I have been piecing together this design for a few months now, primarily in the form of a cycling pack for commuting. I thought I would like a day/summit/ultralight bag that payed homage to the 1990s as well as Japanese backpack design (which I am really hot on right now).

This bag is spectra/cordura, which is above all else a high quality weave and nice, thick PU coating on the back.

%100 Coats thread, 1" web throughout and heat sealable packcloth I picked up from Seattle Fabrics to make the dry bag.

No powder skirt on this one, but have been considering it for the future, or possibly an integrated roll top/dry bag unit.

Thanks for looking!

nice retro euro style!

Definitely love the retro look! Very smart construction!

Just finishing off my first backpack this week hopefully. Had a metre of material lying around that I wasn't going to use so thought I might as well do something with it. Will post pics whenever I get it done.

John,

Nicely done!

"...primarily in the form of a cycling pack for commuting".

The color combination is attractive and eye catching which is perfect for a cycling pack that is used in and around traffic for commuting.

How were the lashing tab(s) to sew on. I have some to sew on for another hikers pack and was wondering how my machine will handle the vinyl/rubber tabs. Did you back them up inside the pack with any kind of reinforcements?

Is your pack lined with the red material? I see the Spectra on the exterior but that red interior has me thinking that it is lined in red cordura.

How does is "ride"? Have you used it to commute yet? Is there a waist belt?

Very nice stitch work! Congratulations on a great looking commuter pack.

Party On,

Newton

Sweet!

Very cool pack! Love the colors!

Love the yellow interior. I've got some bags (not backpacks) with yellow interior and it's nice because it's light and makes it easy to find stuff inside.

The bag is unlined except for the lid.

I have not commuted with this bag, but commute every day with a much beefier version of the same (fully lined with 10-18 oz VCP.

There is a place for a waist strap, but have not found need for it yet. The narrower construction (!2") keeps the pack more stable due to the shoulder straps lightly hugging your torso.

I like the flatter design much better than the narrow, high-riding lower capacity packs. I would want water bottle pockets on the side and a bungee cord option on the front.

John,
Very nice design and sewing skill the pack colors will make you visable to car while cycling. Your next pack should be made out of Xpac ripstop from rocky woods and make a water proof pack so you don't need a cover while it raining when cycling.
Terry
Xpac link: http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Kits/All-Ripstop-Nylon-Fabrics/XPAC-Ripstop-Nylon-Fabric

Edited by socal-nomad on 05/23/2011 13:52:30 MDT.

John,

Great execution and color scheme! I like the envelope-style closure system.

Did I read correctly, you got the webbing from Seattle Fabrics too? Is it the "X630" nylon stuff? That blue would be great for one of my projects.

Might not have been clear. The inside material is actually a dry bag I made. The backpack with this fitted insert is 100% waterproof.

David, are you offering feedback or simply telling me the pack you want is nothing like the one I make?