A gun belt very often serves as the baseline of equipment for an armed professional or citizen. In the now ubiquitous “Line” system of equipment layering, the belt typically serves as the “first line” in an individual’s loadout. To fill this role, many companies have developed a multitude of options for the market. These options typically fall into one of two categories: one-piece or two-piece belts. Each has their pros and cons however two-piece belts have been pushed center stage as a consequence of the GWOT.
This review is examining one of the newer additions to the highly saturated two-piece gun belt market: The Hercules Tactical Products HaVOC Belt. Right off the bat, what sets this belt apart from the rest of the competition is the ability to mount pouches horizontally in addition to the traditional vertical orientation. In fact, this is the origin of the name, the “Horizontal and Vertical Option Connection (HaVOC) Belt.
The manufacturer accomplishes this by using two layers of Tegris material in the belt’s construction. One layer serves the traditional role as the stiffening agent to the belt, the second layer is cut in such a manner to accept mounting of molle webbing or malice clips horizontally. This is the real selling point of this belt and what separates it from the pack. And for good reason. I myself have found the need to mount certain items in the horizontal configuration and have had to resort to finding and ordering adapter pieces and mounting solutions that add bulk and potential failure points into my equipment. So, to have a belt that comes ready to go adds to the versatility of the system.
Now, there are consequences to this added layer of Tegris. What determines if they are good or bad really comes down to the end user of the product. The most obvious result of this design is the resulting stiffness of the belt. It is very stiff. This can be a good or bad trait, depending on what the user is looking for. If you plan on loading this belt down with lots of items and equipment, the stiffness will serve you well. If you are looking for a belt that “ebbs and flows” with the movement of the wearer and morphs to your body, this is definitely not the choice for you. Nor are most two-piece belts in my opinion, you would want more of a traditional one-piece design.
Components/Sizing
The buckle is a Raptor buckle which I prefer to a Cobra style. There is no D-ring for clip-in capability, which is irrelevant for 95% of users so the savings in cost is more than worthwhile. As far as sizing goes, I requested a belt in size Medium and found it to be a bit too big. To add some context, I am 5’11” tall and weigh 195 pounds with a waist of 32”. The Medium did not not fit but it was just outside the scope of fitting exactly how I wanted it to. This was easily fixed with some custom work on my end. The design has both ends of the belt overlapping on itself in the front under the Raptor buckle when worn. This overlap will make contact with the male end of the buckle’s attachment, preventing any further tightening of the belt. So, my fix was to simply cut this excess overlap material, allowing the end to be overlapped further onto itself. After burning the cut ends, I have a perfectly fitting belt with zero issues.
This is the one criticism I have of the HaVOC belt. With the double layered Tegris, it is already a slightly thicker belt. That, coupled with the design of having both ends overlap in the front under the buckle, leads to a lot of material stacked on top of itself where the buckle attaches. Add into the mix the inner belt, worn underneath the outer belt, is also doubled up on itself and the material really stacks up.
Value: 5/5
The end user most definitely receives their money’s worth with this purchase. With an MSRP of $169, this belt is right in the middle of similar options on the market, however, none of these options have the horizontal mounting capability inherent to the system. Between the versatility and quality of the belt, a MSRP of $169 earns this product a 5/5 in the value category.
Comfort: 4/5
Two-piece belts are designed to stay rigid and maintain their place on the body. The outer belt, with a width of 2”, along with the inner belt, 1.5” width, makes for a comfortable ride. Outer or inner belts, if too wide, end up digging into my sides and making the wear experience uncomfortable over time. This is due in part to the design characteristic of two-piece belts where stiffness and rigidity are the goal.
The inner belt is superior to other options on the market that I have used. It threads the needle between a super stiff option, like the Ronin Tactics belt, and a more flimsy option, like the Trex-Arms Speed Belt. The HaVOC inner is rigid enough to provide a solid mounting platform but flexible enough and the proper width to not cut into the body when moving. Just like Goldilocks and her porridge, not too hot, not too cold, it’s juuuuuust right.
The HaVOC does not get a 5/5 because it is a two-piece belt design. Personally, I do not find them as comfortable as a one-piece. That is the comfort standard in my opinion. But as far as two-piece belts go, this is top notch.
Durability: 4/5
The quality of materials, stitching, and durability is top-notch. I have been using this belt for approximately 3 months now and have drug it through dirt, mud, snow, and swapped out pouches and attachments more than I normally would just to break the belt in and get an accurate representation of the product. The HaVOC did not disappoint. There has been zero fraying, disintegrating, or failure of materials of any kind throughout my usage of the belt, both inner and outer components.
So why a rating of 4/5? My reasoning is this is a fairly new product and company. As this belt gets out into the wild (as it well should be), we will get a better picture as to the track record of the product. My personal belt has been nothing short of exceptional, but this is a sample size of one. Time will tell if the HaVOC earns a solid reputation of reliability. My prediction is that it most definitely will.
Functionality/Versatility: 5/5
The big selling point of the HaVOC is the ability to mount pouches both vertically and horizontally right off the bat. Mounting pouches to the belt can be a bit of a process but this is a trait of every two-piece molle belt I have used. This is in part due to the two layers of Tegris used in construction. Pliers and a flat head screwdriver are definitely a big help in attachment. Still, the fact that there is no need for pouch adapters or different mounting solutions for horizontal attachment, that’s versatility.
I have, and felt comfortable doing so, mounted a full-size gun and holster on a Safariland UBL mid-ride onto just the inner belt. So, if needing to have a pistol and magazine or IFAK on you at all times is a requirement, but you do not want to wear a full-blown gun belt, the HaVOC inner belt should suffice as a mounting platform for a loadout as described above.
As a two-piece belt, the design tends to suffer during colder months when layers of clothing are worn and forced to be tucked into the pants. However, this can be easily remedied with a belt panel of some sort. This type of product is attached to the outer belt via hook and loop and the inner belt typically is wider than the outer with grip material. This effectively turns a two-piece belt into a one-piece setup, able to be worn over the layers. While this necessitates the purchase of a separate product, it still factors into the versatility of the belt system.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
In summary, the HaVOC is an excellent two-piece belt. At the end of the day, it is a well-constructed product made of durable, quality materials. What sets this belt apart is the inherent ability to mount pouches horizontally. If this is something you have a need for or think you might in the future, this is the belt for you. The only negative thing I can say about it is the overlap of material underneath the buckle. Which, when all is said and done, is definitely not a reason to choose another option over the HaVOC. There is no doubt in my mind that if you need a two-piece belt setup, the HaVOC will serve you well.
