I have no idea which attachments I should get or how to configure my belt, any advice?
You’re always welcome to call and discuss the specifics of what works for you, however, we can provide some general advice for setting up your Truck Belt.
Most firefighters want to carry a striking tool and either a Halligan and/or a Boxlight with their belt. We recommend putting your striking tool on your dominant side (left hand or right hand accordingly) and your Boxlight or Halligan on your non-dominant side. So for a right-handed firefighter that wants to carry a flathead axe and a boxlight, you could do a 3″ O-Ring on your Right Side and the Boxlight Loop on your Left Side. If you wanted to add a Halligan as well, you could move the Boxlight Loop to Front Left or Front Right Side and add a 3.5″ O-Ring to your Left Side. This is just a rough example.
Keeping it simple and effective is always a good idea.
Also, some customers opt for a lot of stamping and painting on their belts. While we won’t discourage anyone from getting it exactly how they want it, we will say that your available “real estate” on the belt can fill up fast! If you get your name on the back of the belt but also order 5 attachments, its likely at least part of your stamping will be covered.
We recommend thinking about what you want your belt to accomplish and then ordering attachments to match that purpose. Again, if you want more tailored advice, we’re happy to discuss it with you.
Can I remove the attachments I order for my belt? Can I move them?
Some of the attachments are removable and some are not. The ones that can be removed are labeled as being detachable in their description. Certain attachments are fastened onto the belt using threadlocked screws and cannot be taken off without serious effort. This is for safety reasons so that an attachment carrying a tool cannot accidentally come loose and potentially cause injury.
All attachments may be moved, however, by sliding them on the belt. They will not be able to pass each other, however. For example, if you had a 3″ Ring on your Right Side and a 3.5″ Ring on your Front Right Side, you wouldn’t be able to swap their positions, only move the rings further back.
Can I wear my Truck Belt around my waist as a replacement for the nylon belt that came with my bunker pants?
We strongly discourage customers from purchasing Truck Belts for this purpose. They are designed to be worn around the midsection, over your Turnout Coat and may not fit through the loops designed for the original nylon belt. We can make Bunker Belts specifically to fit your gear but you’ll need to get in contact with us to work out the details at this time. Please call or email first and we’ll help you place the order.
What is the difference between the 3″ O-Ring and the Heavy D-Ring?
The Heavy D-Ring is a bit more versatile compared to the 3″ O-Ring. While the 3″ O-Ring will fit most striking tools, the D-Ring will fit all commercially available striking tools and some Halligan bars. The wider mouth makes it a bit easier to stow your tool and take it out as well.
Which side is the adjustment section on? Can I get an attachment on the adjustment section?
Whether the adjustment section is on the left or the right depends entirely on how you configure attachments. We use our judgment to lay everything out in a way that makes the most sense. For example, we tend to place the adjustment section on the opposite side from 3″ O-Rings, Heavy D-Rings and Swivel Holsters. This is because there is more room to accommodate those attachments on the non-adjustable side. If you make a specific request about where you want your adjustment, we will try to honor that or contact you to discuss better alternatives.
Additionally, we only offer detachable attachments on the Front Left and Front Right (with 2 exceptions.) This is in case you need to remove an attachment to adjust the belt much smaller. The 2 exceptions are the Clip-In Hard Point and XL Carabiner. If you order one of these, they must go on the non-adjustment side. The Hard Point is sewn and riveted onto the belt and cannot be moved at all and the XL Carabiner cannot be removed, only moved on the belt.
Can I use my Truck Belt in place of a ladder belt or a rescue harness?
We cannot certify or condone the use of Truck Belts for these purposes. They are not rated by any safety organization or the NFPA. Additionally, you would need to speak to representatives from your department about their requirements for equipment filling those roles.
We can say that strength and durability are paramount in the construction of our Truck Belts. Items we would not use ourselves do not go out the door. The SCUBA webbing we use is rated at 4750 lbs tensile strength before we sew and rivet it onto 8 oz. full-grain leather. They are a serious, rigid platform for carrying your tools and exceptionally sturdy.
Does the Free Swivel Tool Holster include a Truck Belt or is it just the Holster?
It is the Holster only. If you order a Truck Belt and the Holster, there is an option for us to install it directly onto belt for you.
If you’re wondering why the Holster is more expensive than the base belt itself (before adding attachments), its because the hardware on it is made from machined aircraft grade aluminum and is very costly to manufacture.
What does the “Leather Retention” option on the tool rings consist of? What tools does it fit?
We add a strap of leather that goes over the top of your tool and snaps into place. This ensures your tool won’t come out sitting in the rig, during donning, or while moving on the fireground.
We add 2 snaps to the retention strap, this gives you 2 different positions to secure your tool according to size. The first snap is sized to a flathead FE axe and will fit most 6 or 8 lb. axes or similarly sized tools. The second snap is bigger and will fit things like Mauls with 10 lb. heads.
If you have a specific tool in mind, let us know if the Special Requests section and we’ll make sure at least 1 of the positions will fit your tool of choice.