Ultimate caching utility belt - Describe yours

[+Cub Pack 197]

I am using a fanny pack for caching trips which holds two water bottles. The down side is that it only has two compartments, so all my stuff is hard to find.

 

Does anyone have a better setup? If you can recommend a particular brand / type please do so.

 

Bonus points for photos.

 

Thanks!

[+El Diablo]

My wife and her backpack holds all I need. I would post a pic...but I don't want people trying to order one.

 

El Diablo

[+KoosKoos]

I use a small hydration pack (off-brand, but similar to a camelback). It holds 2L of water and has enough space to carry swag, first aid kit, snacks, cache repair items, and the little things I want with me.

 

I didn't want anything too large to carry around.

[+Jolly Roger]

My wife and her backpack holds all I need. I would post a pic...but I don't want people trying to order one.

 

El Diablo

 

Your wife or the backpack?

[Neos2]

My wife and her backpack holds all I need. I would post a pic...but I don't want people trying to order one.

 

El Diablo

Hey, that's the method my husband uses! Did you send him that hint along with his walking stick?

[+El Diablo]

My wife and her backpack holds all I need. I would post a pic...but I don't want people trying to order one.

 

El Diablo

Hey, that's the method my husband uses! Did you send him that hint along with his walking stick?

 

I'm telling you that my wife has everything in her backpack imaginable. I'm talking flashlights, food, emergency strobe light, first aid kit, of course swag, bottles of water, 2 man tent, matches, microwave, electric fry pan, small generator, etc...

 

She will wear this thing while looking for a lamp post cache at wally world. she fell once with that thing on her back and looked a lot like a turtle turned upside down. It took a small crane to get her righted again.

 

El Diablo

[Neos2]

My wife and her backpack holds all I need. I would post a pic...but I don't want people trying to order one.

 

El Diablo

Hey, that's the method my husband uses! Did you send him that hint along with his walking stick?

 

I'm telling you that my wife has everything in her backpack imaginable. I'm talking flashlights, food, emergency strobe light, first aid kit, of course swag, bottles of water, 2 man tent, matches, microwave, electric fry pan, small generator, etc...

Well, my backpack isn't quite so well equipped as your wife's, but let's just say it's not my beloved husband who carries the TBs we want to trade out, or the emergency cache repair supplies, or the extra ready-to-go caches, or the swag we want to trade to all those caches. Of ocurse you have to have water along! And extra batteries. And flashlight. And a grabber tool. And a mirror. And a smaller spare flashglight just in case the first one gets lost of broken, or your husband doesn't have one with him. And matches. And spare pencils. And a pencil sharpener. Well, I don't go in for the two-man tent, but the emergency refelctor/heat blankets and/or the two emergency ponchos held together with the duct tape I carry rolled up would make a small emergency shelter if need be.

 

I ought to carry more snacks in there than I do, but they get crushed. I can't think why.

[+Miragee]

I have a Mountainsmith lumbar pack that has three compartments (two large and one small). It also has two water bottle holders. I carry my camera in its case clipped onto the belt and on the other side of the belt, I have case in which I keep the swag and Trackables.

 

That system helps keep everything I carry somewhat organized.

[+osubrownsfan]

i use a Marmot fanny pack that i bought at Dick's Sporting Goods for $28. It has 2 zippered compartments with pouches inside them. Curent inventory:

 

My GPS- Etrex Vista HCX

Small pair of binoculars

2 small flashlights

Small digital camera

Small notebook

20 signature key chains

10 signature pens

5 regular pens

4 extra batteries

 

Weighes about 3 lbs full

[+hairball45]

Way more stuff than I carry. Pen in pocket, a couple of pathtags and maybe a bit of swag or a 'bug or two in another pocket, internet capable phone on belt and GPS in hand. The phone replaces the Palm that died. Of course I don't usually have the opportunity to do longer hikes as my wife is perched in the car waiting for me and I don't like to leave her for extended periods. (She can get a tad cranky if I do). Once upon a time I looked like an Everest climber, but I gave that up.

hairball

[+Airmapper]

My Geocaching belt has a buckle on one end, and a row of small holes evenly spaced on the other end.

 

I put my cache gear in this:

 

 

Everything I need goes in there, and with a key clip I can hook it on my belt loop and go. I used to try to pack a lot of stuff I might need, but it was only a pain in the neck. So I say pack light.

[+joranda]

I always carry my trust bat spray and shark repailent.

[+Rattlebars]

For quickies.... easy to grab, always ready.

 

For longer days our team uses these. Plenty of storage + water as shown. We found backpacks to be cumbersome.

 

[+Driver Carries Cache]

I have a Mountainsmith lumbar pack that has three compartments (two large and one small). It also has two water bottle holders. I carry my camera in its case clipped onto the belt and on the other side of the belt, I have case in which I keep the swag and Trackables.

 

That system helps keep everything I carry somewhat organized.

 

Let me add a big +1 for the Mountainsmith Lumbar Packs.... I absolutely love mine and if or when I need a larger Geocaching carry-all, I will definitely check out their stuff first. My Lumbar Pack is currently carrying:

 

- First Aid Kit

- Pathtags

- Flashlight

- Headlamp

- Leatherman

- 4in folding knife

- 2 8in pairs of locking forceps, 1 straight, 1 curved (for those hard-to-reach spots)

- Garmin 60csx

- Digital Pocket Camera

- Extra Batteries for everything

- Pens

- My geo-nametag (for events)

 

And as I carry it every day, it also has:

 

- Corkscrew (to open wine bottles)

- iPod & headphones

 

All in a nice little pack!

 

DCC

[+bittybit]

I bought a birders vest from BigPockets.com. It is light weight, has several good sized pockets on the front to store "stuff", it has two water bottle pockets, the neck area has a collar so the strap of your GPS doesn't rub,(intended for binoculars) and the back has one large pocket--I kept trash bags there at a CITO event. It was pricey, but it works for me. There are similiar vests in the hunting departments at sporting goods stores and at wally world, however they are a bit longer, not as airy, and don't have water bottle pockets.

[+Sparticus06]

I too use a fanny pack with the 2 water bottle holders. I sealed one bottle holder up with a zipper and use it to store my hand sanitizer, tissues, toothpicks, CITO bags, and a coin or 2 for discovery. The big pouch holds my cache cards, pens, small flashlight, camera, batteries for the camera, and the bigger swag. Little pouch holds the little swag items. I only put stuff it the pack that I am trading at the time. If it is a longer trip from the car and more than one cache, I accommodate with all smaller trade items. I used to have a back pack that held EVERYTHING! I had a towel (rainy days and a dry spot to sit on). Kept all my swag in the bag. It just got to be too heavy and hurt my back. I have a leatherman I wear on my belt. Wife says I look like an idiot sidekick of Batman....lol

 

Rattlebars - are those fishing vests? They look nice for summer caching. Just might have to give it a try. (if that is what they are)

Edited May 16, 2008 by Sparticus06

[+The Leprechauns]

I use a Mil Spec Camelbak for hydration and carrying basic supplies -- first aid kit, lights, trade items, repair kit, compass, multi-tool, etc.

 

On shorter hikes the pack stays in the car and the items I'm likely to need go into the pockets of my cargo pants -- two zippered pockets and two with velcro closers.

 

On longer hikes I add a fishing vest like the Rattlebars Team. I then move the items I might need while hiking out of the pack and into the accessible pockets, and I use the pack space for lunch and additional emergency/safety gear. Here is the pack worn over the vest:

 

[+SMOKEATERLT]

I am currently using just an old offbrand back pack, but it is a little big and the zippers are starting to pull apart. Now that i go paperless i dont need the larger pack but want more than a fanny pack. I have been looking at the Maxpedition stuff especially the "Versipacks" lately, they have several different size bags and come in several different colors. They are a little expensive but they are very durable and have some nice features. I think I will be getting one soon. You can get them a little cheaper on ebay if you like. If i can figure out how to do it i will give a link to thier web site.

 

Maxpedition

[+Headstone Hunter 1]

I'm in the market for a pack to use on day long caches. More photos would be great. Right I'm looking at RATTLEBARS solution using a vest.

[+trooperdjb]

For quickies.... easy to grab, always ready.

 

For longer days our team uses these. Plenty of storage + water as shown. We found backpacks to be cumbersome.

 

 

Hey I found one of those same walmart cd player cases in the clearance for $5. Tried it out last weekend and it worked great. Only problem is the cell phone slot is too small for the Blackberry so that stays in it's own case and i put the flashlight in the cell phone holder. Other than that it's just right for anything under a couple mile hike. Carries the pda, notebook, pens, a little small swag and the leatherman.

[+Unkle Fester]

Hmmm, I may have to rethink my strategy. I was going for the large sampsonite suitcase to carry around.

 

Hey, it has wheels.

[+The Aardvarks]

Maxpedition

 

I am using a Maxpedition Fatboy. I love it. There are add ons that allow me to keep my gps, mini-maglight and cell phone on the strap. They will hold a 1 qt water bottle, it has 1 large pockets and a few smaller and medium size pockets.

 

My dad borowed it for a trip to Australia. He liked it so much I bought him 1 for Christmas. They are not cheap, but they will last forever.

[+twins&dad]

I use a Kodac camera case that we had laying around the house. It holds my ETREX Legend, Palm pilot, small notepad, multi pen (with extra ink refills)(palm stick, black and red ink), sig. cards, extra batteries, small trade item's, and a side pocket for bug spray. It will clip on my belt and it has a handle to carry it. I also have a dollor store tool box in the truck with baggies, penciles, magnets, first aid kit and some small replacment caches.

[+knarf.ca]

Never thought of a backpack or vest to carry my gear. I just started and do think that the GPS, phone, car keys , camera, swag were a little much to carry and organize, not to mention the two dogs. I will have to look for a vest or small backpack, the vest might be a little over the top for urban caches though.