Australian Hiker

Rating

Arcteryx Conveyor Belt Review

Belts are a necessary evil and one I would prefer not to use. However when doing an extended hike where I typically loose up to 3 kg in a week I have no choice but to wear one. First let me explain my aversion to wearing a belt. The waist band of my pack sits around the belt line of my pants and when you tighten up the pack cummerbund, it can feel like it’s digging in. But if I don’t wear a belt I’ll spend the day pulling my pants and this gets old quickly.

Using any old belt from your cupboard may certainly keep your pants up but a standard belt with the larger buckles, in particular those with metal pins that you thread into a hole to suit your waist size, are particularly uncomfortable and on the heavy side. So if I’m going to wear a belt, I want one that is as discrete and low profile as possible such as the Arcteryx Conveyor Belt, which I have now been using since early 2016.

The Arcteryx Conveyor Belt comes in three sizes; small, medium and large. I typically wear size 35-36 pants so the medium belt fits me very well. Gill wears the small size which for her, is still a bit on the big side.

• Small belt length = 109cm
• Medium belt length = 116cm
• Large belt length = 126cm

While this belt is available in a range of colours in the USA, it appears from an Australian perspective that we have a more limited colour range. Having said that for most people a choice of black, blue or grey is going to be fine. Unlike your standard belt. this one doesn’t have holes into which you fit the pin, it relies on the self locking tension between the heavy duty 3.75 cm canvas material of the belt itself and the lightweight metal belt buckle to keep it locked in place (its like a pack buckle). I’ve worn this belt for over three years and it has never slid loose at any stage.

The belt construction is bullet proof and short of taking to it with a knife, there’s not much you can do to cause any damage to it so top marks on durability. The tongue of the belt has a plastic overlay which prevents possible fraying of the canvas as well as making it easy to thread. To tighten the belt you slide the material through the metal clasp to the desired size – if you breathe in a little bit and as you tighten, you’ll get a comfy fit. To ensure that it’s comfortable I have gotten into the habit of sitting the buckle at the top of the pack cummerbund which works fine with my Osprey Exos pack – that may not work so well if you have one of the wider pack cummerbunds .

For me this belt is a very good option when I need to wear a belt. Its lighter weight and less noticeable than many belts. It sits in a similar price category as most hiking belts and while not cheap, it’s durability means it will last you for many years.

We Like

• About as robust as is possible for a belt
• Pretty much fits any pair of hiking pants
• Low profile belt buckle

We Don't Like

• Limited use, it’s a belt
• Like other hiking belts, it’s on the expensive side

Best Uses

• For keeping your pants in place

Buy One

You can purchase the Arcteryx Conveyor Belt from Amazon Australia

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

If you have used the Arcteryx Conveyor Belt or if you have questions, we’d like to hear from you. Post your comment or question below

Investment

$49.95 AUD RRP

Other Versions

Colour is the only variable option here

Arcteryx Conveyor Belt in ‘Nightshado’ (blue)

Arcteryx Conveyor Belt close up

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased by Australian Hiker

Shares

Australian Hiker Newsletter