instructables

Diy Tactical Belt Pouches

by jester82

Hi, things, such as survival gear and first aid items that
may be needed in a hurry like field dressings,
I carry a lot of things with me every day. some things tourniquet etc. So today I am going to show you how I
like keys and wallet and a folding knife I keep in my make my own pouches to carry things in.
pockets. Other things I find myself putting in my
pockets that I would prefer to carry on my belt, but the They are extremely easy to make, and a lot cheaper
carrying cases always wear out. Generaly I like to than buying more carrying pouches.
have my multi tool and a flashlight with me at all
times, and when I go in the field I carry several more

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Step 1: Materials and Their Uses

The first thing you will need is some good sturdy http://www.loctiteproducts.com/super-glue.shtml
material to make the pouches out of. I prefer
something that is either vinyl, nylon or polyester, they Super glue will bond skin together in seconds, so
seem to last longer. The material I am using here is knowing what to do if that should happen before hand
part of the leg from a pair of tactical pants that the will be easier than trying to look it up with fingers all
right knee wore out of. Tactical pants are generally glued together, or if you find yourself glued to your
made with a type of weave that will stop the fabric project.
from ripping if it gets cut. As with any fabric it will
eventually get weak from use or from rubbing against For closures I use velcro, which can also be glued in
something, but the good thing about these pouches place, provided the velcro is not the industrial
are they are easy and quick to make, and cheap. strength kind. This kind of velcro is meant to hold
A few other ideas for material would be old heavy objects and is not suited to this kind of job. I
backpacks or duffle bags, and most types of luggage bought a pack of Velcro tape from Dollar General for
are made from fairly strong material. For this project 90 cents that is perfectly strong enough for this.
though, the fabric can not be to thick or stiff. If it is, it
may not be flexible enough. To add strength, and your own style, you will need a
nylon strap. If you are making this from a backpack or
First off, let me say I can not stitch anything. So for duffle bag there should be some on it. Nylon dog
this project the only thing needed to bond the material leashes and tie down straps are also potential
together is a good quality super glue. I like all types of sources. I am sure there are more sources for these
Loctite Superglue. The gel type bonds faster than materials, but these are the ones I have around my
liquid superglue, and it resists water and will function house, and in my workshop / junk pile storage area.
fine in temperatures below freezing. This will be good The straps I am using are shoulder straps from duffle
for the main adhesive used in this project. Liquid bags that I do not use.
super glue is also useful, especially for gluing the
edges of the nylon straps, and the pouch seams. Once a nylon strap has been cut, it will immediately
begin to fray. The easiest way to remedy this, and the
This address will take you to the Loctite website, way that looks the best is to simply coat the end with
where you can get more information, including the the liquid super glue.
material safety data sheets.

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Step 2: Carrying Pouches for Common Items

Now, as far as tools needed for this project, the list is the length, and 2 1/2x the width. When the material is
pretty short; folded over the object to make the pouch, the width of
the material covers both the width and the depth,
1; Scissors which is why it has to be 2 1/2x the width of the
object, in this case the multitool.
2; Ruler or tape measure
Take the rest of your box to lay down for your work
3; Corrugated cardboard box surface, as it is likely to get glue all over it.

That is it! Lay the material out flat, with the side that you want
as the outside of the finished pouch facing up. Once
To start things off I will begin with my multi tool. So we get some of the edges glued we will turn it inside
far it has outlived two store bought belt pouches, and out, so for right now what looks like it will be the
since then I have been carrying it in my cargo pocket, inside is actually the outside.
much to my knee's disapproval.
Lay your fake cardboard object on the material and
Using my pair of tactical pants, I cut off the leg just pull the it up so that it covers the entire object, then
below the knee. fold the material back at the top like bed covers. Glue
this down with generous amounts of the gel super
I then split the leg lengthwise as close to the seam as glue. You will have to hold some pressure on this
possible. Scissors work best for this, a box cutter until it dries, but the glue will penetrate the material so
could be used but it will sometimes bunch the fabric you will have to press it down for a few seconds, then
up and give you jagged edges. Remove all the rest of move your fingers before you become a bigger part of
the seams, so you have a nice flat piece of material. your project than you would like to be. Let it dry about
5 minutes. Next glue the sides down, again with
Next, measure the object you intend to use this pouch generous amounts of the gel glue. Repeat your press
for. My multitool is 4 1/2" long, 1 1/2" wide, and 3/4" and move process as you do this. I found it easier to
deep. Take one section of your cardboard box and make the sides come out even if I did both sides at
cut some pieces to the length and width of your the same time. Let it dry about 5 minutes.
object, and stack them until they reach the right
depth. you can then tape or glue them together. For Again, the glue will seep through, and it may also
the rest of the project you will use this in place of the glue your pouch down to your work surface, so be
actual object to prevent getting glue all over it. careful.

The size your piece of material will need to be is 3x Next, using the long "tail" at the top of the pouch,

carefully turn it inside out. Check to make sure the Apply liquid glue to each side seam, to increase the
object slides in easily. If so, cut the "tail" off leaving strength of each side.
about 1/2 inch. Apply glue to this and fold it inside the
pouch. This will help create a stiff and durable top.

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Step 3: Adding Support and Velcro Closure
Next you need to put your real object inside the
pouch. Using a nylon strap, which will be used to add
support and serve as the closure for the pouch,
measure off enough length so that it is long enough to
go around the pouch and the object lengthwise, and
overlap enough to cover the width of the Velcro used
to hold it closed.
Now put your cardboard fake back in for the rest of
the gluing. Starting at the front, apply the gel glue to
the pouch and press the nylon strap to it. Continue
around the bottom and back. Trim the overlap until it
is just long enough to cover the width of the Velcro,
and seal the end with glue. You can now cut a length
of Velcro to the appropriate size, determined by the
width of the pouch. The Velcro I bought was a Velcro
tape, but the adhesive tape on the back is not strong
enough by its self to hold when applied to fabric.
There will be a lot of pull on this part of the pouch
when opening, so apply plenty of the gel glue under
the Velcro. Super glue will seem to be dry within a
few minutes, but to reach full cure it should set for 24
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hours. This step should not be cut short for the glue
holding the Velcro in place. Wait at least 24 hours
before using the Velcro once it has been applied.
All that is left to do now is to add the belt loop. Cut
another nylon strap, usually about 4 inches will allow
most tactical or nylon belts through. Glue heavily on
each end to ensure the weight of the tool does not
pull it off. Finish by gluing all seams and edges one
more time with the liquid glue and you are done. This
same technique can be used for any kind of object
you want to carry. Measurements for your pouches
are tailored to the size of whatever you want to use it
for.
For most things, 3x the length, and 2 1/2x the width is
a good size. If you do end up with extra material, trim
it away after gluing. As with anything you will be
using in the field, test it out first to make sure your
seams are firmly set. Besides carrying on a belt,
these are great for duct taping to the shoulder straps
of a backpack for quick access to your gear.
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Step 4: Flashlight Holster

Making a holster for a flashlight is incredibly simple,
and quick. For this you will need two nylon straps.
One around 10 inches long for a belt loop, and the
other long enough to go around your flashlight 2 1/4
times. You will also need something just slightly
bigger around than your flashlight handle. For mine,
an old deep well socket is perfect.
With your 10 inch long strap, fold it over to make a
loop that is about 3 1/2 inches, and glue the
remaining 1 1/2 inches together.
Next, wrap the other nylon strap around your "fake"
object until it reaches the point of overlapping, and
apply a strip of gel glue to hold it. This will be your will not hold water around the flashlight if it gets wet.
holster. Keep applying glue and rolling for another
quarter turn. Let this set about 5 minutes to dry before below freezing.
continuing. Apply a wide section of gel glue to each
side of the glued together end of the belt loop, and
the inside edges of the holster. Lay the belt loop on
the holster and roll it up inside. Continue rolling and
gluing until you reach the end. If the end of your
holster strap is going to end up on the front of the
holster, it is fine to trim it so that it ends near the
back, out of sight.
While it is drying, it may be necessary to clamp or
tape it around the "fake" flashlight to preserve its
round shape.
Again, glue all seams and edges again with liquid
glue to strengthen the holster. The same technique
used for the other pouches will work fine for a
flashlight too, but I like this design better, because it
is lighter, allows easier access to the flashlight, and it
This part is especially useful if temperatures will be
Let it dry for 24 hours before use.

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Step 5: Finished

That is it! If you would like to further personalize your
carrying cases, a permanent marker can be used to
mark you first aid pouches with a cross, or if you do
not have anything camo, but like the camo design,
simple black, green and brown stripes and spots can
be added.
The technique used for my multitool can be used to fit
any sized object. I hope this proves helpful if you are
going out for some adventure.
As always, be safe!

This looks like it would be great for lightweight objects (pocket knives, mini-flashlights, pens and
stuff like that) but the glue is absolutely NOT going to support heavier objects that are commonly
belt mounted, such as power tools. For those, absolutely sew the parts together.
And as far as the ends of the belting fraying, a lighter works even better for permanence than
super-glue, and can also be used on the fabric itself. (As can a soldering iron with a wide head,
which can also be used to CUT the belt and fabric. Be aware this WILL create toxic fumes, don't do
it indoors.)
I second using heat to fuse synthetic rope and webbing ends. Hot knife (will cut and fuse both
edges in one pass) works best but a lighter (light a candle for lots of fusing) or soldering iron work
just as well.
I also do it to any woven synthetic fabrics (ripstop, cordura, silicone impreg nylon, etc) as they will
fray over time. Waterproof coatings help slow it, but the more use the quicker it will fray.
Tip-try fusible interfacing (fabric dept) to reinforce containers. Just needs an iron and comes in a
variety of weights. Also a knee patch on the inside would help reinforce it. This isgreat idea
husband can never find the right size of holders for phone,etc.
This is so cool. I will have to make some. I loves my tactical stuffs. It is always black and the
expectations far exceed the capabilities. I even loves the First Tactical President, Obama.

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