My first ever MYOG pack

[Allen C]

Needs some work…but I'm pretty happy with it considering I learned how to sew yesterday.
Harness system is based on UD Fastpack 20, Pack body and vest straps are made of one continuous piece of black silnylon. Pockets are grey silnylon, and I used a piece of thin shockcord for the closure, with a small flap pocket over the top which I still need to figure out how to fasten down and add a zipper or velcro to close the pocket. Also need to add sternum straps and a better system to attach the vest straps to the pack body – currently they are just attached by 3" silnylon scraps which are not adjustable. Total weight so far is 2 oz.

This is really just an experiment/prototype but if you have any suggestions let me know. Final version will be used for fastpacking, hopefully 10-12 lbs max weight. I want it to be comfortable for running downhill, and have easy access to food, water and everything else i need during the day without taking the pack off.

[Valerie E]

I think you'll be happy you learned to sew — SO handy for making/modifying gear!

A couple of suggestions:

– If you're planning to run downhill with the pack, adding some sort of waist strap (just a thin piece of webbing, not a "hipbelt", per se) will prevent the pack from bouncing around too much. Bouncing packs are annoying and uncomfortable.

– In your final pack, you might find that using spacer mesh as the backing for the vest straps (instead of the silnylon) will be a lot more comfortable, and will slide around less on your body. Silnylon is really, really slippery.

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