Chapter 4: Wearables & Carriers

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Wearables & Carriers (Holsters, Slings, Scabbards) — Handling, Ergonomics & Human Factors

Weapons are only useful if they are reachable, secure, and comfortable over time. Holsters, slings, and scabbards convert hard tools into body‑borne systems, shaping silhouettes, draw speed, and even recoil control long before the first shot. For concept artists, wearables are a design surface for anthropometrics and affordances: they set draw arcs, hand orientation, and stance transitions. For production artists, they become socket standards, IK targets, cloth and strap sims, collision proxies, and animation states that must remain robust across outfits and body types. This article unites anthropometrics, grip geometry, and recoil depiction through the lens of carriers—so kit reads as inevitable on the body, not scenery stapled to a character.

1) Principles: Access, Retention, and Load Path

A good carrier balances three forces. Access means the weapon enters the hand in a mechanically strong orientation without contortion. Retention ensures the weapon stays put when running, falling, or rolling while still releasing under deliberate input. Load path routes weight into skeletal structure instead of soft tissue, preserving stamina and protecting joints. Map these as three layers on your concept sheets: a hand path overlay (reach arcs), a retention state diagram (Level I/II/III logic), and a strap/anchor vector map (how mass travels into hips, shoulders, or torso).

2) Anthropometrics: Bodies Drive Placement

Design for a bracketed population (5th percentile female to 95th percentile male hand/torso) and then layer armor and clothing bulk. Key measures include shoulder breadth, acromion height, iliac crest to trochanter distance (holster ride height), torso circumference, and arm length. Hand measures—breadth, web depth, and thumb/finger reach—determine whether the initial purchase on a grip is secure. For thigh rigs, note femur angle; for chest rigs, track sternal notch to shoulder and clavicle widths; for back scabbards, measure scapular clearance during overhead reach. Annotate these numbers on orthos so production can set sockets that survive outfit swaps and body morphs.

3) Grip Geometry at the Moment of Draw

Carriers should deliver the hand to the grip with wrist in a neutral or slightly flexed posture and the bore/edge aligned with the forearm. Holsters that rotate the grip toward the thumb web reduce ulnar deviation; scabbards that allow a forehand or reverse draw should sculpt rim flares to guide knuckles and prevent abrasion. On long guns, slings set the pre‑fire grip: a two‑point sling anchored forward encourages a c‑clamp fore‑end grip that tames yaw and improves return‑to‑zero. Visualize the first contact patch—finger pads, palm swell, or pommel—and make that geometry proud and unobstructed inside the carrier throat.

4) Holsters: Ride Height, Cant, and Retention

Ride Height & Cant. High‑ride holsters shorten the draw but can trap the grip under body armor; low‑ride holsters clear armor but lengthen stroke and invite swing. Cant (forward tilt) aligns the grip with the natural elbow path—10–20 degrees forward for strong‑side hip carry, steeper for cross‑draw. Concept thumbnails should show elbow arcs from three stances (neutral, sprint, crouch) to check for occlusion by packs, skirts, or plates.

Retention Levels. Level I is friction or passive click; Level II adds a thumb break or lever; Level III includes a hood plus internal cam. Draw the release as an obvious affordance: a thumb shelf or paddle in the strong digit’s neutral zone, with detents readable from third‑person. The retention story is part of fairness and animation timing; show how the lever clears before the gun moves.

Holster Mouth & Safeties. The throat should be flared to funnel reholstering without fishing. For striker‑fired silhouettes, design a trigger guard that remains protected through the mouth. For hammer guns, an auto‑decock or block read can appear as a visible cam notch on reholster. Material choices—stiff polymer shells, leather‑over‑kydex hybrids, textile laminates—telegraph comfort, noise, and water response. Specify drainage and grit channels.

5) Slings: One‑Point, Two‑Point, Three‑Point—Stance in Straps

One‑Point. Fast transitions and shoulder swaps, but unstable during sprint and crouch. Works best with compact weapons and compensators that reduce muzzle rise. Illustrate an elastic segment that preloads before firing; show a low chest anchor to avoid choking during recoil.

Two‑Point. The workhorse. A forward anchor near the muzzle and a rear anchor at the stock distribute load and improve muzzle control. Quick‑adjust sliders should be large, glove‑friendly tabs with a travel path that avoids optics and chest rigs. Visualize a “ready loop” length that keeps the dot near the sight box at rest.

Three‑Point. Legacy stability with higher complexity; useful for heavy platforms and rescue loads. Depict a shuttling strap that cinches to the torso—ensure cable management so tape switches and laser leads don’t foul. For animation, provide states: patrol cinch, ready loosen, and hands‑free stow.

Sling as Recoil Aid. Straps can preload the chassis. A two‑point pulled tight turns the shooter into a tripod, damping pitch and yaw. Show pad geometry at the shoulder and anti‑slip textures that keep the stock in the pocket under climb, improving return‑to‑zero. In first‑person, the sling can animate subtle tension during brace and recovery, becoming a diegetic recoil cue.

6) Scabbards: Blades, Long Guns, and Tools

Back scabbards are fantasy‑friendly but biomechanically tricky. Cross‑shoulder draws require flexible throats and staged stops so the hand re‑indexes mid‑pull. Hip and belt scabbards are faster and safer for most lengths; show a split seam or cutout that respects grip guards. For machetes and rescue cutters, include drain slots and solvent‑safe liners. For long guns, vehicle scabbards need vibration‑safe clamps, muzzle covers, and an obvious release pull. Drones or mechs can mount scabbards with spring‑loaded locks and visible stow/fetch animations so readiness reads at range.

7) Load Distribution and Fatigue

Weight wants bone. Hip‑carried holsters route into the pelvis; thigh rigs must ladder weight into a belt via vertical stays to avoid leg slap. Chest rigs disperse mass across the sternum and scapulae; add spacer mesh and contour pads to preserve ventilation. Backpack mounts shift center of gravity; show counter‑straps that prevent sway when running. In concept, include a “force map” overlay to justify strap widths and pad locations. In production, pair straps with cloth sims constrained to bony landmarks rather than soft belly volumes to avoid clipping and preserve natural sway.

8) Clothing, Armor, and Seasons

Carriers must clear coats, skirts, and armor plates. Show “snow mode” holster flares that accept thicker garments, and low‑ride drops that clear cummerbunds. Add hard‑corner guards that prevent snagging on MOLLE webs. For desert variants, specify low IR‑reflective fabrics and heat‑resistant buckles; for arctic variants, enlarged pulls and gloves‑first affordances. Texture direction matters: rough on contact pads, smooth where garments slide.

9) Safety, Etiquette, and Visual Ethics

Good carriers police muzzle discipline. Holster cants keep muzzles off thighs and bystanders during reholster. Sling anchors and stock shapes should make low‑ready the default idle, with the muzzle below horizon in most idles. Scabbards should shield edges fully and show clear retention logic. Include visible safety tells—loaded chamber windows, striker indicators, and clear holster hoods—so animators can communicate safe states diegetically without UI.

10) Left/Right/Disabled Access Variants

Mirror critical affordances: thumb shelves on both sides, ambi lever geometry, and symmetric strap routing. Offer macro‑paddles and clamp‑friendly grab bars for prosthetics; reinforce wear plates where clamps contact edges. Thigh rigs can include a one‑handed cam buckle; chest rigs can add a macro‑release disc that quits a sling loop under load. Document shoulder swap animations and one‑handed reload sequences using belt catches or thigh shelves integrated into the carrier.

11) Integration with Non‑Lethal & Tools

Foam sprayers and net launchers need holsters that protect nozzles and node cartridges; show a capped throat and quick‑wipe channels. Stun batons want vented sheaths that respect ceramic collars and insulators. EMP pucks ride in shielded pockets with Faraday panels and locking lids. Grapples need spooled line management and anchor head guards; cutters need chip‑resistant liners. Keep iconography coherent so players read intent at a glance.

12) Camera, Readability, and Staging

Third‑person cameras demand clear negative spaces between carrier and limb so the draw is readable. Avoid mounting holsters where the weapon blocks gait or occludes silhouette landmarks. First‑person cameras need a ready pose where sling lines and chest rigs frame the sight, not cover it. For reloads and transitions, choreograph straps and hoods to move in big, simple beats—no micro‑flicker buckles. Use emissive thread highlights and high‑contrast trims sparingly to communicate state (locked, armed, empty) without turning carriers into glow sticks.

13) Materials & Hardware Language

Hardware choice telegraphs durability and maintenance. Show anodized aluminum tri‑glides, acetal side‑release buckles with chamfers, stainless screws with captive washers, and grommeted drain holes. Stitch logic matters: bar‑tacks at load points, box‑X reinforcement on strap junctions, and double rows on high‑shear seams. Offer a quiet variant with suede contact patches and a wet‑weather variant with lamination and welded seams. Annotate coating specs—hardcoat, PVD, or cerakote—so wear patterns age gracefully.

14) Production Handoff: Sockets, Sims, and States

Provide socket locators on belts, hips, sternum, shoulders, packs, and thighs with collision capsules that match garment volumes. Define strap topology: which segments are simulated cloth, which are rigid, and which are procedural tensioners. Supply orthos with ride heights, cants, strap widths, and pad dimensions in centimeters. Include state machines for holsters (locked → hood clear → weapon free → reholster → lock) and slings (patrol cinch → ready loosen → firing brace → hands‑free stow). Give tech art mask IDs for materials (webbing, hardware, pads) and baked normal details that survive LODs. QA acceptance criteria cover draw clearance under sprint, no clipping through plates, strap behavior in crouch, and sight picture unobstructed at ready.

15) Case Study: Urban Rescue Kit

A compact carbine rides a two‑point sling with a broad shoulder pad and a glove‑friendly pull tab that lengthens for ready and shortens for patrol. A low‑ride holster with a 15° cant clears armor, featuring a Level II thumb paddle that cams open a hood as the hand acquires the grip. A chest scabbard carries a rescue cutter with drain slots and a solvent‑safe liner. All parts share anodized hardware, subdued trims, and mirrored affordances for left/right access. In animation, the sling preloads during brace, recoil hops, and the sight returns to zero while straps settle—selling control through body mechanics.

When carriers follow bodies—respecting reach, grip geometry, and recoil—they disappear into the performance. The character stops negotiating with gear and starts solving the scene. That is the point where your wearable design becomes worldbuilding and your weapon feels real.