Hi all – In the last year I’ve been experimenting with MYOG, mostly using Tyvek to prototype tarps and a pack. I finally learned to use my daughter’s starter sewing machine a few months ago and made my first tarp. That led me to buy a beefier sewing machine off FB and I built my first pack.
- Simple 2 seam design (back and bottom) for the main bag
- ~45L, 14oz
- 3.2 oz HEX70 XL material from RSBTR
Background:
The “Strap Pack V1” concept started after seeing Stitchback Gear’s simple Tyvek pack design that starts with a cradle that holds a Tyvek bag. https://www.stitchbackgear.com/articles/easy-to-make-ultralight-backpack
Instead of building the cradle to hold the bag, I wanted to try a soft “frame” made of nylon webbing, thinking the proper structure could have simple construction, support lighter material, but still hold higher weight if needed. A $10 kit of webbing and buckles from Amazon, a 3×3′ sheet of Tyvek, Tyvek tape, and some old backpack straps and I had a working model that could hold 50 lbs (not that I want to carry that much.
V2: I wanted to keep design simple and overall costs low for my first pack. I chose 3.2 oz HEX70 XL material from RSBTR because it is waterproof, reasonably light, supposedly durable (we’ll see) and the extra-wide material means I spent $8.75 for the body and pocket material. I bought the $10 pack of webbing and buckles off Amazon, a few feet of 1/8″ spacer mesh, some line-locs, and cordage I had, so all-in I’m at about $30 in materials.
The pocket is sewn directly onto the main bag with extra material – either nylon webbing or HEX70 as reinforcement sewn behind it. The strap system is sewn to the back of the bag, but not to the front. The strapping wraps around the front and clips to the top, so the strap structure holds the majority of any weight.
The backside of the straps (attached to the bag) have 3 eyelets per side. The original idea was to use these to attach a section of z-rest for back pad. This felt clunky so I sewed tabs onto a section of spacer mesh to add some breathability. It’s attached using UHMWPE cord and when removed drops the pack about 1.5oz.
It came in at just under 14oz. In early hikes I’ve found it to fit really well and is comfortable without a chest strap or hip belt.
Thanks you’s and inspiration:
Piper’s write-up on her pack came out just as I was starting this and it was extremely helpful in thinking through some of my construction and design. I especially liked her adjustable/interchangeable shoulder-strap design. I initially used this on the pack to get the fit right and then removed it once I had the fit down. https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/i-made-a-backpack-with-a-lot-of-features-15-5oz/
“Five Pound Pete” makes some great UL packs with interesting approaches: https://www.fivepoundpete.com/myog-packs
What I’d do differently:
In the next version I’ll likely try a HyperD 200 or 300 material to try out a new material, but still keep costs down. I will definitely plan the reinforcements better as this will save build time and drop the weight another 2 oz. I’ll try other suppliers of webbing and buckles as I think they’ll be higher quality than the Amazon material. So far I like the line-loc and cord combo to tighten the top roll, but I want to find a couple plastic hooks to attach somewhere to keep the extra cord out of the way.
