Duty Belts / Keepers

[LT.]

I am having a issue with my duty belt vs my uniform pant NYLON belt. I have 4 keepers on my belt. I have my duty belt over my uniform belt with the keepers attaching them. What I find is when a girl is in need of releasing my fluid intake (lol) my uniform belt slips out from under the duty belt and keepers and I have to rethread my pant belt back into and under the duty belt and keepers. I've even moved my radio holder to my left side (which makes it harder for me to access my radio as I'm a righty) and the belt still slips out. Anyone have ideas? Suggestions? New belts? New career? LOL

Thanks everyone !!

[BAYAMedic]

I just got a third party message from Wayne Enterprises, "I am Batman. You are not." I surmise that to mean, if you are in an EMS role, How much crap/weight are you carrying to need a duty belt? I am a whacker from way back and dang near needed a LED buckle to complete the rig but I always only wore a trouser belt. I currently wear a Motorola XTS 2500 in a leather case with the half turn locking belt clip, a multi tool and on rare occation a glove pouch. I have found that a standard nylon riggers belt works best for me. The 5.11 operator is 1.75 inches and doesn't fit in some pants. The 5.11 trainer is 1.5 inches and works well but is 40.00. The blackhawk rigger belt is 1.5 inches but the nylon feels thin and doesn't feel like it holds as tight. Currently I am wearing a rigger belt from Supply Cache, a wildland fire company and it was right about 20 bucks and the fit and feel is the best I have tried. All the ones I have listed have a heavy duty metal buckle. I tried a Bianchi, buckless system all Velcro and didn't like it. I wore out a black basketweave leather belt, but my radio was too much weight for the poor 10 year used leather, but have coworkers who swear by them. Hope the helps

BAYAMedic

[Just Plain Ruff]

Just what the heck does this mean?????

What I find is when a girl is in need of releasing my fluid intake (lol) my uniform belt slips out from under the duty belt and keepers and I have to rethread my pant belt back into and under the duty belt and keepers

If you are male, just who is releasing your belt?

[paramedicmike]

Welcome, LT. I think you'll find EMTCity to be a pretty open place for discussion and a good place to ask questions. Please understand, though, that we have a bit of our own subculture here. Until you get the feel for the multiple personalities try to take comments with an open mind.

With that being said, the group almost as a whole, with some exceptions, tends to shy away from a whacker approach to EMS. This includes the use of utility belts and the carrying of a variety of superfluous items. Many of us are older and have been in the field for a while. While some of us used to share that same "Bat-belt" type approach we've mostly moved on as we've matured in this profession.

If this belt is something you *have* to wear for school or work uniform purposes then I'm afraid you might be stuck having to rethread your belt every time nature calls. If this is something you wear because you want to wear it please understand that many will find it, well, silly.

Mind you, this isn't anything personal. We don't know you from Eve. We can't make it personal so please don't take it personally. Just understand that we tend to call things like we see them and there is usually little tolerance for whacker-like behaviour. It's generally not personally motivated (unless you make it personally motivated).

So, welcome. Enjoy the discussions.

[scubanurse]

Most cops I know don't even have this issue.... dear lord. You can always look at the thigh strap if you want to hold more stuff like a suture kit, intubation kit, and other various unnecessary items.

[island emt]

Never had the need for a "duty belt". Even when I worked at the race track , I only carried 2 radios, a pair of trauma shears in a horizontal keeper and a glove pouch .

The 2 radios were because we had the amb freq on one and the track control on the other. we had dual headsets with one freq in each ear.

Talk about going crazy trying to listen to both channels at the same time.

Now a days I only have a pager on my belt.

The belt that I've been wearing since my military days in the 1970's is a standard issue cotton web with the marine/ seabee brass buckle. They are strong , last for ever and can be bought at military surplus places for under $5.00. I get a couple years out of them before they start to get worn.

[MikeEMT]

Having been a LEO I never had this issue despite having a belt full of crap. What in the world are you carrying that requires a duty belt? I have never seen a Duty Belt since I have been involved in EMS, in fact the closest I have seen is the leather strap for carrying a radio, I think its called a Boston Strap or something like that.

My belt has my work cell phone on it and that is it. As for gloves or any other extra equipment, thats what pants pockets are for.

[mobey]

So first off Welcome.

Secondly could you please upload a selfie or 2? (This is just standard EMTCity ettiquite)

Thirdly: Maybe you need a third belt to hold up your other 2 belts?

OK seriously........ If you put a small carabiner on one of your beltloops with some grippy tape on it, it will provide traction to your leather bet and prevent said mishap. Also the carabiner comes in handy often.

[aquamed]

I understand the user wanting a duty belt. I used one from time to time as well as when I was a LEO. Give her a break, a radio, pager, cellphone, shears, whatever.... I aways carried a small light and at times pepper spray....

I appreciated being able to drop the duty belt and gear in one motion while in quarters or coming on of going off duty. You might want look into the Velcro lined duty belt that mates to a uniform pants belt that has the matching Velcro on it. Then, no more keepers or chasing the end of your uniform belt when you drop your keepers to shed the duty belt.

[scubanurse]

Pepper spray?!? In EMS? Where do you work?