rat.bastard.reviews: APPLIED GEAR (AG)
Disclosure: Let's start this review with the obligatory statement that I received the item to be reviewed below free of charge, I want to thank Applied Gear the scissor sister company to Advanced Warfighter Systems from the bottom of my heart for sponsoring this review. Applied Gear has donated one of its Coyote Hybrid EDC Belts free of charge in exchange for an upfront and honest review. I can hear it now; some of you are probably asking, "Hey Bastard, don't you have a weird bromance with that company?" yeah kind of, but I'm not sure if the feelings are reciprocated and we never do butt stuff. I've been used for my body before and now my feelings about a company never get in the way of how I actually feel about a product. I don't get paid for reviews, I never receive money for product sales, I'm not allowed to return to Kosovo, and I have no qualms about telling you if a product is shit. Here's the tale of the tape.
Breakdown: The Applied Gear Hybrid EDC belt is a standard riggers style cordura Webbed belt but features a cobra buckle and an inlay of what I'm assuming is a high strength flexible polymer spine. This spine keeps the belt exceptionally rigid which is of course what you want for carrying a firearm both open carry and concealed carry. This rigidity prevents the belt from sagging from the additional weight of a firearm thus keeping your pistol and goodies exactly where they are intended to be when you reach for them.
I've been carrying a Springfield Hellcat OSP, an extra mag and a knife on the belt For my EDC kit over the last few weeks and I've kept the Hellcat in an Alien Gear ShapeShift Appendix IWB holster with not a single notable issue. I've also been running a muck outside swapping between my Hellcat and my M9 on various OWB holsters; Everything from Versacarry to Beretta branded leather, to Tactical Scorpion gear paddle holsters to Milsurp for the M9. I haven't encountered a single issue with any combination of pistol and holster I've run on this belt. I can't recall a single issue with sag, not once have I had to readjust due to loosening, and most importantly it keep my pants up too.
The EDC Hybrid belt is actually one of the more comfortable belts that I've worn in this style, I do have a bit of a gut that sits on my belt and haven't experienced much discomfort in the few weeks I've been testing. Some competitors make their belts very thick in comparison which always ends up rubbing and causing agitation a few hours into the day especially if you are in and out of the car a lot, Applied Gear's design has mostly gotten rid of that issue. There was one occurrence where I overtightened the belt before I left the house and after sitting for about an hour drive in the car, I could tell it needed re-adjustment but it was fine for the rest of the day after that. Where the belt IS uncomfortable for me is on the end of the double back adjustment loop where the material is cut, it's sharp as FUCK. The sharp tip isn't an issue 98% of the time but that other 2% when that tip pokes my disgusting fucking love-handle; sweet Jesus, Sometimes I just have to stop what I'm doing and take a knee. I look like fucking Tim Tebow in my local Aldi's bread aisle because of that one stupid little piece. Hell, I accidently started a BLM riot outside of a Publix once after I took a knee when it poked me while putting back one of those Cadillac sized kiddie carts. Thank god the beer, subs, and kids were already loaded because that shit went South quick.
The cobra buckle is well made, attractive, and takes positive pressure to engage and disengage. It's channels don't slip along the belt once secured, meaning no readjustment throughout the day. The stitching is top tier and professionally done, they are made here in the USA by actual US citizens, it comes with a fancy pants sticker and the cordura material is strong as hell and vibrant in color.
It's Coyote, the deuchiest color for any EDC rig. Believe it or not that was my choice, Because Mrs.Bastard actually likes coyote for EDC. She disapproves of my 1980's leather-daddy approach to carrying concealed, but I enjoy the smell and the way the leather feels between my teeth. The sizing is very generous and the XL ranges from my strange Hank Hill body all the way up to Mrs.Bastards thick hips and Yugo sized ass cheeks. That is an impressive range of sizing for 1 belt, and will likely become her go to for daily carry now that I'm done with testing.
I would even venture to say that if you wanted to run a minimalist battle kit you could avoid buying a standard battle belt and use this bad boy as a stand in. Now, with it being single layer I wouldn't overload it with stupid shit for Instagram But I have no doubt that it could handle a full size service pistol, an extra mag, and an IFAK during a combat situation. Pair that with a micro chest rig and folding stock pistol or SBR and you have a very capable kit you could fit in a small duffle.
Final Thoughts: Well, if you cant tell by my stream of consciousness bullshit excuse of writing style above, I like the product. I think its extremely capable and looks good, I think the styling probably appeals more to a certain market in the context of "EDC" which is fine here because that's what Applied Gear and AWS have always done. They make products Militaria oriented because they hold contracts with the Military and their gear is top notch because it needs to be. I Will likely continue to use my leather carry belts just because they make me feel naughty and that's what I enjoy But the Applied Gear EDC Hybrid belt gets a 9.823/10 from me and I would definitely recommend it over many of the competitors products I have tried.
-Rat Bastard
@appliedgear
@awsgear
https://awsin.com/
