Hey guys; long time lurker, first time poster. (Skip to the copious pics for the Reader’s Digest version.)
I’ve followed the typical gearstyle genesis, moving from a big Osprey pack, double wall tent, full length self inflating pad, canister stove, etc. to hammocking, popcan stoves, and a CCF torso pad. Like most, I’ve missed some comforts, but the lighter hikes (usually) more than make up for the less luxurious nights.
Anyway, due to that overall lightening, I decided it was finally time to ditch my Aether (a marvelous but unconscionably heavy pack) for something lighter—no sense in carrying 12 pounds of gear in 5 and a half pounds of pack. Having never sewn anything in my life, the MYOG route was far from my first instinct. Knowing I was broke, but wanting a lighter pack, I checked out some Granite Gear packs, then Golite packs (the Jam looked good, but I wanted an exterior pocket or shockcord to keep my ghetto hammock tarp out of the main packbag). Eventually my search led me to Granite Gear’s website and I drooled over the Gorilla and Mariposa Plus—wishing there was a way to combine them (Gorilla’s durability, Mariposa Plus’ capaciousness and pocket configuration), throwing a little Jam in (wanted the Jam’s capacity and excellent Compactor system) and make that chimera pack cost less than $170 (a totally reasonable price, but I needed something more along the lines of…nearly free). I saw GG’s “make your own” section and checked out their opensource instructions for the G4. That was the first moment it occurred to me I could *make* the light pack with all the features I wanted for way less money. Looking for everything the internet could tell me about building backpacks, I quickly ended up here at Backpackinglight and read every MYOG backpack post I could find. I would never’ve tried bluffing my way through this thing if it weren’t for the fantastic projects you’ve all completed and published here, so thanks.
So, here’s my new pride and joy:
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