NyfFyrLyt™

I have been carrying a flashlight and multi-tool on my belt for a long time. First a Swiss Army Knife and a MagLite, and then came a Leatherman Wave, and eventually a Fenix L1D.

I had the idea to make one pouch to carry the SAK, Fenix L1D flashlight and a Silva Matchcase. A knife, a fire and a light. The source of fire, also has a compass on it. With a Swiss Army Knife, a way to start a fire, a way to navigate and a flashlight, I think I’m pretty well equipped to face an adverse situation. Is it everything I need? No. But it’s a selection of simple implements I feel confident having on me.

I wanted a pouch that I could not only carry on a belt, but also carry on a waist pack/shoulderbag I’m making. When I’m carrying a pack with a waistbelt, anything underneath it is really uncomfortable. I want it so that I can swap between the two when necessary.

As seems to be par for the course, this one isn’t perfect and exactly what I want. I think that is just a given when designing a product. Sometimes it works perfectly, and other times a second or third, or depending on the complexity of the item, many more iterations are required. Sometimes the changes required I can see very quickly. Other ones only become apparent after using the item for a time. Ergonomics and durability usually require a period of time to assess. Like many things I make, it’s pretty close, but a second one will be needed. The sizing, no matter how much I try to gauge it, is invariably off (usually only a millimeter or two) once it’s all sewn together and turned inside out and all the items are placed inside of it.

It’s about 4" by 4.5" by 1".

It’s made from ranger green 1000D Cordura. On the back I used some foliage green webbing for the belt loops as it’s the stiffest webbing I have. On the sides I used some scraps of OD webbing to form tabs. The zipper is a #8 YKK.

The 1" gap between the two loops means that I can put a belt loop between them to prevent it from sliding around.

 On the inside I used some 3" OD elastic webbing. Probably didn’t have to be that wide, but I have very little other use for the stuff, so thought I’d use some up.

Couple of drain holes along the bottom.

The tabs on the sides allow me to put some Siamese SlikClips through....

...and attach it to anything with PALS webbing. In this instance it’s on a Kifaru E&E, mainly since it was the first thing to come to hand. I envisioned one spot for it being a waistbelt with PALS webbing, but really, with modular gear, the sky is the limit.

I can also put Siamese SlikClips through the belt loops (I put a line of stitches through to form a separation, but this wasn’t really necessary).....

...and still mount it on modular gear. Here it is mounted sideways (on a Map’mups) , but depending on the set up it could be mounted upright, and depending on the setup and location, mounting it sideways could be exactly what is desired.

The problem with this iteration is that I used up some scraps of Cordura to make it. What I should have done was make it from one piece of Cordura, instead of the three I used. With one piece of Cordura forming the back, front and sides, I would have eliminated some of the seams. I measured very carefully and figured I had enough room to spare. Once everything was sewn together, the two layers of Cordura, the webbing, the seam tape, etc. built up, and everything was turned inside out, the two seams on the bottom sat atop one another and the thickness of the two combined was enough to eat up the space that I thought I had at the top. Now, the longest of the items, the Fenix L1D (not longer by much) butts up against the zipper. Drat! Without those two seams at the bottom, it would be fine.

So, I think I will use this for a while to try it out and see if any other non obvious issues arise that you figure out only by using it, and then make another, this one from one piece of material. This would eliminate the two seams along the bottom front and back and the seams along the front sides. Seams would only exist on the bottom sides, and along the back sides, and along the zipper. Another change I will make is a flap over the zipper. Oh and I think I would make it about a ¼" deeper.

And the sinnets on the SAK and Fenix would go as well. I would still have some sort of loop or fob to help pull it out, but they just take up too much room inside the pouch. Fine if they hang outside of a pouch, but pointless here.