X-Pac Mess

The lightest messenger bag ever. 16x12", 12x4" bottom. One layer of X-Pac nylon/poly.
This is one of my carry-on bags.


Got more of a waist belt here...better for walking around.
This black X-Pac is a little more crinkly than the silver for some reason. It's somewhere in between that plastic tarp material and a Gore-Tex jacket. Hmm.

Small Things

Takin' a break from pack-building to make some small things for Maude Vintage (downtown CoMo).
Hip pack!
1000d Cordura, acrylic-coated poly. ~9x5x2".


Super simple...the way I like it.
I'm gonna start putting a third loop in the middle there. Sometimes, if you're wearing a pack on a belt that's not in your pants it can kinda bunch up when it's full. Not that big of a deal, but this should fix it.

Wallet!
Some people don't like to fold their paper monies...or stick 'em in the coin pocket...so this is what I've got. I've made one like this before (it's in Holland right now), but no more...till now. Though, you probably won't see any more exactly like this. I think there's too much fabric on the left side. I think next time I'll just sew a strip in the middle, instead of putting it in the seam. That probably doesn't make much sense to you...but I'm kinda tired and don't feel like fixing that sentence. You'll just have to wait till I make one. Ha.
Put yer bills here.
Boom.
What a rude cat. Gawd.

Hawai'i Pack, Part IV

[One]
[Two]
[Three]
Making some progress...it now looks like a pack. I just have to finish the shoulder straps and make some small accessory pouches & stuff and it's done.

This doesn't have anything in it. The fabric's airtight and stiff enough to hold this shape. Ha.
Half Cordura chisel bottom. If I were going on a more rugged trip I'd add some more Cordura to the bottom. But since this is a prototype, and for simplicity's sake, it looks like this. I probably should've put a layer of X-Pac on the inside to waterproof it...but I didn't.
Sewin' the lumbar pad on.
Lumbar pad + belt. I think next time maybe I won't have padding in the belt under the pad...so the pad and belt are more flush...thus increasing flesh/bag contact. We'll see how this design works out.

I think I set the shoulder straps a little lower than I should have. I didn't quite have the belt attachment worked out when I sewed the straps on, so I didn't realize the pack would sit so low... Not a hard thing to fix if it's a problem. The stays still go above my shoulders so I don't think this'll be an issue.
This fabric's been a blast to work with...it's so interesting. X-Pac nylon sailcloth laminate from Dimension-Polyant. Timbuk2 has been using it for a couple of years. Rickshaw picked it up a year or so ago...and some other companies have started to use it too. Sweet-looking stuff. We'll see how it holds up.

Broke

Every once in a while I get to change a broken buckle on a friend's bag and put it up on this blog. So far all of 'em have been Duraflex buckles. I'm assuming this is because of the great prevalence of their buckles and not some weakness defect. But you never know. In any case, I use Fastex/ITW Nexus buckles. Though, I do use webbing clips from D-Flex, which are great.
This unfortunate soul met his end in a car door. So young...

Hawai'i Pack, Part III

[One]
[Two]
Here's my big fat hip belt. I think it turned out pretty well...as far as I can tell at this moment.
1000d Cordura on the outside. 100-weight fleece on the inside. The fleece isn't slippery, so it helps the belt stay put. Also, since it's stretchy, it doesn't bunch up as much along the curves. This = comfortable.

Loops on the sides for little pockets.
1.5" buckles.
Ladderlock buckle there will attach to the back of the bag.
This is the pack/belt attachment system. The loops on the belt enmesh with the loops on the pack via an aluminum bar. Swift. We'll see how it works in the field. So far so good. Shloop. Just like that. Some Velcro keeps it in place.

And here it is attached to the pack. You won't be able to see it when it's done, since there'll be a pad sewn here. I have a feeling it's going to be a pain to attach. Ha.
Notice the LL buckles on the belt. I put them too close to the pack. Es la vida. I haven't yet sewn the webbing that'll go in those buckles though. Here're the parts of the belt. Nylon, 1/2" closed cell foam, fleece.
And coming up next... Gonna put a lumbar pad right here.

Hawai'i Pack, Part II

[Here's the first post]

After coming up with a pattern that I was happy with...or at least would do...I've started sewing the pack.
And I'm almost done with the back panel. The stitching's a little slapdash, but it's strong.

X-Pac & 1000d Cordura nylon. I'm shooting for a pack size of 14x7x33...so they'll let me on the plane. (This'll still have to be checked, of course.)
There's a pocket on the outside for the cross piece of the frame. It closes with Velcro. I had a picture of the pocket open, with the aluminum poking out, but I don't know where it went. Ha.
This piece distributes the weight from the vertical stays to the two loops that'll connect the pack with the waist belt.

There're the two heavy duty loops at the bottom that'll mesh with the waist belt.
And below that is part of the bottom of the pack. I was going to make a round bottom piece, but decided that it would take too much time to design and sew, so we're getting a rectangle for a bottom instead. Making it even simpler...the way I like it.
Tri-glides for closure straps, ladderlocks for load-lifter straps, and unfinished shoulder straps...for shoulders.
After I attach the belt I'll figure out how long to make the shoulder straps, and add the pads 'n' things. I'll be using the same design I used on the last backpack I made: here.
Here's the inside of the back, with stays in place.
Here're the little booties they slip into.
And the closure system at the tops of the stays. And there's a piece of webbing there for a water bladder pouch.
Okay, what's next:
>I'm going to make the hip belt. This might take a bit, 'cause there's lots of measuring involved. That's what takes the most time with these projects: all the rulerwork. But at least I have the shape worked out already. I just took my old waist belt and slimmed it down a bit. That thing took so long to design...whew.
>After I get the belt made, and make sure my pack-belt connection idea works out, then I'll sew the lumbar pad onto the pack.
>Then it's just attaching all the compression straps and finishing the shoulder straps, and other bits & pieces. And then it's done. Piece of cake, right? Ha.

Till next time.

Leif Labs Hat Action