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As a shooter and someone who carries a concealed handgun, it seems that my belts become thicker and more rigid with each new belt. Thick, rigid belts work great when you are carrying a gun on your belt all day but there are times when a low profile belt is really what you need. You would be hard pressed to find a more low profile belt than the Khyber Belt from Advanced Outfitters (AO).

The custom Ti G-Hook is the key to how thin this belt is. I'm not sure you can make a belt any thinner than this.

The Khyber Belt is hand made by Kevin at Advanced Outfitters and there are a ton of options. The two main options are 1″ and 1.5″ widths. The belt can also be had in single and double thicknesses. Even the double thickness belts are very low profile. There are additional hardware options (more on that later) and other options like a concealed spot that adds no thickness to the belt to carry cash. I chose the double thickness 1.5″ width since I would occasionally be using this belt with a holster and that is the belt that is the subject of this review.

Buckling and unbuckling is simple.

What’s the Point?

This belt was designed to be low profile. Kevin’s innovative use of an ITW G-Hook as a buckle is the key to how low profile this belt is. The G-Hook is barely thicker than the webbing from which the belt is made. The 1.5 inch versions of the Khyber Belt use a custom made titanium version of the G-Hook which also keeps the belt very light.

There are times when a belt must be able to ride beneath something like the padded hip belt of a backpack. The belt must be capable of holding up your pants but low profile enough to prevent hotspots from a heavy pack bearing down on it. The Khyber Belt excels at these situations. I purchased one to use specifically for hiking and for use under a padded MOLLE belt. It is perfect for both uses.

Try this with your gun belt!

Versatility

The Khyber belt is no one trick pony. The 1.5″ version with double thickness webbing is extremely thin and flexible but still substantial enough to carry the weight of gun though it isn’t the best choice for carrying all day. The belt features some additional stitching that helps to stiffen it enough for some additional comfort when carrying a handgun. I have been wearing this belt frequently over the last several months. Kevin is up front about saying this isn’t a gun belt but it does an admirable job of bearing the weight of a gun for such a slim, flexible belt.

It is perfect for wearing under a load bearing belt like a MOLLE belt rig. This is how I use it most often. I am able to wear my concealed handgun to the range on the Khyber belt and then switch the gun to the belt rig that I use in training. This belt is more than sufficient for traveling to and from the range. In fact, it is low profile enough to wear with a Velcro inner belt. They both fit under the belt loops.

If you aren’t carrying a handgun, you will appreciate how light and flexible this belt is. It is probably as close as you can get to not wearing a belt at all. It won’t look quite right in an office, but it is probably the perfect belt for just about any outdoor activity.

Simple hardware makes for an easy to adjust, easy to use, and very comfortable belt.

Hardware

Now that I have spent a lot of time with this belt, there is something that I would do differently if I were buying one all over again. The belt uses a triglide to adjust the length. Kevin makes this with a plastic version of the triglide(less expensive) and a titanium version (more expensive). The titanium version is considerably thinner than the plastic triglide. If I was starting over, I would definitely spring for the Ti version. The plastic slider is by far the thickest part of the belt and the Ti version fits better with the overall purpose or the belt.

Conclusion

I thought that this belt would fill a niche for me. I didn’t expect that I would find it so comfortable and useful as a general use belt. It is easily the most comfortable belt that I have used under a padded hip belt or padded gun belt. It is also a great weekend belt for outdoor pursuits. The icing on the cake is that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, even with the custom Ti hardware.

If you want to order your own Khyber Belt, you should contact Kevin. There are some nuances to fitting that he can talk you through (it isn’t complicated). The double layer belts like the one reviewed have a smaller adjustment range than the single layer versions. You can contact Advanced Outfitters through their website, on Twitter, or on the Usual Suspect Network.

Wallets are simple things… or at least they should be. Too many wallets on the market have Velcro straps, snaps, zippers, bellowed pockets, and all sorts of other stuff that has nothing to do with organizing some credit cards, IDs, and bills. Typically, the more features a wallet has, the thicker it is and I have no tolerance for thick wallets.

Several months ago, my leather magnetic money clip type wallet began to loosen to the point that cards were falling out, so the hunt was on for a new wallet. I searched high and low for a wallet that was thin, durable, and that would retain my credit cards well. That search lead me to Flowfold.

The Black Pearl color scheme is now discontinued... too bad for you.

Not Leather and That’s a Good Thing

The first thing that you notice about Flowfold Billfolds is that they are not made from leather. That is probably obvious but it is one of the keys to what makes this such a great wallet. Flowfold makes the billfolds from sailcloth which is a great material for wallets because it is very thin, very durable, very lightweight, and water resistant.

Thin, Like Really, Really Thin

My favorite thing about this wallet is how thin it is. Back when I bought the Flowfold Billfold, I had a rough idea of when it would arrive in the mail. On that day, I checked the mailbox and was disappointed that it didn’t contain a package. I walked inside and sorted through the mail only to find that the wallet did arrive. It was packed inside a standard business letter sized envelope. The envelope containing the wallet was thin enough that it looked and felt like any one of the other letters that arrived that day. This wallet is thin and I mean thin.

It's thin when it's empty.

It is still thin when it's full of 8 cards/IDs and $12 in cash... That's right, $12 cash.

Tactical Level IV Credit Card Retention… or Something

I also like that the Flowfold Billfold’s credit card slots are basically loss proof. The bifold design keeps this wallet thin but it also allows the credit card slots to open in toward the fold of the wallet. When the wallet is folded, the card can not come out unless you pull them out. I was surprised at the number of cards that this could hold without becoming bulky thanks to the 2 separate cards slots. Each slot easily holds multiple cards rather than some designs that have a separate divided slot for each card.

ID Slots – 2 is 1 and 1 is None

There is a transparent ID slot on each side of the inside of the wallet (2 total) that is perfect for an drivers license or that credit card that you use most often. That second ID slot is especially convenient if you work somewhere that requires you to carry identification that is specific to your job.

Double ID slots all the way! What does it mean?

I Sit on This Wallet All Day and It Still Works

The workmanship is very good. All of the edges of the sailcloth are finished with nylon ribbon. The wallet may feel unsubstantial at first (especially if you are used to thick leather wallets) but that is just the nature of the thin plastic sailcloth. Experience has proven to me that this material is not unsubstantial at all. I have seen just how durable it is. My wallet started off fairly rigid but it is now breaking in nicely. It isn’t showing any serious wear and tear. It is just starting to conform to the shape of my backside.

Get One

I would be thrilled with this wallet if it was just thin. The fact that it is very durable and water resistant is just bonus. I have never owned a wallet that I actually liked until now. So it isn’t made from 7000D Multicam printed nylon, but it the best wallet that I have ever owned and that is saying something. The Flowfold Billfold would make a worthy addition to anyone’s EDC gear. It would also be a great gift for those of you who like to do your holiday shopping before Christmas Eve.

Right now, if you buy a Flowfold Billfold in the “Nori” color scheme, 100% of the profit will go to Hurricane Irene Relief which is near and dear to my heart considering what Irene did to northeast Pennsylvania where I grew up. Check out “Nori” and all the other great color schemes on Flowfold.com.