Setting Up a Shooting Belt: An Example with Clawgear

The evolution of our hobby, which increasingly involves a wider variety of firearms, should naturally lead to the development of our skills. Improving those skills allows us to use more gear during a single training session or other shooting activities. Anatomy has equipped us with only two grasping limbs—yes, I know there are experts who can use their feet too, but let’s generalize 🙂 This means our ability to carry gear is inherently limited. Hence the concept of carrying stuff on a belt, for example.

A Few Words About Clawgear

Clawgear is an Austrian-Swiss company specializing in the production of premium tactical gear. According to their website, Clawgear offers clothing, tactical equipment, firearms, and accessories for those firearms. Production originally started in Switzerland, but the main headquarters is now located in Austria. The company prides itself on the quality and precision of its products while maintaining reasonable pricing. The arrangement seems fair in every respect.

Test Kit

For the review, I received an entire box of goodies, as if Santa was packing his gear for Christmas and hit a bump over my house—lucky me 🙂 So, we have a belt, pistol mag pouches, rifle mag pouches, a dump pouch, a small tactical pocket, and a tourniquet pouch. Everything is made from 500D Cordura and premium-grade materials.

What immediately surprised me was the packaging the gear came in. Each item was in its own individual, high-quality plastic bag—so nice I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away, so I kept them all. I’ll probably find a use for them during trips to the shooting range. There are always little items rolling around in the bag—spare batteries, markers, staples, etc.

Belt

This is the KD ONE BELT model, which I received in MultiCam camouflage. The belt is 44 mm wide, and its length depends on the size you select on the website according to the sizing chart.

Designed to accommodate pouches and gear with the PALS system, the belt features laser-cut slots and a Tacticoat panel. The buckle is a 25 mm Austrialpin Cobra, which is very easy and convenient to fasten and unfasten.

Underneath the belt, there is a sewn-in loop where you can tuck the excess length of the main belt. Once the buckle is fastened, the belt is adjusted with a narrow strap threaded through the buckle and secured with a CLAWGEAR G-HOOK. This hook is used to secure the excess strap by fastening it into the slots on the belt. The hook allows for quick and easy belt stabilization while not interfering with the attachment of additional gear. At first, I thought the belt seemed a bit too narrow and flexible, but once I put it on, that impression disappeared—it turned out to be very comfortable.

Pistol Mag Pouches

Laser Cut Speedpouch, designed for 9mm ammunition magazines. Once again, we have laser-cut 500D Cordura.

The frame of the pouch consists of a 20 mm wide plastic skeleton. I’ve previously used similar pouches with narrower frames, which weren’t very comfortable to use. That’s why I first focused on this element, which in this case is very well designed. The entire pouch can be adjusted to the size of the magazine, and its retention is regulated by an elastic cord. On the outside, there are two rows of PALS-compatible slots, allowing additional gear to be attached. The pouch is mounted to a belt or vest using a strap. Magazines slide in very smoothly, are easy to retrieve, and at the same time, they stay securely in place during movement or position changes.

Rifle Mag Pouches

The rifle mag pouch is the Claw Gear AR/AK Laser Cut Speedpouch.

I tested AR and AK magazines of various types and didn’t encounter any issues using them. The rifle mag pouch is built similarly to the pistol pouch described earlier, with the main difference being that it uses two straps for mounting. Like the pistol pouches, it’s very intuitive to use, and once adjusted to the type of magazine, there’s no problem with quick retrieval.

I also received a double rifle mag pouch. It looks like two of the single pouches described above combined. My experience with it was similar to the single version. Yes, it’s definitely worth having.

Tourniquet Pouch

The Claw Gear 2-Way Tourniquet Pouch is a very interesting solution. It features a strap and Velcro loops that allow it to be mounted either vertically or horizontally. The tourniquet can be inserted from the top or bottom. On the sides, there are elastic bands that keep the tourniquet stable. Additionally, there are Velcro flaps at both the top and bottom, allowing the tourniquet to be easily removed from either side—tested with a CAT tourniquet.

Universal Pouch

The Claw Gear Small Horizontal Utility LC Pouch is a compact, horizontal pocket. Other gear can be attached to it thanks to laser-cut slots on the front. It can be mounted on a belt, vest, or backpack using two straps. It opens and closes with a dual zipper featuring convenient pull tabs.

Since various small items like a timer or a multitool come in handy during shooting range sessions, it’s worth having an extra pocket within easy reach.

Dump Pouch

Claw Gear Dump Pouch Core. A foldable dump pouch. It’s the perfect size to hold all eight magazines I could carry on the belt in the configuration I created.

The entire setup mounted on the belt looks quite compact.

After the first session at the shooting range, I decided to try a different arrangement. For the photo, I also added a tourniquet and magazines this time—4 for the Glock, 2 plastic AR mags, and 2 steel AK mags—all of which fit perfectly. The dump pouch can also be conveniently compressed.

It’s worth mentioning that making any configuration changes is very straightforward, requiring minimal effort and no acrobatics.

At first, I felt like I had overloaded the belt with gear, but once I put it on, it turned out that everything had its place. In this setup, the thigh holster was moved to the pants belt.

Clawgear equipment is incredibly comfortable to wear. I was especially surprised by the belt—unassuming and narrow, yet super comfortable. During range training, everything stayed in place, even when crouching or lying down. At some point, you almost forget you’re wearing it. The belt configuration can be adjusted to suit the specific task at hand, and I changed the gear setup on the belt several times without any issues. The build quality truly lives up to its premium class reputation. All components work smoothly, including their adjustment and customization to fit individual needs.

Clawgear is a serious player in the shooting gear market and definitely has a lot to offer. The experience gained during training will help you appreciate higher-quality equipment. I believe it’s better to learn from others’ mistakes and take their advice, investing in better gear upfront rather than getting frustrated later. In my opinion, it’s worth heading to the store and looking for the shelf labeled Clawgear.

As an addition to the set, the Claw Gear EDC G-Hook Small Waistpack was included. A waist bag is something I’ve been using for years, and coincidentally, my previous one had just worn out.

The waist bag features a comfortable strap with a buckle and the same solution as the KD ONE BELT, namely the CLAWGEAR G-HOOK attached on both sides. This allows it to be clipped directly to the KD belt using the hooks. The strap on the waist bag has plenty of length to accommodate even the largest tactical reserves in this part of the body 🙂 It also includes an elastic loop to secure the excess strap after adjustment.

On the front, there’s a surface for attaching a badge 🙂 so the go-to one is already in place.

I emptied the EDC items from my old waist bag and laid everything out next to the new one. I started to wonder—will it all fit?

Very practical and convenient for everyday use. Inside the main compartment, which is secured with a two-way zipper, there are several straps acting as organizers. At the front, there is an additional flat pocket with a zipper. On the bottom, a shock cord loop is attached at four points, allowing you to secure various items.

I use the waist bag daily, carrying the kit shown in the photos. After the initial adjustments, I barely notice its presence. It’s even more comfortable than my previous waist bag and serves as a worthy replacement.

A big thanks to Clawgear for providing the following equipment for testing:

• KD ONE BELT,
• 9 MM Speedpouch LC pistol mag pouch,
• 5.56 / AK Speedpouch LC rifle mag pouches, single and double mag version
• 2-Way Tourniquet Pouch,
• Small Horizontal Utility Pouch LC,
• Dump Pouch Core,
• EDC G-Hook Small Waistpack.

Sponsored collaboration. Our product tests are conducted independently, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the author. The advertiser does not have the ability to influence the content of the review