I'm about to drop some decent money on a holster upgrade primarily for competition (IDPA, USPSA) and the "what belt loop size" question came up on the order form and i said "F...what size belt should I really be using?"

 

Currently I use a simple 5.11 TDU belt of 1.5" and I picked that because the width is similar to my "civilian" belts that I wear most every day so I know it's comfortable and would work with any IWB holsters I get. For competition I see 1.75" & 2" belts out there...is there any benefit of this?

 

I'm not a big guy and I think a 2" belt on me would look like a freakin girdle and possibly inhibit my movement but that's just me stopping to think about it. Why are there 2" duty belts out there...or are they just for ppl that are bigger than me?

I use a 5.11 1.5" belt for IDPA but I'm no Expert.

 

You're limited to 1.75" for IDPA by rule.

2" belts hurt your waist when you bend. try it out.

1.5". It sorta depends what you want to do. If you want to use a high-torque belt like the crspeed ones for USPSA (or 3 gun, or whatever) they are 1.5". My favorite everyday belt and also perfectly suitable for carrying guns, ammo, rifle ammo, etc ( this one) is also 1.5". If I had a to pick a size I'd pick 1.5"

 

However a number of different holsters come with adjustable belt loops.

1.5 for shooting and daily use. I like double thickness which adds rigidity and strength. Double thickness in a 1.75 inch doesn't fit through the belt loops on all my pants.

http://www.jonestactical.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=5

 

After breaking the plastic buckles on some of the better known nylon duty belts, I've been using one of these daily as a duty belt for the last few years. It's been, in a word, outstanding. I know folks that use them for competition, as well. The belt doesn't inhibit movement, and creates a stable platform for mounting your holster, so the handgun is always in the same place when you go for it.