Capitalizing on past successes in design, the Delta belt by Canadian manufacturer Persec, is the latest variant of MOLLE battle belts to provide a sturdy design and adaptability to complete any mission or training.
Released in January 2019, the Delta belt takes aspects of both tactical and competition belts and blends them into a two-part load-bearing system that is handmade and includes;
An inner 2” belt made from scuba webbing that gives it a tensile strength of approximately 4800 pounds. It has an outward-facing (female) hook-and-loop material that goes through the trousers belt loops and secures to a mating panel of (male) hook-and loop on the inside of the belt’s tail. The result is a complete 360-degree exposure of the (female) hook-and-loop material around the waist.
The outer belt is a resin-impregnated, 1.75” duty belt made of Type 13 nylon webbing with a tensile strength of approximately 7000 pounds. It also includes a rigid layer of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic inserted throughout the core for rigidity. The outer belt uses a mating (male) hook-and-loop panel along the inside, that when combined with the inner belt, makes for very secure platform. The outer-facing side of the duty belt is stitched with two Type III mil-spec nylon webbing strips to form MOLLE-compatible sections.
To secure the nylon strips extensive perimeter and bartack stitching is used throughout to ensure whatever accessory is attached will remain secure and in place. The duty belt itself is secured using an AustriAlpin D-Ring Cobra Buckle and an elastic cuff helps control any excess in belt length.
The Delta belt comes in sizes from XS (33”-34”) to XL (41”-42”) and colors range from Multicam Black (featured), Multicam, Coyote Brown, Ranger Green, and Wolf Gray. The colors of the Base, Hybrid hook-and-loop panel, and MOLLE can be specified upon order.
For range evaluations the Delta belt was paired with a Level 2 Omega holster & magazine system provided by local manufacturer Spectre, as well as a Micro TKN by Blue Force Gear. However, neither the holsters or aid kit were not considered a factor in the testing process.
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Excellent (5/5): At $155 Canadian dollars (or $115.86 USD) the Delta is unique in that its closest competitor would be the Ronin Senshi belt (at upwards of $190 USD). Both the Delta and the Senshi use a full 2” inner belt and a 1.75” outer belt with overall function and materials of the two nearly identical. Other companies attempt the same concept, but Persec got this design right with added materials for rigidity and strength without excessive cost.
- Comfort – Good (4/5): Right when I picked up the Delta belt out of the box I could feel the quality of something handmade. A very smooth and comfortable belt, the rigidity was a blend between a dedicated competition belt and a loose EDC belt that provided enough structure to the overall belt to keep its shape with little warping when loaded down. No lose threads or fraying at the edges were noted, and cuts to the nylon at the ends were appropriately heat-treated. While worn, the belt evenly distributed the overall weight of the load around the circumference of the waist, which while worn for a short duration is nice, but extended wear (4+ hours) did fatigue the hip. Possibly the inclusion of optional connections for suspenders or hip pad in its design would serve as a viable accessory in the future, by allowing some of the load to be transferred to the shoulders as well as the hip, similar to other companies currently offering battle belts.
- Durability – Excellent (5/5): All components of the Delta belt are made from high-quality materials with a very high degree of durability and abrasion resistance. From the inner and outer belt having an extremely high tensile strength, the cobra belt buckle, and the extensive bartack stitching—all aspects of the Delta belt are intended to last for a very long time and under extreme use. At no point donning or removing the belt did the hook-and-loop connection between the inner/outer belt fray or snag.
- Functionality – Average (3/5): As a stand-alone belt, the Delta offers the ability to mount any holster or accessories at any one of the MOLLE-compatible positions. The Delta also comes in an optional “hybrid” variant (not featured) that has webbing where it is needed, and none where it is not (where the holster would go). From a functional aspect the two-part Delta system, with its rigid design did what it needed to do, which is bear the weight of its load with little warping or flexing. But that was comparable to any of the innumerable battle belts on the current market. As noted, inclusion of hardware that would allow for expansion of the belt’s functionality to include other accessories (i.e. suspenders or glove loop) or inclusion of accessories (such as magazine, medical, or other pouches) as a total system would have improved the overall score.
- Weight – Average (3/5): The size of the Delta tested was a Large, and weighed approximately 1.3 pounds (unloaded). Naturally the weight of the overall belt changes with length, due to the overall amount of material involved. In the aspect of the overall market with stand-alone battle belts, the Delta is comparable in weight to similar products from HSGI, G-Code, Ronin or other quality manufacturers. Conceivably Persec could make the Delta belt lighter, but then they would be using lesser quality materials that would sacrifice its high-degree of durability. While the weight of the belt with holsters was negligible, after extended wear the pull on the hip was noticeable.
Overall Rating – Good (20/25)
Product Link: https://persecgear.ca/collections/molle-belts-1/products/delta
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