This is thread is the same that I posted on another site, just spreadin’ the word ;)
I’ve seen posts about “does color matter?”… well to me it does, for many reasons, I like to blend in and not be a neon sign walking through nature, so the foregoing is how I dyed my SIX MOON DESIGNS TRAVELER all black…
I first sent Brandon Moak an email, asking if he had any experience dying his packs, he did not… so i researched “dyneema” found out the pack was not 100% dyneema by a hybrid textile made with mainly nylon… GREAT! because although you cannot dye dyneema, nylon you can defiantly dye using RIT, found here:
http://www.ritdye.com/Liquids.28.51.5.9.lasso
You can find RIT dye anywhere, safeway, longs, walgreens, walmart, target..
So I LOVE the SMD traveler, great features, great design, low weight, LOVE THE EXTERIOR PAD POUCH (it allows easy access during brakes, I keep my sleep pad and big agnes UL camp chair assembled and folded in the pocket, so i have a padded chair at all times)
BUT… I hate the color! to be honest i almost went to a ULA pack for this reason, but I went traveler, and im glad I did!
Before:
After:
How did I do it?
I’m a homebrewer, so i decided to use my mash tun to do the dying, its stainless steel so not worried about dying the thing black… heres what it looks like:
http://morebeer.com/view_product/9167/103458/Mash_Tun_-_8_Gallon_Heavy_Duty_Brew_Kettle
So i put the kettle on my stove top, this is because i know it will not boil (when I make beer its on a separate sculpture, thats all electrically fired, anywho) I ADDED 2 BOTTLES OF BLACK RIT DYE, TO APPROX. 6 GALLONS OF WATER, brought the temp to 130F turned off the burner, I should note, that while the water was warming up, i was in my living room taking the hipbelt and shoulder straps off, unzipped everything, I also cinched down the whole thing by connecting the shoulder strap bottom tensioner to the load lifters on top, this made a compact taco looking package. Then with a nod to the gods, submerged my beloved pack into the now steaming black water, fingers crossed, I stirred and stirred. ONE HOUR LATER, I precariously lifted the now all black pack out, took it outside, rinsed with a garden hose till the water ran clear, a smile from ear to ear! :) my pack is now black, not the white dyneema threads of course, but all nylon took the dye perfectly! I hung it up in my shower with a fan on it, and a few hours later reassembled the hipbelt and shoulder straps, job done!
Thanks for reading, hope this helps someone :)
