Basic LBE Assembly

The LBE, or military Load Bearing Equipment is the simplest and least expensive way to put together a carrying harness. Please refer to Figure 1. The basic LBE consists of:

1. Suspenders

2. Pistol belt, get the largest size, color does not matter

3. 2 one quart canteens and canteen cup (cup optional, not shown)

4. 2 canteen carriers.

5. 2 ammo pouches.

6. 1 first aid/compass pouch.

This equipment if bought new should run about $50.00-60.00, but you can cut that in half getting used but serviceable stuff. There isn’t anything wrong with used items in most cases, since military issue field equipment tends to be rather stern stuff. M16 ammo pouches were used here, but any modern NATO ammo pouch will fit, this includes the aftermarket G36/AK-47/FNFAL/G3 Mag Pouches. We personally wouldn’t get used canteens, simply because that is disgusting.

Figure 1.

In order to assemble your gear you will need to get some additional items. You will need:

A roll of heavy duty OD green or black duct tape a.k.a. 100MPH tape. This is usually sold in 2 inch widths.
A regular pair of scissors.
10 feet of parachute cord a.k.a. 550 cord. Get more than 10 feet though, 20 feet is better.
A lighter.
A hemostat a.k.a. a “roach clip” to the dried vegetable matter enthusiasts in the audience. This is optional, but very useful.

Figure 2.

Start by cutting nine lengths of 550 cord about 9 to 10 inches long. Next, being very careful not to hurt yourself, melt the ends of the 550 cord with the lighter to seal them and keep them from unraveling. If you look at the 550 cord in Figure 2 you will see one unsealed and one sealed end. We suggest doing this outside and on concrete. Do only one at a time until you get the hang of it. The ends take a while to cool, so be patient, and NEVER let any of the melting cord hit your skin. It is truly a memorable experience.

Next take the suspenders and extend the hook ends of the tapes out to their maximum length on the front and back. The metal hooks at the ends should hang as far as possible from the padded portion if this is done correctly.

Now take the pistol belt and undo the buckle so the belt lays flat. Look at the inside. You will see two clamps that let you adjust the length of the belt to fit your waist. If you look at Figure 1, you can see them. They are the shiny solid outside bands on the pistol belt. Go get a parka, put it on, and adjust the belt until it fits slightly loose low around your hips. Make sure you include the parka inside the belt when adjusting the girth. There are different sized belts, we suggest you purchase the largest regardless of your stature.

Once you are sure that it is adjusted properly, take a strip of tape and go once or twice around the belt’s adjustment clamp so it can’t accidentally come loose and slide once you have finished setting up your LBE. Repeat for the other side.

Buckle the belt so it makes a circle. Notice all the brass grommets set into the belt. These grommets are where we are going to set those metal hooks on the suspenders to hook them to the belt. With the buckle in the center, flatten the belt and look for the two centermost grommets on the rear of the belt. They should lie roughly on either side of the buckle. Mark them with a pen or, while holding the belt in place, simply get the suspenders and place the two metal hooks from the back of the suspenders through the grommets. The rear suspender strap will be the single strap; the front facing straps are the padded ones. Once the hooks, affectionately known as meat hooks, are through the grommets, snap the metal covers over them to hold them in place. Take a piece of 100 MPH tape about 6 inches long and ¾ of an inch wide and wrap the hooks in order to seal the hook and keep it from accidentally opening during rough handling. See Figure 3.

Figure 3. Note that the hooks are displayed opened, closed, and taped after being attached to the belt.

Next, take a canteen cover and turn it over. You should see two black steel clips on the back of the cover. Slide the clips straight up and a gap will appear that will allow you to slip the clips over the belt. About an inch or two away from where you attached the suspender at the rear of the belt mount your canteen covers, one to the right and one on the left of the attachment hooks. To better understand what I am talking about vis a vis the clips see the ammo pouch in Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 4.

To better understand what the clips should look like once on the belt, see Figure 5.

Figure 5.

Next take the hemostat and slide it down through the canteen cover’s clip attachment sleeve as is shown with the ammo pouch in figure 5. Clamp onto one of the pieces of 550 cord you have prepared and draw it through. Tie it securely and then repeat for the other sleeve on the same canteen cover. One of the authors has known weight conscious soldiers who dispensed with the metal clips altogether and just doubled up on the 550 cord for attaching their items, but it is not recommended because cord used alone can wear through, and you may lose equipment. See Figure 6.

Figure 6.

Once tied you may chose to melt the ends together, leave them alone which is a little risky, or tape the ends together. Tape is the easiest way and is more secure than fusing the ends, which can break under regular use.

Once you have secured the first canteen cover, repeat for the second.

Now you are ready to put on the ammo pouches. The procedure is the same as for attaching the canteens as far as putting them on the belt. To place them properly on the belt, put on the belt, and place your hand on the front of your hip. The ammo pouch should not be placed forward of this point. This is so that when you lay on your stomach the ammo pouch will be at your side and not under you. Having the ammo pouch under you when you are lying on your stomach keeps you from getting into the pouch, is uncomfortable, and may damage your mags. It will also make your butt stick up in the air, which may lead to several sorts of unfortunate experiences.

Once your canteens are on the ammo pouches will most likely be spaced about an inch or so from them if properly positioned.

Look at the top of the ammo pouch in Figure 7.

Figure 7.

Note the small tab with a grommet set in it lying on top of the hemostat. You have the option of hooking the front suspender hook through that grommet or you may wish to hook the suspender directly to the belt. Since the pouches are positioned to the sides, it may be more comfortable for you to hook the suspenders directly to the belt. This is what one of the authors has done personally. Don’t forget to tape the hooks up front as well to keep them from opening accidentally.

Next we attach the first aid pouch. The first aid pouch is useful for carrying many small items other than a single emergency bandage. Many troops put their tobacco there. One of the authors uses his for his compass.

If you look at the front of the suspenders you will see a thick band about ¼ of the way down from the top of the suspenders. Slide the metal attachment clip through that band just like with the canteens and ammo pouches and secure it with a length of 550 cord. You may wish to secure it upside down for ease of access, but it is not necessary to do so. If you are right handed it should go on the left suspender strap, and vice versa for southpaws.

Figure 8.

Once all the equipment is attached you are ready to adjust your straps. Put your parka back on and put on the finished LBE. Adjust the front straps so that the belt hangs about an inch or so below your waistline. Once the front is adjusted, it is easiest to have a friend adjust the rear strap so that the belt is even all around or slightly higher in the rear. Accordion fold the strap ends and tape them securely to the suspenders so they aren’t loose as shown in figure 9.

Figure 9.

Your basic LBE is now assembled. Here is a finished LBE. Note that the ammo pouches are unserviceable. The author who assembled this LBE purchased these ammo pouches for fifty cents each to use in demonstrating assembly because he is cheap beyond reckoning and was loathe to disassemble his own painstakingly assembled LBV for ammo pouches.

Figure 10.

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