Primary materials:
140d ripstop nylon with pu coating // 5.5osy
softer more “clothing” feel lycra mesh
mid weight spandex mesh
1/4” eva foam
3d spacer mesh
number 7 zipper
1.5” webbing and buckle
Imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/cCdgvs3
Design intentions:
Easy access water even during a bumpy ride, carry a backup layer or two with enough space to shed a third and stow it in the body of the pack, some bars, maybe a sandwich or two, easy one handed access and storage on a chairlift, clip some stuff on the sides of it when you’re grabbing a drink at a summit, with a little padding between you and the contents of the bag if you fall.
Notes:
The eva foam and my machine are not friends. I will not sew through it again. Even finishing shoulder straps has been really annoying, cannot lie. It might be time to buy my first machine (you can get a far with borrowing my friends! 🙂
The bottom pocket yet again is my favorite pocket on backpacks. It’s just the absolute perfect water bottle or food pocket. In this use case (skiing), knowing the bag might not be all that full, and we’re jostling the pack quite a bit, we cannot rely on the bottom volume of the pack to be expanded enough to have the elastic and lycra hold a water bottle in there tightly. As such, I added both elastic ribbon and cord with cinch closures here. I think I could go just elastic cord with the cinch closure next time. It works really well.
The big zipper is great for this use case, so while not the lightest at all, it was the best choice.
I opted for a mid-weight spandex on the front shoulder straps instead of spandura because it’s just a lot less expensive and I don’t think those pockets will endure much abrasion. It’s also much lighter.
Next time I need to make the shoulder straps less wide. While these are an absolute dream fit on me, the intended recipient of this pack is narrower and they slide off her shoulders a bit. I’m adding a sternum strap to accommodate.
I like how this project looks, frankly. Kinda stoked. I feel like I’m really getting better at sewing, even if my designs are very simple. The zipper collar is my favorite part of the pack. Always feels really good to ponder how to do something for a long time and get it right first try.
