Anyone rockin' a nut ruck?

Antares

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Just curious if anyone is using a nut ruck or something similar. I don't like the idea of having another piece of BS strapped to my body, but I do like the idea of having another big pocket, particularly one that stays on me if I drop my pack. Was think about something like the Arbor Arms medium (link below) and letting if flop over my pack's hip belt buckle (I have a SO frame if that matters). The strap looks thin enough to run underneath my hip belt without too much fuss. Would prefer if it was lightweight and waterproof like my SO hip pockets. Thoughts?

https://arborarmsusa.com/product-category/arbor-arms-nut-ruck/
 

Superdoo

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***Coughs... clears throat...***
Dude. That's a fanny pack.😐


Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Now that is out of the way, why not just use your bino harness? I would think the location of your fanny/ fronty pack is less than ideal for long walks through thick cover. Wouldn't it be bouncing off your legs with every step? Every time you need to cross a fallen log you'd have to flip it out of the way.
 
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Antares

Antares

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My bino harness is full already (binos, rangefinder, InReach, lighter, bino adapter, lens wipes, hunting license/paperwork, etc.). I can see how it might be handy to have an extra little pouch up front for gloves, hats, snacks etc.

I don't know guys, I'm just spittballin' here. There's no turkey or black bear season open where I live so I'm filling my time by getting wrapped around the axel on fanny packs. You know how it goes.
 

bsnedeker

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A buddy of mine is using his Kifaru Rogan/battle belt combo for spring turkey...seems to work fine. I don't really understand the mentality of using that rig vs. my backpack, but he likes buying anything and everything with a Kifaru logo.

I think the idea of using this AND a backpack at the same time would not work well at all. I would say if you really need quick access to that much stuff that it doesn't fit in your bino pouch, hip belt pockets, and pants pockets...well, you might want to evaluate your system a bit.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk
 

woods89

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Do some of you just not sweat?

I've been on a mission the last few years to minimize the amount of straps and stuff crisscrossing my torso, because all that stuff results in sweaty areas when I get where I'm going. It seems totally counter productive to have a bunch of technical layers that breath well and then cover most of it with nylon staps. I'm down to a Rick Young shock cord bino harness and my pack.

So that's a long way of saying no thanks on more pouches, I guess. Not trying to rain on anyone's party, to each his own.
 
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Antares

Antares

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I'll recap the score for the viewers at home. We've got three folks who dislike the idea from a theoretical standpoint and no one who's actually tried it. Got it.

I'm just teasing guys, thanks for your input. As I said up front, I am also not excited about extra straps and BS, I'm just playing with ideas.

Anyone out there actually run a little fanny pack in addition to a backpack? How'd you like it? Good, bad, ugly?
 

Bighorner

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After hiking 4 miles out, showing up back at home, 120 miles away, unannounced because I didnt have a cell, or a wallet, or pistol, I'm never dropping my pack again.

But I'm an idiot.
 
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I ran a small Blackhawk fanny pack with my pistol inside and a Kelty baby carrier when my son was a baby whenever we went hiking. For most of that time period, we were living and working in El Salvador and due to my position at the U.S. embassy, I was authorized by the Salvadoran government with 24/7 carry. I was always armed in that country, especially when we went hiking in the mountains and forests. The baby carrier waist belt didn't have any straps or MOLLE to hook a pocket on like other packs do so I went with the fanny pack and looped it over the waist belt. It carried much better that way than having the fanny pack strap under the pack belt. Also, that way it doesn't rub or chafe any more than you would carrying the pack by itself.

I tried to shift the fanny pack to either hip since carrying it in front of you will nail your groin bad. I ended up swinging it behind the small of my back since the actual baby carrier rode high and there was room under my son's seat where the fanny stayed. I kept the fanny pack strap loose enough that i could swing it around 180 degrees with 1 yank of the belt and still get to my weapon quickly without flagging myself or my son.

All in all, it worked OK but having quick access to a concealed pistol was the only reason I used that set up. Otherwise, I would have just put whatever I wanted to carry in my pack. I prefer that setup over the battle belt for recreational hiking/hunting.
 

woods89

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I ran a small Blackhawk fanny pack with my pistol inside and a Kelty baby carrier when my son was a baby whenever we went hiking. For most of that time period, we were living and working in El Salvador and due to my position at the U.S. embassy, I was authorized by the Salvadoran government with 24/7 carry. I was always armed in that country, especially when we went hiking in the mountains and forests. The baby carrier waist belt didn't have any straps or MOLLE to hook a pocket on like other packs do so I went with the fanny pack and looped it over the waist belt. It carried much better that way than having the fanny pack strap under the pack belt. Also, that way it doesn't rub or chafe any more than you would carrying the pack by itself.

I tried to shift the fanny pack to either hip since carrying it in front of you will nail your groin bad. I ended up swinging it behind the small of my back since the actual baby carrier rode high and there was room under my son's seat where the fanny stayed. I kept the fanny pack strap loose enough that i could swing it around 180 degrees with 1 yank of the belt and still get to my weapon quickly without flagging myself or my son.

All in all, it worked OK but having quick access to a concealed pistol was the only reason I used that set up. Otherwise, I would have just put whatever I wanted to carry in my pack. I prefer that setup over the battle belt for recreational hiking/hunting.
This is off topic, but...

We spent a week in El Salvador in February visiting some relation of my wife who were missionaries there. It's a cool place.
 
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This is where I'm at. I.....do......not......drop.....my......pack.
+1
For me, it’s like trying to put on “stalking slippers” and leaving my boots behind. No way I’m taking extra time and leaving something that critical behind. The upside is not near big enough to risk the possible downside.
 
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Lots of mil dudes use a pouch that is velcroed behind their chest rig. Could work if you modified a bino harness.
 
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Antares

Antares

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Lots of mil dudes use a pouch that is velcroed behind their chest rig. Could work if you modified a bino harness.

Yeah, that one I linked has a velcro flap to attach to a plate holder, but it also has a small waistband. I was thinking of cutting the velcro flap off to save a a little weight and bulk.
 
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I’ve seriously considered adding something to my kit that I could carry some basic essentials in in case I drop my pack. I’ve decided against it. I carry very basic survival gear in my pockets. Just a fire kit, knife and flashlight. Nothing that I’d choose to get by with but I could make a fire and very basic shelter if something took my pack from me.

Ultimately there are very few things I carry in my pack that wouldn’t end my hunt if I lost them so I’m not going to intentionally leave them behind. No Fanny pack can carry the stuff I’d need to continue a hunt.

I dropped my pack once and couldn’t get back to it before dark. For safety I stayed put and made a fire. Luckily it was a pretty nice night but it reinforced “never drop your pack”.

I will stop and set up my camp before going out less encumbered with a lighter pack. I’ll mark my camp on my gps and try not to stray far. I have everything I need in my pack to keep hunting from the truck if I somehow lost my camp. I keep a spare sleeping bag and a cooler with some food at the truck. It would suck to completely change gears like that but it’d beat going home early. Naturally I’d be looking for my camp while hunting.

For me, a Fanny pack and even a bino case is just extra junk. The extra storage capacity doesn’t justify the weight. I’d rather keep it simple.
 
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Rock-o

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I only rock a nut rack after a while of free ballin'. Ya know, the sac gets stressed lettin' those monsters swang.
 

Bighorner

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Sounds like a story.

Mostly I'm dumb, you can drink untreated creek water and not get giardia, and don't take your pack of for a "quick stalk" on elk.

I was able to find the pack the next day after barrowing a GPS and grinding the mountain side, but I was absolutely gased.

I ran into some other hunter the day I lost my pack with only my bow and binoculars harness. The next day I ran I to them again and explained what had happened. They laughed and said the first day they thought I was taking light and fast a little too serious to be that deep with no gear.
 

Formidilosus

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Just curious if anyone is using a nut ruck or something similar. I don't like the idea of having another piece of BS strapped to my body, but I do like the idea of having another big pocket, particularly one that stays on me if I drop my pack. Was think about something like the Arbor Arms medium (link below) and letting if flop over my pack's hip belt buckle (I have a SO frame if that matters). The strap looks thin enough to run underneath my hip belt without too much fuss. Would prefer if it was lightweight and waterproof like my SO hip pockets. Thoughts?

https://arborarmsusa.com/product-category/arbor-arms-nut-ruck/

Yes I’ve used it, one of their fanny packs (that’s what it is) was modified for us. It held essentials that we needed- weather meter, ballistics tables, compass, signal mirror, etc. Tried wearing it with a pack- sucked. We all went to strapping it to the top of the ruck, then grabbing when the ruck was dropped. However, after getting a bino harness that can hold those essentials, most have went to that.
 
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