Mountain Tool Holster

Abstract

A system or device for securely holding mountain tools, such as ice axes/ice tools and hiking, skiing or avalanche probe poles (and other such tools), on a backpack in a manner that allows the user to easily and conveniently acquire the tool when needed without first removing the backpack. This is applicable in emergency situations such as a crevasse fall where an ice axe in needed for preparing a rescue anchor or in the event of an avalanche where a probe pole is needed for a victim search. The system also allows for easy and convenient stowing of mountain tools without removal of the backpack as the situation dictates in non-emergency situations, such as after using the probe pole to probe for crevasses when crossing a glacier or after needing an ice tool for security when a repelling (abseiling) onto an icy stance or when stashing hiking poles when switching from hiking to scrambling.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A tool attachment device for generic backpacks (or new backpack designs that features the device) that is comprised of:
 a holster component that is located near the hip of the user and is designed to hold the distal end of certain types of mountain tools (those that have a protuberance such as a pick on a ice axe/tool, or a tool that has an extension attached to it) securely to the backpack;   a loop component that is attached to the lower portion of the backpack and is also designed to hold the distal end of certain types of mountain tools (those that do not a protuberance such as hiking, skiing and probe poles) securely to the backpack;   a shaft restraining strap that retains the shaft (or long axis) of a tool vertically along the side of a backpack and is either of fixed length or is adjustable (to quickly and easily adjust to different size tools and for making the loop larger to pass through items with large ends) and may be deformable (have stretch and memory) so as to provides a resistance force that must be overcome keeping the distal end of the tool in the holster until the user requires the tool;   and a safety strap and strap latch (or a secondary type of safety strap that is attached to tools that do not have a protuberance) that further secures the distal end of the tool at the holster (or loop) for assurance against accidental lose of the tool.   
     
     
         1 A. The holster portion of the design according to  claim 1  that may be manufactured out of a variety of potential materials (such as but not limited to, injected or molded plastic or resin, formed leather of other robust materials) as long as said material is rugged enough to withstand the abuse of sharp tools being repeatedly inserted removed and resists breaking (so as to protect the user from the sharp end of the mountain tools) and is capable of having the safety latch attached or molded into it. 
     
     
         1 B. The loop portion of the design according to  claim 1  that may be manufactured out of a variety of potential materials (such as but not limited to injected or molded plastic or resin, formed leather of other robust flexible materials) as long as said material is rugged enough to withstand the abuse of tools being repeatedly inserted and removed and stiff enough to hold its shape and not collapse when the distal end of a tools is forced through it. 
     
     
         1 C. The shaft retaining strap according to  claim 1  that; is attached to the pack is a variety of ways (such as but not limited to screws, rivets or other such means); manufactured out of a variety of potential robust materials (such as but not limited to, plastic tubing, stretch or shock cord, tension or compression springs, webbing, cord, etc); is either adjustable (by having an adjustment mechanism such as, but limited to, a ladder lock at one or both ends); or is of fixed length and made out of a material with elastic memory (so that it can be stretched to allow the user to get the tool into the holster or loop and to also create a force that keeps the distal end of a tool with a protuberance such as an ice axe or ice tool “pushed” into the holster portion of the device or “gripped” in the loop if the device does not have a protuberance). 
     
     
         1 D. The safety strap, (and secondary safety strap that is attached to some mountain tools that do not nave a protuberance), and strap latch according to  claim 1  that may be made out of a variety of materials as long as said materials for the safety strap (or secondary safety strap) have elastic memory (such as, but not limited to, elastic/shock cord, stretch tubing, etc) and can be stretched over the loop and tool end (those tools without a protuberance) or looped over the safety latch (for those tools that have a protuberance) that can be made out of a variety of materials (such as but not limited to molded plastic or resin, wood, plastic or light alloy, etc) as long as said materials are capable of being attached to the holster component of the device. 
     
     
         2 . A tool attachment device that holds the tool in a manner (vertically along the side of the pack and against the hip-belt) that allows quick and easy one-handed deployment of the tool without removing the backpack and conversely allows the user to stow or attach the tool to the backpack in a safe and secure manner without first removing the backpack. 
     
     
         3 . A tool attachment device that holds a mountain tool on a backpack in such a manner as to:
 protect the user from the sharp and dangerous parts of tools (such as ice axes and ice tools) by holding the shaft along the side of the pack while trapping the sharp pick end of the tool against the wearer's hip in a robust protective sheath and;   protect the user in the event of a fall by holding the tool tightly to the body so that the tool will take the brunt of the impact forces, while also reducing the potential for the tool to be ripped from the backpack to become a projectile that may cause injury.