dana design belt pocket?

[fillthefreezer]

anyone whos used dana design packs ever come up with waist belt pockets?
my wife is using a bridger and it needs pockets...

 

[IAHNTR]

Funny you bring this up. I bought a Terraplane a couple months ago and am curious about the same thing.

 

[muleman]

IAHNTR,

I replied to your PM but thought others might benefit.

I was never able to adequately solve the belt pouch issue on my Terraplane, and now I just picked up an unused TerraFRAME that I am stoked to try. That is until this month. Yes I carry a sidearm almost all the time hunting or not. My solution is a HPG Kit bag and my homemade bino harness. See post 20 in this thread for details. http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Forum/tabid/679/forumid/-1/threadid/2303/scope/posts/Default.aspx

The Kit bag solves several of my issues with a holster on a pack waist belt. Those are your gun gets dropped in the dirt when you doff your pack and you leave your gun or have to change holsters etc... if you leave your pack for some reason. I am really liking my Kit bag and find it plenty big to put everything I want readily accessible, plus it keeps my sidearm protected from the elements. HPG has a good lifter system that attaches to your pack to help carry the weight too. I went with the Kit bag over a Koala because of size. To me the Koala seemed too big.

As for the bino harness, I glass constantly and want my binos out. The system I developed works great. It holds them steady and provides the easy access I desire. I have recently sourced some stronger 1/8" camo shock cord I will be changing over to. I will also carry some extra shock cord in case of failure.

FYI, the Kit bags are 10% off through this month.

 

[fillthefreezer]

ive looked at those, just seems to be cumbersome when making layering changes and blocks a breeze when is hot out. kinda the same things that turn me off to the huge bino systems like the alaska.

ive been thinking about sewing some webbing on a pocket to slip over the whole hip belt...

 

[muleman]

ive looked at those, just seems to be cumbersome when making layering changes and blocks a breeze when is hot out. kinda the same things that turn me off to the huge bino systems like the alaska.

ive been thinking about sewing some webbing on a pocket to slip over the whole hip belt...

Yeah, I think a pouch could be made to go between the two layers of the belt so you didn't get a hot spot. Maybe you can make two

I have hunted with a simple elastic x-harness, for my binos, since they hit the market. So I am used to taking off my binos when doing layering changes. For me the inconvenience of taking off the binos or Kit bag to change layers is worth it for the convenience of having the binos ready to go.

As for the heat, that is an issue I'm still working out. My main two guaranteed hunts for the year are both early and hot, so I am sensitive to that issue.

After using the Kit bag I find I really like having my key stuff with me if I drop my pack. Previously I would have to transfer my rangefinder, GPS and sidearm. Now I can just drop my pack and go. I'll see if I still feel the same way come October 3rd when I complete my second hunt with the Kit bag.

 

[fillthefreezer]

keep me updated as to your satisfaction with it. maybe i will pick up a KU small bag and webbing and break out the sewing machine...

 

[muleman]

Elastic Belt Pouch Adapters

keep me updated as to your satisfaction with it. maybe i will pick up a KU small bag and webbing and break out the sewing machine...

I just had a thought on how to do a quick and easy adapter for a Kifaru belt pouch. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words.



I would think that as long as the weight was reasonable the 1" non-roll elastic would hold fine. If needed it could be doubled to hold more securely.

 

[fillthefreezer]

i was thinking the same thing except using webbing and a 3 bar cinch on one end for a positive cinch

 

[IAHNTR]

I like the positive cinch thing. Could you also sew on a velco strip horizontal along the top of the hip belt and top of the belt pouch?? That way it would stay oriented the correct way and still be removable.

 

[fillthefreezer]

probably could, im really not much of a velcro fan especially in a hunting application though... maybe some positive snap buttons or ?

 

[muleman]

A no-sew "positive cinch" option would be to thread webbing through both of the three bar sliders already on the Kifaru belt pouches. To lock, back thread the free ends.

 

[stephen b]

Or you could easily take 2 strips of 1" webbing and sew on pals set up right on the dana hip belt. That is what I am going to do with my Dana belt. Could use a hooked needle and make it easier. It does not have to be an industrial sew job to hold belt pockets securely- especially with 2 rows of pals.

Or the best way ( if you also have a kifaru pack) of all for a Dana pack waistbelt is to use the Kifaru belt mounted inside the lumbar part of the DD pack- best of both worlds.

 

[fillthefreezer]

A no-sew "positive cinch" option would be to thread webbing through both of the three bar sliders already on the Kifaru belt pouches. To lock, back thread the free ends.

now thats thinking!

 

[fillthefreezer]

got any idea what kind of thread to use to sew webbing?

 

[muleman]

got any idea what kind of thread to use to sew webbing?

Nylon and size 69 is the largest size that most residential machines will handle. Use a 16 or 18 needle.

 

[IAHNTR]

I think we should get Aron on this. haha

 

[fillthefreezer]

i like how much you know about sewing ;\

 

[IAHNTR]

If someone does do some alterations I would really like to see a short tutorial with pics and a materials list. This is the first "expensive" pack I've had and am afraid to just start hacking at it. A pack newbie so to speak. But, I do really like the terraplane.

 

[muleman]

i like how much you know about sewing ;\

Don't tell my wife there were ulterior motives when I bought her a nice machine for her birthday.

Funny thing is I was planning on going to the fabric store tonight to find some 500 cordura or soft shell material. So I can sew up a PALs compatible pouch for the roll-up solar panel I use on extended hunts.

 

[fillthefreezer]

haha, i bought my wife a sweet imac that i use more than she does...