Originally posted by ilndr:

Yes, there is. The belt increases your carry capacity to 450, effectively a backpack. You have to buy it from Haldor the trader for 900 gold, so save up all those bits of Amber, Ruby and Gold you find laying around.

This.

The belt increases your carry weight quite a bit.

The cart also is like a backpack. You can carry 10 nails with you and have a "pocket cart", then when you need it, cut a few trees down, build a workbench, build a cart.