Green Bag

'Ere it is. A pretty simple fifteen-incher. Turned out real nice. I accidentally deleted the open-bag shot, 'cause I'm a quarter fool, but it has a wheat-colored Sunbrella liner. Looks sweet.

Is That a Bug?

Sweet: new super-raw backpack prototype. I think I've finally hit upon a decent messenger bag-backpack hybrid. I've made a similar bag before, which didn't turn out so well, but this one is way better. There are a few reasons, but the most significant one is that the bag's fit is more independent from the bag's load. In other words: if you have a bunch of crap in your bag it's not gonna pull the straps all goofy like...which sucks a lot, let me tell you...
Uh, let's see...and this bag has a fifteen-inch flap.
And I haven't put the compression cord on the lip yet...'cause I'm a lazy sod. Next challenge: making hot shoulder straps (and getting the angle right). Contoured? Sternum strap? We'll see...

Got a suspended corner here. If you have a full load, loosen the webbing so the shoulder strap isn't pulled at a weird angle.

Wallets, Son, Wallets

Yep.

Hip Alveoli

Learnin' Stuff
So here are some hip packs I've made in the last week.
This green one here is pretty sweet, but I was like, You know what? this bag is pretty run-of-the-mill...I think I'll make one more in the Leif Labs aesthetic...
Kermit?So I made this. Ah, it looks okay run through my cheap-o camera...but the edging is pretty puckered and lumpy...*sigh* And the lip turned out kinda dumb. Small things don't work so well in the Leif Labs stylee, I guess. It folds up nicely...but the folds impede hand-insertion. Yee.Boom. Then I made this. Pretty similar to the first, but better. This is what it looks like full of junk.
Here's what the pattern looks like. Super simple. Dimensions: 9x5, bottom: 2x7

New Small Bag

15x12, bottom: 13x4
Yep, new small bag. I figured, Now that I have an edging tape that can take corners decently, why not make a small bag with some more curves. So here it is.
Brown: prototype. Green: final.Yah, single-layer, no-pads prototype. I've been using this lately. I can get all my cold-weather clothes in here after I ride to work. Not bad. Special-request bag. Has some non-standard features on it...namely the mobile pocket and the ladderloc cinch straps (which I've stopped doing in favor of the cordloc system). Yah, cell phone pocket: I'll try anything once. Below: not so clear a picture. But that's the bag before I turned the green right-side out. See how the yellow'll float inside. Shweet. Go to the first post on this blog for a drawing of what it looks like...you know, if you're trying to make one or something...

This is a "Yep, I really made it" photo...unless I took the bag apart. Hmm...
Ha.

Wings

15x15, bottom: 13x7--Top Gun 9oz acrylic-coated polyester.

So here's another backpack prototype. I've made a similar top-loading pack before, but I made that one all screwed up...it was too long, the shoulder straps were too far apart, and it was flat-folded on top, so, despite the width of the bag, you really couldn't fit big things in it. Boohiss, I know. So with this bag I fixed all those problems. (And what I mean by "flat-folded": the lip and flap are the same length, i.e. no pleats...so the bag can't expand.)

I haven't put the intended compression straps on the bag yet...instead, I'm thinkin' I'll put some nylon packcloth or oxford round the top and add a drawcord, a la Bagjack and Jandd. I think that'll work a bit better. That's the trick with these bags: how to maintain the shape of the bag while permitting decent load size. And that's why this post is called "Wings." 'Cause that's what it looks like you have when you're wearing this type of bag. Nice... The "tension shape" of this bag (I guess that's what you'd call it: the shape caused by the strap points) is triangular, but the bag is square, so the unsupported triangles (the top corners) pull away from your back. Yeah, I guess I should just take a picture...

And, if you're interested in top-loading flap-fitted backpacks, check out these peeps: Freight Baggage, Chrome, R.E.Load, Chicago WIG, Lemolo...let's see, who else...ah, TimTimTimes2 has one... And I've seen one from Bagjack, but I don't think it's up on their website.

Strong like bull.

Click-click Click-click

7x5.5x4.5--Cordura, Top Gun, nylon packcloth, pvc poly, half-inch foam, Velcro
Holla! My first, and last, camera bag. ...No, I'll probably make another one some day...we'll see.This bag has a pretty rigid 3-D pad...which makes it kinda difficult to put together. Boo. Things should be easy.

This Time For Real

19x12, bottom: 13x6
I know I said I was done with this design a while ago...but I'm a liar. But here it is: this design is finished. I'm not saying it's perfect or anything, but damn is it sharp. I decided to go back to an earlier design for the front compression panels. You lose an inside pocket, but that's the price of vanity. And I think this is an all-around stronger design.

Specs:
1000 denier Cordura nylon shell, made in the US of A, por su puesto
One-piece floating liner: Top Gun 9oz acrylic-coated polyester: highly water resistant, hella durable. PCV-free
Hardware: ITW Nexus/Fastex
YKK zipper, #5 Vislon. This has sweet-ass molded plastic teeth
Removable back pad. Doubles as a document pocket
Padded shoulder strap. Fully adjustable. Radio friendly. Pad lined with 100 weight fleece from Malden Mills Industries, Inc. (This is the mill that makes Polartec/Polarfleece, by the bye)
Cross strap
Expandable using mil spec paracord
Light loop
D-rings for reflector tails (not shown) or for use as lash points
#92 polyester thread
External waterbottle holster (half shown) (not standard)
key loop
Let's see...what else... I don't know. Everything's sweet


6.5x8 inside pocket + pen holster

Ex Me

24x13, bottom: 9x15
So, here's an x-strap bag. Ah...and it turned out so-so. I'm not really a fan of the x-strap, 'cause I feel like I'm about to get decapitated when I'm wearing it, but I thought I'd make one for kicks. This bag's a bit too big for me, as I'm pretty skinny...so I'm thinkin' 21 inches is as big as I'm gonna go next time. The second shoulder strap isn't on the bag, but you can see where it goes. It needs to be moved over to the left about two inches, me thinks. That'll distribute the load a little more evenly. I like how the compression bits turned out on this bag. Pretty clean.

Leif Labs: popular with lumberjacks.

Hip Pack, Hip Pack

9x5x2--Cordura & Top Gun poly
Here's a sweet pouch I made for my friend Ashley. I'm likin' it. Notice the one-and-a-half-inch buckle on the belt: two inchers are kinda chunky...
Man, taking a picture of your own ass is harder than you think.

Bottle Holster

That's What It Is
I'm likin' this design. Minimalist and functional. That's what I'm goin' for.
Oh, if you're wondering: this is a Klean Kanteen bottle. Generally, I'm not a fan of companies that substitute their 'K's for 'C's...but the coolness of this bottle overpowers my loathing of quirky dumbness. Yeah, stainless steel.
Adjustable. And pull the purple cord to release. You can even put a can in here...just loop the shockcord over the tri-glide so it goes across the top. I should've taken a picture...

Bike Nerd Utility Belt

Don't Hit Me When I'm Riding Home From the Bar, Please
9x5x2--Cordura nylon, Top Gun poly
Here's a sweet little hip pouch for my roommate. I initially thought this size was gonna be too small, but it's starting to grow on me. I shan't be throwing away the pattern. Action shot! (Or what goes for an action shot on this blog.) Got some film noir ass shots goin' on. Check out that u-lock holster there on the belt...yeah.
Fabric Horse makes some sweet utility belts--FYI.

It's hard to get a good representation of this orange on the 'nets...but with this shot you can kinda get an appreciation for how silly-bright this fabric is.