Hello All!
I am fairly new here, and after reading many, many posts on the projects everyone has worked on, i am beginning my journey into making my own gear. I have a few projects in mind (a rain jacket, bivy and or net tent, and of course a pack) but i am at a loss on where to purchase some materials.
I know Zpacks sells a lot of materials, and thru hiker as well....but i guess in particular, where can i buy dyneema X or 3dmesh? also the padding used in shoulder straps and a waist belt for a pack??

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Also, and where to find patterns for clothing, in particular a rain jacket, would be nice too! I know thru hiker has a few kits...im not sure if they sell the patterns....

I have 2 yards of cuben fiber and some polyester thread, and soon a new sewing machine.
Ive heard that a #9 or 10 needle is good to use, so i will be looking into that as well.
Exacto knife and metal ruler....and a big table...i think thats all the equipment i have so far. If there are any other items you have found useful in making your own gear, please let me know!
Anyways...thanks in advance and hopefully over the winter i can get to work and post pics of some of the items i make here on the forums! hasta!

... looking for a place to buy tyvek....tx

3d mesh - thru-hiker.com

i may have jumped the gun....ive been rereading through posts here and absolutley leaving no stone unturned on every website i can find....
3d mesh...found....MLD also has a bunch of fabric other than cuben....
so...im moving forward...all other portions of my post apply!

check local building contracors in your area.

www.antigravitygear.com

You can find tyvek Cheap on ebay- any length you want

Quest Outfitters: tyvek Style 1443R.

1443r is lighter and more flexible than the standard contractor stuff, I got both and was sort of astounded by how heavy the standard tyvek was. Testing lightest to heavier, tried gossamer gear poly sheets, which are very cool and ultralight but they don't quite cut it for every type of spot, at least if one function of your ground sheet is to protect delicate materials on top of it, like silnylon floors or whatever. 1443r is next to test, if that shows weaknesses I'll go with the thick and heavy contractor type stuff. But I'm hoping 1443r, which is what Jim Wood recommends, does the trick for ground cover, it's a lot nicer to deal with than the standard type, which is stiff and relatively heavy.

Quest will allow adjustments to the order, so if you order 3 yards, then in the final comment box on the order form, last step, say you want 2.5 yards, they will adjust your order price after, and also maybe the shipping, so you can get exactly as much as you need.

Edited by hhope on 10/09/2011 17:20:20 MDT.

You can get the 1443 Tyvek from Into the Wind:
http://www.intothewind.com/shop/Repair_and_Kitemaking/Fabric_for_kitemaking_or_kite_repair/Tyvek

Joe at Zpacks has the heavier contracter weight tyvek:
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/tyvek.shtml