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I am often being asked what do I recommend as far as equipment my students should have in their classes. The following are the products I personally use and recommend.
Belts
Wearing a holster requires a proper belt to support it. The belt has to be stiff, preventing the movement of the holster during the draw and re-holstering.
Ares Gear Ranger Belt offers everything you need for a gun class.
You can order one here or search for it from many other retails
The Wilderness Belts is another brand I highly recommend. I use their instructor belt with titanium buckle when I travel through the airports. When ordering, I suggest you get a polymer insert for extra stiffness.
Newer style belts include both inner and outer belts for increased functionality. I strongly recommend the following brands:
AWS
Blue Alpha
Ferro Concepts
Ronin Tactics
Holsters
Having a proper holster will make your break your experience and any gun class. I recommend a holster without retention, but if you must have one, SERPA style holsters are not allowed in most firearm classes. The following three holsters I highly recommend.
OSH RTI Kydex Holster from Tactical Holsters is what I use for my training. RTI system allows me to quickly change holster and magazine carriers to accommodate my pistols. You can order one here.
When ordering, make sure you choose RTI Duty Mount Belt-Slide for the width of your belt and RMR Cut - No Guard option, which will allow to get a full grip on the gun during the draw.
Safariland has long been a standard in tactical holsters with retention. There are many choices of styles, retention options, colors and mounting options. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help choosing one.
Bladetech offers excellent holsters for a reasonable price. Many of my students use them and I have seen many others using them in classes I've taken.
Make sure to order a magazine holder to go together with your pistol. Most classes require a two magazine holder as a minimum.
Hearing Protection
Proper hearing protection will not only save your ears from the sound of the gunfire at the range but will also allow you to hear your instructor and other students in the class. Most classes require electronic ear protection. Amazon has plenty of choices, but if you want the best, this is the product that I use.
MSA Sordin has long been a leader in leading protection for our Armed Forces. These low profile headphones will allow you to mount the stock of your weapon on your shoulder without interfering with it. The electronics in these are some of the best available. While pricey, you will get years of use out of them. When ordering, I highly recommend you select Gel Earmuffs seals. They provide the most comfortable fit for your ears. You can order a pair here. When ordering, select the Supreme Pro X Models.
There are several other popular brands of hearing protection that are not as expensive:
Eye Protection
Protecting your eyes is one of the most important tasks during training. Proper ballistic eyewear will greatly reduce the chance of injury. The following brands are all leaders in ballistic eyewear. If you wear prescription glasses, some of these are available in prescription lenses.
ESS Eye Pro (Prescription lenses available)
Rudy Project (Prescription lenses available)
Pants
Many students wear jeans to classes, and there is nothing wrong with that, but having a pair of pants that are designed with a tactical shooter in mind will greatly enhance your training experience. These pants have multiple pockets in strategic places, allowing you to carry all of your support equipment comfortably. They are typically designed to facilitate easier movements and are made of comfortable materials. You don't have to get the most expensive pair, but having one will improve your class experience.
The following companies make great tactical pants: