Pockets?

[Nemrod]

My drysuit has a pocket, my heavy wet suit has a pocket, none of my other (warm water) gear has nary a pocket. Now, as a minimalist diver I have endeavored to eliminate all extraneous and extra equipment of any sort, baggy clothing, dangling bits and odd contrivances. Now, perhaps I am a minimalist by nature or perhaps by default because it appears I am the only diver in the world not festooned with pockets or at least one pocket and so here I am wanting a pocket to put something in. The something remains undefined.

So, I dig through my pile-O-gear and discover a variety of pockets in my stash from other bygone attempts at being like everybody else only to discover those pockets work no better now than they did last time I tried to use them. So I buy a DR horizontal mesh pocket, nope, no go. Then I buy a DR vertical daisy chain pocket, nope, no place for this either.

So, where do those of you who use slip on pockets place them? There is no room on my waist strap, I have a 30 inch waist (oh, okay, maybe 31), a small knife and two small XS weight pockets tucked way back up to the plate. Yes I am weight integrated on this minimal warm water rig. Even if I removed the XS QR weight pockets, one each side, there is still no room for a useful sized pocket.

Has anyone ever used a weight belt, sans weights to strap a pocket on, sorta gun slinger style? I would wear it down below the harness waist strap and over the crotch strap (or maybe under it, not thought that far yet as to what other complications might ensue).

My sausage and spool and double ender go in a XS weight pocket on my right shoulder strap, tucked way back, BTW. That is the only pocket I currently carry. The spool slips in the pocket with double ender and the sausage clipped on hangs out but the whole thing is tucked so far back I never know it is there until I need it. I could put another similar pocket on my left side but the XS weight pockets are tiny and not useful for much of the "something" I might want to carry.

Oh well, woe is upon me.

N

 

[DaleC]

Strap it (the pocket) to your tank where you can reach it, if it' something you may only occasionally need (spare mask, lift bag, limpet mine).

 

[Dsix36]

I have created a special means of attaching pockets that still remain removable if needed that just might work for you.

I use the Dive Rite thigh pockets that slide onto the waist band. I modify the strap where it is placed on the waistband by putting a bolt snap there. I have a welded d-ring on my waist band that I clip the pocket to and then secure the leg elastics.

I also have a small waist and the d-ring takes up very little real estate on my waist band. This worked for me, so it might be worth a try for you as well.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

That's a good idea. No reason you have to use the daisy chain webbing that usually slips over the waist belt. All it needs to do is keep the pocket from sliding down your leg and that solution does that. Cool.

---------- Post added June 7th, 2014 at 09:43 AM ----------

Heck it could even be clipped to your spg d ring.

 

[OkByMe]

Dsix36 has a good idea that works for Him... I say him because I don't think a her would put up a "meany face" avatar.

You can put a "d" ring on your belt between the weight pockets using a retainer. The weight pockets should slip right up next to the "d" ring over the retainer. The weight pockets will make it "stick out" to slip a clip on. The welded one could take up too much room between the weight pockets for you, since it is welded to a longer wider plate retainer.

Diverite Tranpac II, Rec XT wing, butt plate and OxyChec thigh pockets.

I have about as little room as you do because the Transpac shoulder strap plate is on the belt, not looped through a back plate. I have "d" rings on my harness belt, one way back and one on the side in front of the strap plate - Left and Right. I put a bungee loop and retainer on the pocket strap loop and use a threaded loop to attach it to the belt "d" ring at the back where the wing "anti-taco" clip goes. You could use any other hardware, double end snap or suicide clip. For that matter, you could use a bungee loop between the belt weight pockets and thread the the thigh pocket loop through the bungee loop, if you want to minimize... the hardware. I even tried a bungee loop bridging the shoulder strap plate in a figure 8 with a twist in it, and snap onto the bungee where it crossed the plate. You could bridge a weight pocket too, but it might want to jam up the weight if it is ditch-able

The Velcro strap goes around the thigh. That makes the pocket ride to the back out of the way of the side mounted tanks. You still have all the vertical adjustment of the pocket strap using the "d" ring and clip. You can attach the pocket loop clip to the shoulder harness "d" ring too, if there is enough strap or a longer bungee. This makes it ride to the front of the thigh. The bungee is to keep the pocket from "jogging" with leg movement.

 

[redacted]

When I need a pocket, I use old scubapro pockets or army surplus pockets of various sizes that clip onto 2" webbing.

An example: Pouches Small Arms Magazine Holder USA Military Surplus OD Green Alice Army | eBay

clips are shown in one of the pictures.

 

[Nemrod]

Dale C is the winner. I took an old but still functional tank strap, one of the smaller type that is like 1.25 inches and has a metal buckle and put the new DR pocket on it and strapped it to the tank with the strap pushed up as high as possible on the tank. This will allow me to carry the temporarily needed "something" and still seems minimalist and functional enough and is not esthetically harmful to my vision.

Since both of my shoulders, due to years of swimming and cycling and motorcycle injuries, have significant damage I do not have full range of motion, reaching back to the tank though is possible even on my preferred aluminum 64. On an 80 or longer 72 yet easier. So I think this will be a secure and satisfactory solution that does not require me to rearrange or change my standard configuration.

So, I also added a slip on velcro type XS (weight) pocket to my left shoulder strap, it will release from the webbing without unraveling everything, for a collapsable snorkel that might also have to ride along temporary like. This pocket can be slid down also like the one on the right shoulder strap and so is essentially invisible and minimal impact. Actually, when using a double hose regulator for shore diving or any diving requiring long surface swims, a snorkel can be very useful, so while I long ago quit carrying snorkels for most diving, they do have a place still in my arsenal for specific types of diving/tasks. It is an XS collapsable piece, seems to roll up nice and tight and the simple clip can be retained on my SP Frameless mask.

Well, please feel free to continue to discuss pockets as I am sure there are plenty of little people out there who like me are challenged with pocket suitable real-estate. Location, location, location, the three rules of real-estate I am told, seem to apply here, a pocket one cannot get to is of little value.

N

 

[Primalchrome]

My DR Vertical Daisy Chain pocket is on my waist webbing along with a knife. DR pocket has spare mask and reel inside and line cutter attached to the outside. No weight belt in my config. I have my two XS weight pockets on my cam band nestled against the wing. Yes, I realize I have to reach a few inches behind me if I ever need to ditch weight.

 

[tphelps]

If you're that pressed for space, you could even tuck your SMB in a back plate pad (I think Halycon calls it a "storage pak"), assuming you dive BP/W. Otherwise you might want to shift some things around like maybe move your knife to the other side, in order to free up space for your thigh pocket strap. And I have seen other divers use a blank weight belt as a means of securing their thigh pockets. Just be sure to think that one all the way through if you decide to do it. For example, it would be unwise to secure your thigh pocket to your actual weight belt. Should you have to jettison your weights it would be unfortunate to find it still attached to you via thigh pocket strap!

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Here is what works for me when I need to carry weight. OMS Backplate & Harness Accessories http://www.OMSdive.com item BCA-IWP. It slides onto your waist belt and is very secured. I cut off the top clip as well as the leg on. I have felt no need for them. So with this pouch, you get rid of your current weight pouches thus freeing up room for these as well as the weight pouch on your shoulder. With these you get a very easy to ditch weight holder, a large pocket and a smaller pocket.

One other thought, please don't listen to the suggestion of moving your knife all the way to one side or the other. You want it toward the middle so you can reach it with either hand.