Adding/Modifying Pockets On Zpacks Arc Haul

re: Mod 1.  Since time is short, perhaps thread the shoulder strap through several of the larger elastic hair ties.  Use as many as you need for a secure attachment.  Install some extras in anticipation of failures.

I suppose that could work in a pinch. I have a month, that should be enough time to order some fabrics and have the tailor work on it. Just need to know what to buy. Emailed osprey today asking what fabrics are used on the pocket and the elastic cuff, waiting to hear back.

Well I took the pack up to the tailor in town today and wanted to see if that was something they could even do… nope. Can’t sew though the shoulder strap, she said.

I found a place online called Rainy Pass Repair, you can send in outdoor gear for custom alterations. Anyone ever used them? Or have any recommendations for a similar company that could take this on?

There’s also Repair Lair in Minneapolis and Santa Cruz Gear Repair. Lots of pictures of their work online.

Mod 1: It sounds like you want a permanent mod, but to add another DIY idea into the mix you could always use a couple of Voile ski straps to securely affix the GoPro handle to the daisy chain webbing on the shoulder strap.

Thanks Greg, just requested a quote from both. I’ll have a look at the Voile straps and keep them in mind as a backup if I can’t get something done by the end of the month.

Just to be clear, I wasn’t discounting Rainy Pass–I’ve heard great things about their work–just offering some additional options so you could shop around.

Post the results when it’s done and good luck–modifying your gear so it does exactly what you need it to is very satisfying.

Rainy Pass said it would couldn’t do it in my time frame, and said it would probably take total deconstruction of the pack to do it, and would likely cost twice as much as the pack. Also heard back from Santa Cruz, Peter  said there were a lot of variables to give a quote, I would need to ship it in for them to have a look, but they as well cannot do it in such a short time frame. I’ve yet to hear from Repair Lair. Thanks for your suggestions. I will keep searching for a solution.

I found a local upholstery shop that will do it at $35/hr. Question, where can I buy the elastic that is used on the side pocket cuffs of the Arc Haul? I’ve searched a few places like ripstopbytheroll and rockywoods, but only see flat elastic strips. Also, on the inside of the pack, there’s some tape on the seams… what is this tape called and where can I buy it?

Re tape – zPacks used cuben repair tape on my early arc haul.

Thanks! I saw that on their site but wasn’t sure if that was used in their packs.

Anyone know where can I buy the elastic that is used on the side pocket cuffs of the Arc Haul, or a similar kind of elastic that would work well?

Eric, check out Piper’s suggestion on this thread

(7th post in) where she talks about using lycra fabric from a thrift shop. Brilliant idea, and then your whole pocket could be elasticized. Many backpack mesh pockets are topped by a lycra (spandex) edging tape which is very stretchy, but a little hard to find. I’ve sometimes just cut a strip of the selvedge (the thinner, non-printed edge) off of a piece of Lyra from the fabric store and used that.  Those Arc Haul pockets look (from the photo) like the elastic is internalized, which means they likely use either 1/4 inch or so roll elastic, which you can easily find at a fabric store, or elastic shockcord.  But I would encourage you to think about externalizing the shockcord on the top of the pocket and finishing it off with a small cordlock. In my personal experience, the elasticized pockets are often the first things to wear out on a backpack, and a shockcord plus cordlock allows you to easily change out the shock cord when this happens, as well as custom fit the tension.  Good luck!

I like the idea of the external shock cord, I may go with something like that. Good info here, thank you!