Carrying a Machete from a Belt Hung Sheath is not the only way you can transport a sharp machete while keeping your hands free. When you install some Shoulder Carry Straps, you're effectively turning the sheath into a shoulder bag.

The advantages of this system include:

• Being able to carry the machete on the less dominant side of your body which frees up space to carry other equipment such as other tools, bags, walking stick etc.
• Drawing the machete in a more traditional fashion (holding the sheath in a horizontal position with your less dominant hand on the safe side of the sheath! FAQ link)
• Converting the sheath into a modular mounting platform for other tools and pouches.
• Being able to easily remove the machete/sheath from your body when your traversing trip hazard areas.

This is our latest rig for turning your Backpack Sheath into a modular carry system for both the machete and other tools and equipment. It's a shoulder carry system so why not add a few utility pouches? Think a torch, companion knife, fire lighting equipment, sharpening stone and file, a pouch for a phone or Personal Locating Beacon (PLB) . You can set them up to carry what you like.

  There are lots of ways to attach item to our sheaths and you can use a combination of many materials such as: paracord, ranger bands (bicycle inner tubes cut up),  heat shrink, cable ties etc. Each material choice will have their pros and cons.

The wider shoulder strap distributes the weight making it more comfortable when carrying more equipment and we are trialing a simple loop the goes under your armpit to stop the shoulder strap creeping up your neck.

We are still in the testing and development stage of this system but here is what we have come up with so far. It attaches and removes off your sheath in seconds. There are two ways to adjust the length of the strap. One coarse adjustment via two tri-glides and a fine adjustment via the paracord loop which you can slip up and down on the fly. Only the best hardware will do, Fastex military grade buckles and 25mm seat belt webbing! We will be posting up some more information soon when these become available.

Introducing the Stacy Sling

I have to give credit to a fellow 'retired' Scout for this one! Stacy, you really nailed it with the simplicity of this design. It's just one length of cord, a few knots and a ranger band for grip.

Stacy came up with this system on a long 4 day hike with a Backpack Sheath strapped to the side of her pack. She needed to carry the machete on her short walks once she had set up camp and came up with the 'Stacy Sling'. you can install and remove it in seconds and it weighs very little.

She sent me this sling as a gift and I was so impressed, I asked if  I could share the information on this website. I will be doing a short description on how to make these in the near future as they are very useful. For the knot savvy people out there who cannot wait, it's simply one length of cord fixed to the sheath with a short leg knotted with a loop and a long leg which forms the shoulder strap. The knot that fixes to to the sheath is just a double fisherman's knot loop pulled very tight so it bites into the ranger band.

Paracord is a little tricky to use for a Double Fisherman's Knot as it binds too well to itself when you tighten it right down. We use two Ranger Bands under the knot to help with this. The first is rolled to create a bump and the second goes over the bump created. This gives a good edge for the knot to sit up against.  Climbing accessory cord is a good alternative.

Don't worry if that sounds confusing, a much better description will follow soon!