Getting My Gear Off My Belt
Posted By Randy on August 1, 2011
The rig in the field on an island in Kejimkujik Lake on 1 July 2011. Click the picture for a better view. (Thompson photo)
Thanks to a post on the always informative Bladeforums.com a while back, I got serious about something that’s been on my mind for a couple years now – employing a shoulder rig to get some essential gear up off my belt, and away from interference with any outerwear I might have on. Hiking in cold weather , or wearing a PFD while boating, can make access to belt worn tools difficult to impossible for the non-double jointed.
The guy in the Bladeforums article had assembled his rig based on an off the shelf shoulder harness kit from Tandy Leather called the Bullseye Shoulder Holster Attachment Kit. A quick call to Cathy Brenton at the DartmouthTandy outlet soon netted us two such kits, his and hers don’t you know – and a few other odds and ends required to complete setups for Mrs. LFM and me.
Mrs. LFM’s rig is still a work in progress, but mine reached completion last night. The shoulder harness is stock, built straight from the kit without modification. All the other leather items you see attached to it are LFM products. It’s a little crude – I’m not a professional leather crafter – but it’s pretty bomb proof and meets my original design criteria exactly, comfortably carrying:
- Large camp knife (Jerry Fisk Bowie knife in my case) set up for right hand draw, although it can be drawn with either hand;
- Leatherman Charge multitool;
- LED 2 AA Mini Maglight; and
- “Light My Fire” fire steel.
A lot of people poo poo the Maglight brand as archaic and so they move on to ultra high intensity tactical lights that use sometimes hard to find batteries. What I like about the tried and tested Mini Mag is that it’s been around long enough to represent a mature design, it’s inexpensive and available in many places, parts and accessory kits are easy to come by, and its use of AA batteries makes it cheap and easy to feed. You can get AA batteries along with .22 LR and 12 Gauge ammunition pretty much everywhere. Incorporating LED technology into the mix makes the Mini Mag ideal in my opinion. Here’s a short promo from the manufacturer which is not paying me a cent to promote its products. I just know what I like and trust.
Coupling this shoulder rig and its contents with the knowledge in my head and what still normally travels on my belt or in my pockets, I have all the force multipliers I need for a day afield even before I pick up my backpack.
The Bowie scabbard is attached to the harness mounting plate using what is basically a corset that grips it in place. The leather lacing permits adjustment of the ride height in 0.5" increments. Since this shot was taken, I have changed the lacing pattern to the one you'll see in the following pictures. (crappy LFM phone camera photo)
The complete assembly showing the contents. Note the altered lacing on the Bowie scabbard that keeps the lacing tie off from interfering with the knife. (crappy LFM phone camera photo)
Buttoned up and ready to go. (crappy LFM phone camera photo)
One's choices of skills to learn and tools to carry can mean the difference between success and failure in all of life's endeavours, and it's been my experience that women prefer a well equipped man. (Thompson photo)
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Hi i would really love to make excatly what you have made here.when you say allthe other bits you have added to your shoulder holster from Tandy Leather. you refered to LFM products. i understand that the LFM is on fact you. so where can i purchase these other add ons you have made.
as this has to be the best knife and acc holster i have seen….
Thank you for your inquiry and your kind words Lance.
While I do build my own leather gear, I’ve never offered it for sale, and really have no plans to. That having been said, I do plan to offer patterns for my designs for download here, as well as YouTube videos to support it all. If you can bear with me for a spell, I can at least offer you those options.
All the best!
LFM
Randy your harness looks amazing I been searching all over online to purchase one but it’s hard to find, but gotta say love the work your done on it I practice sayoc kali and currently learning Bowie
Thank you James.
I’m pleased to tell you that the rig featured here is still going strong and and has been in daily use for nearly six years. In that time, the harness has been soaked through hundreds of times, both by rain from the outside, sweat from the inside, and regularly both simultaneously. It’s never needed repair and other than routine leather maintenance has been everything I hoped it would be.
As is often the case with me, the affair was a prototype built to address my needs that was so close to the mark that it hit the field and never looked back. The only modifications since then happened early on due to the outcome of testing that saw me abandon the belt tie downs as unnecessary, and add a retaining strap to the Bowie scabbard for safety.
Only this spring have I begun development of the Mk.2 version that will address a few VERY minor shortcomings and make some tweaks to accommodate personal evolution. Construction will begin next month and I will be offering patterns for download here to assist others who may either want to tackle it themselves, or take to a custom leather worker.
Thanks again!