A while ago, I was searching around for a good solution to being able to discreetly carry a pistol when I was in a situation that was not well suited for the standard arrangement of a good heavy duty holster and a strong and sturdy belt. I had looked at a few other belly bands, but was never quite satisfied with any of them. A noted firearms trainer (and a friend), Rob Pincus (http://www.icetraining.us/robpincus.html) stepped in and showed me a holster he had a hand in designing, the I.C.E. Belly Band. I was able to get my hands on one and away I went.

I have spent the last few months putting the ICE belly band through its paces. I have been wearing it fairly often and in a number of different situations and contexts. It is a very good option for someone needing a discreet carry method.

Here is a short video showing the properties of this rig:

The nylon wrap has proven to be fairly durable and has shown no significant signs of wear. It is well made and comfortable. Even better in my opinion, is that the band itself is a bit wider than most other bands that I have used and it seems to have increased the comfort/”feel” during daily carry. The holster itself is a separate kydex piece that can be attached differently and adjusted somewhat to the user’s needs. Mine came for a Walther PPS and has good retention qualities. There is a good deal of Velcro along the band (more so than some other belly bands I have seen and used) and this allows for a really secure arrangement when strapped on. Even through different movements throughout the day, I found the band to rarely move much.

My only real criticism is that the holster attaches to the outside of the belly band. I am sure this makes it easier to make adjustments to the positioning of the holster, as well as making it much more comfortable to wear, but it weakens the “stiffness” of the gun. Occasionally the pistol will tend to lean outwards away from the body, which can compromise concealment. This is exacerbated with the smaller type of pistols that will most likely be carried, since there is less barrel length to help stabilized the weapon. To ensure this does not happen, the band must be underneath some support, like a belt or a tightly knotted waist drawstring. Unfortunately, sometimes the place of the belly band is for those times when that outer support might not be available. This is the only issue I have with the set up. I really wish the attachment was on the inside of the band (albeit at a cost of possibly irritating the skin). The issue can be worked around, but I wish it didn’t have to be.

Other than that caveat, it is a fine piece of equipment, and I continue to use it regularly.

http://icestore.us/I-C-E-Modular-Belly-Band-Holster-from-Crossbreed.html