Securing a Hawk To a Pack

CitizenQ

CitizenQ

Joined
May 5, 2006
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I think I mentioned in a different thread that I recently repacked all the preparedness gear I carry in my truck into a better (Maxpedition Falcom)pack. Now I'd like to figure out a good method to attach a trail hawk to my pack. Anyone have any methods that work? Vec, I seem to remember you attatchin' hawks to packs? Any and all suggestions woul be most appreciated! Pictures if possible! Thanks guys! :thumbup:

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on the right (pictured below, from last year), you can see a Coyote Hawk threaded through the grab handle, with a twist in it. - this can be a great rig on any pack - you reach back with your free hand and acquire the grab handle, sticking the butt of the hawk handle in it downward, then turn the hawk 180 degrees and latch it into a loop on the ide or bottom, and then give it a shove to set it - it will stay put from friction on just about all conditions until you need it - then it presents instantly with an upward and outward pull - it scares the crap out of everything under a ton when ya do it too, with a proper long hawk.

as you can see in this picture, i have a couple large magazine pouches at the base of this Camelback pack, which further retains the hawk in the above-described configuration, when the hawk is retained vertically, vice diagonally, pinched between the pouches. - if i am team shooting, the extra magazines on my back and the hawk can both come to immediate good use for my partner.
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simply make a strap, on the occasion that you lack one.
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this hawk is shown in draw configuration - simply run a slipknot of your choice to the bit and poll, for an unshakeable retainer that opens instantly when purposefully released. - run the release cord to the front of your body, etc.
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you can run the hawk down the side of the pack, which most folks like to do that i know, but i prefer to run the hawk down the middle, and sometimes on the diagonal (as shown above) as i do my shotgun and rifle on a 3-day pack when "cutting" throught the wilderness, moving very quickly, heavily laden with arms, or carrying a buddy's primary firearm.

why do i prefer that? - it reduces blind spots when i look over my shoulder, which i do a lot when in the boonies - a bear that is stalking you can and will hide behind the blind spot that your tool handle covers - cougars too, i caught one in the act years ago :thumbdn: - bad kitty, bad, bad kitty.... - BTW - a hawk is better in CQB than a shotgun when your buddy is downrange with a momma bear checking out his tennis shoes ...:D....

watch out for hawk-stealin' coyotes. caught in the act.
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carrying tucked through a flap or on top of a buttpack or fanny pack has got to be my favorite carry though - especially worn bandoleer style - me and backpacks don't get along for long periods of time. this Battle Lab bag worked well. i like the military buttpacks a little better, for my purposes. these look decent too.
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God Bless.
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....and then there are sling/lanyard carries...:cool:....

but i don't want to bore ya.

vec
 
Nice hawks, but don't you have sheaths to protect the blades, gear and yourself from accidental cuts?
 
accidents don't happen to me, brother.

only stupidity. (i wrap them with some 1000 Deneir Cordura and rubber band retainers when they are not "live")


sheaths of all sorts are available from some pretty excellent people here.

vec
 
I got an idea that I'm gonna explore: a 1.5-inch piece of PVC pipe fits a Trail Hawk haft very nicely. I'm gonna try to make a holder (maybe modeled after a colonial "frog") of out of a section of 1.5-inch and an extra Tek-Lok I have laying around.

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We are the Multicam. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.
 
Maybe something in kydex w/ Tek-lok that can be inserted through the MOLLE? Also take a look at the set up on a VTAC sheath?

These 'hawks sure have evolved from my old tape and paracord wrap...

Beautiful work.

HJ
 
I stopped off at Lowes earlier today and spent $8.72 on some PVC stuff. I'm thinkin' "PVC Trail Hawk Scabbard."

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Okay...stay with me on this... :yawn:

And I PROMISE it will get back around to hawks, and the subject at hand!

I carried an Ontario big blade for a while on the right side of my packs. I *think* this would work well (maybe even BETTER with a hawk).

After I took a nasty spill into an ICE COLD creek once, I realized how QUICKLY things "go south" on a totally "average" day hike. Even though this wasn't "whitewater" (it was into a pool just below a small falls) I caught the current quickly, and was moved 20-30 feet (?) pretty fast.

I was lucky and my feet "found" a sand bar, and I was able to stop myself. A buddy was ALREADY moving toward me-trying to shuffle over other big rocks-but I passed him (and he had been in front of ME prior to my fall.) Once I caught myself, I told him to stop, so as not to risk HIM falling in.

I was able to get out and change clothes (all I had was a pair of nylon shorts and a fleece pullover that I'd brought for layering changes, but they ended up being all I had in the pack to change into.)

EVEN BY THE TIME I EXITED THE CREEK AND CHANGED, I WAS ALREADY GETTING THE "ACID" BURNING FEELING ON MY SKIN, AND HAD A HARD TIME WITH DEXTERITY.

We continued on with our hike, instead of having a fatality, or calling it off and heading out. But we DID talk about what happened, AND HOW FAST IT HAPPENED, and how we could react (hopefully) next time. Many of the hikes in this area follow creeks or rivers, and some are RIDICULOUSLY fast moving! (Linville River drops 2000 feet in 12 miles, and in some places the river narrows to rushing water 3 feet wide between large boulders...!) :eek:

We agreed that EVEN IF HE'D HAD A COIL OF ROPE IN / ON HIS PACK, I'd have been past him before he got the pack dropped, unsecured the rope, and threw it to me.

And this wasn't even "whitewater" or "swiftwater" by definition!

We decided that a good course of action (remember we're knife guys also!) would be to have a hawk or large blade on the right side of the pack in a quick release sheath of some sort, ie.. kydex, or the split side leather that came with the Ontario which I already had.

Here's the idea-The blade (hawk, hatchet, or large knife) is carried on the right side of the pack (ALL IS ASSUMING A RIGHT HANDED USER) with the end of the blade tip or the head of the hawk DOWNWARD, and the primary edge facing to the REAR of the person carrying it.

Advantages-

If you fall (like I often do!) the edge is away from you while wearing the pack (spiked hawks are obviously an exception!) :foot:

Also, we won't "scare the straights!" :eek: This carry position looks VERY LOW KEY and cannot appear less "threatening" to people we pass on the trail, or who see our backpacks in transit, in the car, being carried from Point A to Point B, etc. (And then...the sheeple won't bother the nice police officer who's having breakfast at Chik-Fil-A...) ;) :jerkit:

BIG ADVANTAGE-

While carrying the pack, the user can grasp the handle of the tool / weapon at the top right of the pack, clear it from the retention system, and begin the swing (albeit slightly longer than normal) from the plane of the pack, once it clears retention. This is in one sequence of movements, that is almost "one movement."

Think "Michael Douglas drawing the sawed off Remington 870 from his pack" in "Romancing The Stone" when he and the shotgun are first seen... :cool:

Considerations-

I don't like the handle TOO high, or it starts catching limbs and vines and branches...

It must be high ENOUGH that you can reliably grasp it in whatever position you are in, wearing whatever clothes you might be wearing...

It must be very secure so as not to come out accidentally, but must come out quickly and easily when you grab it and start the swing...

Our "SOP" (which we never had to implement after that, and I don't carry the Ontario now anyway) became that if ANY member of the group went in the water, one or two on the bank would immediately "clear leather" and swing at the nearest long branch or tall sapling they could find within 5 steps of thier position and try to get it down / cut in 1,2, or 3 strokes (with ONE being ideal!) and immediately extend it to the person in the water.

Perfect solution? NO.

Better than anything we could think of-short of wearing PFD's hiking and carrying a "throwbag" on a leg harnesses-? YES!

This carry position / draw / swing technique could also be used in defensive (and offensive?) encounters with bad people...but I don't want to think about that... :barf:

Violence scares me... ;) :D
 
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David From NC said:
...Think "Michael Douglas drawing the sawed off Remington 870 from his pack" in "Romancing The Stone" when he and the shotgun are first seen...
Click to expand...

Thanks David! I can visualize what you suggest, very very clearly and it makes perfect sence. However, the first interation of my idea will be pack right (side), but head up top.
 
i would probably do this:
get a kydex slip cover for the bit, to keep it protected from you and to protect you from it. this would also allow the hammer poll to be used with less danger of axing yourself in the face.

then i would simply slip the handle through the two buckles lined up vertically so that the head would rest on the top buckle and gravity and tightness of the buckles would hold it in place until you wanted to draw it.

not terribly "fast drawing", but it will keep the hawk safe and secure, and allow pretty easy removal and replacement.
 
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