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What do you use to carry your GPS and gear?


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When I go hiking, etc. I usually have my GPS and camera, in addition to other gear and I like to have quick access to them. Removing and putting back on a backpack is a pain, and I don't usually have a jacket on with multiple pockets. I was thinking of getting a sling pack or something. What do you use?

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There is a company that makes jackets, shirts, and vests called Scott-E-Vest. They design the pockets specifically for electronics. Almost all of them have slots you can feed earbuds through. They even have pockets you can use touch screen devices through and some even have pockets big enough for net books and iPads.

 

I actually just wrote an article about this on my site. Check it out here.

Edited by CacheFreakTim
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For a short walk where I don't need to carry water I use a Lowepro Slingshot 200.

Takes my backup 60CSx, DSLR plus a couple of lenses, cellphone, small snack.

If you carry a smaller camera than a DSLR then you can fit in a whole lot more.

I usually carry my Oregon in my shorts pocket.

 

For longer one day hikes I use a Lowepro DryZone Rover.

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could always go to a 'Disposals' shop and get a technical vest as these can get all sorts of smaller pockets and bags that attach to them, they're not cheap here in Australia however once you have one they're limitless in their ability to change your setup & they hold a huge amount of weight which is shed all over the body.

 

Furthermore you can wear a backpack over these which gives you more ability to carry more gear.

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I drink a LOT of water, so I use a hydration backpack. The one I am using right now is an Osprey Manta 30. It's a VERY nice pack with terrific suspension and loads of features. The water bladder carries 100oz of cool water. It even carries my trekking poles when I'm not using them.

 

1000w.jpg

Edited by michaelnel
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I drink a LOT of water, so I use a hydration backpack. The one I am using right now is an Osprey Manta 30. It's a VERY nice pack with terrific suspension and loads of features. The water bladder carries 100oz of cool water. It even carries my trekking poles when I'm not using them.

 

1000w.jpg

 

That's awesome! I have always wanted a backpack with a water bladder. Is it really heavy?

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That's awesome! I have always wanted a backpack with a water bladder. Is it really heavy?

 

Well, 100 ounces of water weighs 6 1/2 lbs. Of course you don't have to FILL the bladder. If you normally don't need more than a liter of water for your hikes, just put a liter in. It holds about 3 when it's full.

 

Then the pack itself which is pretty light at 2lbs 6 oz. Then you load crap into it (spare batteries, microcaches, spare pen, sunscreen, Vitamin I, light windbreaker, etc..

 

But keep in mind that Osprey has been making sophisticated mountaineering backpacks for a long time, so they have designed the suspension on this thing to make it feel even lighter than it is. Most of the weight is on your hips, not on your shoulders, and the back panel is all mesh so air can circulate preventing sweaty back.

 

There are other hydration packs, but the Osprey Manta is at the top of the heap.

Edited by michaelnel
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After trying several different hydration packs, including camelback and osprey, I have settled on a Deuter Race X Air I. I really like the way the pack stays off your skin and you maintain airflow. It has a mesh that rides on your back and then the backpack rides an inch or two away from the mesh. This has the added benefit of helping keep your water stored in the bladder cooler, since it does not heat up from contact with your back. This particular pack is not very big (850 ci), but for me it is the perfect size, large enough to hold the 3 liter water bladder, a bike tire pump, two spare tubes, some tools, rain gear and a light jacket. Plus some small snacks. But it does not have belt pockets like a full-sized backpack, so there is really no "quick draw" options for camera or GPS. It does have loops sewn into the straps which are really handy for clipping the GPS to (handier, I think than D-rings). I really like the large zippered opening on the bladder, which makes filling, cleaning and drying super easy. Plus, the bite valve DOES NOT LEAK, like they tend to do on other brands. This may not be what you are looking for, but it is an excellent bit of kit.

 

deuter_32023_07_m.jpg

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I usually keep it simple.. a Fanny pack big enough to carry the cell phone, extra batteries, camera, and the GPS.

 

902e86dd-7b84-4f5f-976d-1d76024f4e9b.jpg

 

they even make some with side pockets for water bottles. But, get something that will take a ot of abuse. I highly suggest avoiding WalMart's fannypacks.. (usually sold under their Ozark Trail label) I've had two fall apart in under a week, shoddy sewing.)

 

nice thing about the above pictured pack, the extra pockets for TB's & GC's B)

 

Stephen (gelfling6)

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If I'm planning on doing a lot of caching I wear cargo pants (either shorts or zip off long pants). They hold almost everything I normally need including cell phone, GPS, trade items, tweezers, etc. I also have a fanny pack available in the car that has more TOTT items. But I usually don't wear that unless I will be a distance from the car. For water I have an over-the-shoulder sling. If it's a hike then that is another matter and I have a pack with more items and just throw the fanny pack inside.

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I usually keep it simple.. a Fanny pack big enough to carry the cell phone, extra batteries, camera, and the GPS.

I have a Mountainsmith waist pack that's very similar to the REI-brand one that Stephen showed. It's also sold at REI:

 

http://www.rei.com/product/768041/mountainsmith-kinetic-recycled-waistpack

 

Ample size for holding all the items Stephen mentioned. There's even a section with extra padding and a soft, felt-like lining for delicate objects such as sunglasses.

 

I also have a larger REI-brand daypack that goes over the shoulders and has openings for hydration tubes, but since the original poster explicitly didn't want a back-mounted pack, I won't go into details on that one.

 

Patty

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