Shifting Gear

[F350Platinum]

Way back in '21 I posted a thread about gear. I'm always looking for interesting stuff for cheap, so here is my 2023 setup.

I made a major change in my relic hunting gear this year, since I started detecting I've been using various belt bags, the lighter the better for the beach, but all my finds bags were belt.

What I've found is that belt bags beg other bags on the belt, and the more you put on there the higher chance your detector will snag on something from time to time. Got tired of it.

Chase has been hunting with me for 3 years now, and I've always admired his finds bag, a military style drop leg pouch with pockets. He says it is no longer made so I searched extensively and found this one which is as close as I could get, and probably much cheaper:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07STZ7X34

It's only about $30. It is the only one that has Molle straps over two of the pockets, and enough D rings to make me happy anyway, with a Velcro band for morale patches.

Here's my rig after adding a few more pouches:

I added a flashlight pouch for my spray water bottle (Hoover Boys Foo Foo), and a couple of brushes. The pointer slips neatly into the web holding the pouch, and it doesn't snag. On the right side I added two 16oz somewhat insulated water bottle holders on the D ring, because a 32oz steel bottle is just too damn heavy and "swingy". The other side D ring is for the pointer lanyard.

I have this rig strapped around my waist with the pad on my right side and the bag on my left, it has a nice elastic leg strap that doesn't really bind or allow the bag to move around.

The real advantage comes from holding the detector in my right hand, there is nothing to hit or snag on.  I get a full swing👍 I'm pretty sure this bag can be used on either side.

Modifications I made to the bag were cutting out the internal waterproof cover, and cutting off the top flap and strap with a razor knife so the main compartment is a "dump pouch".

I added the IR USA flag patch and the clover because I was in the military and the clover is for luck. I have a clover pin another detectorist cast and sent a few of us for Christmas last year, but that's on my beach gear. 😀 It has brought me a lot of luck.

The flashlight pouch is also from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07G3QYJRW

The two water bottle holders are these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01GYIYQQA

Total cost without the patches is around $60. I've paid a lot more for pouches in the past. 🙄 Tight, light and easy to carry all day.

I encourage anyone that reads this to post their own rig!

[JCR]

Nice well thought out rig.

[Valens Legacy]

Nice setup that seems to be able to go all day with, but I have to have an extra pouch for the necessities. You know the smokes, the sunglasses, something to drink, and also a picnic basket for when I need a break. Just kidding about the basket.

I will be getting out there again for a few days before taking off to Norway in January, then off to Australia.

That will be for new gear for work so all expenses are paid by the company.

[F350Platinum]

25 minutes ago, Valens Legacy said:

Nice setup that seems to be able to go all day with, but I have to have an extra pouch for the necessities. You know the smokes, the sunglasses, something to drink, and also a picnic basket for when I need a break. Just kidding about the basket.

I will be getting out there again for a few days before taking off to Norway in January, then off to Australia.

That will be for new gear for work so all expenses are paid by the company.

That's quite an opportunity VL, I hope you'll be bringing your gear (and picnic basket) with you on your world tour. Check the detecting laws for Norway and find yourself a hot spring to detect or something. 😀 And a couple snow bunnies to help ya dig. 😁

Uncle Sam paid for my trips to Europe and the Middle East, and Customs waved us on through because you can't go through a metal detector with an M16 🤣 Glad I had an opportunity to see what's up out there. Once we earned a luxury Air America flight back home, it blew a blast door landing in Maine 😬 The rest of the trips were "Army Coach" on C-141 StarLifters with web seats. 

That pouch holds an electric hand warmer, my vapes and some extra bolts for the coil, with pockets to spare for a Loupe and a small retractable measuring tape, and of course relics and junk. The folks who dig big iron might not like it because the dump pouch isn't big enough for cannon balls and horse shoes. 🤔 I do think a flask pouch could be added if necessary.

I also wear a backpack Fly Fishing vest for other stuff. I'm probably an either scary or amusing sight.

Best of luck on your travels. 👍

[CPT_GhostLight]

That's an awesome rig, F350! 😎

Here's my current Relic Rig... It's a variation of my Park Pouch sling.

It has a small round pouch to hold my WSA-II and earbuds when not mounted on the back of my hat, MI-6 and punch/probe, Gerber knife, good finds keeper & larger good finds zipper pouches, Water bottle, @kac's experimental soil/root knife, and expandable main trash pouch which also holds my MLTools Soil knife. The whole kit slings over my right shoulder to my left side and is kept in place with a wrap-around waist belt. Easy-Peezy, no lemon squeezy! 😉

[F350Platinum]

5 hours ago, CPT_GhostLight said:

It has a small round pouch to hold my WSA-II and earbuds when not mounted on the back of my hat

Sharp and efficient! 👍 An excellent variation. I'm really interested in that round pouch, if you don't have a supplier I'll look for one. One of these days I'm going to ask Kac for that knife, but I'm doing fine with the Park Probe. 🙂 I do have a large water bottle holder:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07RMT82LP

It's not insulated like the little guys but the steel bottle I have fits well. 😎 

Found them: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09WML2HMF

Had to buy a 2-pack 😀

[CPT_GhostLight]

2 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

Sharp and efficient! 👍 An excellent variation. I'm really interested in that round pouch, if you don't have a supplier I'll look for one. One of these days I'm going to ask Kac for that knife, but I'm doing fine with the Park Probe. 🙂 I do have a large water bottle holder:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07RMT82LP

It's not insulated like the little guys but the steel bottle I have fits well. 😎

Thanks! 👍

I think the round pouch I bought was $9 but that one's not listed anymore. There are several other vendors carrying them though, here's a few different ones:

https://a.co/d/gB3SuhW

https://a.co/d/3Hhn2cX

They come with a removable clip/strap so I just removed mine and got some molle clips and used one for a quick release.

https://a.co/d/ivb5cF0

 😎

[mh9162013]

Love the rigs except for the fact that they're so...so clean!

[F350Platinum]

17 minutes ago, mh9162013 said:

Love the rigs except for the fact that they're so...so clean!

Haha, I clean all my stuff after every hunt but also I've only just finished putting all that together. I've only done about 4 hunts with my gear so far. 🤫

[JCR]

Y’all’s stuff is too clean. I think your impostors.