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OCD EDC Belt
NNSW, Australia
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Finally got around to writing up proper load out and detailed description of my EDC belt, so here it is in all it’s epic OCD glory:
This all came about from a desire to extend my EDC capability without continuing to fill my pockets - spare batteries for my torches were the main instigators - funnily enough I have a different system for this now and I no longer keep any batteries in the belt itself.
I figured a belt was something that I wear every day, and never remove - if i can carry some useful things in it I’d always have them on me, even if I have none of my other EDC. And I’d be just like Batman or Inspector Gadget.
I have been fine tuning the contents for almost 2 years now and I think it’s getting pretty close to finished/capacity. Believe it or not this can pass undetected though a metal detector. Every time I have decided to add something new to the belt I’ll remove it before going through airport security and keep it in my pocket, if it sets off the detector then I’ll pop it through the x-ray and walk through with the previous contents of the belt, if it doesn’t set it off then I’ll know it’s OK to add. There is nothing illegal in the contents of the belt I might add, and if I’m travelling overseas I put it in my check in luggage to avoid potential hassle.
I recently put on a birthday party on a beach for friend, we had no noise complaints but the next morning the police arrived to check on us. I approached them, they weren’t super friendly and decided to illegally search me. Belt came through undetected.
In the detailed breakdown below I've given a few examples of where it has got me out of a bind, but really it’s a tightly integrated part of my EDC system and gets almost daily use in one way or another.
The belt itself is an SERE Black Ops Belt from Oscar Delta in the UK.
I tried about 10 belts with some sort of storage capacity before settling on this one, and I’ve stopped looking, It’s perfect. It also solved another problem I’ve always had with belts - the buckle wearing down the fabric of the belt or just generally not doing a good job of staying where I set it - no problems here.
And here is a more detailed breakdown:
1 - Large ziplock bag
I carry this for emergency waterproofing or water transport, it can hold 1litre of water (rolled up and inserted into a straw and covered in Gorilla tape to protect it)
2 - 6 small zip ties
3 - Nomad lightning charger for iPhone
4 - 3 most used Leatherman bits - phillips, flat and hex
5 - Leatherman Bit Extender
I was always trying to find a good way to EDC this, and funnily enough, once I added this to my belt with the bits I stopped carrying my Leatherman Charge TTi on my person and moved it to my OP1 - I found that my most used tools by a mile were the blade and the driver. Now I carry a good folder (TAD Dauntless Mk III) and I carry a PDW SPD Dog Tag Tool on my keychain and I insert the Bit Extender into the hex hole on that for extra torque if needed. Only really pull out the Leatherman if I need pliers, file, other bits etc.
6 - Slotted repair button for TAD shorts & Pants
All Triple Aught Design pants and shorts use Canadian tape style buttons secured on nylon webbing - this slotted button quickly slides onto the webbing for easy repair in the field
7 - Small GITD Compass
Seems to work well but have been meaning to swap it out with a NATO/County Comm or similar brass compass as I feel they might be more reliable
8 - TAD Survival Spark & 4 Tinder-Quik fire tabs
The milled groove down the length of the tool lets you rest a sewing needle which is then held in place by wrapping thread around the barrel. I prefer nylon thread as it won’t perish if it’s getting wet - much better for repairing tarps, tents and ponchos. I fit the square end of the spark in a drill and use it to quickly and evenly wind the thread on, then seal it with some electrical shrink wrap to protect it.
The Tinder-Quik fire tabs are fantastic - even if they are wet they will ignite, you simply fray one up as much as possible and apply a spark and it will burn for a good 2-3 minutes, which is plenty to dry out and ignite even wet kindling, meaning you’ve got a guaranteed fire even if everything is wet.
I’d say that the Survival Spark and the Tinder-Quik tabs are the most important items in the belt. Fire can be used to keep warm, make potable water, signal, cook food and keep moral up in a survival situation, I always carry 3 ways of lighting fire on my person, more like six with my EDC bag.
9 - Poncho/blanket pin
Used to hold a blanket around my shoulders or for emergency repair work
10 - Assorted safety pins
11 - MacGyver Multitool (usually 2 or 3)
THE ONLY TOOL YOU'LL EVER NEED "A paperclip can be a wonderous thing. More times than I can remember one of these has gotten me out of a tight spot..." - Angus MacGyver - Finally the only tool you'll ever need. With this you'll be able to pick locks, defuse bombs, repair bicycles and rescue stranded cats from treetops.
Was out bush a few weeks ago and a friend put his keys on the roof of they car, they got knocked and managed to slip into the gutter groove at the top of the boot, if they got knocked again they would have slipped right down beyond reach and we would have had to smash a window to get home. 2 of these babies and 5 minutes of fiddling and I managed to recover them just before it got dark. Needless to say this hero wasn't paying for beers when we got back to town ;-)
Note: 12, 13 & 14 all sit in the belt at the small of my back so they can be accessed if I am restrained with my hands behind my back.
12 - 3ft of Kevlar cordage
Kevlar line is extremely heat resistant, allowing it to be used as a friction saw for cutting through flex cuff handcuffs, duct tape, many types of rope and things like PVC pipe. If you ever need to shelter in place during an emergency, it can be used to quickly seal doors to prevent an attacker from getting inside by roping door handles together.
Here is a link to some lighter weight Kevlar line on a rapid deployment spool - I’ve got a bunch of this stuff and have been meaning to add a spool to the belt. Site has some great emergency use examples - check it out:
http://gearward.com/collections/frontpage/products/compact-survival-cord-mini
13 - Ceramic razor blade
14 - TIHK - Tiny Inconspicuous Handcuff Key
"TIHK is a patent pending handcuff key that utilizes an integrated clip for easy attachment to your clothing so it is ready when needed. Its minimal, low-profile design and low-visibility coating ensure that it can be carried inconspicuously and go undetected when detained. Designed to fit all standard "peerless" style handcuffs."
It can be removed from my belt, whilst restrained, and clipped inside a belt loop, so if the belt is confiscated I retain the key.
http://tihk.co
15 - 1ft of 1" Gorilla tape
Strongest cloth tape on the planet, nothing you can’t fix with this stuff - broken marriages, world hunger, you name it gorilla tape is the tool for the job ;-) There’s another 20cm wrapped around the straw (Item #1) and I keep some wrapped around a go tube in my pocket too.
Real world example of use recently - locked out of truck, happened to have some plastic box strapping around a box in the back of the truck which was unlocked (packing strap is the blue or yellow thick plastic straps they use to tie down freight on a palette - best tool for breaking into most cars). Any how, could get a hold of the lock with the tape but it wouldn't grip, just kept falling off. made a reversed loop of Gorilla tape and stuck it on the inside of the packing tape, held the lock and was in fist attempt. Gorilla tape FTW!
After this I added the box strapping to the belt! folded a length in half and ran it the whole length of the belt behind everything else.
If you’re not familiar with this method of car entry, you should be - here’s a good instructional (using a piece of clear plastic, but the method is the same, his has a piece of sandpaper stapled in the fold where I used Gorilla tape):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwz1N8NUy-4
16 - 8 Aquatabs water purification tablets
Each tablet treats 1litre of water and can be used with the ziplock bag (item #1) if you don’t have a bottle
17 - 8 fabric bandaids
18 - 4 Modafinil tablets
Modafinil is probably the closest thing we have to the drug from the film “Limitless", without the side effects. It’s a prescription medication used to treat narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder. It’s not an amphetamine or stimulant, but rather a wakefulness-promoting agent (or eugeroic). In the United States military, modafinil has been approved for use on certain Air Force missions, and it is being investigated for other uses. in 2004 a study of fighter pilots showed that modafinil given in three divided 100 mg doses sustained the flight control accuracy of sleep-deprived F-117 pilots to within about 27 percent of baseline levels for 37 hours, without any considerable side effects - so after flying for almost 40hrs straight they still maintained more than 70% of their reflex and cognition capabilities.
In Australia it is a prescription medication but it is legal to import it without a prescription for personal use. There are many scam sites selling it online so you must be wary. I buy from www.modup.com and have always had great customer service experiences. If you use the code LIMITLESS at checkout you’ll get 10 free tablets. They do offer Paypal but you’ll have to email them to request it - I prefer to pay with Paypal because if it doesn’t arrive I’m covered.
Now as this is a prescription medication let me make it clear that I AM NOT recommending you go right ahead and try it, please, be responsible and do some thorough research first.
I will say that I personally have had only positive experiences with it. I try to limit my use to 1-2 tablets a fortnight and often use it far less frequently. Where I find it particularly useful is if I get very little sleep or even miss a night of sleep, I can take 100mg (1 tablet) in the next morning and I’m good to go all day, I can drive long distances and function as if I had got a reasonable sleep the night before. Another way I use it is if I have a particularly full day where I really have to be on point, I’ll get a good sleep, wake early and have 100mg at around 6 -7 am and I'll have no trouble sleeping at the end of the day at around 11pm. During the day I feel more clear and focused, more 'on task' than usual. Dave Asprey, the guy behind the Bulletproof Coffee brand, used it in this manner every day for 10 years without side effects - he obviously believes its very safe.
The reason I carry it in the belt, other than to have it on hand if I need it, is that it could be particularly useful in a survival situation where fatigue could prove fatal.
19 - Photon Micro-light II
My absolute last ditch emergency light - You get about 18+ hours of light from a replaceable Lithium battery, it’s waterproof with an IPX7 rating, 4.5 lumens, visible from over a mile away.
20 - Bogota Titan-Mini Entry Toolset
One of the smallest lock bypassing sets available at about 2" long and barely wider than a toothpick.
Great review here:
http://jerkingthetrigger.com/2012/04/17/review-bogota-titan-mini-entry-toolset/
21 - 5ft 550 Paracord
Folded in half it runs the length of the belt under everything else.
What needs to be said? http://www.survivorgeek.com/pages/Emergency-uses-for-Paracord.html
Recently added:
I used 2 of the tubes that the ceramic razor blades come in to fashion these little kits:
22 - Tabs - 4 Modafinil tablets and 4 Immodium tablets
I’ve explained the Modafinil, the Immodium is anti diarrhoea medication - drinking bad water in a survival situation can be fatal, getting diarrhoea can incapacitate you and massively dehydrate you, and you’ll be unable to do anything about it. Having this on hand means you can stop the shits and try tor sort out a better water situation. Also good to carry if travelling through developing nations.
23 - Fishing Kit
3 hooks wrapped in electrical tape, 3 sinkers, a swivel and 30' of fishing line
25 - $200 emergency cash
Hopefully this will give everyone a few Ideas… Let me know if you can think of anything small and super handy that I may have missed!
This all came about from a desire to extend my EDC capability without continuing to fill my pockets - spare batteries for my torches were the main instigators - funnily enough I have a different system for this now and I no longer keep any batteries in the belt itself.
I figured a belt was something that I wear every day, and never remove - if i can carry some useful things in it I’d always have them on me, even if I have none of my other EDC. And I’d be just like Batman or Inspector Gadget.
I have been fine tuning the contents for almost 2 years now and I think it’s getting pretty close to finished/capacity. Believe it or not this can pass undetected though a metal detector. Every time I have decided to add something new to the belt I’ll remove it before going through airport security and keep it in my pocket, if it sets off the detector then I’ll pop it through the x-ray and walk through with the previous contents of the belt, if it doesn’t set it off then I’ll know it’s OK to add. There is nothing illegal in the contents of the belt I might add, and if I’m travelling overseas I put it in my check in luggage to avoid potential hassle.
I recently put on a birthday party on a beach for friend, we had no noise complaints but the next morning the police arrived to check on us. I approached them, they weren’t super friendly and decided to illegally search me. Belt came through undetected.
In the detailed breakdown below I've given a few examples of where it has got me out of a bind, but really it’s a tightly integrated part of my EDC system and gets almost daily use in one way or another.
The belt itself is an SERE Black Ops Belt from Oscar Delta in the UK.
I tried about 10 belts with some sort of storage capacity before settling on this one, and I’ve stopped looking, It’s perfect. It also solved another problem I’ve always had with belts - the buckle wearing down the fabric of the belt or just generally not doing a good job of staying where I set it - no problems here.
And here is a more detailed breakdown:
1 - Large ziplock bag
I carry this for emergency waterproofing or water transport, it can hold 1litre of water (rolled up and inserted into a straw and covered in Gorilla tape to protect it)
2 - 6 small zip ties
3 - Nomad lightning charger for iPhone
4 - 3 most used Leatherman bits - phillips, flat and hex
5 - Leatherman Bit Extender
I was always trying to find a good way to EDC this, and funnily enough, once I added this to my belt with the bits I stopped carrying my Leatherman Charge TTi on my person and moved it to my OP1 - I found that my most used tools by a mile were the blade and the driver. Now I carry a good folder (TAD Dauntless Mk III) and I carry a PDW SPD Dog Tag Tool on my keychain and I insert the Bit Extender into the hex hole on that for extra torque if needed. Only really pull out the Leatherman if I need pliers, file, other bits etc.
6 - Slotted repair button for TAD shorts & Pants
All Triple Aught Design pants and shorts use Canadian tape style buttons secured on nylon webbing - this slotted button quickly slides onto the webbing for easy repair in the field
7 - Small GITD Compass
Seems to work well but have been meaning to swap it out with a NATO/County Comm or similar brass compass as I feel they might be more reliable
8 - TAD Survival Spark & 4 Tinder-Quik fire tabs
The milled groove down the length of the tool lets you rest a sewing needle which is then held in place by wrapping thread around the barrel. I prefer nylon thread as it won’t perish if it’s getting wet - much better for repairing tarps, tents and ponchos. I fit the square end of the spark in a drill and use it to quickly and evenly wind the thread on, then seal it with some electrical shrink wrap to protect it.
The Tinder-Quik fire tabs are fantastic - even if they are wet they will ignite, you simply fray one up as much as possible and apply a spark and it will burn for a good 2-3 minutes, which is plenty to dry out and ignite even wet kindling, meaning you’ve got a guaranteed fire even if everything is wet.
I’d say that the Survival Spark and the Tinder-Quik tabs are the most important items in the belt. Fire can be used to keep warm, make potable water, signal, cook food and keep moral up in a survival situation, I always carry 3 ways of lighting fire on my person, more like six with my EDC bag.
9 - Poncho/blanket pin
Used to hold a blanket around my shoulders or for emergency repair work
10 - Assorted safety pins
11 - MacGyver Multitool (usually 2 or 3)
THE ONLY TOOL YOU'LL EVER NEED "A paperclip can be a wonderous thing. More times than I can remember one of these has gotten me out of a tight spot..." - Angus MacGyver - Finally the only tool you'll ever need. With this you'll be able to pick locks, defuse bombs, repair bicycles and rescue stranded cats from treetops.
Was out bush a few weeks ago and a friend put his keys on the roof of they car, they got knocked and managed to slip into the gutter groove at the top of the boot, if they got knocked again they would have slipped right down beyond reach and we would have had to smash a window to get home. 2 of these babies and 5 minutes of fiddling and I managed to recover them just before it got dark. Needless to say this hero wasn't paying for beers when we got back to town ;-)
Note: 12, 13 & 14 all sit in the belt at the small of my back so they can be accessed if I am restrained with my hands behind my back.
12 - 3ft of Kevlar cordage
Kevlar line is extremely heat resistant, allowing it to be used as a friction saw for cutting through flex cuff handcuffs, duct tape, many types of rope and things like PVC pipe. If you ever need to shelter in place during an emergency, it can be used to quickly seal doors to prevent an attacker from getting inside by roping door handles together.
Here is a link to some lighter weight Kevlar line on a rapid deployment spool - I’ve got a bunch of this stuff and have been meaning to add a spool to the belt. Site has some great emergency use examples - check it out:
http://gearward.com/collections/frontpage/products/compact-survival-cord-mini
13 - Ceramic razor blade
14 - TIHK - Tiny Inconspicuous Handcuff Key
"TIHK is a patent pending handcuff key that utilizes an integrated clip for easy attachment to your clothing so it is ready when needed. Its minimal, low-profile design and low-visibility coating ensure that it can be carried inconspicuously and go undetected when detained. Designed to fit all standard "peerless" style handcuffs."
It can be removed from my belt, whilst restrained, and clipped inside a belt loop, so if the belt is confiscated I retain the key.
http://tihk.co
15 - 1ft of 1" Gorilla tape
Strongest cloth tape on the planet, nothing you can’t fix with this stuff - broken marriages, world hunger, you name it gorilla tape is the tool for the job ;-) There’s another 20cm wrapped around the straw (Item #1) and I keep some wrapped around a go tube in my pocket too.
Real world example of use recently - locked out of truck, happened to have some plastic box strapping around a box in the back of the truck which was unlocked (packing strap is the blue or yellow thick plastic straps they use to tie down freight on a palette - best tool for breaking into most cars). Any how, could get a hold of the lock with the tape but it wouldn't grip, just kept falling off. made a reversed loop of Gorilla tape and stuck it on the inside of the packing tape, held the lock and was in fist attempt. Gorilla tape FTW!
After this I added the box strapping to the belt! folded a length in half and ran it the whole length of the belt behind everything else.
If you’re not familiar with this method of car entry, you should be - here’s a good instructional (using a piece of clear plastic, but the method is the same, his has a piece of sandpaper stapled in the fold where I used Gorilla tape):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwz1N8NUy-4
16 - 8 Aquatabs water purification tablets
Each tablet treats 1litre of water and can be used with the ziplock bag (item #1) if you don’t have a bottle
17 - 8 fabric bandaids
18 - 4 Modafinil tablets
Modafinil is probably the closest thing we have to the drug from the film “Limitless", without the side effects. It’s a prescription medication used to treat narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder. It’s not an amphetamine or stimulant, but rather a wakefulness-promoting agent (or eugeroic). In the United States military, modafinil has been approved for use on certain Air Force missions, and it is being investigated for other uses. in 2004 a study of fighter pilots showed that modafinil given in three divided 100 mg doses sustained the flight control accuracy of sleep-deprived F-117 pilots to within about 27 percent of baseline levels for 37 hours, without any considerable side effects - so after flying for almost 40hrs straight they still maintained more than 70% of their reflex and cognition capabilities.
In Australia it is a prescription medication but it is legal to import it without a prescription for personal use. There are many scam sites selling it online so you must be wary. I buy from www.modup.com and have always had great customer service experiences. If you use the code LIMITLESS at checkout you’ll get 10 free tablets. They do offer Paypal but you’ll have to email them to request it - I prefer to pay with Paypal because if it doesn’t arrive I’m covered.
Now as this is a prescription medication let me make it clear that I AM NOT recommending you go right ahead and try it, please, be responsible and do some thorough research first.
I will say that I personally have had only positive experiences with it. I try to limit my use to 1-2 tablets a fortnight and often use it far less frequently. Where I find it particularly useful is if I get very little sleep or even miss a night of sleep, I can take 100mg (1 tablet) in the next morning and I’m good to go all day, I can drive long distances and function as if I had got a reasonable sleep the night before. Another way I use it is if I have a particularly full day where I really have to be on point, I’ll get a good sleep, wake early and have 100mg at around 6 -7 am and I'll have no trouble sleeping at the end of the day at around 11pm. During the day I feel more clear and focused, more 'on task' than usual. Dave Asprey, the guy behind the Bulletproof Coffee brand, used it in this manner every day for 10 years without side effects - he obviously believes its very safe.
The reason I carry it in the belt, other than to have it on hand if I need it, is that it could be particularly useful in a survival situation where fatigue could prove fatal.
19 - Photon Micro-light II
My absolute last ditch emergency light - You get about 18+ hours of light from a replaceable Lithium battery, it’s waterproof with an IPX7 rating, 4.5 lumens, visible from over a mile away.
20 - Bogota Titan-Mini Entry Toolset
One of the smallest lock bypassing sets available at about 2" long and barely wider than a toothpick.
Great review here:
http://jerkingthetrigger.com/2012/04/17/review-bogota-titan-mini-entry-toolset/
21 - 5ft 550 Paracord
Folded in half it runs the length of the belt under everything else.
What needs to be said? http://www.survivorgeek.com/pages/Emergency-uses-for-Paracord.html
Recently added:
I used 2 of the tubes that the ceramic razor blades come in to fashion these little kits:
22 - Tabs - 4 Modafinil tablets and 4 Immodium tablets
I’ve explained the Modafinil, the Immodium is anti diarrhoea medication - drinking bad water in a survival situation can be fatal, getting diarrhoea can incapacitate you and massively dehydrate you, and you’ll be unable to do anything about it. Having this on hand means you can stop the shits and try tor sort out a better water situation. Also good to carry if travelling through developing nations.
23 - Fishing Kit
3 hooks wrapped in electrical tape, 3 sinkers, a swivel and 30' of fishing line
25 - $200 emergency cash
Hopefully this will give everyone a few Ideas… Let me know if you can think of anything small and super handy that I may have missed!
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