By Mr. Black
I’m not a “tactard.” I shoot a ton, have taken all of the cool-guy classes and can run black guns with the best of them, but you won’t find me wearing a plate carrier or whatever today’s equivalent of 5.11 pants are. My esteemed military career spanned less than a week and I’m too old to play dress-up. Just because I go out of my way not to be a poseur, though, doesn’t mean that products designed for “tactical” applications can’t be useful.
I spend a lot of time in the woods. I’m not talking about packing into the true backcountry; I’m talking about minutes- or hours-long trips into the local pines. Get off work, grab my gear and head out. When I’m not actively hunting deer, hogs, or predators, I’m constantly scouting, setting up stands, or working on food plots. When I’m in the woods on foot, it is nice to be able to carry the essentials—a handgun, some basic tools, a decent light, and maybe some water. I like snacks. The load varies widely depending on the task at hand.
Eugene Tackleberry Reporting
I’ve experimented with different setups, and each has its merits. Taking a hint from the tactards, though, is where I found the sweet spot. A Battle Belt is just what it sounds like—a belt that has some of the essentials that a guy or one of the gals on “Lioness” might need to go into battle. My lack of battles aside, it is an efficient way of carrying some basic gear.
FirstSpear is one of the top makers in the military/tactard gear space. They make slick, lightweight, well-designed, American-made kit for people who go into harm’s way on our behalf, and probably also for a bunch of dudes whose biggest risk is getting hit with an airsoft pellet. It’s a free country. On the recommendation of friends who have done plenty of the actual dangerous stuff, I gave FirstSpear’s gear a try.
A proper belt setup begins with a sturdy belt. I paired FirstSpear’s Assaulter’s Gun Belt with their Padded AGB Sleeve. I added a Dump Pouch, which can carry just about anything, and a couple of general-purpose pouches to hold the specific gear that I need. For heavier loads, a suspender kit is an easy add-on.
My primary threats in the Deep South backwoods are venomous snakes, feral dogs, and meth heads, roughly in that order. For that reason, a revolver makes for an ideal sidearm since it can carry both shot cartridges and traditional ammo in the same cylinder. My current go-to is a Lipsey’s S&W 610 10mm with a 4-inch barrel. This big N-frame sixgun is capable but it’s also heavy—the FirstSpear belt supports it easily.
FirstSpear Assaulters Gun Belt Utility
This setup is light and handy—I can slip through the woods, climb ladders and crawl under fences without shedding the belt. If I need more gear for some reason, I can put a pack on over it and the belt doesn’t get in the way. Shed the pack and you still have the essentials on your belt. The best part about this setup is the modularity. Adding and subtracting gear is fast and simple, especially when using FirstSpear’s tubes system, which is a rabbit hole unto itself.
If you’re a tactard, you know all about the advantages of Battle Belts. But, for those of us with active sex lives, they might be a new concept. The fact is that it is an excellent way to carry gear without adding excessive bulk. For forays into the woods, the benefits outweigh the risks of being spotted wearing it—just don’t let anyone take pictures of you.
Price: Assaulter’s Gun Belt, $120 ($10 more if your gut is too big); Padded Assaulter’s Gun Belt Sleeve, $144.
Pros: Versatile, built to last.
Cons: You might look like an airsofter.
