A post I made in 2013 about the Aegis Enhanced... Been wearing one almost every day since.
EDC
What does it mean to you? For many that question centers around guns. But what does it take to use those effectively?
How do you go about carrying those life saving tools? Most people don't bat an eyelash at dropping $500 or more on the latest and greatest blaster that graces the cover of the gun rags.
Thankfully many folks are aware that it will probably cost around $100 for a quality holster to carry that weapon in. Fewer will be committed enough to carry a spare magazine and spend the money on a decent carrier for it as well.
By the time we tally up the cost of a pistol, holster, two mags worth of quality defensive ammo, a spare mag holder, decent flashlight and a folding knife, we are probably talking about $800-$1000. Not exactly chump change.
Then why is it that people will insist on hanging all of that gear off of a flimsy belt they picked up 10 years ago at Walmart?
Your belt is the platform that all of that other gear depends on. A weak belt will cause your gear to shift. It will make draws sloppy due to movement. It will also create pressure points and make carrying less comfortable.
There are a handful of quality belt makers out there. My go to option for the last 5 years or so has been Ares Gear, LLC. I have several of their Ranger belts and I have worn one almost every day.
Everything from quick trips to the store with a pistol to playing Army where I would routinely have a M9, spare pistol mag, and two M4 mags hanging off of it.
In my eye, they are the standard that all other belts are judged.
For the last few months I have had a T&E belt from them that has changed my opinion. Today, Ares announced their new Aegis belt.
It has the same stiffness due to the double scuba webbing design but they dropped the 1" webbing and Cobra buckle in place for a plain (but high quality) beadblasted stainless buckle.
This buckle doesn't stand out as much as the Cobra buckle design. It fits in wearing business casual when required by work or a pair of jeans walking around town.
I originally had doubts that the belt would loosen up over the course of the day but I have loaded it up with a pistol, reloads, and multiple AR mags and it hasn't budged an inch.
I also find it easier to thread through holsters and pouches since it doesn't have the 1" webbing of the Ranger belt. If you are looking for a stiff belt without the "tactical" look of the Cobra buckle, this may be the option for you.
The Ares Gear site said they are selling out this limited edition run and then will be offering it with a MIM buckle at some point in 2014.
