Most people tend not to trust the camera's hand strap -- especially with older cameras. If I am carrying the 8x10 across the room I tend to carry it under my arm rather than by the strap -- even though it is a relatively new camera. If the leather does not break, then one still has to worry about the fittings and the screws holding in the wood.

I have an old Eastman View No. 2 5x7 that I carry on the pod -- I have a nylon stuff sack that fits over the camera (and head). Hiking through the redwoods, the sack reduces the chance of the camera catching on something, the bellows getting punctured, or drips from leaves getting the camera wet.

I find the Zone VI 8x10 just too big to carry on the pod -- awkward weight.