Source for straps?

[haptalaon]

I'm tinkering about with a design for a backpack which is just straps and a frame, I think popping all my bedrolls onto an external frame and then covering it with something is going to be a lot faster and more efficient for the kind of stealth camping I do

(esp when I break camp in the rain, I don't want to be trying to get things back into rucksacks)

Does anyone DIY this sort of thing? Or am I better off trying to buy one?

I was thinking if I could find a source for the hip and shoulder straps, maybe I could lash together a frame, so that the sticks of the frame could be removed to create a tiny improvised shelter.

 

[Van-Wild]

Good idea! I think there are loads of options available to you. Army surplus rucksack straps are widely available, and come to think of it, so are the frames. Think GS bergan (1980s style)....

For a more modern (and lighter, more comfortable option) have a look at the DEI 1806MC frames here:

Pack Frames - Plastic Products - Buckles + Fabrics

www.contactleft.co.uk

Straps and hip straps are also available. I csn personally attest to the strength of this type of frame, having used it myself for years.

For sticks to build your shelter, you can simply use walking poles or basha poles, or find something suitable in the environment?

 

[Pattree]

Put external adjustable straps on a conventional rucksack using the lid clips/buckles. They can travel in a pocket when not in use and be fitted in seconds. Together with any loops and elastic that’s already there, this gives you choices. If time and conditions allow pack inside the sack. If you overslept dawn, are in a sudden need to depart or the swag is soaked then pack it on the outside for speed and sort it out down the road a bit over breakfast.

 

[Laurentius]

What about leather? there are plentiful sources of leather straps for belts and handbags. I made a Roycroft frame some years back which has been pimped a bit since then with a leather harness, and amongst the things I hang from it is an old canvas bicycle saddlebag which kind of fits the old world aesthetic. Leather does not have to be used with the pin typ buckles you can use sliders as well for infinite adjustment. Leather may not be as strong ultimately as nylon webbing but it is very field serviceable.