Tier Carry System - specifically, Larger Knife with Pack Hip Belt?

[ProofNZ]

Good morning guys - just trying to figure something out, and open to suggestions.

If I am packing light, no problem - belt with a couple of pouches, canteen etc on it, knife strapped directly to belt.

If I am packing a little heavier (i.e. all my camera equipment, or for an extended stay), I have a little dilemma - oh the problems to have!

I can transfer everything onto the molle hip belt of my Mountain Ruck. However, I am trying to figure out a way to have it on me so that if I drop the pack either intentionally, or in a hurry, I don't have to transfer everything over to my belt.

My thoughts are either a chest rig, or potentially a leg rig - but I am aware of both starting to look a little tacti-cool...

Anyone have any suggestions on carrying a decent sized knife on a hip, under a pack belt?

Thanks.

 

[santaman2000]

Not exactly. But maybe on your boot (as in the old daniel Boone show) or otherwise on your leg like a diving knife. If you wear it under yout pants leg it won't "look" like anything; it'll be out of sight.

 

[lostplanet]

Most military issue backpacks are designed to sit high on the waist above a webbing belt, in the uk anyway, maybe a cheap surplus bag will sit right so you can still wear your belt???

And of course a double dangle sheath for the knife or 2 sheaths for quick blade transfer.

Then i suppose you start to look at kit carry smocks if the chest rig isnt suitable.

 

[British Red]

Just use a double dangler strap on your pouch and knife - then they hang below the hip belt


1 Sheath by British Red, on Flickr

On the lower loop the sheath rides conventially - on the upper loop it hangs below the hip belt

Works the same on a pouch


New Back by British Red, on Flickr

 

[rg598]

What Red said. Here is how I used to do it when I carried things on my belt: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2010/07/carrying-belt-kit.html I stopped doing it because it was just too annoying. It sounds like a great idea, but trying to sit down after taking off your pack with all this stuff dangling from your belt is just too annoying. These days if it doesn't fit in my pockets, it goes in the pack.

 

[ProofNZ]

Many thanks on all the feedback guys!

I think the major's for me are just the decent sized fixed blade and my canteen. Most of my essentials are distributed around my pockets already.

I will make up some extensions and try hanging things below the belt.

What this thought process has also made me start considering is how much I really need a big pack. The majority of the weight I carry is in camera equipment, which is actually sitting on my hips already. I may be able to get away with a burgen/smaller pack and a decent 'battle-belt' instead.

 

[rg598]

From my experience you should go with a good backpack before all else. If you are actually moving and doing things, it makes all the difference. Keep in mind, a full canteen weight about 3lb. Half the trip becomes trying to keep your pants up. Having all the stuff handy on a belt sounds like a good idea, but it gets in the way more often than it is useful. At least that was my experience. If you look at my blog posts over the years, I've gone through the exact same thinking. I'm not saying my current way is the right one, but it is the conclusion I have reached based on my experience.

 

[ProofNZ]

I think a big part of the fun of all this is going through and continually refining and changing your systems.

I certainly know each and every time I go out into the bush I come back with a pile more ideas of how to make things more efficient/simpler/better.

 

[cbr6fs]

I wear a bumbag most days and sometimes wear it while hiking as well, together with my rucksack, i swivel it round so it's at the front.

To be honest i no longer really notice it's there, my hip strap on my rucksack sits above it and when i wear it for day to day use i never remove it when out so am happy sitting with it still on.

The pouch is for my phone.

Fits a fair bit of kit inside, i imagine a fixed blade knife might be a tight fit, although you could fit a sheath on the outside of the pack, either where my phone pouch is of the other side, both sides have straps ready.

 

[oldtimer]

I wear a bumbag most days and sometimes wear it while hiking as well, together with my rucksack, i swivel it round so it's at the front.

To be honest i no longer really notice it's there, my hip strap on my rucksack sits above it and when i wear it for day to day use i never remove it when out so am happy sitting with it still on.

The pouch is for my phone.

Fits a fair bit of kit inside, i imagine a fixed blade knife might be a tight fit, although you could fit a sheath on the outside of the pack, either where my phone pouch is of the other side, both sides have straps ready.

I use a similar method except mine is a Maxpack module- just one large bumbag pouch with smaller bags inside to organise stuff. I used to use smaller, separate pouchs but the one bag on a belt system works for me. I hang a waterbottle in a pouch on the waist strap if I don't have a pack, knife and navigation pouch can also go on the strap. Every time I come back from a trip I think there must be a better way, but a collection of once-used pouches prove that, though imperfect, the bumbag is the best for me. If it wears out before I do I shall replace it with a Snugpack response pack. The main advantage is that the module is never unpacked, but gets transferred to day sack or trek pack whichever I'm using.

On my last trip I found that wearing it baldrick (bandolier) style was surprisingly comfortable and enabled me to get at things easily without removing the pack.

 

[lostplanet]

I have one of my PLCE side pouches set up as a daysack. I don't normally need to dump kit in a hurry so most of it lives inside a snugpak responce pack, inside the ruck LA sting main compartment and on the sides in PLCE pouches. I recently got hold of a US sustainment pouch (thanks santaman2000) with molle straps which holds my DD XL tarp nicely on the back of the sting and a molle Omni pouch for quick access to a poncho.

If I needed to wander off after setting up camp and I want a bit of kit with me (say waterbottle, warm top, bit of food) that's to bulky for smock or trouser pockets then I unzip a PLCE side pouch which is around 10 liter capacity, dump the gear in it I dont want to the main bag and then use the already fitted yoke straps without the yoke as a mini daysack.

This setup would work with any rucksack that has compatable PLCE zips for side pouches. If 10 liters is enough room for your gear, they can be removed and refitted from/to the main ruck in 20 seconds??? probably 5 seconds if in a real hurry!!