Mitch Milillo is a former USMC Scout Sniper and a current bearded professional as On Point Firearms' director of training. He has also recently launched a new training company: Marksmanship & Firearms Training Concepts (mftconcepts.com)
Is there a special corner in your closet, shed, or room that is dedicated solely to tactical equipment because you have more rigs than you know what to do with? Are you unable to fit all of your range gear into one regular-sized gym bag or backpack? Do you like having the ability to run various firearm platforms from the same rig but are tired of going home with a sore back or shoulders from the weight of your plate carrier or chest rig? Are you looking for a lower-profile alternative for your current SHTF kit? If you are like me and have said yes to one or more of the above questions, then HSGI has come to the rescue with another amazing product!
The High Speed Gear Sure-Grip Padded Belt offers shooters the ability to run multiple weapon platforms at the same time without having to take up every square inch of torso space. Whether you find yourself in the mountains of Afghanistan or down at your local range, this is one piece of kit that you won’t want to leave home without.
My personal kit overseas (MK11 w/ HGSI Sure-Grip Padded Belt, Benchmade knife, and Kill Cliff)
The shooter has quite a few options when it comes to this particular setup, both in style and color. Interested shooters must understand that this may be sold as an individual item (the pad alone) or as a combo deal (belt and pad). Located at the heart of the rig is a canal of Velcro that which is layered with male “hook” material (also known as the rough side of Velcro). This hook material is sewn in place so that the shooter may achieve a rock solid bond when a belt (up to 2” wide) is inserted and has female “loop” material sewn onto the inner side. It is possible to run this pad with a belt that lacks loop material, however that is not advised and may result in a less than ideal setup. Should you be looking to have an “out of the box” ready platform then there is the recommended option of purchasing the HSGI Sure-Grip Padded Belt combo. This combo includes (1) HSGI Cobra 1.75” Belt and (1) HSGI Sure-Grip Padded Belt, both of which have been assembled together by the workers at HSGI prior to shipping (so it saves you the nightmare of actually trying to weave it all together).
So you decided to go with this setup, but don’t know what you need to do. Fear not for I will guide you through the easiest five steps ever (most times, ordering custom sizing through online sites is a chore but not anymore! …You’re welcome).
Step 1: Choose a Sure-Grip Padded Belt to come with or without an inner belt
Step 2: Decide on which color scheme you’d like.
Options at Bottom of Page: http://highspeedgearinc.com/proddetail.php?prod=HSG-SGPB
Step 3: Decide if you wish to have a belt with or w/o a D-Ring (this is only available as an option if you choose to order the Pad/Belt combo)
Step 4: Figure out the size that you need. You may either go to their site (via the link above) or you could continue reading and follow my MUCH easier way to do it.
Below is the total length of the SGPB for sizing
30.5″ end to end
35.5″ end to end
41.5″ end to end
46″ end to end
(The Cobra belt will not be marked the same size as SGPB)
Please take the time to gather the correct measurements prior to ordering your belt or combo. This will save you a large bit of aggravation and time. If you want my honest opinion on all of this, then here it is. They didn’t do that great of a job explaining it in their CAPSLOCK ‘d paragraph because I have witnessed many horror stories from clients that used an incorrect measurement in their order. Here’s the trick… Take a tape measure and by using the measurements listed above (the total length of the SGPB end to end), place it around your waist and decide how much of a gap you want in the front. Once you have found the nearest size that works for you, that is the size pad that you will order. Also, please please please ensure that where you measure at is where you intend to wear the belt! If you measure above your belly button, be aware that is the location it will be fitted for! I highly recommend measuring at the top of your hips so that way it may ride low enough on your midsection yet still be on top of the hips. By ordering the Belt/Pad combo, HSGI takes care of properly sizing an inner belt for you!
Step 5: Almost forgot about these huh? Well Step 5 is simple… Place your order! As always, I highly recommend that everyone goes through On Point Firearms (www.onpointsupply.com) for all of their firearms and equipment needs. I have been using them since 2008 and never once had an issue with their customer service, products, or overall quality!
Another great feature about this belt that places it far above the competition is that everything is hand made here in America (more specifically North Carolina) by a shop that takes pride in their commitment to quality and product life! As with any HSGI product, a lifetime warranty is there to back up your equipment at every stitch… Even though you will never need to! I’ve owned many wonderful HSGI products over the years (dating back to 2004 when I was in the Marine Corps) and have yet to have an item fall apart on me!
The interior of the belt (the part that goes towards your body) is actually covered with neoprene that is sewn in place! This gives the belt sort of a sticky surface (in a good way) so that once you clip it on, it isn’t sliding anywhere. Sewn inside of the padded belt itself is a removable “HDPE stiffener” that keeps the pad from rolling or laying over upon itself under weight. If you have ever owned a padded belt before that didn’t have an interior panel to stiffen the pad, then you know exactly what I am talking about (cough cough Blackhawk cough cough). The underside of the pad has cutouts for those shooters looking to run drop-leg platforms from their belt. I personally thought this was a great idea and gives the belt a versatility that I have yet to see with any other belt pad that I have worked with. Lastly, the outside of the pad is covered with three rows of MOLLE webbing so that shooters are able to secure such items as HSGI’s line of Taco Pouches (personally my favorite pouches on the market).
Before anyone starts wondering how they would wear this with a regular holster such as Serpa CQC Holster, I already have ya covered! As shown below, you are easily able to mount a large variety of hip holsters to your padded belt via MOLLE adapters! The image below shows a Blackhawk Serpa Hip Holster attached to the HSGI Sure-Grip Padded Belt with a Blackhawk Serpa MOLLE Adapter. This allows for the shooter to mount their pistol directly to their padded belt without having to run a drop-leg platform!
At the end of the day the fact remains that you just simply cannot beat the quality and reliability of an HSGI product. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Sure-Grip Padded belt is a rig that is only limited by your imagination and will be something that, even under the harshest conditions, is a piece of gear that you could count on years down the road. If you are in the market for a new competition, recreational, deployment, or SHTF rig, On Point Firearms has you covered. Click here for more photos and information on ordering your own HSGI belt.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!
-- Mitch
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