Shoulder strap help. MLD copy?

[Don Burton]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>I’m getting ready to make a day pack out of some left over xpac I have.</p>
I have a Burn and really love their straps.

• Can anyone send me a link on a site with a similar pattern?
• What type of foam? Thickness?
• Shoulder strap tips.

Thanks!

[Eric Blanche]

According to MLD “S-shaped unisex comfort shoulder straps are 2.5″ wide X 0.8″ thick and are SuperWick mesh lined with full-length highest quality 1/2″ thick EVA foam padding.”

So that means the 3d mesh is probably 1/4 inch stuff. I copied there design by using the straps as a template and simply using the inside out sock method to get the foam in.

Sew wrong side of fabric to wrong side of 3d mesh using desired method. Straight top stitch seems to work fine for me . Flip inside out and stuff with foam and you are done. Don’t foget to leave extra fabric/material at top to connect to the backpack using desired method.

[Ivo Vanmontfort]

Did it the same way than Eric. I used a rope (white on photo) for the “flip inside out fase”.

evazode sticks a lot so it is not that simpel stuff the foam into the fabric

https://ivovanmontfort.blogspot.be/2016/06/rugzak-uit-x-pac-vx07-laminaat.html

[Sam C]

While I have not done with MLD straps, I have used other straps as templates in the same manner mentioned above:  lie them flat and trace around.  But, from here you will need to add seam allowances and the thickness of the padding.  So, for example, if the shoulder straps are to be 2.5″ wide, and you want 3/8″ SAs all around, and the foam pad is to be 1/2″ thick, you need to add 1.25″ to that original 2.5″ (2.5 + 3/8 + 3/8 +1/2 = 3 3/4).  So, cut your pieces at 3 3/4″ wide.

edit to add:  because you will only be able to trace the straps so far, don’t forget to add 3″ or so to the open ends so you will have some fabric left to anchor to the pack with.

Good luck finding that highest quality eva foam.  Just kidding, but you gotta love corny marketing.  I get my 1/2″ foam from The Rain Shed.  Not sure how it compares to eva but it is certainly better than the blue stuff found in the sporting goods section at those mega-stores. It’s thicker, sure, but it is also softer and more comfortable.  A word of caution, perhaps, about buying foam from TRS:  most other suppliers seem to cut the foam hieght-wise, so if you say but a foot of it you will get a 12″ x 36″ piece.  From TRS, if you buy a foot of it you will get a 12″ x 60″ piece because they will cut it width-wise like a typical piece of fabric.

Shoulder strap tips, already mentioned above.  But I will add that when cutting the foam padding to start with a slightly larger piece and then trim it down little by little until you get a piece that fits.  If you want to sew through the fabric, padding, and/or webbing, you best bet is to hand crank if your machine can’t do it.  And if your machine can, if it’s a cheaper model doing so might screw up the tension.

[Don Burton]

Thanks for the tips!

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