Have you made your own gear? Care to share your patterns? I'm just starting to explore this area. I'm a cheapskate, and just can't justify buying every piece of gear, so I try to make whatever I can. For example, a silk sleepsheet - costs about $60ish. I'm going to make one (eventually) probably for less than $10. Plus, I'm sick of trying on things (i.e. pants for the most part) at the store that never fit!

Also, what sites/resources have you found handy for making gear? I need ideas!

Some that I've come across are:
- Green Pepper Pattern Company - has some interesting patterns. I haven't used any yet tho.
- Backpacking.net - some rudimentary and ugly homemade gear tutorials, but some useful ones as well. Good to get ideas from and alter the patterns.
- Thru-hiker

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Some of the things I've done...

I made day bag for a trip last year. I didn't want to carry a backpack as a daypack (too obviously a foreigner). Rather, I wanted to be inconspicuous as much as I could during the day. I altered Simplicity #8331 (the leopard looking one on the top right). Instead of the straps like they are in the picture, I wanted a sturdy strap that goes across your chest to your other shoulder (like a messenger bag style strap). I was also worried about bag slashing, so I reinforced the front, both sides, and bottom of the bag with plastic needlepoint canvas, and left the side that sits on my hip soft. And due to my paranoia of fear of strap slashing, I made the inside of the strap with 2 nylon belting straps (like the detachable straps on duffel bags), surrounded that by quilt batting - for comfort, then covered it with cloth. The fabric that I used was a textile from Thailand that I got from my mom and the reverse side of black and blue striped cloth that I had sitting in my closet for years.


The zipper ended up breaking at the end of my trip - the metal pull came off. But a nice British guy who had a random stuff kit fixed it for me by using a piece of wire and some epoxy and making a new pull.


Inside view. I added 4 pockets on the inside for organization


Roomy enough to carry a ginormous guidebook, 1 liter water bottle, camera, an extra long sleeve shirt, a packable rainjacket, and beanie..with a bit of room to spare.

What I learned from this project:
- I'd like a clip on the inside, or a little strap to put a small keychain 'beaner on. Easier to find keys that way.
- zipping pockets work great (I was just lazy)

All in all, the bag worked great on my trip. A group of Peruvian girls thought I had gotten it in Bolivia (strange, huh?)...how's that for passing? Great for strolling around the city inconspicuously. Bad for hiking (had to take a small backpack for that).

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Another thing I did was I retrofitted an old daypack (backpack - North Face Miwok 35 that I've had for ages) so that I can use a camelback with it. I'm too cheap to get a new pack...So I made a slash in the top right shoulder, reinforced it so that it would not rip more (zigzag stitch along with 2 layers of cloth on top of it, stitched in). I sewed a loop to the inside of my backpack so that the camelback could hang from it. I run the tube through the slash, and put a keychain 'beaner through one of the daisy chain loops on my strap, so that the tube generally stays in the right place. The 'beaner is temporary. I was going to sew velcro straps to accommodate, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm also going to sew a "pouch" that the camelback can sit in (like the packs they sell nowadays have).

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Not travel related, but I've also made 2 chalk bags for climbing (too cheap to pay the $20+ each!) and a pair of climbing pants (would be about $60 there!).

Hey Marisa that bag looks ace, well done, I'm extremely jealous of your skills. And with a different design on the front I'm sure that bag would make a sweet man purse too. Too bad the zipper broke, but I guess that brings me to the point I'm about to make. Other than the zipper, is the bag all that sturdy? I'm sure you could reinforce the hell out of it, but I would think that in general handmade goods would be less sturdy than machine-precision made goods becayse...well, I know the sweaters my grandmom gave me didn't last nearly as long as the machine knitted sweaters I had from L.L. Bean.
How hard was that bag to make anyway? And was it all that cheap? It might be fun to spend a weekend or so making a bag of my own.

somebody marry marisa. if civil unions were legal in my state, i would.
that is a beautiful bag, m.

what have i made?
humm...

nuthin'.

absolutely nuthin'.

zopa, that is so sweet of you to say Now, which one of us would be the girl and which one would be the guy? Check out my blog for my recent project - a pair of climbing capris I made, and my fun experiences with patterns that they make for tall people!

Taylor, the bag is pretty damn sturdy (so far)! I carried it with me for about 2 months, bent it in weird ways to stuff it in my big backpack, and carried the hell out of it. Also took it to Mexico for a week as well and wore the hell out of it - always packed to the brim. My sewing machine is pretty decent as well. I used the stich size (length) at 2.5 - so it's not too small or too large of stitches. Also, I always go back and finish the edges with a finsishing stitch (not a true serge stitch - I don't have one of those machines but more than a zigzag stitch) - that way, it keeps the edges from fraying. Plus, it's lined so that the edges are not visible.

The zipper was a cheap one that you use for dresses. I could have used a sturdier zipper, like ones used on fleece jackets. Would have put up a bit better, I think! But it was just the pull tab that broke off, which is easily replaceable. Zipper zips just fine.

But I have made stuff that...well...parts fall apart, etc...from that, I live and I learn! My chalkbag, for one - one of the belting loops is coming off. Next version of the bag will be much better and improved! Lessons learned. Also, the quality of the material you use is also important. But on another note, I have had plenty of store bought, machine made stuff become crap as well...

How are your sewing skills, t? To me, the bag was about medium to make - not easy, not hard...but challenging enough not to be called easy. I've been sewing off and on for about 14 years and have made one really hard dress (most difficult...I tend to stick with patterns that say "Very Easy", "Easy", or "Medium". I'm pretty sureh that pattern was classified as "Easy". However the altering that I did to the pattern required previous sewing knowledge - thinking things in my head, where to put this, how to attach it, etc.

It was super cheap to make..all I had to do was buy the zipper ($1.something) and needlepoint canvas (maybe about $1 or less) -- I had belting, batting, and tons and tons of cloth lying around.

Oh yeah, another thing I made...I made this fleece I'm wearing in this goofy-ass picture. I just used a unisex fleece jacket pattern (can't remember which one tho). The body part is double layered fleece (it's not the cool expensive Polartec fleece, just some stuff I had lying around), so it's really warm. I made it big (loose) enough so that I could layer a lot underneath it, if necessary. Also didn't want to make it flattering since I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Also made it long enough to well cover the tops of my pants. It has a few "hidden pockets" to hide money and stuff like that. Worked great.

Lesson learned - in reality, it's too heavy and bulky. When it gets wet and I have to carry it around, it's a bitch! It'll be good for short term trips in cold environments, but nothing more than 2 weeks.

I actually "gave in" and bought a nice windproof, waterproof technical jacket from REI with my dividend check and 20% off coupon

I'm convinced.

Marisa is a witch (the good kind).

Makes jewelry. Knows finance/investing. Climbs rocks. Produces her own gear. Successfully leaves unwanted men in her wake by crushing either their bones or ego (just a guess on this one...but some things are just obvious).

That's a witch, folks. Marisa is a witch.

*gasp!* NTFT, you have found me out!

quote:

Originally posted by Marisa:
How are your sewing skills, t? To me, the bag was about medium to make - not easy, not hard...but challenging enough not to be called easy. I've been sewing off and on for about 14 years and have made one really hard dress (most difficult...I tend to stick with patterns that say "Very Easy", "Easy", or "Medium". I'm pretty sureh that pattern was classified as "Easy". However the altering that I did to the pattern required previous sewing knowledge - thinking things in my head, where to put this, how to attach it, etc.

My sewing skills are awesome when it comes to the basic sewing they taught me in home-ec course, basically start the sewing machine and go. In other words, very limited, but I learn fast. I picked up knitting when I was sick with the mono last year and caught the hang of it really quickly. I mean, how hard can it be? I know, famous last words. But, I think I'm going to try and make a bag anyway, if at the very least it'll allow me to spend a bit 'o time with my mom, as she's always enjoyed that sort of thing, and she'll be able to point me in the right direction should things go awry.

Marisa...

Some plans here as well, scroll down to about the middle of the page:

http://www.imrisk.com/

I've got a few other websites bookmarked... but I will have to search through and find them. Everything from how to make a hiking back pack to a great pair of gloves... the perfect tarp for a tent... on and on!

Note to self: Track down website...

I have several friends who make their own gear.
Making stuff with fleece is the easiest, and once you get started you will want to make just about everything yourself.

By the way, I highly recommend this website as a resource.

sooooooooo, Marisa, are your services for hire?? (serious question)

I made a raincoat out of a garbage bag once

Taylor, it sounds like you've got some creative genes there! I think you'll be able to sew a murse. It may take some finagling, or even make one..use it..then see how you can improve it, and make it better the second time!!! I think it's really awesome to hear about guys with crafty skills!

Thanks for the links, rod and joe!

Mina, my services may be for hire, just PM me Gotta love the garbage bag raincoat! You know, they make great waterproof backpack covers in a pinch as well!

Have you seen this one marisa? Bandana modifications

http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/bandanarollinghitch.htm

Happened across a link to it in an old thread on here.

Interesting, rod! I actually made quite a few girlie bandanas of my own...if anyone wants to buy any, just PM me..hint hint...well, I made them for sale, but never got my act together to do a show.

Hmmm...fighting bandana? Reminds me of the "Homey don't play that" sock bops

I guess with a little determination you can make anything into a weapon....sheesh.