Home made kit.

[jacob thompson]

Over then next few months I'm going to be making a lot of my own gear. I decided that I would put up some photos albeit poor quality but just showing different things that I've put together. I'd really appreciate peoples feedback on possible changes and improvements in the gear. Another thing that I will try and do is write a small instruction on how I made the item and what tips and problems I had with this. My ideas and plans will more than likely be in no way, new or inventive such as Bill's but what i would like most of all is for people to gain an interest in making their own "stuff". I've always been really into making my own things so when it came SUL hiking and working within a budget I thought I would give it a try and see what I could do.

From time to time I might put up an idea that I'm thinking of and ask for some feedback. Any thing anyone has to contribute would be greatly appreciated.

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Roger Caffin
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[jacob thompson]

Anyone know where I can purchase just a few yards (2 – 3) of pertex quantum? Is it worth me asking whether BPL has any roll ends lying about? I have a link for one store in the UK but they are out of stock. I’m going to be making a bivy from it. The other fabric I have to make the bivy top from is some olive green .8oz with a SWR coating on it should be fine but I wouldn’t mind finding some quantum.

I’m still going with all these projects. I have two quilts in the making and a new pack and tarp from cuben are also in the not to distant future. My hikers banjo is made and When I get a decent camera I will put up plenty of pictures and instructions.

[paul johnson]

Hiker’s Banjo???

never heard of one. is it what i think it is, viz. a hiker’s banjo? if so,…cool.

[paul johnson]

Hiker’s Banjo???

never heard of one. what is it?

[jacob thompson]

OK so this isnt really a hikers model but with a shortened scale length (mine is a pete seeger style long neck , 32.25″) perhaps a 25″ which is quite normal and a smaller biscuit tin (mine is 13″ for volume and style) perhaps only 7″ you would have a more hiker friendly model. I will take this with me on overnight forays with friends and low milage. It is most widely known as a cookie tin banjo but since I’ve made mine for use whilst hiking I just called it a hikers banjo.

Like I said I will put up more detailed photos and a manual when I’ve finished my assignments and tests (8 more before the 11th of Nov. eek).

If you click on the picture you will get a link to download two different tunes that I recorded using a small lapel mic and my computer soundcard. albeit very poor quality but you get the idea.

Go home with the girls in the morning.
Traditional arr. Mike Iverson

Julia Delaney.
Traditional arr. Mike Iverson

I will try to make myself a hikers model over the christmas break a guitar, and possibly a Sarod (another instrument similar to a sitar, i’ve been playing for nearly 2 years). For those of you who are musicians or lovers of music you will understand the pain you go through when you are taken away from your instruments for only a few hours. I usually take a whistle (1.35oz) with me or a harmonica (2.35oz) or even a bamboo flute at times.

The big question though…… How much does it weigh. My long neck comes in at 44oz. just under 3lbs though a smaller model will obviously come in at around 2lbs. I can probably still get away with sub 5lb base load.

[Mark]

I have it even worse as a percussionist. I still haven’t figured out how to strap a marimba or a set of vibes to my pack. There are plenty of non-pitch percussion instruments I could bring to shake or whack, but it’s not quite the same. I may need to look into a light mbira, or maybe… branch out into small wind instruments. *shudder*

For now, I like a small radio. There’s nothing like a melody. [Except a pretty girl.]
-Mark

[larry savage]

I applaud your intiative, in the past I’ve hauled full-sized 12 string guitars,standards, and now a mandolin.
I wouldn’t be against a quality ukelele if I could see one[weigh one].
Aren’t you pleased you aren’t a pianist dragging around North Face’s expedition carbon fiber Steinway.

[jacob thompson]

I am glad I don’t have to carry around a piano. I could never get into it, having the keys out in from of me like that is too abstract.

I just weighed my uke and it comes up at 14.5oz . Not too bad I guess. Ive only been playing uke for a few months. However it would make a good instrument for hiking because of it’s size, its extreme ease of use and the ability to change keys and make new chords quite easily. I’ve seen them made from cookie tins, but I think the weght difference wouldnt be as dramatic as a 15lb banjo to a 2.75lb banjo.

[paul johnson]

Jacob,

nice music. thanks for the downloads. BTW, been meaning to ask – your last name, i’m a bit confused. is it my “old-timers”, or has it changed?

there was a bush raised, bare-foot trekkin’, Aussie Bio-major a while back with a “Nihilist” nom-de-plume. i think this tireless trekker from the land down-under also went by the apt handle of “Ironman” due to his seemingly limitless ability to push ahead without stoppin’ and restin’ and may have recently went on a walk-about with his matilda during summer break back home, if i’m not mistaken.

‘Dat u?

[jacob thompson]

It sure is me. I changed my name to my actual name rather than the name I originally gave to BPL. I didn’t realise it was so easy otherwise I would have done it earlier.

As for your description well…. I may not be all that hardcore. I’m sure theres plenty of others out there that do the same thing. I’m not even particularly fit. I think I just learned determination at a young age and this gets me through a lot of the time. Mind over matter and all that stuff..

I’d like to look up to someone like this

[paul johnson]

looks like a good book.

i’m sorry to have to report that at this present time it’s outselling my own weighty tome “True Confessions of an All-Night Snorer”.

[jacob thompson]

I’m still fascinated by the idea of a hiking umbrella. I love the way that it keeps the rain completely off you and make me feel more comfortable. However were really lacking in the weight savings with this piece of equipment.

I had in my mind an idea for making a simple umbrella from my hiking poles and my groundsheet. I never got around to making up a plan or even drawing up a pattern.

The reason I put this up is because I believe the new Titanium rods from BMW can be incorporated into a full Ultralight Umbrella. The top will of course be made from Cuben. The Tines and supports will be made from the titanium rods and the rest of the hinges and swivels and pushers etc. I will cut out from various cheapo umbrellas that I might find. The centre pole is still undecided. Im sure I could wor a way of using my hiking pole ot even an aluminium (aluminum for the US readers) arrow shaft. I would be using a straight tine rather than curving them for simplicity mainly and possibly a draft layer as seen in the gust buster umbrella’s.

The reason I’m putting the post up is to find out if anyone had any pointers for heading in this direction. I’m sure a few of you have mulled this idea over and came up with something valuable.

[jacob thompson]

Ok so I have made up some designs now and have a rough pattern. Using the materials now available I think I will be able to get away with a 4-5oz Umrellapossibly under 4. Diameter is 45.3″ handle length 25″. I have found a way to wind proof the umbrella as well and will implement it and see how I go.

[Bill Fornshell]

Jacob: Do you have any of the Titanium rods from BMW yet. I have some and they have about no strength.

[jacob thompson]

I havn’t got them yet, no. I was just going from the description on the page, that there were pliable enough with a pair of pliers.

By “about no strength” do you mean in response to bending. All I basically need from them is to support their own weight between a fixed end and about 6″-8″ out. Are they like a thin wire or sronger than that. I was basing it on the fact that I had ones in my umbrella that were made of aluminium I guess and they were only slightly thicker. Maybe I assumed too much of these rods.

[Bill Fornshell]

I guess springy might have been a better word to us. I could tie one of the pieces in a knot. A 6″ to 8″ piece would be more ridge, maybe. It is very flexable at full length. I can bend it in a full circle easy but it does spring back straight.

[David Lewis]

If you want a banjo for hiking… there is a perfect solution called the Banjovie from Nechville. Just do a google search on “banjovie”. It’s a very short length… perfect for strapping to your pack… and very playable if you don’t have huge hands. And it really sounds like a real banjo. It’s not a toy… it’s a real little instrument. I love mine. Best of all, it weighs 18.4 oz.

I plan on taking it with me if I ever to an AT thru-hike. I figured… with a 5-6 pound base weight… I can afford an extra pound for such a luxury. If you’re going to be out there for 3 months… I think such a luxury would be a wonderful thing. Besides, I figure, how can I, as a banjo player, hike thru those hills of Appalacia and not have a banjo with me :) And if it ends up being a burden… I can always ship it back to myself.

By the way… if you post image… PLEASE resize them first… at least via HTML if you don’t know how to do it with a software program. My complaint is not bandwidth… I have tons of that… it’s that those massive images blow the page WAY out so we end up having to read posts that are extremely wide… i.e. long line length. In some cases… for some people (depending on the resolution of their monitor) this may even mean having to scroll back and forth sideways to read the posts. I would say that posted images should be no more than 500 pixels wide in order to keep the page at a decent width.

[Kevin Stephens]

The only "Hiker's Banjo" I have ever heard of I don't want anywhere near it…….ever heard of Deliverance????

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