Another SMD Fusion Dye Job

[Don Burton]

I received my SMD Fusion 50 (1st Gen) a few weeks ago and finally got around to dyeing it. I actually didn't think it looked as bad as people say but I still thought it'd be fun to do. Before deciding to dye the whole pack, I first tried to spot dye only the white parts and it was a complete failure as you can see from the pictures. I got 2 Rit dye packs in black. You can get these for about $2.50/each from Micahel's or Joann's. You can usually get a 40% of coupon for both of these stores online. I think the bottle of Rit dye is about twice as expensive and I don't think it's worth it. I removed the hip belt, yoke, aluminum stay and the plastic sleeve. These are all of the "hard" pieces so I could scrunch up the pack and stir easily inside the bucket. I used the bucket method but I have a feeling the stove top method may be more effective because there is constant heat. I didn't have a pot big enough to use the stove top method. :-( I followed the directions on the box and let it soak in the bucket for 30 mins while stirring/agitating it. I used 2 packs in hopes the pack would come out entirely black. As you can see from the pictures it didn't quite make it. The green sections became a dark forest green and the white sections came out a dark blue with an almost imperceptible hint of purple. Although not what I expected I'm still happy with it.

[Anonymous]

Doing a dye job treatment of Robic nylon which has a silicone coating for water proofness/resistance of the fabric, will compromise the silicone coating some i would imagine. Mainly i would be worried about the boiling water being in contact for awhile. Though in your case this would be lessened some since you didn't do the boiling on stove top. Something that would increase waterproofness and get a perfect color job would be to take the lightest silnylon fabric one can get, get some silicone adhesive, and bond panels of it to the pack. It will add a little bit of weight, but not much. About an ounce if just doing the white part(s).

[Gator Paddler]

I think it looks nice.

[Anonymous]

I think so as well. Not sure how long the dye will last though. Not sure how much it would bond to a fabric that is coated with silicone. Silicone has a fairly low surface energy. This is why polypropylene fabric can not be dyed like polyester or nylon, low surface energy. It's colorant has to be added when it's in a liquid state and before it's extruded into fibers. If the bag is subjected to a few heavy rains, i suspect the dye will start to come off. Unless it's somehow getting under the silicone coating and into the nylon? That or the silicone coating started to come off and the dye was able to bond to the nylon fiber surface. Either way, no bueno. I mention these things not as criticisms to the OP, but in case other people decide to try similar. Just want to give a fuller picture.

[Don Burton]

This makes sense and I was thinking how the dye job would hold up in a heavy rain. I just bought a Fusion 65 from a fellow BPL member and had already decided not to dye it. I did this for fun and the experience and I've had my fun and experience so I don't need it again. ;-) On a side note. I'm planning a couple of other mods with the front and side pockets. I'm going to buy some 4 way stretch Lycra mesh and extend these pockets. I've had very limited experience with carrying the pack but from what I can tell, the load carrying abilities live up to the hype. It took me a while to get it to fit properly. Yoke size and adjustment and especially bending the stay into a comfortable shape but once you do it's nice. Kind of like getting a Brooks bike saddle broken in. Firm and stiff, but surprisingly comfortable once it "fits" correctly.

[Anonymous]

Hi Don, i also have a 1st generation Fusion (65), and love it. It's the most comfortable pack i've ever had. I'm missing an entire lower lumber vertebrae genetically, so with also being short (5' 7"), i have an unusually short torso but wide, barrel chest. Hard to fit in other words. Not bad for the 110 i paid for it. I use it for winter trips. I also have an MLD Newt for less cold or severe conditions and for less weight. Anyways, enjoy the pack.

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