MYOG Pack Harness

[Joseph Morrison]

I am getting ready to build a pack harness out of polyester webbing straps. I am going to make it so it will accomodate many different sizes of dry bags and pack liners from 1,500 cubic inches to 4,500 cubic inches.

I am going to use 2" webbing on two straps running vertical all around the pack with strap adjusters on the bottom and slide release buckles on the top. And three 1" webbing straps running horizontal all around the pack with slide adjusters on both sides of the pack. I will also sew a piece of cordura to the back of the pack to protect my back from the straps.

A 2" webbing strap will be the hibpelt and I might make a removable padded hipbelt. I will be using shoulder, sternum, and load lifter straps from a old pack. Two pieces of webbing sewn together could be used to slide stays thru together with a sleeve for a CCF sit pad as a frame for heavier load.

I am thinking about using a CCF pad on the outside to protect the dry bag/pack liner.

I have the basic design of the pack down. Additions could be done later very easily. Right now I am trying to find the best place on the web to buy webbing straps and hardware. I want to keep the total cost under $30.

Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks alot!

Joseph

[A Wilson]

Just make sure you use Grosgrain webbing, not the heavier nylon kind, which would be overkill for this, and actually can weigh quite a bit in the application you've chosen.

I question whether 2" webbing is necessary; 1" is certainly strong enough. Why 2"?

[Roger Caffin]

2" (50 mm) webbing? Massive overkill!

I use 20 mm nylon webbing for the main shoulder straps on my packs, and 20 mm grossgrain tape (UL webbing) elsewhere. This is fort a pack which has carried up to 28 kg and done several 2-month trips through Europe, not to mention shorter ski-touring trips.

I don't like the polyester tape – seems a bit cheap and crappy in comparison to me.

Cheers

[A Wilson]

The wider grosgrain I find helpful for shoulder straps, for simply strapping the drybag to the packframe, lashing would be the lightest. For convenience sake, Roger's right, thin nylon, or I would suggest, even the grosgrain ribbon might work, though it doesn't hold as well in the ladder-lock clips.

Definitely get a quality, lightweight webbing, but be wary of anything labeled "robust." If you're ordering online, which is usually the best way to get exactly what you want, it's usually best, and not ultimately that expensive to have them send you a sample pack. Quest, OWF, Thru-hiker, Seattle Fabrics will all do this for a small fee.

[Joseph Morrison]

This will mostly be a canoe pack and as you all know polyester webbing does not stretch when wet and is more mildew and rot resistant than nylon.

So downsize the vertical straps to 1"? what about the horizontal? 1/2"? This would definitely be lighter and less expensive.

Joseph

[Roger Caffin]

> This will mostly be a canoe pack
Ah – OK.

> downsize the vertical straps to 1"? what about the horizontal? 1/2"?
Tons of strength there still. Go for it imho.

Cheers

[A Wilson]

I think grosgrain is usually nylon, as is just about every other kind of webbing. Polyester webbing isn't very common, but polypropylene is; don't use it. It's weaker, cheaper, and slippery—won't hold in ladder-locks.

I don't think nylon's UV characteristics or water absorbancy will be a problem if its only outside a few days or even weeks a year. I've seen climbing slings exposed for years on end that were still pretty strong (a little scary to rappel off of, but still strong).

1/2" webbing is certainly strong enough, the problem is the hardware used to attach it, and the weakness of the attachment point if you're using a lightweight material. That's why I'd suggest a wider grosgrain: it's plenty strong and durable, it will accept more robust hardware and it provides a larger attachment point.

[Derek Goffin]

I am considering doing something similar although not for canoeing. I was going to use a mixture of 10mm and 13mm nylon webbing. I thought the grosgrain would not hold well in the buckles I have, but I will get some to try. I have already made a sleeve for a trial CF tube of 20mm webbing, one side and ends, and silnylon the other side. Neoprene inserts in the ends for strength. I am going to use the removeable hip belt from my ULA circuit for at first. I plan on mesh and silnylon pockets all round and a ripstop nylon base, to protect the dry bags as I hope to make them out of cuben.

[pippo pluto]

I've got an old (maybe '80s) aluminum external frame, straps and waistbelt are gone, and I'm thinking of rebuild them and transform the frame in an harness frame.
I'm planning of use 20mm (http://www.extremtextil.de/catalog/Webbing-Polyamid-20mm::405.html) webbing for the straps, 40mm (http://www.extremtextil.de/catalog/Webbing-Polyamid-40mm::585.html) for the waistbelt and 10mm (http://www.extremtextil.de/catalog/Webbing-Polyamid-10mm::404.html) for the harness system.
Any suggestion/indication about the materials is very appreciated, I'm not an expert myoger, just sewed some basic stuffsack until now :)

[pippo pluto]

sorry for the up…
Could someone tell me if that webbings are suitable for the intended use?

[Anthony Britner]

They will work, using the same ones for my pack project. Which is not too dissimilar to those already discribed in this thread.

[pippo pluto]

Thank you Anthony!

[Author]

Posts