$7 Waist Belt

I have home machine – Janome Excel – maybe 15 years old?

My wife bought it and I'm the only one that uses it

Try it with your machine, it might work, 1/8" foam + 2 layers 200D + silnylon + 3D. Don't push or pull it, let the machine do the feeding.

Long ago, my mom accused me of breaking her machine, I think, but she was too kind to complain too much, so don't take my advice unless you don't mind breaking your machine

Daryl – where/how do you attach the lower end of your shoulder straps?

dk

I attach the lower end of the shoulder straps to a piece of webbing that is attached to the plumbing Tees at the bottoms of the vertical pack frame stays.

In the mock-up photo above the webbing running through the horizontal hole in the plumbing T would go to and through the ladder lock buckle on the bottom of the shoulder strap.

I tried photographing one of my packs to illustrate this but it is laughingly confusing when photographed with the other straps, cords, fabric, belts, etc. Hopefully this mock-up will do but let me know if it doesn't and I'll try again.

I think that is pretty clear. Looks like the webbing goes through the entire horizontal part of the T with a knot at the far end. Thanks (again!).

Jerry,
Did not realize we were talking about only 1/8" thickness of foam.
The waist belts in my mind were using closer to 1/2" thickness of foam, before compression by a presser foot.

But I've not found any absolute criteria that assure there will be no tangles.
So if possible, I try sewing the sandwich first with scraps, and only doing a few stitches at a time so sewing can be stopped immediately if tangles start.
One of the pluses about the old Kenmore Zigzag machines is that you can sew extremely slowly and stop the process if tangles or other problems start. The agency where I was working at the time of purchase selected the machines for teaching beginners to sew, which was just right for me, so bought my own. Won't tell you when that was, though, as it would be giving too much away.

The new machine is a Pfaff, but hasn't been used yet. Traded in an Aelna for it because the Pfaff was more like the traditional Kenmore I was used to. Even the shopowner seller advised me to keep the more expensive Aelna, but resistance to change was involved. So much so that I'm still using the dying Kenmore with the Pfaff still sitting in the corner in its unopened carton. Eventually, it will all get sorted out.

1/8th inch is okay for waistbelt, shoulder straps – for lightweight pack