defense Classic Duty Belt are made of various synthetic materials including nylon. Rather than attack via belt keepers, modern duty belts use hook-and-loop fasteners to attach the two belts to each other. The outside of the liner belt is covered with the loop portion and the inside of the outer belt is covered with the hook portion. This durable velcro system makes donning and doffing the belt easier.
While old, leather belts certainly looked sharp, especially when kept polished, they are heavy. Whereas modern nylon belts also have a lot of advantages. They are much lighter than leather. Since they use buckles like the Cobra buckle, they are infinitely adjustable and don’t rely on pre-cut holes for the belt buckle. Newer belts also negate the need for belt keepers, yet don’t sag and look sharp.
Essential Items for a Duty Belt Setup
We’ve looked at the belt itself, and now let’s look at the duty gear that goes on the belt. The most prominent item on any duty belt is the handgun. The handgun is carried in a duty holster(usually a level 3 retention holster),which mounts to the belt. Depending on the design of the belt, holsters are mounted via a belt loop system or MOLLE webbing. The next-most important items are spare magazines. These should be easily accessible with the non-dominant hand. Uncovered pouches like SafeLife Defense’s double magazine and triple magazine pouches are preferred over pouches with a flap.
A duty belt will almost always carry some form of less-lethal force like pepper spray, an expandable baton, or a Taser. These should be accessible with one hand. Notably, the Taser should not be placed on the same side of the belt as the pistol, as the wrong one may get drawn by mistake under very high stress. Uniformed police officers will carry at least one pair of handcuffs and traditionally, a mobile radio. Plenty of other items can go on a duty belt, like keys, latex glove pouches, etc., while non-mandatory items are up to personal preference. A flashlight is also a valuable tool to have on the belt. Items like a dump pouch and a spare mag for one’s rifle could also have their places on a police duty belt setup and war belt alike.
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Duty Belt
The first step in setting up your duty belt is to choose a belt of the correct size. SafeLife Defense offers a very helpful sizing chart for each type of duty belt we offer. Plus, returns for up to 30 days for sizing issues. After purchasing a belt of the correct size, you need to try it on and adjust it to you. Do this with the uniform you typically wear. After sizing the belt, you will know the space you have to work with.
Now you can decide on the layout of your tactical gear. The holster/handgun should be the first item mounted to ensure correct placement on the dominant side. This will allow you to protect this space and ensure nothing goes there that would hinder a fast, efficient draw. Next, consider the placement of other items that are needed quickly, like magazines and OC spray. An extra magazine can also be life-support equipment in a shooting. Frequently accessed items are next and include handcuffs. Items that are needed quickly, like the radio can be placed last.
Next, adjust for comfort. You will want to keep the back of the belt as flat as possible. This will allow you to sit in your patrol car comfortably. Make sure to test your duty belt across a range of situations like sitting, standing, and running to make sure it is comfortable under all these circ*mstances. Finally, make sure nothing comes off the belt or loosens under strenuous activity. Battle belt setup (aka war belt) is very similar to police duty belt setup. Though the tactical equipment might be slightly different, the goals are the same: quick access to life-saving equipment, with everything secured when not in use.
Tips for Maintaining Your Duty Belt
You’ll want to maintain your duty belt. We recommend taking a quick look at your belt before the start of each shift to ensure all pouches are firmly affixed. On a weekly basis you should clean your belt and pouches. The accumulation of road grime, dirt, and sometimes blood can build up. Wash your belt and pouches per manufacturer specifications. This will help it last longer and keep you looking clean and professional for the public you serve.
Keep an eye out for regular wear and tear. Sometimes the placement of certain items can cause them to rub against other items, prematurely wearing the material. Sometimes this can be remedied by something as simple as repositioning a pouch. Nothing lasts forever, so keep an eye out for items that need replacement.
Common Mistakes to Avoid during Duty Belt Setup
If you follow our guidance above, you will avoid most setup errors. The most common error we see is putting everything on the belt without trying it on. The easiest way to avoid this is to try the belt on after you attach each pouch. This will help ensure that everything works together, and with your body, as you go. This will prevent you from living with an uncomfortable duty setup, or having to tear the whole thing down and start over.
How to Continually Optimize Your Duty Belt Setup
You should view your duty belt as a continuous evolution. Equipment changes. New items are added, like the Taser was a couple decades ago. Other items are dropped, like the big Maglite flashlight that went the way of the 8-track when smaller, lighter, brighter LED flashlights became affordable. Your gear will change over time and your belt setup should reflect that.
Anytime your gear changes you should test it. First, you should test to ensure that access to life-saving equipment is not compromised or slowed. This should be a paramount consideration. Next, you should make sure other items that you need one-handed access to maintain accessibility. When you’ve got a combative suspect on the ground is not the time to discover you can’t reach your handcuffs. You should also make sure it’s comfortable; if you spend a miserable night in your cruiser how much work are you getting done, and how much of your attention is now on your discomfort?
If you are a cop or security officer, a duty belt is the toolbox of your profession. It provides quick and easy access to the tools of your trade. If set up correctly, regularly adjusted, and maintained it will give you a professional appearance that Citizens will appreciate and criminals will respect. Bodies are different, and the duty belt isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair, even though you got forced into a one-size-fits-all belt in the police academy. You must learn to personalize your duty belt to make it work with your body, your agency’s mandated equipment, and the personal preference gear you carry.
If you are in the market for a new duty belt, want to lighten your load, and take some stress off your hips and back, take a look at our Classic Duty Belt, Tactical Belt, and our Tactical Belt Bundle which contains a belt and most of the pouches you need.
