2021-03-30 Belt Bag

My town is full of trash. It. Is. Everywhere.

I have been making an effort to get my big ass up and moving lately. I have been doing some yard work and I have gone on some walks, usually with the dogs. I also walk to work almost every day but that's not exactly a long walk.

It started with the leaf raking. I decided to rake up my leaves and start producing "leaf mold". That's a whole other conversation. While raking, I picked up litter of various sizes and compositions from all over the lawn. Beer cans, gum wrappers, all sorts of junk. The boys and I put the leaves into a big lawn bag and the trash into a smaller kitchen bag as we went.

Once I started looking, I couldn't not see it.

I have certain proclivities and tendencies. Some of those things tend to make me good at detail oriented tasks and sometimes I am capable of great concentration, especially when I'm about 12-years-old playing a video game and my parents want me to take the trash out. "Didn't you hear me calling you?!"

These features of my personality also make small irritants unbearable sometimes.

So I found a decent sized pouch I can wear on my belt (Batman Factor +1) and can fold out to hold a decent amount of trash while I walk. It is heavy canvas and leather and quite nice. It was about $30, which is still pretty cheap for something that might last a lifetime. And it came in a separate attractive little gift bag!

H & D canvas and leather belt pouch pictured in folded storage position sitting on top of included gift bag, along with item tag.

Another view of the gift bag showing stamped leather tag and riveted leather loop strengthening the bag near the drawstring opening.

H & D canvas belt pouch pictured next to a soda can.

The company that produced this thing is called Hide & Drink. They have a store at Amazon and other places. This specific item does not appear to be available at the time of this writing, but that's not the only version they make. This one was the most colorful available at the time of purchase, however.

Seen here next to a 12 oz. can of some kind of green poison, the unfolded pouch measures a bit over 8 x 9 inches. If I were picking berries or collecting herbs to gain levels in alchemy, this would be completely ample room. I could probably stuff a small animal in this thing.

I don't actually hunt, which might make that small animal stuffing slightly more difficult.

Sewn inside the gift bag is this stamped tag. It is a bit difficult to read in some places, but more than makes up for that in pure charm. The tag states that this accessory was crafted in Guatemala. According to the scant information I can find about the company, Hide & Drink are focused on education and ending the cycle of poverty in Guatemala by providing fair wages and donating to a charity for kids. They appear to own a domain, but it resolves at this Stockyard Exchange place.

As you may be able to see, there are raw edges in several places, giving the feel of a kind of folksy handcrafted artisan piece, but if you look at the sewing, it's done with a machine and looks pretty professional to me.

Sewn lining of canvas belt pouch showing machine stitching.

They advertise a 101 year warranty, and I have to assume there was a typo, because if you read the tag, “101 years” roughly translates into “1 year” in this case.

So, if you see me trespassing, please note I'm not doing any harm and I also can't hear you if I am alone because my music will be turned to "deafening".

Also, please don't litter.