I've never been much of a belt person. I've always been of the opinion that pants should fit, and belts are just one more piece of clothing you have to buy, store, clean occasionally and put on and take off. And then along came practical/tactical belts, and lo! I now have a belt collection.
My latest discovery is Klik Belts, maker of some absolutely fantastic webbing belts, the flagship of which has got to be the D-Ring Rescue Belt. The belt uses the awesome AustriAlpin quick release buckle, one of those top-of-the-food-chain pieces of kit that is so satisfying to use you'll find yourself working it just for the sheer pleasure. Whether it is holding up Lady Gaga at the Superbowl or saving a life in technical rescue situations, the AustriaAlpin is state of the art.
Klik Belts uses a special version with a built-in D ring that can easily support body weight. As a person who has a day job that involves working in an office building on the 14th floor – in an earthquake-prone town where fire ladder trucks can only reach to the 7th floor – I've always had a vested interest in technologies that would allow me to GTFO down a rope should the need arise. The Klik Belt is fashionable enough to be worn daily as part of business casual attire, yet tough enough to perform life-saving duty when the need arises.
The D-Ring Rescue Belt has a design where the ring will lie flat until you need it, and the tail where it goes through the buckle is thinner for easy threading. The 1.5 inch width is perfect for carrying tools, and the stitching will last a lifetime. With the weakest link in the system being around 4,000 pounds (buckle strength in a straight pull), you're good to go when the going gets hairy. Available in black and coyote brown, a more handsome and practical belt there is not.