Had time to set up the new padded belt. I'd purchased a small (Kobalt) pouch ($9 I believe) at the time of belt purchase, and doing some shed cleaning yesterday ran across a Garrett pouch. Well you can't have too many pouches in the field
, so I added it as well. Now I can carry MORE snacks
I'd given some quick thought to carrying the shovel on the back of the belt, but wanted it to ride high enough as to not be slapping my legs as I walked. Also something that didn't add weight, bulk, or anything too "mechanical" to the fray.
1st attempt seemed to work perfect on a dry run. I walked around the barn a couple minutes, with no foreseeable issues. I simply taped it on temporarily so I can actually try it out a good bit before going to a more permanent attachment (likely tack welding).
I just put a kink in a piece of 3/16" steel rod, and taped it close to the balance point of the shovel, just slightly heavier on the handle end as to keep it vertical. Easy one-hand on/off. The rod goes between the actual belt, and the padding, so it's not contacting my back.
Time will tell if the 1st attempt is a winner or not. Entire belt, with shovel is just slightly over 8 lbs. I can't even tell it's on, and the padded belt makes a huge difference in comfort.