From their origins in the Vietnam War until now, rigger belts have proved a very valuable but often misunderstood piece of rescue equipment. We briefly present a history of these belts and their use.

A Brief History of the Rigger Belt

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When the straps became worn and unusable,  some were turned into belts in the local rigger shop. These belts quickly became status symbols and were eventually adopted by various Special Operations units. These two inch wide belts retained the original hardware from the A7A straps including the friction adapter and triangle link. These rigger belts, as they started to be called, were used as simple harnesses for strapping in crew members to keep them from falling out of the chopper.

Later, the first commercial rigger belts were produced by companies such as Eagle Industries. These commercial belts had stiffened nylon used in place of the original cargo straps so the belts could also be used to mount pistol holsters and other tactical equipment. These belts also had the triangle link sewn into the belt to prevent it from falling off and getting lost.

{MOSImage}These improved rigger belts are now being commercially produced by many companies around the world.

There is a common misperception that these belts are suitable for rappelling purposes.  They are not. They are designed primarily as a restraint system to prevent falls. These belts can be used for emergency rappelling, but it is very important that the belt passes through the belt loops on a wearer's pants. This prevents the belt from sliding upwards on the body producing a very dangerous situation. If there is another option available, it is preferable to using a rigger belt for rappelling purposes. A rigger belt is very valuable for its intended purpose, but for rappelling use, it is highly recommended to use a harness designed specifically for rappelling.