BPL MYOG Award?

[Craig B]

Hey all,

I’ve seen a lot of really great work from members here in this forum, much worthy of recognition.  How about a MYOG Award for all us ‘amateur’ gear designers/makers?  After all, BPL has one for films.

The rules would be something like:

1. The piece of gear must be something that would be taken on a backpacking trip.
2. You must have made it with your own hands (subject to further clarification maybe)
3. You can’t have taken money for anything you’ve made for backpacking in a commercial venture (This will need some further clarification)

And what else?  Categories? Judging?

Is this something other people would be interested in seeing or participating in?

[MJ H]

The stove category should be split into things you can tell your insurance agent about and “Other”.

[Kattt]

While I have not made any gear worth entering in this proposed contest, I am a “maker” of things and would love to see this happen. There are a lot of very talented and ingenious people on this forum.

 

[Elliott Wolin]

Sounds interesting, but I suspect most of us would be hopelessly outclassed, as would I.

Although I can sew, I don’t have a lathe, mill, sheet metal brake, welding apparatus, chemistry lab, engineering degree (ok, I’m a physicist), CAD software, creative design ability, nor any aesthetic sensibilities.  And I’m mildly colorblind, which is why my wife or daughter has to choose my clothes when we go out  ;-)

[Roger Caffin]

Sounds like perfect qualifications …

Cheers

[Edward John M]

OK We definitely need and “Ugly” category if I’m to participate, I sew a lot and my sewing still sucks

[R]

I think the nominations thread will be the best part.

 

[Craig B]

Boy that was a pretty underwhelming response!  I guess no myog awards from BPL :-(

[Ken Thompson]

10 years too late. Pretty dead these days.

[Roger Caffin]

I would not say too late or pretty dead these days.
People are still making UL tarps, tents, packs, clothing and even stoves. :)
It may be that such efforts are no longer so news-worthy, as UL is now mainstream.

Cheers

[James Marco]

Sure! you will need a time span, though. Some of the past projects look GOOD. No, I don’t do fancy stuff, but would really like to see the things everyone has been working on.

[Ken Thompson]

“I would not say too late or pretty dead these days.“. You would.

25 posts in 36 hours is a far cry from times past.  And activity in the MYOG forum is really slow compared to the others, so dead.

The same eight people do not a flourishing forum make.

[Daryl and Daryl]

It’s difficult these days to come up with something that is really new that hasn’t been made before.

When I first started making tents in the 1970s a 2 person, 2 door, 2 vestibule tent under 4 pounds was rare.  Not any more.

[fred L]

Hi, I want to give some input to your discussion about the activity level on the MYOG section and the direction you describe it is heading in. I want to use me myself as an example.

I could have been interacting actively here since 2012, but I never did. I only read the content.

By this I mean I am a MYOG enthusiast considering this my main hobby, having acquired a sewing machine, 3d printer, cad software, TPU wielding equipment etc, and having given a large portion of gear a go, making tents, packs, quilts, jackets, stoves and so forth.

My point is that although I clearly had the interest required, I read, but did not interact on the forums. To keep a forum active, Interaction is key, not having readers. For me, the way the subscription system is comprised, the opposite effect is achieved.

I believe that, for most beginners, the free portion of the board already answers all the questions they could possibly come up with, rendering the need for paying to ask a question obsolete. You are given all the value for free, but if you want to interact, share, and make friends (All these 3 things are exactly what keeps activity up) you have to pay! Long term this can really only go one way as there is a barrier keeping potential users from engaging and creating relationships on the boards. Then I absolutely agree that special guides and top content can have a paywall, it does not inhibit new users from interacting on the board, and is a long term value that generates subscriptions.

Bottom line is that asking people to pay to interact and share online is not exactly where the internet is going. I feel this model is not optimal for engaging new people to the MYOG board. I do realize that the forums are bigger than the MYOG section, and that the subscription system therefore is not made solely with the needs of this section in mind. I only had interest in MYOG, so this was the dynamic for me.

As this is more or less my hello message here, I hope I am not being misunderstood. Although this first entry carries an element of critique, it comes from caring for this interest.

I agree that the gap between what hikers want and what is comercially availiable is shrinking. Although I know plenty of people who hike, I never had an easy time finding people interested in making gear. That is why I as of today I decided to pay to talk back to you amazing people. I have several projects going and I am looking forward to sharing them when I finish them up!

What do you think ?

Am I taking too much for granted based on my own perception? or might there be other interested people that could still reach this board, but are not given the reason to interact?

Cheers!

Fred

[Jerry Adams]

hello : )

yeah, not too many MYOGers, most people are more into just hiking and backpacking, don’t have enough time for MYOG, more on this site

yeah, I think there shouldn’t be a charge for posting.  They say this is to prevent spammers.  Another hiking site I follow prevents spammers without charging.  But whatever – there are different ways to run websites.  If I don’t like something I’ll go somewhere else.

[Jerry Adams]

I first made a tent in about 1970.  It was a pyramid tent.  Except it weighed a lot more than pyramid tents I make now.

[David Thomas]

Welcome, Fred.  I agree with your thoughts about attracting newbies with one addition:

Sure, one can look through free articles and archived threads and learn a lot.  But I recall when a lot of people started on BPL as free members, posting something like, “What’s the best stove for backpacking?” and some us would answer the question (while a few who break Wheaton’s Law would post, “This has been discussed before.”) and a discussion would ensue, we’d tease out more info and gave them multiple, often conflicting responses.  Anyway, it was an entree to the forums for many and their questions could get more specific about gear and broader to include techniques, destinations, permitting, philosophy, etc.

Now, since you must pay to join, it’s a high bar when you don’t know if you’ll get a friendly, helpful response (or that “This has been discussed before.”).

Free to join the forums, pay to post on Gear Swap / Chaff, pay to see some content would be my suggestion.

And the bit of spam when it was free?  1) lots of websites have “are you a human” checks, and 2) many forum members could be anointed deleters of spam, with no other rights or responsibilities and the spam would be gone almost as soon as anyone saw it.

[David Thomas]

Is MYOG dead because everything has been figured out?

I remember in the mid-1980’s as yoke suspension systems in mass-marketed backpacks; self-inflating insulating sleeping pads;  MSR stoves; and fleece, pile and polypro clothing came out.  It seemed like the all the biggest problems and bothers of backpacking had been solved.  I still MYOG’ed some of my own gear, played with tarps, skipped the sleeping bag, went no-cook and had other tricks to get my pack weight down.  Point being, it’s easy to think,

“Everything That Can Be Invented Has Been Invented.” -Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of US patent office, 1889.

People have been saying that forever.  Just like,

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”  -Thomas Watson, president of IBM, 1943

People often underestimate the market for new, good designs.  Especially the products they haven’t even seen nor imagined yet.

However small and light you’d have thought a compass, a GPS, a camera, a flashlight, printed books, maps, alarm clock, Walkman, headphones, weather station, star guide, or taxi service could ever get, they’re now all included in your phone for no additional weight.

One single example: Using Guthooks on a thru hike could let you avoid hauling 10 pounds of water (or taking it when you must) because of current, accurate intel about the trail ahead.

[Jerry Adams]

“we’d tease out more info and gave them multiple, often conflicting responses.”

I can see how that’s frustrating for people that want to get the one best solution

But, I think conflicting responses are good

Each person can see some possibilities and determine what will work for them

If you have a fairly complete set of possible solutions they will bound to be conflicting at times

Like, if you just camp in fair weather you can have a lighter, less robust tent.  If you want to camp in severe weather then you need a very robust, heavier tent.

 

[Kevin Buggie]

Welcome to BPL, Fred!

I really hope Ryan Jordan reads and responds to your post.

I’m just an observer of cool stuff in this forum (never could understand the thread feed on my mother’s sewing machine she gave me) and think the DCF tunnel tent by Pierre would win this first award by far.  I did just myog a fast and sweet white oak bow, inspired by the myog community at Primitive Archer.  Can’t remember if I paid to participate there, or if I just paid for the bimonthly glossy magazine pdf.

[Doug Coe]

Welcome, Fred. I am not at all a super contributor/poster here, but when spring comes around and I get in the fair weather backpacking mood, I like being able to ask questions about destinations and such.

I admire that you’ve made so much gear. I’ve done one RayWay-ish tarp (and am tired or it). I hope to get around to making prototypes (and then the actual articles) of a pack and a tent this year. And it will definitely be fun to share them when the final versions are done!

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