HRT Arc Belt: New Design, Lighter Materials

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Released in 2022, and using new Tegris materials, the Arc Belt by HRT Tactical provides the end-user with all the essential elements necessary be it in a professional or practical use, field, or competition.

Deconstructed down into its respective components, a complete Arc Belt (AB) comprises of an inner belt, outer belt, and its corresponding HRT pouches. Together they offer a complete belt package that is ready to perform.

Inner Belt

The AB can be configured at the time of purchase with two different types of inner belts; the first being the Arc Tegris Inner Belt that is 1½” wide, and has a Tegris inner core with partial-wrap  of continual hook-and-loop (female) material the length of the inner belt. The Arc Tegris Inner Belt also uses a simple hook-and-loop overlap to secure the belt, whereby the overall belt is threaded through the belt loops of the worn trousers. Use of the Arc Tegris Inner Belt allows for independent use as a daily wear when the outer Arc Belt is not needed—but can be readily attached when/if desired.

Product Link: https://hrttacticalgear.com/product/hrt-arc-tegris-inner-belt/

Alternatively, the second type of inner belt (if selected and not included in this review) is the Arc Inner Belt. It uses an inner pad made from non-overlapping closed-cell foam (wrapped in a suede material) and cut to the same length as the outer belt. The Arc Inner Belt also does not include a buckle, but instead utilizes a G-Hook buckle to cinch the belt secure. When using the Arc Inner Belt, the overall platform has a ready-use application whereby the outer belt can be immediately donned without necessitating use of the trouser belt loops.

Product Link: https://hrttacticalgear.com/product/hrt-arc-inner-belt/

Outer Belt

The outer belt of the AB is the workhorse to the overall platform, and one which all accessories can be mounted. It is 1 7/8” wide, and made from Tegris—a type of thermoplastic that incorporates carbon fiber for added strength while adding none of the excess weight. The HRT Arc Belt is reversible (for either left or right-handed shooters), contoured to fit the dimensions of the hip, and laser cut in sections to create the MOLLE-compatible segments that run most of the belt’s exterior. Around the core Tegris material are two sleeves made from laminate nylon (with a respective abrasion rating at approximately 1000D).

The Tegris core material slides behind the supportive outer belt sleeves, and then secured at the front. The HRT Arc Belt is secured at the front with an aluminum G-Hook Belt Buckle (but can be upgraded to an AustriAlpin 1” Cobra Buckle).

On the interior of the HRT Arc Belt is a 1 ½” wide band of continual, skin-safe hook-and-loop (male) material that is used to immediately connect the belt to either the Arc Tegris Inner Belt (when worn as a regular trouser belt) or the Arc Inner Belt (when attached prior to use).

Product Link: https://hrttacticalgear.com/product/hrt-arc-belt/

Pouches

The rifle and pistol pouches selected by HRT for the AB system have an outer shell of laminate nylon, with injection-molded inserts inside the pouch. The inserts themselves are flared at the opening to assist in rehoming magazines, and angled to ensure a continual opening of the pouch. Additionally, the pistol magazine is available separately as a single, angled pouch for those who prefer those style of setups.

Product Link: https://hrttacticalgear.com/product-category/first-line/

Securing the Hardware

The magazine pouches for the outer AB utilize HRT’s Rigid MOLLE Strip, which are made entirely from Tegris, and are flexible enough to be threaded between the MOLLE-spaced segments of the outer belt, to secure each individual pouch via pass-through tab.

Assisting Instructional Videos

To assist owners in understanding the Arc Belt, Tegris, and supportive hardware, HRT created the following videos:

The Arc Belt is available in a variety of color combinations to include: Ranger Green (featured), Multicam, Grey, and Black. It also is available in three waist size variations: Small-Medium (26”-36”), Medium-Large (32”-42”), and Large-XLarge (38”-48”).

Product Evaluation Scores:

  • Cost – Excellent (5/5): The cost of a complete Arc Belt does vary based on configuration made at the time of purchase. In this review, the configured belt would cost approximately $270, with the ability to be an all-inclusive setup providing everything the end-user would need. Taken individually, the components would otherwise cost the consumer the following:
    • Arc Belt ……….…………………$124.95
    • 1” Cobra Buckle………………$29.95
    • Inner belt Pad…………………$24.50
    • Tigris Inner Belt………………$35.00
    • AR Pouch………………………..$26.95/ea.
    • Pistol Pouch……………………$18.95/ea.
    • 30-degree Pistol Adapter…$8.95
    • As such, market alternatives to an Arc Belt setup (complete) include the Assaulter’s Belt System ($366) from G-Code, the Urban Defender Package ($245.73) or Ultimate Operator Kit ($306) from Wilder Tactical, the HSGI Rigger’s Belt (configured to match $509), and the TYR Tactical Gunfighter Belt Kit (configured to match $409) illustrate the HRT Arc Belt remains an excellent value for its materials used, function, and durability.
  • Comfort – Average (3/5): In its evaluated configuration; the inner and outer belt were adjustable enough to find an individualized and comfortable fit—yet still had an extensive amount of excess material within the identified waist range. The curvature of the belts themselves contoured more naturally to the flared dimensions of the hip than traditional linear belts (thus mitigating potential Meralgia Paresthetica issues). Otherwise, the overlapping Arc Belt (and inner belt) made for a very solid and comfortable platform that neither shifted in weight, sagged, nor slipped in hardware despite multiple stressor drills (lunges, squats, sprints). The weight of loaded magazines had no observed negative effect to the magazine pouches themselves, or strain/sag on the beltline, and the rigidity of the Tegris material in both the inner and outer belt prevented any folding or roll, and provided good overall structure around the shooter’s waist. A large negative detractor to the overall comfort to the Arc Belt, and a point of recommended improvement for HRT, is the exposed edges to the Tegris material itself. To cut the blended thermoplastic and carbon fiber material, a laser must be used to cut/melt and heat-seal the edges to prevent incidental fraying or wear. But the melted Tegris then hardens into a very rough and abrasive edge. This would otherwise not be an issue wrapped inside the hook-and-loop or outer belt sleeves, but exposed Tegris edges were still present (along the bottom edge of the inner belt, and the back-half of the outer belt) and incidental contact was still abrasive against the hand (such as when reaching for an IFAK) and against exposed skin. After releasing the Arc Belt, HRT did later release additional single-rear Arc Belt sleeves to enclose any exposed Tegris material on the back of the outer Arc Belt, but considering the design, HRT may want to consider including those with the belt itself or the consumer should consider adding it at the time of purchase.
  • Durability – Excellent (5/5): The Arc Belt lent itself to an excellent degree of durability given the characteristics of Tegris to remain light and resistant to abrasion, while sacrificing none of its inherent strength. Moreover, the outer belt sleeves were made from a laminate nylon that often has an abrasion rating of 1000D, and resisted a high degree of friction despite multiple stressor drills or settings. Tegris is a (relatively) new material being integrated into tactical products to provide structure and support, and well known for its low profile and carbon fiber strength. Thus, the pouches and associated hardware that utilize the Tegris in both the inner belt and outer for support, and interlocking bands, ensured it all remained locked in place throughout. The outer belt sleeves had some bartack stitching at corners and key stress points that added to some degree of overall durability to the system. The AustriAlpin 1” Cobra Buckle mechanism continually had a solid lock, and ensured the belt stayed secure regardless of body movement.
  • Functionality – Good (4/5): From a functional aspect, the Arc Belt as a complete belt system held a very good purpose in design, with customizable sizing and magazine pouches that gave positive retention, and smooth rehoming. The ability of the Tegris core (of the outer belt) to slide inside and behind the outer sleeve allowed the end-user to find a custom sizing that best fit their comfort and usage (something of benefit on hotter days). There was a large amount of excess Tegris material for the sizing (a 40” waist), but that was likely due to the fact the sizing of the belt reviewed encompasses two sizing categories (both Large and XLarge) totaling 10” in size difference. However, because of the Tegris properties and spacing/design, this excess can never be trimmed (to do so will lose the tapered end needed to thread the outer belt into the opposing outer sleeve, or compromise the Tegris edges itself). Those on the smaller size of HRT’s sizing scale may want to carefully consider moving down one size and avoid that excess. The Tegris inner belt also provided a solid base, with good connection between the hook-and-loop fabric of the inner and outer belt, that yielded a solid base for the greater system when worn through belt loops, and no discernable pressure point while worn in conjunction with trousers due to the absence of any buckle. There was some minimal “drift” of the belt at the rear where the raw Tegris is exposed against the inner belt, as there was no hook-and-loop on the Tegris to secure it to the inner belt (again, something the inclusion of the added individual sleeves could prevent), but not excessive. Elsewhere, the flared opening to the inserts of the mag pouches did provide a smooth draw and rehoming of magazines, and held a high degree of retention – continuing to hold fully loaded rifle/pistol magazines despite the entire belt being shaken upside down for 10 seconds. Otherwise, the Arc Belt provided for a complete, ready-to-use range/duty belt system using high quality materials whereby the end-user could organize their belt’s design as desired (including angled pistol magazine pouches if desired).
  • Weight – Excellent (5/5): The overall Arc Belt (as a complete system and w/o holster) weighed in at 1.16 pounds (17.7 ounces), and that relative light weight was directly due to the choice of Tegris as a core material and for use in its mounting hardware. Individually, each component weighed in at:
    • Arc Belt ……….…………………20 ounces
    • 1” Cobra Buckle………………1.8 ounces
    • Tigris Inner Belt………………2.4 ounces
    • AR Pouch………………………..2.3 ounces
    • Pistol Pouch……………………1.0 ounce
    • 30-degree Pistol Adapter…1.0 ounce
    • In contrast, a similarly configured kit by HSGI (3.5 pounds), Assaulter’s Belt System (3.15 pounds) by G-Code, or TYR Tactical (3.8 pounds) are of mostly similar weight. This variance in weight can be attributed to use of blended materials, leg-drop design, and variances of reinforced stitching present within each product. This left the Arc Belt as one of the lightest complete systems currently on the market, and excellent for the level of functionality it brings.

Overall Rating – Very Good (22/25)

Product Link: https://hrttacticalgear.com/product/hrt-arc-belt/

I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via High Ground Media, LLC, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.

The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the author. The views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

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