On the outer side of the padding is nylon webbing which is stitched heavily and vertically to form loops for the modular components.  You can choose to utilize these loops so your components remain in “locked” positions on the belt or you can attach the various pouches so they are free to “rotate”/push and pull around the belt. 

It comes in two sizes (Small – Medium and Medium – Large) and weighs in at 7 and 8 oz. respectively.  Be sure to consider how you’re going to be wearing the belt – at the waist or lower on the hips.  When deciding on the size, consider those times when you’ll be wearing it over heavier clothing.
 

The Modular Components: Lens Pouches & Pouches

I carried my gear with these pouches:

Just load them up any which way you like.

Note: Since all of the pouches are made with the same quality construction and attention to details, here are their combined attributes and individual features.

1.)  They come with instructions, but my guess is you will already know how to load them on the belt after researching the products on their website or by viewing one of the various instructional videos.  The system is so simple in design, that you can’t go wrong.
 

2.)  On initial inspection of the basic construction one can’t help but be impressed.  They use quality, durable water repellent fabrics and heavy stitching.

3.)  Each is made to either “lock” on the belt with a plastic tongue that is inserted into one of the belt loops and then secured around the belt with a back flap that utilizes strong Velcro near the bottom and sides of the pouch.  If you choose to “rotate” the pouches, you just skip inserting the plastic tongue into the loop.
 

Note on security: I pulled and tugged on a pouch from its sides, the bottom and the top to try to physically remove it from the belt, but I couldn’t do it.  That makes one feel very certain that a would-be thief will not be attempting to remove a pouch.

4.) All have built-in, mid-weight padding, so your gear is protected if you bump into something or possibly drop your loaded belt.

5.) Each has a grab handle on the upper back side and small attached loops in case you just want to take one bag and convert it to a shoulder bag by attaching their Keep It Up Shoulder Strap.

6.)  On the front of each pouch are handy stretch pockets so you can just slide in your lens cap or other small accessories.

7.)  The pouches have a removable, seam-sealed rain cover.  Just unzip the bottom zipper, pull it out and cover the pouch.  Each one is made to fit the size of the pouch and is secured to the pouch with a strap within its compartment.  They can be removed for cleaning and drying and then just hooked back on to the loop, folded up and stored away until the next storm. 

The Lens Changers

These lens pouches are so convenient and roomy, while providing great padded storage for your individual lenses and lens hoods.  There are a variety of Lens Changer sizes.   Be sure to check the width and length of your lens (with hood on or reversed) to find the correct size.

Additional features beyond the above pouch attributes (includes RU Hot pouch):

1.)  The pouches have a wide-mouth feature, so it’s quick and easy to get a good one-handed hold on the lens.

2.)  Opening and closing the pouches is a convenient one-handed operation.  To open, just squeeze the drawstring closure and pull.  To close, just pull on the drawstring.  Very easy!

3.)  They have a self-contained, internal dust flap that covers the top of your lens.  Just flip it up, slide your lens inside, flip it down and close it up.

Note on security: Since they are so easy to open and close, I had some concerns over someone else being able to easily open a pouch and take the lens for themselves.  However, when I had a friend try to do so, I certainly felt the tugging on the belt and could hear when it was opened, so I think this might be possible only if you’re in a very crowded/tight area. 

The Speed Changer

What a fitting name for this very versatile pouch.  It measures 8" W x 7" H x 4.5" D and can also be used independently with a shoulder strap or even flipped over a regular belt.  It’s a well organized pouch with two outside stretch pockets for lens caps or other small items, followed by a thin zippered compartment that could be used for note pads, model and property releases, and then a larger zippered compartment perfect for you camera manual, pens, extra memory cards, remote shutter release or other small items.  The main compartment of the pouch has three removable dividers, so there is great flexibility in what can be loaded inside.
 

Additional features:

Along with the same quality fabrics, it is made with abrasion resistant, fused zippers that can be opened and closed easily with one hand by just grabbing the attached cording and plastic tap.

In the Field

Getting prepared: I loaded the pouches ahead of time and balanced them around the belt to distribute the weight as evenly as possible – another benefit to this modular system.  I actually chose to keep them in “locked” positions when carrying all five pouches, since there was little room remaining on the belt for “rotation”.  However, since I will be wearing the belt at the hips, it was very easy to just lift the entire belt system and rotate it around if I needed to get to something on the back side of the belt.  Play with it and find what works best for you.

I spent a weekend photographing on Jekyll Island, Georgia.  There was a variety of terrain - sandy beaches and dunes, boardwalks with stairs, and wooded areas.  It was going to be hot during the day, hovering around 90 degrees.  And, they forecasted rain.

When I arrived, I headed straight to the northwest tip of the island, strapped on the fully loaded belt, grabbed my tripod and walked out to an area of the beach that is littered with driftwood.  I did notice that the pouches prevent you from walking normally with your arms at your sides, so if hiking some distance this might be bothersome.
 

What an amazing experience working with this belt system!  If I needed to change lenses or filters or reach any item, they were at my fingertips or reached by merely rotating the entire belt around to the pouch that I needed.  Everything was super convenient!  I was bending, crouching on one knee, and squatting many times during this venture.  Not once did this system get in my way.  And, not once did one of the pouches touch the ground – no sand on or in any of them. 

I was focused on making images, so it wasn’t until I returned to the car hours later, that I noticed that the weight of the belt was not noticed!  No back pain and no shoulder pain!  So was it comfortable and cooler than my other packs?  Since I didn’t pay attention until my return, the answer is a resounding yes!

I went to the historic district in the afternoon.  Just lift up the belt, strap it on and you’re ready to go.  Once again I was focused on my photography.  It started to sprinkle and very quickly it was followed by pouring rain.  There wasn’t time to get all the rain covers on the pouches, and since the belt has no cover, it got wet.  I must admit that my rain poncho was much faster in covering everything quickly.  So if you think it’s going to rain, you would have to cover the pouches in advance and lose that quick access to your items.  This isn’t much of a down side to the belt system, since I always carry a rain poncho, and I think there is a great upside - use them to prevent blowing sand or dust from getting inside the pouches or use the spaces where the rain covers are stored for filters or other small items.

The following morning, I headed out to the dunes near my hotel.  Since my equipment was close at hand, I chose to carry only two of the five pouches.  This time I attached them so they could “rotate” on the belt.  They moved forward and back on the belt quite smoothly whenever I needed an item.
 

Additional notes on security: Now, if one is traveling by public transportation, such as planes, buses or trains, I would probably put the entire system out of sight in one of their larger bags or packs.  This would also make it easier to transport. 

This belt does announce that you are a photographer and have a lot of photo gear with you.  It drew a lot of eyes on me, but I’ve also had eyes on me when I was just carrying my camera, a tripod and other packs.  And since I never had to take the belt off, I knew they would have to try to steal me too!