What did you make (or repair) today?

[fossana]

I've always been a repair your own gear person (how I was raised), but with inflation and decreasing quality/durability, lately I've been repurposing old gear components and scraps into new things.

Here are a few of my recent projects from a heavy duty tarp. Curious what projects other people have.

55 oz water bottle holders for bikepacking
I initially tried a 22lb catfood bag, but it was a little too stiff to neatly sew the bottom.


Camera case for my RX100 (tarp + Reflectix)
Excuse the sloppiness of my sewing. I decided last minute to take my nicer camera on a backpacking trip, and couldn't find a replacement camera case in town. I cranked this prototype out in under an hour.


Recommended material suppliers

• Whatever you have at home (e.g. old backpacks, clothes, etc.)
• Ripstop by the roll sells to the MYOG crowd, with fabric, samples, and notions at reasonable prices, plus free patterns. I recommend their heavy duty Gutermann threads (MARA, TERA), which none of our local fabric stores carry.
• Our local Ace Hardware has a good selection of notions, like cord locks, and shock cord in small quantities.
• Harbor Freight carries inexpensive, double-sided, knockoff Velcro by the roll.

 

[Ugly]

Nice! I have a few items, but I have not been the seamstress.
(Water resistant camera satchel, several multi-use cozy-seats, stuff-sack pillow with fleece on the inside, poncho-tarp, probably others that I cannot remember)

I also will echo Ripstop by the Roll. Kyle has an excellent niche and his customer service team are excellent. I have sent many friends there over the past few years for any MYOG.

 

[Ted]

Neat! I can sew a button back on with the best of 'em, but after that I go lay down and take a nap.

 

[regehr]

I’m not great at repair, but I do have a favorite backpack that is suffering badly from getting hauled up slickrock and lowered down it. What’s the best way to shore up abraded cordura? Some places it’s holes, others it’s thin and could use reinforcement!

 

[fossana]

I’m not great at repair, but I do have a favorite backpack that is suffering badly from getting hauled up slickrock and lowered down it. What’s the best way to shore up abraded cordura? Some places it’s holes, others it’s thin and could use reinforcement!

What has worked for me with my Hyperlight pack repair is sewing or patching with repair tape, then painting over it with KG Bootguard, a boot repair compound. The repair has held up well to abrasion after multiple Allen routes. I usually use a glue in addition to the repair tape adhesive. It seems to stick better through washes. It's also best to queue up a bunch of repairs at once because it's volatile, and the jar hardens quickly once exposed to air.

I've been trying to track down the Dynex fabric that's used for Black Diamond Distance packs, but so far no luck. It's the only pack I haven't damaged from sandstone abrasion. Dynex is the same highly abrasion resistant matrix used for Spectra climbing slings.

 

[AWR]

What has worked for me with my Hyperlight pack repair is sewing or patching with repair tape, then painting over it with KG Bootguard, a boot repair compound. The repair has held up well to abrasion after multiple Allen routes. I usually use a glue in addition to the repair tape adhesive. It seems to stick better through washes. It's also best to queue up a bunch of repairs at once because it's volatile, and the jar hardens quickly once exposed to air.

I've been trying to track down the Dynex fabric that's used for Black Diamond Distance packs, but so far no luck. It's the only pack I haven't damaged from sandstone abrasion. Dynex is the same highly abrasion resistant matrix used for Spectra climbing slings.

If you could contact companies that use Dyneema fabbric that make packs in the USA, they might be willing to sell you large scraps left over from cutting the pieces for the packs. There are always scraps left over.

 

[Brendan S]

What has worked for me with my Hyperlight pack repair is sewing or patching with repair tape, then painting over it with KG Bootguard, a boot repair compound. The repair has held up well to abrasion after multiple Allen routes. I usually use a glue in addition to the repair tape adhesive. It seems to stick better through washes. It's also best to queue up a bunch of repairs at once because it's volatile, and the jar hardens quickly once exposed to air.

I've been trying to track down the Dynex fabric that's used for Black Diamond Distance packs, but so far no luck. It's the only pack I haven't damaged from sandstone abrasion. Dynex is the same highly abrasion resistant matrix used for Spectra climbing slings.

From the description and look that Dynex looks like it's pretty similar (if not the same thing) to the dyneema grid fabrics available from Rockywoods and RBTR. The holy grail is the full spectra laminate that Cilo/Mchale were using (not sure if they still do?). Cilo sold me a yard like 12 years ago and the packs I made out of that got dragged all over the place with hardly any visible wear. The Ultra/Diamondhide sold by Rockywoods is the closest thing that's ever been widely available and is way cheaper (still $$$ though). https://rockywoods.com/collections/uhmwpe. I haven't used it yet as my X50 (500d cordura face) has held up great for several years now but looks like it should be bomber.

 

[fossana]

From the description and look that Dynex looks like it's pretty similar (if not the same thing) to the dyneema grid fabrics available from Rockywoods and RBTR. The holy grail is the full spectra laminate that Cilo/Mchale were using (not sure if they still do?). Cilo sold me a yard like 12 years ago and the packs I made out of that got dragged all over the place with hardly any visible wear. The Ultra/Diamondhide sold by Rockywoods is the closest thing that's ever been widely available and is way cheaper (still $$$ though). https://rockywoods.com/collections/uhmwpe. I haven't used it yet as my X50 (500d cordura face) has held up great for several years now but looks like it should be bomber.

It's not like the Dyneema that Hyperlite uses on their SW pack pockets at least. If you run your fingers across BD pack, the grid is a more prominent and stiff. I also have a late 90s Arc'teryx Khamsin pack that is likewise bulletproof to abrasion.

I bought a Cilo climbing pack ~2012, the side of which tore on a Sierra granite traverse on its first use. I was soloing, and didn't have any sharp gear in my pack (e.g. a nut tool) that would have caused a tear from inside. I had a heated conversation with the owner, who accused me of butt dragging it over rocks "like his wife" (it was a side tear). He repaired it, and I sold it to another climber.

 

[fossana]

If you could contact companies that use Dyneema fabbric that make packs in the USA, they might be willing to sell you large scraps left over from cutting the pieces for the packs. There are always scraps left over.

Thanks, I will try BD, although I doubt they are made in the States. It looks like some companies use a polyethylene grid. BD may use a nylon one. Ripstop has something called Venom that looks promising. They even do a razor slicing comparison video with various fabrics.

 

[Bob]

Ive bought a bit over the years from these people ... https://www.owfinc.com/

 

[AWR]

Thanks, I will try BD, although I doubt they are made in the States. It looks like some companies use a polyethylene grid. BD may use a nylon one. Ripstop has something called Venom that looks promising. They even do a razor slicing comparison video with va

Thanks, I will try BD, although I doubt they are made in the States. It looks like some companies use a polyethylene grid. BD may use a nylon one. Ripstop has something called Venom that looks promising. They even do a razor slicing comparison video with various fabrics.

Maybe get some haul bag material. That should be available.

 

[fossana]

Maybe get some haul bag material. That should be available.

That's not a bad idea for a pack bottom. I have a haul bag fabric canyoneering pack. Part of the problem at least with my Hyperlite is that the side pockets aren't designed well for 55 oz water bottles. The lower edge of the bottle sits higher than it should and creates a taut fabric surface that tends to get abraded.

 

[AWR]

That's not a bad idea for a pack bottom. I have a haul bag fabric canyoneering pack. Part of the problem at least with my Hyperlite is that the side pockets aren't designed well for 55 oz water bottles. The lower edge of the bottle sits higher than it should and creates a taut fabric surface that tends to get abraded.

External pockets (especially w/ hard bottles) are always going to be a problem. Put the bottles inside the pack for tech terrain? Reinforce problem areas pre trip?

 

[fossana]

External pockets (especially w/ hard bottles) are always going to be a problem. Put the bottles inside the pack for tech terrain? Reinforce problem areas pre trip?

I've starting putting them inside for pack lower/hauls. They've been patched/reinforced multiple times, but I need to paint on Bootguard, like I did with the bottom.

 

[AWR]

Is KG Bootguard really the same as spray on truck bed liner?

 

[Brendan S]

Thanks, I will try BD, although I doubt they are made in the States. It looks like some companies use a polyethylene grid. BD may use a nylon one. Ripstop has something called Venom that looks promising. They even do a razor slicing comparison video with various fabrics.

That Venom looks legit with the 100% dyneema weave. The difficulty has always been that it’s hard to get anything to adhere to it to make it stable enough to be useful for lack fabrics because the threads are so slippery. Coating both sides with TPU is interesting solution.

 

[fossana]

Is KG Bootguard really the same as spray on truck bed liner?

It certainly does look like it, but I don't know if it's the same substance.

 

[regehr]

I've starting putting them inside for pack lower/hauls. They've been patched/reinforced multiple times, but I need to paint on Bootguard, like I did with the bottom.

A solution I'm thinking about is coating my pack in axle grease. Stop it from getting hung up on the slickrock, squeeeeze it through those cracks.

 

[AWR]

A solution I'm thinking about is coating my pack in axle grease. Stop it from getting hung up on the slickrock, squeeeeze it through those cracks.

A few yrs ago rescuers used dish soap to get a stuck hiker out of a slot canyon.

 

[regehr]

A few yrs ago rescuers used dish soap to get a stuck hiker out of a slot canyon.

I'd have gone WD-40 but I won't knock it if it works