I grew up with a GI pistol belt around my middle, with a GI canteen holder (the old kind that hung below the belt on the bent wires) and canteen on my hip. Later graduated to a Nalgene bottle in a cloth holder on my pants belt. Both worked fine, but I started carrying a daypack all the time, and the pack and belt water jug did not compute. Then along came the Camelbak systems. Mucho easier to drink from, no slowing down, no fishing the water bottle from whatever it is carried in, no fighting to put the jub back in the holder, paradise...