Where do you carry you knife/GPS/camera/etc...

I bought a poquito from Cactus Climbing a couple of years ago, and attached it to my hip-belt. http://www.cactusclimbing.co.nz/index.php/virtuemart-mainmenu-162?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=116&category_id=64 I use it mostly for scroggin so I can munch when I walk, and it seems to work well. My camera sits on the other side. Despite typical problems with things attached to the outside, I've found this to work okay for me. They've certainly survived a fair amount of bush-bashing without getting caught, and I think this is because my head tends to go thorugh things first, well before my hips go through... it's all attached very securely attached though. (The camera case is attached in 3 places!) Generally I think having stuff on the outside is a bad idea like you've implied though, but it probably depends on the sorts of places you visit. The most expensive trip I've been on in this sense was when collectively we lost a walking pole, a large thermarest (both fell off a guy's pack somewhere in a tangle of suplejack), a quite expensive watch (put down on a log during a stop and not picked up), and a wedding ring (lost somewhere in long grass roughly outside where they were camped). Old man Tararua would have been chuckling that night.

Similar thing but a bit smaller i bought a stonry creek gear bag and attach it to my shoulder strap and chest strap. Carries camera, gps, glasses, laminated map section and camera tripod. Every thing else inside the pack heaviest at the top bulkiest at the bottom. I tend to leave things in huts rather than loose them in transit.

"I tend to leave things in huts rather than loose them in transit." Sighs... so true. There's a nice new Pretzl headlamp present awaiting the next person who visits Dundas Hut. This despite the fact that I checked... just didn't look behind a mattress. On topic... the Aarn front pockets are a natural solution, and very similar to bigpaul's approach. I'll put a full 2L Platypus plus some munchies in one and camera, GPS, map in case, mug and fuel cannister in the other. With the parka wrapped under the main pack lid (but not inside, most days I don't need to open the main compartment while on the move at all.

Hrm, I bought some interesting material from the local emporium on the way home and have made a sheath and pouch to mount on my shoulder straps. Probably a bit of diving creeping though, but I can ALMOST understand things there. The pocquito and bigpaul's bag sounds like a good idea. I'd consider 'holstering' some gear in a similar fashion. Will see how the home made stuff goes.

All in my shorts! 6 pocket North Face shorts are doing very nicely - camera in one side pocket, survival kit in back pocket, knife in other side pocket. Compass in the top flap of the pack (which I've been surprised to find how many people don't know you can open while wearing the pack). I find belts a bit annoying, although that's where I carry a beacon if I'm using one.

I carry GPS in a drink bottle holder ttached to the right pack strap with the lanyard well attached to a karabina, my camera is attached to the D ring on my left pack strap and also attached to the chest strap. That way they are well above water line and easy to get at. Took a bit of getting used to when I first started doing that, there were these two big bulges on my chest that kept catching my peripheral vision. I wondered if Pamela Anderson has the same problem. Everything else goes in the pack. I hate having things in my pockets, apart from a hanky.

I thought I'd contributed to this but can't find my post. I custom-made front packs by attaching Source/San sandal bags to my shoulder straps with string quite a few years ago. It has worked well and increased my carrying capacity. I keep all the obvious handy stuff in them (gloves, hat, snacks, first aid, torch, sunnies, suncream, repellent etc.) I had to put eyelets in the downwards end of the sandal bags but that was the only modification required. The reason I needed to do this was because I was wearing the driducks rain suit at that time which have no pockets!

Hi, most of the things you metion belong to what I consider essentials - the stuff you simply can not afford to lose. Everything in that category goes into a large bum bag which I put on with its belt underneath the hip belt of my pack, but the bag itself then rides on top of the hip belt. It keeps everything accessible, puts some load towards my front, and most importantly if I have to ditch the pack in a river crossing or otherwise tricky situation, I'll still have everything I need to get through a few more days and nights until I either make it out or the cavalry comes after I push the beacon button. Matt