How do you attach water bottles to your shoulder strap?

[misterfloyd]

Hello,

I posed this question to a different forum thread and thought I may post it here as well.

I just got done hiking Shining rock wilderness and I have an Osprey 3L bladder with my Atmos 65 pack. My side pockets are pretty useless, cannot reach them, and when the pack is packed nothing fits in them.

I feel that when I do the AT from Springer to Fontana Dam in a few weeks that I can save a lot of weight and space by ditching the bladder, and my Sawyer filter, and using bottles attached to the shoulder straps, and switching to Aqua Mira.

I have also based this by looking at the AT guide and seeing that there are many water resupply points.

Question: How did you get you bottles to fit securely to you shoulder straps?

Any help regarding this would be most helpful, and very much appreciated.

Best regards,
Floyd.

[quilteresq]

There is a small D-ring on my strap right below shoulder height. I used a string tied to a mitten hook wrapped around the water bottle neck to hook to the D-ring, and attached a bottle-circumferenced piece of bungee cord further down the strap. A piece of 1/2" elastic might have held a bit better for the bottom.

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmj1tYjCXeU

[Dogwood]

There is a small D-ring on my strap right below shoulder height. I used a string tied to a mitten hook wrapped around the water bottle neck to hook to the D-ring, and attached a bottle-circumferenced piece of bungee cord further down the strap. A piece of 1/2" elastic might have held a bit better for the bottom.

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmj1tYjCXeU

You could do it this way as the vid shows but you could also just use two sections of UL bungee. One loop for the bottom of the bottle and one for top. Helps to have bottles that have indentations where the bungee can notch into. The double bungee method is faster but as I said if you have larger heavier water fulled bottles they can slip through the bungees if not done right. My ULA packs have these double bungees that come stock. However, I take the top bungee on each shoulder strap off and use a little Nite Eze S-biner or cheapy UL mini spring loaded biner that attaches to a D-ring that comes stock on the pack with the other end attached to a screw top water bottle cap with a hole in it. The lower remaining bungee keeps that water bottle from swaying out of control. I think the double bungee or my system makes the water bottle easier to access while in motion than the way it's done in the vid. Do a keyword post search here over the last 6 months using water shoulder straps for your words. I as well as a few others including Lazarus do the same water carrying shouder strap thing.

[Cookerhiker]

Are you only considering shoulder straps? I have a pouch affixed to my waist strap which hold 1/2 liter bottle. Handy to drink from without taking off the pack.

[Feral Bill]

Pouches to attach one liter bottles to the waist strap are about $4, and work fine.

[BigHodag]

Step 1: Have an attachment point. Many backpacks come with a D-ring on the strap for attching phones, etc. I added attachment points on my Walmart Outdoor products daypacks by using plastic zip ties. Ran the tie between some stiching points, made a 1-2 inch loop, and snipped off the excess tie.

Step 2: Add a mini-biner and connector to your water bottles. For loop top nalgenes, you just add a biner.

I've had good luck with these $2 Biner with Bottle Carrier:

http://www.coghlans.com/products/bin...e-carrier-0572

I've also seen some fancy wrapping of 550 paracord around litter bottles thatalso provide a loop for attaching with a mini biner. Here's a simple version:

http://sticksblog.com/2013/01/20/diy...ottle-holders/

[Dogwood]

Look on the Bottles verse Bladders thread. Post #12.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...es-vs-Bladders

[slow mind]

I've used the trekking pole bungee with a Gatoraide bottle on my Atmos 65.

[daddytwosticks]

I just used one loop of bungie cord to the strap of my older model Atmos 50. Put it thru the ventillation holes of the foam on the shoulder strap. One loop works perfectly for holding a 20 ounce Gatorade bottle without flopping around. I am able to get 2 other 20 ounce bottles into the side water holder pockets, but like you, cannot reach them while wearing the pack.

[scrabbler]

Or just use a hydration bladder and eliminate all of the sloshing of water and swinging bottle syndrome. No strange contortions to reach, no unclipping of d-rings, etc. Downside is if you drink stuff other than water, they are a lot harder to keep clean vs a bottle.

[kayak karl]

http://www.simblissity.net/botspot.htm

[kayak karl]

in stock here http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...l#.UaPJr5yykbQ

[MuddyWaters]

I dont.
ULA packs come with small yellow elastic loops to do it that some use, I take them off.
Look at the pics of ULA packs on their website.

[Rolex]

I dont.
ULA packs come with small yellow elastic loops to do it that some use, I take them off.
Look at the pics of ULA packs on their website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5LXLWnm23U

Here's a utube of them on a circuit. My Catalyst has the same and I can carry 1 liter smart bottles on each one. Doesn't wiggle or slosh around much that I can tell. I switched the tops to squirt lids and can just grab and squeeze the first 1/2 bottle out to drink or so without taking the bottle out of the holders.

[misterfloyd]

Man oh Man,

You guys have it down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I sound excited, I am!

I have been looking for a solution for this problem for a long time !!

I just looked at my pack and the vent holes are covered by mesh so I cannot use bungee chord with that. I do have that though. Not the heavy duty kind with the loops at the end but pretty close to it.

To sound simple, where did you get the mitten hooks? the Parachord ?

I really have two attachment points on my straps, the both are elastic and they run across. Too high to have it used to hold the cap end of anything, so, I'm forced to have some length of chord.

I've gotta ask how does the waist belt work!

Trekking poles how the ????????

You guys have given me many solutions now to find some material

Big time thanks!

Floyd

[slow mind]

Here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSX2iKZXw6U

[Dogwood]

Tell me Slow Mind are you left or right handed and which side do you prefer storing the poles. I would guess it's similar to a right handed person most often opting for a left zip sleeping bag.

Or just use a hydration bladder and eliminate all of the sloshing of water and swinging bottle syndrome. No strange contortions to reach, no unclipping of d-rings, etc.... - Scabbler

Actually IT IS NOT LIKE THAT. My system was designed to avoid these things

[slow mind]

On a newer Atmos 65 there is a bungee attachment on the left shoulder strap. They call it "stow on the go". (it has a small trekking ploe logo on it) I have used this bungee to hang a Gatorade bottle. Nothing to buy, nothing to add on & nothing to modify.

[bert304]

I use a Nalgene Bottle sleeve: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Dogwood]

Like it Slow Mind. I'm on board with that set up for on the go trekking pole storage. Would work well for me because I keep going back and forth between using them and then storing them for awhile back to using them again.