Hip Belt Pockets for a Gearskin

[Nameless]

Onto my next project for my thru that begins in barely more than a month and a half...

I really want to add hip pockets to my gearskin because I am always wishing durring the day that I had my camera or snacks easily assesable so I could use or eat them without dealing with removing the pack. Now that my base weight is 12 lbs alone and will be less than 10 lbs when I start my thru, I just don't feel like removing the pack all that often.

I have thought through several designs, but want something that will be light weight, easy to sew, simple to use, and hard to destroy with care. I thought about zippers, but they can be difficult to deal with, or velcro, but it always gets dirty after awhile.

I am thinking of perminantly attaching the pocket to my gearskin, because I dont see any reason why I should want to remove it. This would save weight, and make the project more simple. I was thinking of creating a small sack, about five inches wide (anything longer will not fit on my hip belt easily, I am extremely thin), four inches tall, and enough give to fit two or three inches of stuff. I thought about closures for quite awhile before I suddenly realized that a shock cord could be used. And, instead of adding a cordlock I could simply use a strait peice long enough to be just under tension when the pocket is closed. So, to add a camera or munchies to a pocket i would simply strech out the shock cord, add the item, then release and the pocket would close itself. I cannot think of anything simpler myself. If you are having trouble visualizing it, the shock cord would lay flat against the pack when it is not being stretched out, just barely under tension so it holds the pocket closed.

I am in the middle or ordering a bunch of material from thru-hiker.com for a two person quilt and stuff sacks I am trying to make. I figure that i will make the pockets from the extra material, probably the sil-nylon from the stuff sacks. I'm not too worried about it getting wet inside because I will have a packa so they well be guarded from rain, and i could always prop them open to dry.

Any input on my design would be greatly appreciated.

Thankyou
Pink

[hammock engineer]

I am interested in your project. Mainly b/c I ordered a gearskin that is coming in a few weeks, I am going to take it on my thru, but mainly b/c I also want to add hip pockets.

I understand the shock cord idea. It sounds really good. I think I will try it on one, the size of my camera. The only drawback is that I think you will have problems losing little items. If you set your pack down and it flips over, stuff could fall out.

Maybe one of these and another that is sealed for the small items.

I haven't seen the gearskin in person but I am going to make mine removeable. I like more options. There should be some way to work something out using loops and the hip belt.

Whatever you choose, post some pics. It will give me a good head start on mine.

[Nameless]

Congradulations on ordering a gearskin. It long ago became my favorite peice of gear. And I like my stove...

When do you start your thru? My boyfriend and I are starting the 1st of March and plan to keep up a fair pace (not fast, but not slow), so if you are starting early we might see eachother at some point.

I thought about the items falling out with the shock cord, but I am personally not overly worried about it. I don't have a whole lot of small things that I hike with, and don't plan to put any of them in the pockets. I plan (but plans always change) to just use them for munchies and a camera. Possibly a pen and paper if I get into the journaling thing, but writting has always been my boyfriend's thing. Also, I treat my pack extremly well and avoid leaving it in situations where it could fall over. I got the 1.1 sil-nylon on the inside and the 1.9 ripstop on the outside, a wonderful lightweight combination for people that keep an eye on their gear in my opinion. After nearly two years my pack still shows no wear.

If you haven't asked, Jonathan, the owner of Moonbow does hip pockets for $15 apeice. He uses velcro to attach them, then has elastic that goes over the hip belt so they are not accidently removed while hiking. He also does a clip thing if people prefer. He recomends hip pockets to be 200 denier Oxford and 6x4x2 in, but will do anything. He is a very very nice person and easy to deal with. I just decided that I wanted to make them myself.

Thanks
Pink

[jbchiker]

My gearskin was custom made for me by Jon's wife while I was in the Gorham area. She included a little heavier material with two pockets on the hip belt , some mesh pockets on the back and an outside pocket on it. It doesn't weigh much. My Vapor Trail Ki comes in at about 2 lbs (but does not have as much room.) Even my ULA Catalyst has more room but anyway I love my gearskin :-)
jbchiker

[highway]

I once adapted a couple of OR bags to affix to my hip belt using velcro strips I got at the hardware store. Later, though I changed to a fanny pack instead.

I looked long and hard for a thin, lightweight one and found an old Patagonia model at 6.4 ounces. Its advantage is i always have camera with me, even when the pack was dropped to the ground. Plus it has anything else I want immediately available. When I used the hip belt pockets I only had the pockets, and the contents thereof, when I had the pack. With my small fanny pack, though, I seldom take it off. As a plus, when in a town I can carry it into town, where it conveniently holds money, wallet, camera, dragonfly parka, journal, pens, etc... But I like it best of all for a spot to carry my digital camera. It is always there, at about my navel, just a short zip away from my fingers and has been a boon for quick wildlife shots.

Its just a thought. To each their own...

[Johnny Swank]

The easiest way might be some sort of water bottle holster. All it is a stuff sack with a webbing loop on the side to slide the shoulder strap through. I've gone back to using soda bottles with a squeeze top, and the holster doesn't swing around all that much.

[Nameless]

I have the mesh pocket on the back of the gearskin too, and couldnt imagine living without it. Its always stuffed full of lightweight day stuff.

I have horrible horrible memories of fanny packs... So, their not for me, but have a great time with yours. Also, I am very weight concious, and am figure the two hip pockets should easily weigh less than two ounces.

I'm not interested in having a water bottle holster. I have used a platy for about 5 years now and have no intrest in going back to bottles. I really like to just keep on hiking, I have a slow, but very steady pace. If I stop for water I always end up stoping for longer than I wish i had, and I cannot drink out of bottles while hiking. If water is the least bit scarce I always hike with half a liter in another platty that I am not hooked up too so I don't ever run out. Its treated me well.

Pink

[hammock engineer]

I am not starting until a week or so after you. Hopefully I'll run into you two somewhere over the course of 6 months. I would be interested in hearing some Alaska stories. I always wanted to live up there.

Something to consider on your pockets is water drainage. If it is raining, the pockt open at the top could fill up with water.

I know you said you do not like velcro. But look at no snag velcro. I think it is also called omni (might be misspelled) tape. It is basically velcro that will only stick to itself and not anything else. I think I have some somewhere. I'll check the name and correct the spelling.

[Johnny Swank]

Nameless - I meant that you could use the holsters as pockets. Sorry for the confusion.

[hammock engineer]

I wanted to bump this back up and see how they come out. I am interested to hear how the shock cord idea turned out. I am probibly going to start sewing on a couple of pockets next week.

I was thinking one on the hipbelt for the camera and one on the straps on the side that would hold snacks, waterbottle, or my hat/mittens that I always seem to start hiking with but take off after a few minutes.

[khaynie]

Onto my next project for my thru that begins in barely more than a month and a half...

I really want to add hip pockets to my gearskin because I am always wishing durring the day that I had my camera or snacks easily assesable so I could use or eat them without dealing with removing the pack. Now that my base weight is 12 lbs alone and will be less than 10 lbs when I start my thru, I just don't feel like removing the pack all that often.

I have thought through several designs, but want something that will be light weight, easy to sew, simple to use, and hard to destroy with care. I thought about zippers, but they can be difficult to deal with, or velcro, but it always gets dirty after awhile.

I am thinking of perminantly attaching the pocket to my gearskin, because I dont see any reason why I should want to remove it. This would save weight, and make the project more simple. I was thinking of creating a small sack, about five inches wide (anything longer will not fit on my hip belt easily, I am extremely thin), four inches tall, and enough give to fit two or three inches of stuff. I thought about closures for quite awhile before I suddenly realized that a shock cord could be used. And, instead of adding a cordlock I could simply use a strait peice long enough to be just under tension when the pocket is closed. So, to add a camera or munchies to a pocket i would simply strech out the shock cord, add the item, then release and the pocket would close itself. I cannot think of anything simpler myself. If you are having trouble visualizing it, the shock cord would lay flat against the pack when it is not being stretched out, just barely under tension so it holds the pocket closed.

I am in the middle or ordering a bunch of material from thru-hiker.com for a two person quilt and stuff sacks I am trying to make. I figure that i will make the pockets from the extra material, probably the sil-nylon from the stuff sacks. I'm not too worried about it getting wet inside because I will have a packa so they well be guarded from rain, and i could always prop them open to dry.

Any input on my design would be greatly appreciated.

Thankyou
Pink

I must say that I had been looking for a long time for a pocket that would fit nicely on my Osprey hipbelt...for the same reasons you mentioned above. I had just about given up when these granite gear hipbelt pocket were recommended by another WB member.

I ordered a left and fit perfectly, so I ordered a right. I highly recommend these to anyone looking for a hipbelt pocket solution as they are pretty much universal...Although I did tear off the label that says granite gear for the low profile look

Too bad I couldn't have discovered these before my thru-hike! Now my pack is perfect minus the stinch.