Cuben Fiber Dog Backpack

The internet is your friend….

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/sew-your-own-dog-pack-zmaz83jazshe.aspx#axzz2h9L71ttx

http://www.doggiestylish.com/Free-Dog-Collar-And-Leash-Patterns/free-patterns-for-dog-harnesses-and-dog-backpacks.html (scroll down the page to get to the pack section)

I was terrified before doing my first project with cuben (mostly because the fabric is SO expensive, that a screw-up would cost a lot of money for nothing!).

But honestly, cuben is fantastically easy to work with! In fact, my following project was with silnylon, and I was cursing its slipperiness and wishing for the ease of cuben again.

Here are a few tips:

Mark your pattern lines with pen/marker and use a fresh razorblade or Xacto on top of a self-healing cutting mat.

Use a relatively thin needle, longer stitch length, regular allpurpose thread, and sew slowly and carefully, making sure to let the fabric feed through at its own speed.

Once you fold cuben firmly, it mostly stays in place, so you don't have to pin it like other fabrics.

The only drawback I can think of is that cuben is noisy (your dog may/may not care), and it is totally unbreathable, so it may not feel that great on your dog's back.

Valerie – how long a stitch length do you use with cuben? What size needle? I may get around to sewing on it someday, and would love to know.

I also thought about the fact that it's unbreathable, so might be pretty hot on a pup if the weather is warm. Maybe use woven fabric next to the skin, cuben elsewhere?

"The only drawback I can think of is that cuben is noisy (your dog may/may not care), and it is totally unbreathable, so it may not feel that great on your dog's back."

They do make breathable cuben, but I don't know how breathable it really is.

You could also just use breathable fabric for the 'sling' over the back, and cuben for the saddlebags.

jinx

"jinx"

Does this mean we're supposed to hold pinkies or something?

If you're going to continue this thread, you have to post a pic of your pup.

Do that and I may, maaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy, have some cuben I'm not using I could send your way.

I was thinking I would only make the pockets cuben for the breathability issue. Indy is an American Eskimo which are prone to overheating because of all their hair. I like HMGs Cuben because it's a hybrid and feels much more like fabric than the regular but he doesn't mind cuben as you can see.

The top part could be made out of some strong mesh like material maybe. I like the idea of a D ring so I could attach his leash if need be.

I've never owned a dog pack. Is there anything else I should be mindful of?

DK, stitch length dials vary, depending on the brand. My machine's stitch length is 0-4, and using mid-weight cuben, I was at about a 3.5. [The reason you want longer stitches is that, if your stitch length is really short, you risk damaging the fabric along the seam — exactly where you DON'T want to compromise its strength!.]

I used a #9 needle – I meant to use a #7, but I didn't have one, so I just used what I had, and it was fine. [The reason for the smaller needle is that you don't want to make a bigger hole in the cuben than is absolutely necessary, because unlike normal fabric, it won't self-seal at all.]

>> Maybe use woven fabric next to the skin, cuben elsewhere

That's a great idea! And Doug also came up with the same thing.

Doug, I know there is breathable cuben now, but at $60/yard, I wouldn't even consider it for most applications. Perhaps if one is very, very wealthy…but then they probably aren't MYOG-ing! ;~)

Do keep in mind that dog packs take a lot of abuse. My Aussie forgets to compensate for the extra width of the pack and brushes up against rocks, branches and other trail borders— as well as my shins. I would go for a tough Cordura fabric myself.

You want the load over his shoulders as much as possible and not down in the sway of his back. Study the "Y" style front yoke used on the Ruffwear packs. It is a little harder to make and put on the dog, but more stable and clear of the motion of his front legs. Keep chafing in mind, particularly if you dog has short hair. Most dog packs have some fleecy covers over the straps and pad-like chafe guards at the buckles.

Dogs don't sweat, so breathability isn't so much of an issue, but overheating is an issue with any pack fabric. Take the pack off at breaks and be wary of using it in really hot weather. My dog loves to run back and forth on the trail, so he is really active (I use a lead if there are others on the trail). He has thick fur and I leave the pack at home if it is hot.

I would lean to the smaller side on bag size. My dog typically carries water, poo bags and food. Using two small bladders works well to balance the load. He has his own Sierra cup for water and food bowl, or make a fabric bowl from scraps while you have the sewing machine out.

"but at $60/yard, I wouldn't even consider it for most applications."

Now you know why I don't MYOG…. :-)

"stitch length dials vary, depending on the brand"

Yeah, apparently! My old Singer uses stitches per inch setting, so I generally use 10-12 for most things, 6 (longest possible) for basting. Any idea how many per inch you get with the 3.5 setting? Maybe that's per cm? The needle size may be different too…it looks like the thinnest possible for Singer is a 9, used for chiffon, voile, etc.

Doug – virtual pinkies :)

I'd be careful about making a cuben pack for a dog.
Dogs overheat as it is.
Cuben is light but hot and sweaty when worn as a saddle.
Also I made the mistake of using my blast for a crosscountry
trip and put lots of holes in from the brush; I would think
a dog would do the same.

I think I used about 9-10 stitches per inch, and it was "just right", and I used a needle that was one size up from the chiffon-sized. But again, my cuben was a bit thicker…

Some things you would probably have to stitch, but why not use tape for the rest? I agree with the posters saying it would be best to use a breathable fabric for the material directly on the back.

+1 on Dale's suggestions. I haven't tried the Ruffwear packs, but I (or rather, my dog) used one by a cheaper competitor with the simpler strap placement. It suffered from stability issues; motion constraint and chafing were also concerns.

I would also wonder about the durability of a cuben dog pack. CharlieDog is on his second RuffWear pack and wow does that sucker take some serious abuse. Since abrasion is cuben's worst enemy, I can't imagine it holding up more than a trip or two.

Good point, Jennifer! Maybe cuben isn't the right material for dogs, given their hiking style…

Thank you everyone for your ideas and insight.

I am thinking about 3D Spacer Mesh fabric to go against his body. It's very similar to what ruffwear uses and it's padded. The mesh is used on most shoulder straps. Then using 210d Dyneema X Gridstop for the outer part of the body harness, Grosgrain for bias/edging, Nylon webbing for the harness made into a Y formation.

I have a fanny pack from Gossamer gear which has a design I think would be great for the saddle bags. I am thinking about making them detachable so I can try a few different types of fabric. Once I've chosen a winner then I would attach them permanently.

I should have mentioned that my dog is only 25lbs soaking wet so he can only carry 2.5-3 lbs from what I understand.

Sounds good! Looking forward to photos of your dog modeling the new pack when you've completed it. :~)