webbed/hiking belt recs please!

September 28, 2022 5:53 AM

Mr. brilliantine is looking for a belt to wear hiking and I would love to hear about your favorites.

I tried to find one for him last Christmas but there was a shipping snafu and we ended up getting a refund. It also seemed like a lot of the ones on the market slip or stretch too much. Price is not really a concern if you think it's something that will last for ages.

Musts:
will fit a 40" ish waist comfortably
does not slip

Prefers:
a webbed belt that he can cinch and adjust but isn't too stretchy on its own
good for the outdoors/sweat/water

posted by brilliantine to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

If you're comfortable giving money to a military-gear company, Blackhawk sells the Rigger's belt, which is amazing. I've had mine for years. Not sure I'd buy another from the same vendor in today's political climate, but it's hard to argue with the quality. Avoid Amazon, there are known to be lots of counterfeits. (edit: fixed link).
posted by Alterscape at 6:30 AM on September 28, 2022

I really like the Grip6 belts. They're great for hiking -- low profile buckle, doesn't interfere with waist belts on packs, doesn't absorb any moisture -- but also look nice enough to wear with slacks or nice jeans and look semi-dressy. I love that they're infinately adjustable (no holes) and so tolerate my seemingly-always-fluctuating waistline. They don't stretch at all so if a bit of stretch is something you want look elsewhere.
posted by dorothy hawk at 7:40 AM on September 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

It's another military/tactical/kind of ick company (In my defense I needed a non-metallic belt right soon now and it was the first suitable belt on Amazon I could get by the next day.), but 5.11 makes a belt I've used and can attest is easy-care and doesn't slip. I've had it for years and it still looks good. You can just put it in a laundry bag and wash it when it gets gross.
posted by mochi_cat at 8:07 AM on September 28, 2022

I bought this sub-$10 Rothco Military D-Ring Expedition Belt off of Amazon 6 years ago, and it's been solid. So basic. It's cotton, so not as sweat/water resistant as a nylon version would be (but also not as slippery).
posted by mumkin at 8:12 AM on September 28, 2022

I bought into a set of Grip6 belts and they were pretty good for the reasons mentioned above, except that getting a really tight cinch is hard because they're not stretchy at all. I started developing arthritis in my thumbs, which made the Grip6 really hard/painful for me to tighten so I'm watching this thread for more suggestions.
posted by homesickness at 9:04 AM on September 28, 2022

If you'd rather give off, like, frisbee-golf/jam-band-enthusiast kind of vibes:

Bison Designs and Kavu have many, many options. Chaco has one, but it's a good one (only 1" wide, though).
posted by box at 9:40 AM on September 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

I use a random bit of webbing with a plastic buckle as a hiking belt - I think it was a compression strap on long-ago gear. So either see if compression straps that meet your specs are easier to find, or just go to an outdoors or fabric store and buy a bunch of webbing and a buckle and take it to a tailor, it's maybe 5 minutes of work.
posted by momus_window at 11:08 AM on September 28, 2022

My favorite belt that meets your requirements is this one from Arcteryx. A little stiff, and not at all stretchy. I also have one from Kuhl that has a quick release buckle that seems to quick-release when I don’t want it to quite frequently.
posted by supercres at 11:17 AM on September 28, 2022

I have a belt made by Patagonia that I like. They have another model as well but I've never tried that one out.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:31 PM on September 28, 2022

Arcade belts are on the stretchy side, but they pretty much are perfect for outdoor activities where you want some give, but also your pants to not fall down.
posted by larthegreat at 12:54 AM on September 29, 2022

I own two belts, one of which is this fantastic stretchy, minimal Ornot belt. It's really well-made, and although it's a bit spendy, it's absolutely worth it if you ask me.
posted by knucklebones at 1:48 PM on September 29, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks all! trying out a cheap cotton option first but I'm glad to have these in my back pocket
posted by brilliantine at 12:26 PM on September 30, 2022