KIT & GEAR
YTTK BATTLE BELT
THE BATTLE OF
THE BELT
DO YOU EVEN NEED A CHEST RIG, ASSAULT VEST OR PLATE CARRIER?
STEVE T TESTS YTTK’S BATTLE BELT AND HARNESS TO FIND OUT…
A
nswering the set-up question
straight out of the gates… Yes!
Unless you’re exclusively a sniper or
a pistols-only bandolero, then you’re going
to need somewhere to keep your assault
rifle magazines. Unless you only play short
games between trips to the safe zone,
when one or two High-cap magazines
will suffice, then you’re going to need to
run a chest rig, assault vest or plate carrier
- especially if you’re using a GBBR with
lower capacity mags.
For that reason alone, I made the
move from a belt-based loadout to a
vest, but with that came added bulk.
And as someone that easily overheats,
the additional heat retention was an
unwelcome by-product. So, I wanted to
find out just how much of my loadout
I could shift to my waist, reducing my
reliance on torso space with a view to
adopting a micro rig for better breathability
- more on that in another review.
NO HARNESS REQUIRED
There are many battle belts available but
YTTK’s Battlebelt Gen2 stood out for me
for a couple of reasons. Not only are the
Molle fixtures lazer finished but there’s also
a rigid insert that helps to retain its overall
shape. Where some belts sag under load,
this one stays the same shape.
The other feature that caught my
attention was the fact that the inner
surface is soft velcro. If you run a velcro
inner belt to hold your trousers up, then
the YTTK outer can grip onto its surface.
Yes, it means buying a new inner belt as
well but the results are startling - suddenly,
all your kit stays exactly where you want it!
Previously, I’ve used either belt couplers
or a harness to prevent my duty belt from
rotating mid-game - especially during ironic
combat rolls - but this velcro combo works
so well that you no longer really need
either.
Of course, a harness will still help
to spread the weight across hips and
shoulders but I’ve ditched it after a couple
of games and haven’t looked back. out that’s the one that works for me.
Although I might try swapping the dump
pouch to my left...
A GROOVY KIND OF MOLLE YOU CAN’T HURRY A
LOADOUT
At around £60, this belt costs more
than some and less than others but the
Battlebelt Gen2 is well put together from
laser cut Nylon fabric with nary a loose
thread to be found. The UV resistant
material means that it shouldn’t fade with
exposure to sunlight and the Molle spacing
is uniform, working well with every pouch,
holster or mount I’ve thrown at it.
Everyone’s game set-up will be
different but here’s how I’ve organised my
battle belt from left to right: Two pistol
magazines side-by-side; two sniper mags
stacked; M4-style Speedloader with a pistol
loader on top; radio; water bottle; green
gas can; two grenades; open panel for
drop-leg holster; universal pistol holster
and, finally, folding dump pouch.
Of course, there are a million different
combinations - and I’ve watched a bunch
of real operator videos - but I’ve worked
I was happy to make the transition to a
vest-based loadout but I’m even happier
to come back to a belt. By establishing a
base platform that will work for every role I
play - swapping from infantryman to sniper
and back in the course of the day - I’ve
been able to remove bulk from my torso
to improve heat dissipation and can always
add back in a lightweight chest rig purely
for AR mags, depending on the game.
Certainly, there are many battle belts
out there but I like this one for both its
semi-rigid structure and the velcro inner,
that combine to mean that your kit stays
where you want it. As long as it continues
to stand up to torture tests (as well as I
think it might), YTTK’s Battlebelt Gen2 will
make the basis of every loadout for me
from now on. AA
www.airsoft-action.online
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