Originally Posted By: widget
I use a small fanny pack in front to carry firelighter, tinder, a small light and a pocket knife. The rest of my gear is on my back in a good, comfortable pack. It can be hot too, but not nearly as uncomfortable as covering my chest and or stomach area.


Same here. I use an excellent ArcTeryx waist pouch that works great. A few tips for success with a waist pouch in front:

- Keep it small.

- Don't overload it. You've got to have the discipline to put only true essentials in there, not everything you'd want to camp with for 4 days.

- Get one whose width tapers down from top to bottom, as seen from the front. This keeps it from bumping into your hips/thighs with every step.

I have found through experience that having gear pouches up against my chest or ribs is simply too uncomfortable in hot weather. This was the case even with the small Osprey Grab-Bag pouch when mounted across my chest.

Originally Posted By: Am_Fear_Liath_Mor
It is also very expensive i.e. a complete Osprey LBE Assault MOLLE vest pack can be had for £30.


To be fair, you should also factor in the weight. The entire Ribz rig is listed as weighing 9 ounces. From my prior experience with MOLLE equipment, I suspect each one of those Osprey pouches weighs 5-8 ounces, and that doesn't factor in the weight of the vest platform. I bet the empty Osprey vest rig weighs more than my empty 50L Lowe Alpine pack (2.75 lbs, by the weigh...!).