How do you carry belt kit when using a rucksack with a hipbelt?

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malcolmc

Forager
Jun 10, 2006
245
4
73
Wiltshire
www.webwessex.co.uk
I’m coming back to hill walking after a break of quite a few years. I need to replace most of my old gear. I’m amazed by how comfortable modern gear is, in particular rucksacks with hip belts. Snag is what do you do with belt kit when you’re using one? I’ve asked in several kit shops most had no answer, one suggested loops that attach to a belt and allow kit to hang about 3 inches (8 cm) below the base of the rucksack (supplier suggested this is the special forces solution) but I couldn’t see that being practical if you were walking any distance.

Great site, I’ve already learnt a lot from kit chatter.

Cheers!
 

Ogri the trog

Mod
Mod
Apr 29, 2005
7,182
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Mid Wales UK
Welcome aboard Malcolmc,
Having something hanging below a rucksack hip belt strikes me as uncomfortable. For essentials I'd look into transfering them onto the hip belt itself or put the whole belt into a rucksack pocket ready to use when you get to your camp.

ATB

Ogri the trog
 

Pablo

Settler
Oct 10, 2005
647
5
65
Essex, UK
www.woodlife.co.uk
I don't really carry a great deal of stuff on my belt, especially not a full set of webbing (like the army days) but I do like a couple of things on a leather belt.

I was a bit frustrated with pouches getting in the way of hip belts so I started to hang stuff from my belt. I used a couple of cheap karribiners to do this. I've now got my small leather possibles pouch and knife on the belt. The karribiners can come also come in handy.

I've also started using a shoulder bag. You can buy these cheaply from surplus stores or evil bay for £10-15. A repirator bag (preferably on old canvas one) is ideal. It is easily reached and doesn't interfere with walking.

It really depends on how much and what type of kit you want to carry.

Pablo
 

malcolmc

Forager
Jun 10, 2006
245
4
73
Wiltshire
www.webwessex.co.uk
Wow, I didn't expect replies that quick.

Dave,

The kit I’m used to carrying on a belt is that which I’m either going to use in transit or want to have with me if I need to dump the rucksack in a hurry.

The list is :-
* Compass
* Mobile phone
* 2 x 1lt water bottles (with filter & tabs)
* Knife
Binoculars
Camera
Signal Torch
* 24 hour first aid tin
* 24 hour survival tin

those items with an * I would prefer to have on me at all times.

Ogri,

The thing is if you put this kit in your rucksack you lose the option of dumping it if you're in a difficult situation.

Thanks.
 

Nemisis

Settler
Nov 20, 2005
604
6
69
Staffordshire
I think a change in thinking is needed most of what you've listed with the exeption of a water bottle I would put in the external pockets of a rucksack and assemble as belt kit at my destination as Ogri said. What do you get upto where your likely even to want to dump your rucksack in a hurry here in the uk or most other places for that matter?
Dave.
 

Ogri the trog

Mod
Mod
Apr 29, 2005
7,182
71
60
Mid Wales UK
malcolmc said:
The thing is if you put this kit in your rucksack you lose the option of dumping it if you're in a difficult situation.

Thanks.

I'm wondering what sort of situation you are going to find yourself in if you need to dump your rucksack and be "able to survive" :confused:

Ogri the trog
 

Stuart

Full Member
Sep 12, 2003
4,141
50
**********************
Ogri the trog said:
I'm wondering what sort of situation you are going to find yourself in if you need to dump your rucksack and be "able to survive" :confused:

Ogri the trog


there are many situations which have the potential to separate you from your pack and leave you to make do with what is on your person.

a silp whilst undertaking river crossing is probably the most frequent reason for a lost bag, you cant keep the bag on as it will drown you, so you discard it and the river takes it way.

one incident which I have witnessed involved accidental slide down a scree slope on the side of a mountain, the person involved slid a short way down the scree slope but could not make the assent to safety with their bag on. So the bag was discarded and continued its rapid decent, whilst he made for safety, he then had to navigate off the other side of the mountain and back around to the valley where the bag had come to rest.

or alternatively it can be as simple as you put your bag down in camp, you go to collect water, you get disoriented. Silly but it has happened to most at least once and sometimes you can get really lost.
 

bogflogger

Nomad
Nov 22, 2005
355
18
65
london
One way of keeping essential gear on you, is to get a decent 6l bumbag and wear it at the front of your body and above the hipbelt.
 

Ogri the trog

Mod
Mod
Apr 29, 2005
7,182
71
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Mid Wales UK
Stuart,
I can see what you're getting at, but I would suggest that river crossing or mountaineering are somewhat specialised activities which would not need the aforementioned list of kit to be carried. Items such as camera, binoculars, even watersteralising tabs suggest that there is time available to use them, and hence the need to "dump your kit in a hurry" is questionable.
Crossing rivers and mountaineering are activities which I would have serious reservations about undertaking alone unless safety arrangement had been made as to route and timing - so any rescue could be initiated. Even the situation you mentioned about loosing a bag, the owner was able to retrieve it and was in a group, so the "lone survival" aspect becomes less serious than is portrayed.

I don't want to scare Malcolm off as he's only recently joined the forum and has asked his first question, but some things make me wonder;
Compass but no map??
A mobile phone could be of use in an emergency but coverage is questionable - my house has no coverage! Why not carry a whistle?
Two water bottles and steritabs, why not one water bottle on your belt and one in the pack.
Knife - I don't see too many hikers wearing a knife on their belt but to cut straps in an emergency could be reason enough.
Optical equipment, as I've said, suggest leisure activity rather than E&E.
Torch would suggest to me that there is an intention to be out overnight - when thoughts of a basecamp are in order so there is reduces need to have it on your person 24/7.
Survival tins & FAK make sense when alone.

I'm thinking that a bit more thought and a more relaxed attitude might lead to a more enjoyable experience.

Ogri the trog
 

Andy

Native
Dec 31, 2003
1,867
11
38
sheffield
www.freewebs.com
I have a couple of maxpedition pouches which I can fit to the hip belt of my pack. I can fit a fallkniven F1 on there as well but don't normaly
They can hold
GPS
phone
swisstool
torch
whistle
money

other handy items are kept in the pockets of the bag
 

Hoodoo

Full Member
Nov 17, 2003
5,302
13
Michigan, USA
When backpacking, I use a separate beltpack, turned forward, carried around my waist above my hipbelt. I also have a small pouch mounted on my left shoulder strap, and my knife clipped to my right shoulder strap. Usually a lightweight knfie in a kydex sheath.
 

malcolmc

Forager
Jun 10, 2006
245
4
73
Wiltshire
www.webwessex.co.uk
Hi all, thanks for all your thoughts.

In what situation would I dump a rucksack?

I suppose it’s the mentality of the boy scout motto of ‘be prepared’. I hope never to be in a situation where I need to abandon a rucksack but I have done it once in the past. I also needed to traverse a fairly steep scree slope (someone was hurt at the base). I’m not a climber and I found that challenging even without a rucksack. That incident occurred within 2 miles of a car park and I did have time, before dark, to recover the rucksack. I suppose I’m concerned that if a similar situation occurred a bit further from civilization it may be some time, if at all, before you can get your rucksack back. Such things are very rare but they can happen.

I carry a map in a cover rolled or folded in a trouser pocket. These days I feel its worthwhile having a mobile phone, if you’re out of the service area not a lot of use but if you do have a signal it’s the quickest way to get professional help. They don’t weigh a lot. I do also have a whistle in my survival tin. I’m not at a level where I would plan to be travelling after dark, the torch is in the kit in case something prevents me reaching my destination and I am caught out at sunset. Away from roads I would not be able to accurately navigate after dark. I would have left details of my route with someone and if I did get caught by the dark my plan would be to say put till morning. Although the torch I carry is of the signal variety it would not be able to signal very far. It does have a built in red filter that I use to preserve my night vision when I have to use the torch. If moonlight is available I wouldn’t necessarily need to use a torch. Moonlight isn’t always available.

Hill walking for me is a leisure activity. I’m more likely to want quick access to a camera or binoculars than whistle, hence I’d like them to hand rather than in the pack. I still want to be safe.

Sorry for the long post but I felt I needed to clarify where I’m coming from.

Again, thanks all.
 

Hoodoo

Full Member
Nov 17, 2003
5,302
13
Michigan, USA
I dump my ruck all the time. I often will hike in to a remote spot, set up a base camp, and explore from there. I always carry a small lightweight nylon pack and a hipbelt back to carry my gear for exploring.
 

dommyracer

Native
May 26, 2006
1,312
7
46
London
a silp whilst undertaking river crossing is probably the most frequent reason for a lost bag, you cant keep the bag on as it will drown you, so you discard it and the river takes it way.

If you're in the environment where a river crossing is likely you would you not have a liner in your pack so that it can trap air and be used as a float?
 

Stuart

Full Member
Sep 12, 2003
4,141
50
**********************
indeed you may, but it doesn’t stop it 'floating' away

the pack that I am carrying here contains a waterproof liner:
borneotrip68.jpg


but if I slipped and lost the sack here there is a chance I would never see it again.

I suppose it depends on how remote you are; in this case I am two days walk from the nearest settlement. I don’t habitually make river crossings like this but in this case I was following a group of penan people who thought nothing of such crossings because they were able to hop deftly from rock to rock with stunning balance and agility, something I could not emulate.

It was unexpected but it happened, as the unexpected has a habit of doing
 

Ben Trout

Nomad
Feb 19, 2006
300
1
46
Wiltshire, GB
Some interesting stuff here. The technique for river crossing I've always used is;
Unbuckle and loosen straps, but keep your sack on. If you fall and the sack gets caught then ditch it, if not leave it on. If the river is deep enough that you have to swim or wade, then use the sack as a flotation device. I've never had to use the latter, I've always found somewhere else to cross. I've always detoured round anything I couldn't deal with, rather than ditch my pack.

Would this thread be of use to you?; http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=12789

That said I've taken to keeping my Swedish steel and striker on a cord round my neck.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Malcolm,

I tend to agree with you on liking to keep some gear on my belt. I think what the guys in the shop was talking about is an extension loop to your pouches. If you look at this picture, you can see a knife sheath designed to hang either above or below the belt of your bergan (depending on which loop you use). The top loop is a loop of leather stiched over and attached with a ring or screw gate karabiner (small ones available in B&Q). I have a blet pouch with a similar arrangement

doubledangler1nx.jpg



There is a tie down to stop the sheath flapping too much (although I tend to stroll rather than march

DSCF0252.JPG


I also find cargo pockets on trousers handy!

Red
 

ArkAngel

Native
May 16, 2006
1,201
22
50
North Yorkshire
The only hard wearing way i know of this would be to use the special forces solution and have the loops on the pouches to drop them below the hip belt line.

I think SASS do them
 

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