It all depends on where you’re headed and what you’re doing. Most machetes are sold with sheaths, typically either leather, nylon, or Kydex. While these sheaths will have a belt loop of some kind, many users find carrying a machete at their waist to be cumbersome and awkward. For this reason, some people will strap the sheath to their backpack, or even just stuff the sheathed machete into the pack itself. The machete is a tool, and like any tool, it isn’t going to be used every moment you’re in the field. You can pack it away as you move and bring it out just when it is needed.