For those of you that are using a canister to hold your emergency gear I am wanting to see how you are securing it to yourself and why you use the method you do. I have setup two canisters one for me and one for my dive buddy. They will carry all the standard gear minus a nautilus lifeline which does not fit and a DSMB/spool which I already clip off to a waist or chest D ring.
I have two canisters rigged up differently but can change both to one method or the other or any other method that works to achieve my goals.
My goal is to have it out of my way but easy to reach and get out. I have a few methods I have come up with for attachment:
1. Band clamps with D-rings attached at the top and bottom of the canister like in the first pic. I would use bungee loops at the bottom of my backplate then two boltsnaps to attach it all at the bottom of my BC. Pros: It is out of the way behind me. It is easy to remove. It is easy to attach up front while I use both hands to remove the gear I need. I can have it detached and quickly clip on right before entering the water and detach right after coming out. This will be handy in boat diving when trying to get back into the tank holders. Cons: Depending on the BC wing length and tank length it can get in the way of the butt dump, though I can feel around it to get the pull. It may hang a bit low. Boltsnaps could get opened, though it would tale two failures to lose it.
2. Standard belt attachment like as canister light on right hip (pic 2). Pros: Easy to do, without rigging up extra stuff. It is right on my hip so easy to reach. Cons: Moving between rigs is a pain. For me the right hip is not ideal as I am usually carrying a camera rig and when I am not actually shooting I clip of and sling it under my right arm so it will be in the way. Moving to the left hip produces a similar challenge as I plan on slinging a pony there as I continue to dive. One of the secondary uses of the canister would be to collect and store rainwater to drink if needed. Having it on the hip would require me to remove the rig and disassemble part of it to get it off to do this. I would then not have a clipoff point unless mounting another D ring to it. Opening it to remove gear while it is in the water could result in me losing a piece of gear in the process.
3. Sling it like a pony or stage under an arm, or clip off to any available D ring. Pros: Dead simple to do. Allows me to have it easily accessible. Cons: Undoubtedly it will be in the way, flop around, float up or sink down depending on buoyancy (have to load it up and see). It becomes and issue with tangling in hoses, spg, camera, etc. I generally don't like things not totally secured down.
4. Attach to a tank cam band. Pros: It is easy to do. It does not interfere with attaching on a boat while in the tank holders. It is out of the way. Cons: Requires removing rig and cam band from tank to deploy gear. May change my buoyancy (roll to one side) as I would mount to one side or the other.
Personally I am leaning to the first method or the fourth method. I have never carried one though so I wanted to get some practical advice from others who have done this and have figured out what works and what doesn't.
I have two canisters rigged up differently but can change both to one method or the other or any other method that works to achieve my goals.
My goal is to have it out of my way but easy to reach and get out. I have a few methods I have come up with for attachment:
1. Band clamps with D-rings attached at the top and bottom of the canister like in the first pic. I would use bungee loops at the bottom of my backplate then two boltsnaps to attach it all at the bottom of my BC. Pros: It is out of the way behind me. It is easy to remove. It is easy to attach up front while I use both hands to remove the gear I need. I can have it detached and quickly clip on right before entering the water and detach right after coming out. This will be handy in boat diving when trying to get back into the tank holders. Cons: Depending on the BC wing length and tank length it can get in the way of the butt dump, though I can feel around it to get the pull. It may hang a bit low. Boltsnaps could get opened, though it would tale two failures to lose it.
2. Standard belt attachment like as canister light on right hip (pic 2). Pros: Easy to do, without rigging up extra stuff. It is right on my hip so easy to reach. Cons: Moving between rigs is a pain. For me the right hip is not ideal as I am usually carrying a camera rig and when I am not actually shooting I clip of and sling it under my right arm so it will be in the way. Moving to the left hip produces a similar challenge as I plan on slinging a pony there as I continue to dive. One of the secondary uses of the canister would be to collect and store rainwater to drink if needed. Having it on the hip would require me to remove the rig and disassemble part of it to get it off to do this. I would then not have a clipoff point unless mounting another D ring to it. Opening it to remove gear while it is in the water could result in me losing a piece of gear in the process.
3. Sling it like a pony or stage under an arm, or clip off to any available D ring. Pros: Dead simple to do. Allows me to have it easily accessible. Cons: Undoubtedly it will be in the way, flop around, float up or sink down depending on buoyancy (have to load it up and see). It becomes and issue with tangling in hoses, spg, camera, etc. I generally don't like things not totally secured down.
4. Attach to a tank cam band. Pros: It is easy to do. It does not interfere with attaching on a boat while in the tank holders. It is out of the way. Cons: Requires removing rig and cam band from tank to deploy gear. May change my buoyancy (roll to one side) as I would mount to one side or the other.
Personally I am leaning to the first method or the fourth method. I have never carried one though so I wanted to get some practical advice from others who have done this and have figured out what works and what doesn't.
