My oldest wants a custom, purpose built, daypack sewn by his dear old dad. ;-)

The dark grey VX21 is his color/fabric preference.

I'm looking for a minimum of 1 yard. I'd probably like to get 1.5 to 2 yards if possible.

Rockywoods is out of it and I have an email in to Dimension Polyants but I don't really need 10 yards of fabric for this project.

Party On,

Newton

If you need some black, I have some I can get to you. Just let me know if you can't find the grey.

Why don't you buy the minimum from DP and sell the rest to forum members, or on Ebay or try to get a group buy together?

i'd be down for a group buy if you end up doing that.

I just requested a fabric list, and they are out of grey. In stock now they just have OD Blue. Dec 12 they will have Black and Red.

I'd be in for minimum 2 yd, 3 is fine, 4 I can do.

This has now become a MYOG pack construction thread.

I originally started this thread back in late November when I was trying to find some dark grey VX21 fabric. Our son requested this fabric and color specifically.

Here are some pictures showing my progress thus far.

Our son requested water bottle pockets large enough for 1 quart Gatorade bottles. Another request was a padded internal pocket large enough for 2 I Phones. He and his fiance' day hike together on the local trails.



I suggested the 4mm foam lined and VX21 fabric faced shoulder straps. There is no internal padding in the straps. I included shockcord water bottle carriers on the straps and a sternum strap.



There is a large pleated mesh pocket on the front of the pack to stuff raingear in if necessary and it has some shockcorded "support" to keep the pocket contents under control. This pocket and the water bottle pockets are made of soft finish Leno Mesh with black silnylon "casings" for the elastic on the upper edges



There is a small plastic clip in the center of the laced shockcord that allows a quick release of the tension when gear is inserted or removed from the pocket. The grosgrain near the top of the pack is a dress up item. It covers the stitching where the internal I Phone pocket was sewn to the inside/front of the pack.

I didn't snap a picture of the I Phone pocket as yet but it is zippered 4mm foam mesh and is bound around the edges with folded 1" grosgrain.

Our son specified a zippered closure for the main pack bag. I used 5mm water proof zipper tape and reversible dual tab sliders from Quest Outfitters. What you will notice is that I haven't constructed the pack lid as of yet. Pictures of the finished product will be forthcoming.

Thanks to all who offered assistance in helping me secure the necessary fabric. This dark grey VX21 fabric was obtained from a good friend who was willing to part with half of what this friend had on hand in this color and style.

The BPL community continues to amaze and impress me. ;-)

Party On,

Newton

Edited by Newton on 03/08/2012 19:01:30 MST.

Pack's looking good John! I'm glad you were able to find the fabric your son requested.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the kind words.

Not shown in the pictures is the black 500D Cordura pack bottom.

I'm thinking of including a small triangular "storm flap" where the two zipper sliders meet in the front of the pack. I'd like it to cover the "open area" of the waterproof zipper in-between the sliders. I may tie it into the main pocket shockcording to add a little compression capability.

I don't foresee this pack carried over many wet miles in the woods though.;-)

I used 3/4" grosgrain down the front of the shoulder straps and 1" grosgrain at the shoulder strap attachment points and for the edge binding of the cell phone pocket.

The ladder locks are ITW Nexus Wavelocs and the adjustment webbing is the #2001 3/4" medium weight nylon webbing from Quest Outfitters. This combination makes for a very smooth adjustment and rock solid non-slip holding power.



Party On,

Newton

I was hoping to receive some hardware that I need for this pack in the mail today. Maybe it will arrive tomorrow. When it does I'll have only 12 inches of stitching to do and our son's custom day pack will be complete.



The lid was sewn in a similar fashion like the bottom but only VX21 fabric was used on the lid. The triangular piece of fabric will serve a dual purpose. This pack will have two zipper sliders that will "hide" under the flap when the pack is closed. This will cover the tiny gap where the zipper will not close between the two sliders.

The second purpose of this flap is to add just a touch of compression. I used a 1/2" side release buckle and some 1/2" medium weight webbing to make an adjustable compression strap. The lower portion of the webbing has a sewn loop through which the shockcord over the main pocket passes.

The pack's main compartment works out to about 1215 cubic inches or 19.9 liters. I haven't weighed it as of yet. That will happen once all the hardware is installed and all the stitching is finished.

Hopefully I'll get the new owner to model his new custom daypack since he is visiting with us this weekend. ;-)

Party On,

Newton

Looking good, Newton!

I like the pocket design on it, and black sure does look smooth against that grey VX.

The black strip just under the zipper that's below the top closure/compression strap, is that the bottom of the phone pocket? And, if so, is it reinforcing material to make the pocket last longer?

Thanks John

"The grosgrain near the top of the pack is a dress up item. It covers the stitching where the internal I Phone pocket was sewn to the inside/front of the pack".

It's at the top of the phone pocket and it's more of a stitching cover / dress up item than a reinforcement. It just might help make the pocket stay secure for a longer period of time. ;-)

Party On,

Newton

Okay. Thanks.

Must've missed that, sorry.

Very pretty, and I hope that it does help with longevity for the pocket.

This day pack left town on a Southwest Airlines flight in the custody of its new owner.



Below is a picture of the purpose built "I Phone" padded pocket that is sewn to the interior of the front side of the pack.



I had never done a zippered closure on a MYOG pack up to this point.



I did finally weigh it. On my digital scale this day pack tipped the scale at 16.10 ounces.

The pack has almost 30" of #5 waterproof coil zipper with two sliders. There are 4 medium sized toggles on the shoulder strap water bottle carriers and a plastic clip on the shockcord that crosses over the large mesh pocket. The pack is constructed of 1.5 square yards of VX21 6 oz/yd dark grey fabric. There is also some 4mm foam spacer mesh, some Leno mesh, a little silnylon and two different sizes of grosgrain.

The water bottle carriers on the shoulder straps are removable as is the sternum strap and shockcord on the front of the pack. The adjustment webbings on the shoulder straps were left a little long for my son to trim to his taste. I believe that the pack itself could easily weigh in under a pound.

I've made an ultralight believer out of my son. When he first tried on his pack there was a pillow stuffed inside to "fill it out" as it is a frame-less pack. When I removed the pillow he said, "I was thinking how light it was when I put it on. I didn't realize that pillow was in there". ;-)

Party On,

Newton

Edited by Newton on 03/12/2012 22:13:41 MDT.

This pack turned out really well John. Definitely got a classy formal look to it. Nicely done!

Nice pack!

I'm curious now that its been a few months, how is the bottom of the pack handling abrasion, compared to dyneema x?

Also Newton you wouldn't happen to have the approx external dimensions on hand? Like 10x6x26?

John,

Re: "I had never done a zippered closure on a MYOG pack up to this point."

What about that little blue number on your "It's My Own" thread?

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=65877

When you have fans, you must watch every word. You are living in a fishbowl!

@ Michael,

I'm sorry that I don't have the measurements down on paper anywhere anymore.

It is approximately 12" x 4" x 25"

My son has a rather long torso and this pack was only meant to be a day pack. The projected gear to be carried in the main bag would only be rain gear, "lunch" and extra clothes like jackets and such if the weather would turn.

@ Sam,

Here's the answer to the old chicken and egg question.

The day pack was built 4 months earlier and followed by the MyOwn pack.

"When you have fans, you must watch every word. You are living in a fishbowl!"

Who knew? ;-)

Party On,

Newton

Edited by Newton on 01/09/2013 00:05:42 MST.

Well done, John. Wish I could sew like that.