Slatts Rescue Belt/Ötzi Belt Combination

[oneshot]

A while back I posted about a belt attachment system that Ötzi the Iceman may have used. My friend Phil recently showed me his great Slatts Rescue belt, so I figured it would be interesting to combine the two:

This belt is great because it can be unravelled into 50 feet of cordage in a few seconds. It only takes about an hour to make and it uses a fairly simple knot. If you weave a piece of paracord through it as shown you can use it to attach items to your belt:

It is particularly useful for carrying game (I use the game carrier in the middle for birds):

Instructions for the Slatts Rescue belt can be found at http://www.orionn49.com/slatts_rescue_belt_knot1.htm. Youtube has a few videos demonstrating the belt knot as well. The original post on the Iceman's belt is at http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94091

Enjoy, and please post if you make one of these!

 

[Goatboy]

Hi Oneshot,

I remember your previous post on the subject, Ötzi is of great interest to me, just a facinating window on our ancestors.

Your belt is a great modern take on his and I always like the idea that anything you carry / wear does more than one job. Saves weight and space, and the older and more knackered I get the better on that front. It's also something you could replicated with more traditional materials if that's your thing and knowing some of the folk here on the forums there will be endless great variations.

Thanks for posting it up, has put some ideas back in my head.

Have a great festive season,
Goatboy.

 

[S.C.M.]

what're those white bead-things you are using to stop theattachments from slipping through? are they float-thingies (technical term)? or stones? clay?

 

[oneshot]

what're those white bead-things you are using to stop theattachments from slipping through? are they float-thingies (technical term)? or stones? clay?

They are fungus toggles made from birch bracket/razor strop fungus (Piptoporus betulinus). Ötzi had two bits of it attached to strips of leather in his kit. One of them was a disc shape.

This fungus is easy to shape when fresh but it is very hard and lightweight when dry. It would have been a perfect material to work with stone tools. He could have simply pushed the leather through the fungus with his flint knife or a stick, so he didn't have to worry about drilling a hole.

You can also use wood to make the toggles. Just cut across a sapling to make a disk about 10mm thick and drill a hole through. The game carrier in the original post uses a toggle that was made that way.

Thanks for your interest!

 

[oneshot]

Thanks for such a thoughtful response Goatboy, and best wishes over this season as well! Maybe you will come up with a variation of this so we can have a look!

 

[ForgeCorvus]

Thanks for showing me Slatts' knot, I've never tried the Cobra but it seems you have to unpick it to use it (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong)... This makes more sense to use as an emergency cord-store.


Fungus netsuke, who'd of thought it ?

 

[Niels]

Very awesome! I love Ötzi styled equipment. I remember when I was about 10 years old my teacher had a book in which all of Ötzi's equipment was described. From there on, the mayority of my was spent in my local parks, making bows and arrows and playing Ötzi. (Basically what were doing again now)

 

[S.C.M.]

They are fungus toggles made from birch bracket/razor strop fungus (Piptoporus betulinus). Ötzi had two bits of it attached to strips of leather in his kit. One of them was a disc shape.

This fungus is easy to shape when fresh but it is very hard and lightweight when dry. It would have been a perfect material to work with stone tools. He could have simply pushed the leather through the fungus with his flint knife or a stick, so he didn't have to worry about drilling a hole.

You can also use wood to make the toggles. Just cut across a sapling to make a disk about 10mm thick and drill a hole through. The game carrier in the original post uses a toggle that was made that way.

Thanks for your interest!

just saw your other post about the otzi belt as well...thanks for explaining it to me it's a verry good idea

Very awesome! I love Ötzi styled equipment. I remember when I was about 10 years old my teacher had a book in which all of Ötzi's equipment was described. From there on, the mayority of my was spent in my local parks, making bows and arrows and playing Ötzi. (Basically what were doing again now)

ah but now, we "know what we're doing".... yeah right!

it's a wonderful excuse to go out and play with fire, knives and mud too, don't forget