Hold the Phone

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been wanting to take more photos on my rides.  But I keep my phone in a pocket of my CamelBak that I can't access without stopping and taking it off.  The inconvenience outweighs the benefits of a photo... at least that's how I feel when I'm riding.  Later when I'm back home I sometimes regret not getting the shot. I don't want to put the phone in my short's pocket because I think it might fall out or I'll fall on it, or it will just move around and be annoying while I ride. Wearing my phone on the front of me, just like I do with my gel flask, seems like a solution to me.  As far as I could find, no such accessory with this purpose is manufactured for my CamelBak.

So I bought a phone holster on Ebay that has a belt clip, belt loop, and a lanyard ring.  Cheap and free shipping!  I figured I'd find some way to use these features to secure the holster to the right strap of my CamelBak.

The case is compatible with my phone and fit quite nicely. Technically I don't use my phone (Samsung Victory) as a phone, but just for GPS tracking and photos/video. For now I have a cheaper pay-as-you-go plan on a cheap $15 phone that also lives in my CamelBak when I ride.  Anyway, the only concern I had with the holster was that its flap wraps over the top of the phone and the flap's Velcro came down a bit too far, so it didn't align perfectly.  The phone came with a piece of foam filler in it, so I cut a small strip off and put it in holster before my phone, giving it the extra height.  Now it has a lot of Velcro holding it closed and won't likely open unintentionally.

Only after receiving it did I learn the holster also has a vertical sleeve which I suspect is a side-effect of how the belt loop and clip are attached in manufacturing.  Bonus!  I removed the metal clip and then worked my CamelBak strap through the vertical sleeve for a dry fit before I found a way to attach it permanently.  The sleeve is tight enough to keep the holster in place when jumping up and down like a crazy person.  So for now I have no need to secure it.  It doesn't seem to be in the way of any movements I make while riding. The real test will be my next ride.