Stiffening a butt-pouch to assist clipping on a harness

[Wibble]

When diving sidemount, a butt pouch is a valuable asset for stashing 'stuff' as there's no pockets available (or they're tight under the sidemounted cylinders). As the back is uncluttered, you're relatively free to reach back and touch or even hold your hands behind your back.

Thus clipping on a butt-pouch is simple: hold the two pouch clips in one hand, move that (right) hand behind you, with the other (left) hand grab one clip from the other hand and clip both on to the D-rings. Simples.

Would love to use a butt-pouch with backmount CCR. The problem here is that you cannot touch your hands together behind your back; you cannot get your hands anywhere near each other, let alone pass a boltsnap between them.

Has anyone got any ideas about the best way to do this?

Have almost considered using a "stick" between the butt-pouch D-rings so that you can point that stick at your other hand behind/below the backmounted kit. Idea being a nylon batten that's affixed at each end across the butt pouch and the D-rings.

UPVC trim for around windows and the like would work. Drill some holes along the batten and attack the butt pouch with a soldering iron for hole, then and 'stitch' it in place inside the pouch using bungee/whatever.

Has anyone tried this?

 

[grantctobin]

Drysuit pockets? Let it hang off one side inboard between the right cylinder and the right buttock?

 

[Vicko]

A sprigy wire trough the top.
It would keep the pouch straight but would also have some give when storing wide spools or needing to bend it inward to clip on.

 

[Wibble]

Drysuit pockets? Let it hang off one side inboard between the right cylinder and the right buttock?

Interesting idea.

Just checking, you're thinking about pulling out the 'back' bungee loop on both sides and clipping the butt pouch off to them, stretching from side to side?

 

[Wibble]

Been fettling

Dug out the sailmaker's palm, needle and some thick waxed twine. Cut a length of plastic pipe about 10mm/ 3/8" thick to fit the width of the bag, then bound the pipe in place by stitching the twine around the D-rings, so even if the bag tears, the D-rings will hold it in place.


The pipe's great as it's stiff and you can properly feel the direction it is pointing when holding the bag. Tried it in the garage with the Revo which has a stand and I can hang it on the stand with a couple of boltsnaps.


Pics show bag full of 'stuff' that's pretty heavy. It's held straight by the pipe even with 1kg/2lbs of reels, etc.

I think my problems are over. OK, when I try it in the water that is.

 

[johndiver999]

Not sure if this is relevant, but I attach bolt snaps permanently to my waist strap to attach things, to enhance the access. I often run some cord/line through about 2-3 inches of a thin hose and then tie. This drops the bolt snap a couple inches and makes it very easy to feel with gloves. Maybe rigging with a stiff piece of fuel line or something will work for you?