Boston leather utility belts are favored by emergency response personnel such as police, fire and rescue because they are constructed to carry needed gear without putting unnecessary strain on your back. While wearing one may seem like a given process, there is an art form to properly arranging your equipment and learning wear a Boston leather utility belt to take full advantage of its design.
Instructions
1. Put on the pants you will be wearing. Your pants should fit you snugly enough not to require the use of a belt to hold them up. If they do, make sure you choose a web belt with a flat buckle so it will not interfere with the Boston Leather Utility Belt. If your dress code allows it, wear suspenders instead as they will provide more support and be more comfortable under the utility belt.
2. Put the Boston Leather Utility on with the belt running to the left around your body. Typically fashion deems that women's belts run to the right around their waist, but utility belts are primarily fashioned for men, and to run it to the right would place the belt upside down on your waist. Make sure the belt rides at your waist and not your hips. It may feel high to you but will allow for the greatest body motion when loaded with equipment. Make sure the waistband of your pants is either at the top edge or slightly higher than the middle of your Boston leather utility belt; this will help prevent the weight of the belt from pulling your pants down.
3. Close the buckle of the belt and pass any excess through the holding loop to the left of the buckle. You should only have enough excess to pass through the loop and extend 2 or 3 inches beyond. If you have more, then the belt is too big; much less, and it is too small. This is important because these belts are designed to support equipment weight, and the holding loop helps keep the buckle securely closed.
4. With a piece of chalk, place marks on the belt in the following areas: where your arms fall when standing with them hanging straight down, the center of your back and midway between the rise of your hipbones and the center of the belt buckle.
5. Remove the belt, and attach your accessories holders to it as per the instructions provided with them and according to the style of your Boston leather utility belt. Try to keep the most important or delicate accessories (pistol sheaths, radio holders) just behind where your arms will fall because they will be the easiest to reach and most protected; only place holders that completely close with a top flap in the back with the heaviest at the center as this area of the belt is most likely to get caught on things; and put all else in balance on the front of the hips with the most likely to be used opposite your lead hand (right handed or left handed).
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