Abstract: A utility vest with a pair of straps running through the shoulder areas of the vest and terminating in loops that extend proximate to the outer surface of the garment. These straps are engageable with a belt and thereby transfer the weight of items clipped or otherwise attached to the belt to the shoulders of the user, preventing the belt from riding low or sliding down around the user's hips. Additionally, there are a number of pleated and unpleated pockets disposed about the inner and outer surfaces of the vest. On the rear panel of the vest, one of these pockets has contained within it a folded backpack that is integrally attached to the vest. The backpack has a pair of loops on its anterior surface that cooperate with the belt, thus holding the deployed backpack substantially stationary relative to the vest.