Homemade Backpack

[Emdiesse]

Hello there.

I have been looking at backpacks, etc and I have been thinking about how they never have quite what you are looking for. The majority of them all have there best bits, but there is never one pack that has all the best bits rolled into one. Unless if you are willing to spend ridiculous amounts on a bag, but then still you always find something missing.

So this leads me to the question of whether designing and sewing your own bag would be a cheaper and more custom alternative. That way you get what you want, and if something is missing you won't mind as much to put a needle to it, seen as you made it anyway.

Its also something that can be done on those rainy days when you have absolutely nothing better to do.

What do you reckon on this?

 

[Toddy]

My initial reaction is to go for it and let us know how you get on.
However, having tholed wearing a pack that just *didn't* fit, I'm slightly cautious...I think it's more a case of what are you going to use the pack for?
If it's an on-going improvable project, I think it'd be a good bit of kit to make.
I've got some of the heavyweight foam padding used for the insides of shoulder straps. If you go ahead, pm me and I'll dig it out of the loft.
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Nemisis]

Found this in point north might give you a good starting point you could e-mail them for details after xmas http://www.pointnorth.co.uk/shop_product.asp?product_id=1020
Dave.

 

[wentworth]

This site has lots of home made designs
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
I'm going to have a go at making one of the ultralight designs that uses you sleeping pad as support.
Once you strat sewing your own gear, it gives you a great sense of achievement, particularly when you make something that fits you better than anything on the market.
or you could buy a kit
http://www.ray-way.com/backpack/index.shtml

This is obviously an ultralight design for light loads, but I'm sure you can work out something to suit your style.

 

[Roving Rich]

Personally I think I would buy the best i can find then customise it to my requirements. I honestly don't think I could make one well enough from scratch.
Its probably worth having a chat with Neil1 as i believe he has made his own pack, and ventile jacket, hammock......bit of a genius with needle and thread really.
Cheers
Rich

 

[arctic hobo]

Roving Rich summed it up... what is it that's wrong with current packs?
There are some pretty special designs out there, eg the new Berghaus series that move with your body (tried these, they're amazing), the classic Sabre 45 that many people on this forum use, the ultra-lightweight silnylon 'sacks from the US, the Osprey packs that mould to your shape, the climbing packs that offer huge freedom of movement, 100% waterproof sacks, etc, etc...

 

[Nemisis]

I agree with Rich I found an old swiss army pack at a local market rubberised nylon solid leather base and straps yes its heavy by todays standards but it works for me and no modern pack is even close to being so water and bomb proof.
Dave

 

[leon-1]

Personally I think I would buy the best i can find then customise it to my requirements. I honestly don't think I could make one well enough from scratch.
Its probably worth having a chat with Neil1 as i believe he has made his own pack, and ventile jacket, hammock......bit of a genius with needle and thread really.
Cheers
Rich

Rich is right (not just saying it because he's my brother), Neil1 has both made a modualr pack that can be used with an external frame or without (it has internal support as well) and has modified existing packs and harnesses.

Neil also does a lot of testing of all and any kit that he designs. You may well get the pack that you want making it yourself, but I will say that it is not a quick process and is not always cheap either.

Still it's worth dropping Neil1 a PM when you get a chance.

 

[Emdiesse]

I very much doubt I will end up giving this a go, perhap I could start by trying to make a hammock and a basha because from what I can see you don't need to be as skilled craftsman to make them. Again though, I'll probably just end up buying one

 

[Neil1]

Emdiesse,
I'm flattered by the comments posted here ( better grease my ears to get thru the door later )
Bergens, where do I start, I made my first bergen when berghaus stopped making the cyclops roc (the perfect bergen!). That lead me to think about what I actually wanted fron a carry system. Four or five bergens later, I ended up with a system that will go from 15 to 150 litres, that works for every concievable situation.
Now I look for simplicity, an LK35 with a modified harness and concentrate on minimising the contents.
The driving force in all my kit making is getting exactly what I want (most manufacturers design are never quite right).
Start with a hammock (the instructions are here on BCUK), then start studying other designs, how they put stuff together and then catalogue exactly what you want.
Neil

 

[retrohiker]

Neil1......the whole community is still waiting with anticipation for pics of your LK35 setup. I've got one that I've modified with US army ALICE pack hardware but I've found that the pack slides down on the waist belt and haven't found a real good way to hold it in place. Got a couple of ideas I haven't tried yet but was looking for some tried and proven approaches from the group here. I'm half tempted to buy a cheap medics pack with the larger frame that comes with a waist belt but that just seems like "wimping out". How 'bout it???? Pics of your rig?????