Mountain Hardwear has two alternatives to the GI rigger’s Belt for those that like the basic look but don’t want to scream “average”; the Double Back Belt and the Alloy Nut Belt.
Sure, they’re not life support capable, but either are the issue Rigger’s Belts which really are nothing more than a few feet of Type VIII webbing and friction adapters from a Parachutist H Harness. The issue belt might look cool but won’t do much for a you in a jam. On the other hand, the Mountain Hardware belts look really cool and come in enough different colors you can make up your own combatives belt system. What’s more, you won’t look like a toolbag if you wear one of them in civilian clothing.
Colors include Espresso, British Tan, Stone Green, Grill, Moondust and the boringly named Black. One size fits most.
Update- One of my colleagues who is a big MH fan told me he had purchased the Alloy Nut Belt and it just wouldn’t stay tight. I have had hands on the Double Back and the design keeps the belt secure but he feels that the webbing on the Alloy Nut Belt was too supple and slippery to stay secure. Looking at the two designs you can see that the buckles are drastically different and this may contribute to the disparity in performance. So at this point, the SSD verdict is Double Back = Good, Alloy Nut = Not So Good.
Thanks for the input Rob! If anyone else has any input please feel free to share it in the comments section.
Tags: Mountain Hardwear
I too own one of the alloy nut belts and although it looks sharp as heck mine too tends to loosen. Like mentioned above I feel the nylon is too slick and supple to stay put and in my case sag under the load of an in use Raven Phantom holster.
On a related note, I bought a Patagonia TECH WEB BELT in Alpha green (ranger green) and it is plenty stiff to hold a CCW holster. The feed through slider buckle although simple, keeps the belt where you want it and it has never loosened on me.
Both companies are top notch!
I picked up the Double Back belt after reading this article and I have to say it’s really not a good substitute for a decent riggers belt. The webbing just isn’t stiff enough and it will sag under pretty much any load. Heck, it rolls over just from the belt loops! The belt is likely fine if you never carry anything on your belt line, but not suitable for concealed carry at all. Luckily, I bought it at REI, so I’m planning on returning it!
Gentlemen, It was good to hear someone, (your editor), put the rigger/instructor belts in their proper perspective. A true climber would never be caught belaying, or securing himself in one. I can’t believe the popularity of these! Good for gun belts and impressing the un-initiated, I guess. BTW, are these “rigger belts” “issued”?
I am new to your site (Doing new product research), and I wish you would have given more info on your site under the home section. Do you have any association with the Soldier Systems Command in Nattick? I would like to speak with your editor about a/my version of the “rigger belt” with the para-harness-friction-buckle, that I have designed for an entirely different application. I rarely find anyone who is of like mind to me, about the uselessness of the “rigger” belt. For me, form FOLLOWS function, though esthetics is a cionsideration of design. In fact, “Simplicity is the “Art” of Design.
I have been thinking about this “rigger belt” for many years, and Motorcycling has finally “coagulated” my subconscious into a truly useful and utilitarian piece of “kit”. BTW, I have designed 3 other utilitarian belts which I have been using for up to 25 yrs. I have not marketed these, because they are so simple and obvious, that I don’t feel I have the capibility to be “The First With The Most”, let alone manage an effective “License to Litigate” (ie copyright/patent). Seems like your editor/s give a fair evaluation of products, and may be able to provide me with some critical third party evaluation and direction. I do agree with Andrew, that Chouinard makes an outstanding product! From now on, I am aware of, and will be reading your site. Keep up the good work! Thanx Will Liebscher