Last year I was laid off and spent most of my days hustling freelance for various companies, hiking (a lot) and dreaming of making my own gear. I began the journey after coming home from a recent backpack trip and realized I wanted my pack to do specific things and be more simple and light. I figured having been forced into freelance I could embark on an adventure of tinkering on the side. I don’t want to discourage anyone from making their own stuff, I suggest everyone try it but instead of going big, start small and work your way up cause it’s hard. I started making a pack but ended up making a zippered side pouch after all was said and done. I might try again later but I realized I should leave the pack making to the pros. I did however get a ton a of info and a few links you might find useful if you decide to go on this journey:
Read Full Post

I’ve been working on making my own backpack. I’ve done research online and have watched countless “make your own gear” videos on youtube (ie: how to sew). Awaiting a few things to come in the mail and once that arrives look for an article as well as links to making your own backpack. In short, you are better off buying some thing already made…damn this project has been hard. Here’s the tally of what I’ve used or cannibalized:

1- Arcteryx day pack. Removed waterproof zippers, buckles and shock cord. Also was curious on how they built the pack.
1- Really old Special Blend backpack (probably a school bag). Removed all buckles. I took this apart to see how they built it and what seam allowances they used.
5- Yards of 210D ripstop. Got this on ebay really cheap and most of the bag will be made up of this.

Total cost so far: $20 in materials (not counting the old bags that I broke apart)

More to come with pics of the bag and resources I used.

Our homies at Patagonia posted this awesome story in their “My Footprint” series about a Pat employee who makes her own ski’s using recycled palettes: Check it and get inspired.

When ever I head into the woods on a hike I always manage to find a downed branch or small tree which I then quickly make into a walking stick for the day. Finally I decided to make a more permanent walking companion and embarked on making a walking stick. Read Full Post

About a month ago I picked up the Maxpedition Sabercat pack. I was looking to replace my shoulder pack with a hip pack and the Sabercat caught my eye. The main thing that drew me to this pack was how it was organized and it’s ability to run extra pieces via it’s molle system. I’m not going to dive into the logistics but I’ll tell you a bit about what I used it for and what I like and hate about it.

Read Full Post