06 November 2008

Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run

Web: www.thetravelstrategist.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

6/11/2008 – Mountainsmith Amp : A Phone Holster For People On The Run

For years I had a habit of dropping, cracking and breaking phones that were on holsters on my belt. I prefer my phone be on my belt, however my camera would bang into the phone, my waist pack would open a holster flap, or the holster's Velcro was not sufficient enough to keep a phone in the case.

A little over a year ago while standing in the Kittery Trading Post, in Kittery, Maine, I found a the durable, reliable and versatile phone holster I have been searching for. This holster was the black Mountainsmith Amp, made from recycled materials. It is no secret that I like Mountainsmith's bags and packs, so when I found a mobile phone holster made by Mountainsmith I had to have one.

What separates this mobile phone holster from others is a few things
1: The Amp can be worn vertically or horizontally on your belt (I wear it horizontally)
2: The Amp has durable-&-stretchable neoprene size to allow it to fit many phones snuggly
3: The Amp has a lot of Velcro, which makes it very difficult to knock open
4: The Amp's stretchy neoprene keeps its shape, so should you knock it open you won't lose your phone.

My Amp was primarily used with a Motorola Razr V3, until I switched to the primarily using the Apple iPhone. While the Amp may appear to be too small for the iPhone, it fits it perfectly. When I travel internationally I switch back to the Razr to use local pre-paid SIM cards, and the Amp holds its shape to switch between the more slender Razr and wider iPhone. Most holsters would be to wide or two narrow to accommodate both phones, while Amp is ideal for both.

Having used the Amp in some very fast paced situations, where my phone holster is constantly being brushed, pushed and banged by a waist pack, belt-pouches or my camera gear, I have never had my phone drop out of the Amp.

The fact that the Amp is manufactured with recycled materials is just an added bonus. I strongly support recycling, the purchasing of carbon offsets when traveling and supporting those who choose to help the environment. So the Amp follows other items Mountainsmith manufactures using recycled products, such as the Tour and Day packs.

...........Mountainsmith may be discontinuing the Amp at the end of this season, so priced at only around US$10 each, you may want to snap them up now while you still can (I plan on stock piling half-a-dozen).

Below are five photos of my phones with the Mountainsmith Amp

Happy Flying!
--Click Images To Enlarge--




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