Shoulder vs Hip Quiver

[Southwind]

I prefer a back quiver and here's why:

- Back quivers are quieter, in my experience, because they don't bang against your leg when you walk or run. Hip quivers do this, at least the ones that hang at an angle from a single suspension point on the belt, and it's annoying.
- There's some controversy about this, but I've found that it's reasonably easy to get through brush with a back quiver, you just have to turn sideways so that the fletching travels right behind your head.
- A back quiver can let you reload faster than a side/hip quiver. Granted, it takes some practice before your hand learns where to go to grab the arrow from a back quiver, since you can't see what you're doing. But once you get that down, your hand doesn't have to go nearly as far, since it's already somewhere near your shoulder after your release.
- They just plain look cooler.


Cons:
- It's less stealthy to grab an arrow from a back quiver than from a side quiver. But if I were wearing a back quiver and needing to be stealthy, I'd have one arrow already nocked, and maybe one more held in my bow hand. After that, chances are my cover would be blown anyway. Laying in ambush, or hunting from a blind (which is the same thing), I'd stick my arrows in the ground or otherwise have them out and ready for quick, stealthy access.
- They can and will mess with your cloak. Everyone seems to figure out their own way of dealing with this problem.

[Daerir]

I've been thinking about the cloak problem... what if the quiver was asking over your shoulder like normal, but instead of making a D shape around you, take the piece across your chest and wrap it around your torso beneath your arms, sort of like a backpack. Granted the quiver wouldn't be super secure on your back but it wouldn't drop any. If might wiggle a little bit the weight of the sites would hold it down.

[Rifter]

My quiver and arrows are ok we just have a lot of low foliage near here so I spend a good portion of my treks 'sneaking'

[wulfgar]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/304485624777291014/

This is from the Bayeux Tapestry. # out of four archers have hip quivers, the one on the top left has a shoulder quiver though. Kinda cool.

[wulfgar]

I most recently made this one for a prize at the Ranger Gathering Event, begining of last month. It can work as both back or side/hip quiver. but it excells as a forward draw steath quiver (what you hunt is up to you! LOL)

I have gotten quite a few good reviews from those I have made it for, all seem to enjoy its versatility and have made little upgrades to suite their own needs.

It is a very simple quiver to make and seems like it will prove to be very sturdy in the long run, we will see!

Ringulf, I really like that quiver. Would you mind sharing details about how you made it and how the strapping system works. I like the idea of being able to use it as a hip or back quiver.
Thanks

[Ringulf]

No problem!
I actually have pictures of the one I made for me that now has the cylinder inside that revolves so the arrows are protected when not in the side/hunting mode. I will get some pics up asap.

[Manveruon]

I prefer a back quiver and here's why:

- Back quivers are quieter, in my experience, because they don't bang against your leg when you walk or run. Hip quivers do this, at least the ones that hang at an angle from a single suspension point on the belt, and it's annoying.
- There's some controversy about this, but I've found that it's reasonably easy to get through brush with a back quiver, you just have to turn sideways so that the fletching travels right behind your head.
- A back quiver can let you reload faster than a side/hip quiver. Granted, it takes some practice before your hand learns where to go to grab the arrow from a back quiver, since you can't see what you're doing. But once you get that down, your hand doesn't have to go nearly as far, since it's already somewhere near your shoulder after your release.
- They just plain look cooler.


Cons:
- It's less stealthy to grab an arrow from a back quiver than from a side quiver. But if I were wearing a back quiver and needing to be stealthy, I'd have one arrow already nocked, and maybe one more held in my bow hand. After that, chances are my cover would be blown anyway. Laying in ambush, or hunting from a blind (which is the same thing), I'd stick my arrows in the ground or otherwise have them out and ready for quick, stealthy access.
- They can and will mess with your cloak. Everyone seems to figure out their own way of dealing with this problem.

This has been largely my experience too. It pretty closely matches my feelings about back quivers. Honestly, I love my back quiver. Mind you, there are several things I did on it that, looking back, I would do differently if I were to make another one like it, but I had a hip quiver before this one, and overall I much prefer the action of drawing from my back quiver. I've discovered my speed shooting has improved immeasurably, because the motion is much faster and more natural. It also helped that I tied knots in the wrapping on my fletching to serve as an index (similar to the ones built into modern plastic nocks), so I don't even have to look down when I nock an arrow. I can just reach up, draw, bring the arrow down right on top of my bow, draw, and loose.

That being said, the above really only applies to target shooting (or, I suppose, shooting at a whole bunch of enemies who already know you're there). I've never hunted or done anything of that nature, and I'm sure everyone is right about the motion being much more conspicuous. But like Southwind said, I figure if I were doing something like this I'd already have one arrow nocked, or at least in hand and ready to nock, or otherwise stuck in the ground in easy reach.

Still, as has been pointed out numerous times, it's really all about personal preference. I know some people who wouldn't trade their hip quivers for the world, and others who will never shoot with anything but a back quiver. To each their own.

[Manveruon]

I prefer a back quiver and here's why:

- Back quivers are quieter, in my experience, because they don't bang against your leg when you walk or run. Hip quivers do this, at least the ones that hang at an angle from a single suspension point on the belt, and it's annoying.
- There's some controversy about this, but I've found that it's reasonably easy to get through brush with a back quiver, you just have to turn sideways so that the fletching travels right behind your head.
- A back quiver can let you reload faster than a side/hip quiver. Granted, it takes some practice before your hand learns where to go to grab the arrow from a back quiver, since you can't see what you're doing. But once you get that down, your hand doesn't have to go nearly as far, since it's already somewhere near your shoulder after your release.
- They just plain look cooler.


Cons:
- It's less stealthy to grab an arrow from a back quiver than from a side quiver. But if I were wearing a back quiver and needing to be stealthy, I'd have one arrow already nocked, and maybe one more held in my bow hand. After that, chances are my cover would be blown anyway. Laying in ambush, or hunting from a blind (which is the same thing), I'd stick my arrows in the ground or otherwise have them out and ready for quick, stealthy access.
- They can and will mess with your cloak. Everyone seems to figure out their own way of dealing with this problem.

This has been largely my experience too. It pretty closely matches my feelings about back quivers. Honestly, I love my back quiver. Mind you, there are several things I did on it that, looking back, I would do differently if I were to make another one like it, but I had a hip quiver before this one, and overall I much prefer the action of drawing from my back quiver. I've discovered my speed shooting has improved immeasurably, because the motion is much faster and more natural. It also helped that I tied knots in the wrapping on my fletching to serve as an index (similar to the ones built into modern plastic nocks), so I don't even have to look down when I nock an arrow. I can just reach up, pull the arrow, bring it down right on top of my bow, draw, and loose. The quiver used to slide around on my back a lot, because it only has one strap, but I've recently started threading my waist belt through the strap, and this holds it in place quite well, so I pretty much always know where the arrows are going to be when I reach back.

That being said, the above really only applies to target shooting (or, I suppose, shooting at a whole bunch of enemies who already know you're there). I've never hunted or done anything of that nature, and I'm sure everyone is right about the motion being much more conspicuous. But like Southwind said, I figure if I were doing something like this I'd already have one arrow nocked, or at least in hand and ready to nock, or otherwise stuck in the ground in easy reach.

Still, as has been pointed out numerous times, it's really all about personal preference. I know some people who wouldn't trade their hip quivers for the world, and others who will never shoot with anything but a back quiver. To each their own.

[Manveruon]

Oh and Wulfgar: That picture from the Bayeux Tapestry is great. I had seen it before, but it's been a while. I know there's a lot of debate out there with period reenactors about the historical viability of back quivers, and a lot of folks cite that as being an example of one used in the Middle Ages, but others claim that because of the strap being shown as it is, the quiver is actually just one of the same hip quivers the other men are wearing, only slung across his shoulder instead.

[ineffableone]

So I figured I would show the difference between side and hip quivers.

This is a hip quiver, note fletching is facing forward


This is a side quiver, note fletching is facing back


also a side quiver can also be used as a back quiver with a bottom draw.


There are hunting back quivers designed like the side quiver with a bottom opening for bottom draw.