duty belt pads

[freekforge]

Do any leos here have any recommendations for pads or something to help relieve hip pain from duty belts. Im super skinny like 6'1" 125-130lbs skinny and by the end of my tour my hips are shot. Between the bruising and my legs going numb and staying numb i have trouble walking with a normal gait. Ive seen the small of the back pads. Any of you guys with more experience than me have any recommendations?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I'd say suspenders would be your best option. There's some that you can wear under your uniform shirt, if you can't wear externals.

 

[1mil-high]

What all are you carrying? Is it all necessary, or if it is could the load be distributed more evenly?

 

[freekforge]

I may try some suspenders thanks.

as far as what im carrying clockwise from buckle
TQ, gun, cuffs, glove pouch, cuffs, radio, mag pouch.

a taser is going to be added within a month. Doesn't sound like a lot but with as skinny as i am it loads the belt. my hip bones stick out and the belt just digs in. several departments around mine have switched to molle vests however we have not been approved. Im praying they change their minds as that would help a lot.

 

[jsx1043]

A couple more questions to help you find the right solution:

1. What brand and model of belt are you currently using?
2. Is your department very strict on gear or uniform issues?
3. What kind of belt are you wearing for an under belt?

I've been looking into this quite a bit lately and, although I haven't chosen a route yet, a couple of the best options I'm seeing out there at the moment are from HSGI.

The Micro Grip belt panel is a neoprene pad that will velcro to the inside of your belt (most all duty belts have it now, some older-style belts like Gould & Goodrich do not) and will not stick out beyond a 2.25" duty belt. It looks to be about 2" wide itself so it would go edge-to-edge on a 2" belt. It would add some bulk under the belt, but you may still be able to use your keepers.

Micro Grip Belt Panel


Another option is the Duty-Grip Padded Belt. This one is neoprene again, but is much wider at 2.75" and works with belts up to 2". It has sewn loops all the way around to customize pouch placement. Being as wide as it is, it would create a problem with keepers.

Duty-Grip? Padded Belt



As I said, I haven't used either but I wanted to throw them out there. If HSGI made the Duty-Grip Padded Belt a little narrower for up to 1.75" rigger belts, it would presumably be about 2.25" and standard keepers would go around it, and I'd already have one to use with my cobra buckle rigger belt.

I'll try to throw in another post on some other options I've seen.

 

[grunt soldier]

I had this issue also. Not because I'm skinny but because I have no butt lol. The suspenders solution was the best fix for me. I loved them. Can't run them where I'm at now unless there under the uniform and I have found them to be a pain to put on and use. There is a more expensive brand out there I haven't tried yet though.

Tactical tailor makes my favorite outer suspenders. Very affordable and padded on the shoulders. A lot of big depts are going over to suspenders to decrease medical costs that come along with heavy duty belts. They make a big difference for me

 

[freekforge]

jsx1043:
1: uncle mikes 2 inch nylon with the hook velcro on the inside.
2: they're somewhat strict since im new.
3: its one of those real stiff 5.11 belts.

I think i remember another officer mentioning an hsgi belt that he liked i will look into those.

grunt, having no butt contributes to my problem as well. Im going to ask about suspenders.

 

[jsx1043]

Freek, how wide is your under belt? I've found that width and thickness matter () when it comes to pressure points on the hips. Wider and thinner work well for me. For the cheapest fix that would not be seen by the brass, I'd probably go with the micro grip. They're about $25.

 

[Gabriel]

I've been wearing suspenders for the last decade or so. I'm skinny and had to keep my belt extremely tight to keep it on, plus I had to hold it up when I ran. Now I can wear it a bit loose and it's a lot more comfortable.

 

[jsharmon7]

I see this as a good reason to lift weights and get big!

Although a bit steep, these might be an option:

http://www.511tactical.com/zero-g-plate.html

 

[freekforge]

inner belt is 1.75 and double thick.

i could pick up an armor cover so i could were my vest on the outside and have the suspenders run under the vest.

How important is the vest size in relation to the blauer style outer carrier anyone know? my vest is a bit big due to losing some weight and the sides overlap quite a bit now.

I'm going to talk to the chief about my options. i know that the outer vests are approved so that combined with suspenders are good to go i believe.

 

[freekforge]

here is how my belt is set up the only difference now is i use a rigid radio holder. 8 keepers are used.

 

[Gabriel]

I'm surprised to see no less lethal at all.

 

[1mil-high]

You shouldn't need 8 keepers to keep everything in place. Also, out of curiosity, what size belt is that? I have about a 31" waist, more items, and seemingly more room on my belt.

You may look into handcuff hangers too. They don't relieve any noticeable amount of weight but will keep the handcuff pouches from digging into you when you sit for long periods of time. The handcuffs will move with you more so.

 

[freekforge]

I'm surprised to see no less lethal at all.

within a month I will be issued a taser. Im always with a fto that has his less lethal aswell.

1mil-high i believe it is a small i will check though. i thought about trying the cuff hangers they do look more comfortable.

 

[freekforge]

I have the hsgi thing ordered as well as suspenders to try but i also switched inner belts to the the floppy 5.11 belt and it made a world of difference. played a couple games of kick ball with some school kids and the belt didn't bother me a bit. sitting still sucks but not near as much.

 

[jsx1043]

Good to hear freek. Let us know how the pad and suspenders work out, maybe throw up another pic

 

[freekforge]

I put a strap in between the qls and ubl hardware like the "ITS mod" and love it so far. I didnt think it would do anything for my hips but it kind of supports the whole belt. I've gone two days without the suspenders or hsgi sleeve thing and am not having any problems after switching under belts and doing the its mod. An added bonus is the holster isnt rubbing my leg as bad and i have a faster draw since the holster is more stable. Im going to put the hsgi belt back on just for added comfort and maybe also put a ubl pad on the loop.