So this was my first real foray into the MYOG world. First time using my new sewing machine on anything other than some crappy old nylon and just random fabric laying around the house. It was fun, it was challenging, but most of all i learned-A TON!!! and found a renewed respect for the guys who make gear that makes us all drool.
so what did i learn?
1. I hate-repeat-hate shoulder straps. also i had no idea there was foam you can buy to use for padding.
2. Whatever material that is on the bottom, some kind of xpac material, was a pain to manipulate in tight spaces.
3. My sewing/camera skills need to improve! :)
4. Zimmer is a mad genius.

Im at the start of my journey into this fun fun realm and im both proud and disappointed in my effort. It was supposed to be a pack for my wife, but she is super short, and i measured wrong. The pack is light and fits me ok, but there is a lot that i would do differently.
Thanks to everyone here who helped me acquire the fabric.
Im sure my next effort will be much, much better!

Also, if anyone has a blueprint or directions for how to build a simple pack shoot it my way!

feel free to have a chuckle at my sewing, after all its the holidays-and we all can use a good laugh! i did!

I started on the Ray-Way pack kit, but I think you can learn as much for free from the LAB pack. You could also check out the G4 but it is huge, so I suggest scaling it back.

-Tim

i found the plans for the G4...but not the LAB.
Can you point me in the right direction?
Also, is this the same as the gossamer gear G4?

found the LAB. I guess i needed to read a little more.

Does it work? If so, who gives a crap what it looks like! Regardless you now know some techniques that definitely DON'T work so you can experiment on the next one ;)

It may not be the shiniest, but it looks like it gets the job done and still weighs a lot less than most mass produced packs. Kudos, and keep at it!

Nicholas,

You could try Lance Marshall's pack.

http://www.wvi.com/~ulmyog/pack.html

Party On,

Newton

Hey Nicholas not a bad job at all on your first pack! You should be proud, you took the plunge and gave it a go, now you can work on refining your skills and use all that you learned from this pack to make a second pack that will be 110% better.

If you hate shoulder straps the most practice making them, you can really learn a lot sewing something that you hate or that is hard. Once you get good at sewing that everything else will seem so much easier.

Here is the blueprint to the first pack I made, it is a pretty easy pack to start with. I have not made any directions to it as of yet but you made your pack so I'm sure you will have no problem with this pack. Here is the link:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0Bw0Khpwl8_wNM2NiM2MzYjItZTE1Zi00OGE1LTlkMTktYTQwNzQ0N2RlYzRk&hl=en_US

Let me know if you have any questions as you build your next pack and keep up the good work!

I agree with Dustin. A working pack is a good pack. Even though, after I made my first, I had already made a new one before I had a second chance to use the first. So I know how you feel on trying to perfect it.

I have made the G4 before, and it is a great pattern, but it is massive. I can't fill it now unless I roll a full length CCF pad in it vertically to fill up some space just because my other gear has become so low volume.

I haven't tried any of the other suggested patterns or kits, but they all look very nice.

I am working on my newest backpack right now and will be preparing a guide to go along with it on my blog. I plan to have it done before the new year, maybe sooner. It should give a lot of options, like a wrap around hipbelt that is removable, a removable framesheet, easy ways to scale it to different sizes and a, hopefully, overall simple design.

Thanks guys for the kind words! Im goong out this week to test her out for 7 miles...if its gonna break...ill find out there! One thing i can say is that im hrappy with how light i got it! Id weight it but my scale has a dead battery....
Im gonna check those links when i get home....next up is a synth quilt....that should be much more pain free...and ill be sure to post pics....
All i can think of is how to make it better...what a sic obsession this is....hasta!

Edited by namaniac on 12/05/2011 23:44:49 MST.

Can only agree with the previous posts. MYOG is great, and addictive. I laughed about the comment on "Even though, after I made my first, I had already made a new one before I had a second chance to use the first." True.

Oh, if this workday could only finish so I can get home to my nearly finished bivy...

I agree also. I built 4 packs starting with the G4, before one of them ever touched a trail. Then I quickly learned the mistakes that I made on all them. It was fun though to finish one and then already think of a dozen things that I wanted to do different. The G4 was huge but the kit gives you plenty to make a smaller version and have material to add extra features.

i already am looking at the things i did that i liked...and looking at some of the plans these guys have shared...and seeing how they will work for me...and wanting more time to just sew! never thought id be saying that.
Right now im working on a dog pack for my husky so when it snows we can go play!
Also have some climashield ordered for a synthetic quilt. Also my cousins brother wants to make a bivy, so me and him are gonna work on that.
Goodness...thats a lot of stuff.

Nice looking pack!

Any idea on the weight?

I see you mentioned you hate shoulder straps. I have been staring at the pictures trying to see them. Do you hate them so much you didn't include them? haha Im kidding I just cant see em clearly

Look at the second picture... The white XPAC fabric in the two vertical strips are the shoulder straps.

BTW, that's an awesome pack, Nicholas!
You get a chance to take it out for a spin, yet?

yeah there in the second shot...white material...they sorta just...well..hang there...
since im currently between jobs...i am a full time stay at home father-alas...i couldnt get out this week...so i bartered with my wife and got myself a three night trip next week...gonna do a south bound section of the PCT from Bouquet Canyon back to Agua Dulce...its only like 40mi or so...but im taking my pooch, and my new pack...which leaves me exactly three days to whip up a dog pack for his harness!

Ahhhh I see said the blind man. It is so clear now! I was trying to see cuben shoulder straps and thought Xpac was the back panel. I need to get my eyes checked.

Sweet have fun on your mini section of the PCT. Feels great to be out on a trail with gear you made yourself.