DIY backpack and frame

[doncarpenter]

It's been a while since I had a project. My Uncle asked me to make him a daypack. I originally thought of making an internal frame daypack, but I realized that my Necchi Supernova was having some difficulty punching through some of the thicker seams. So it turned into a frame and pack combo. I haven't made the bag yet but here is a look at the frame.

I used Exo Mountain Gear K2 shoulder straps and hipbelt. I just don't have the capability to make those yet.

The frame is 500d Cordura. I wanted to reduce the point pressure that some of the compression straps can cause pulling on the seam so I made some really short batwing type of system, to spread the load along a wider area of the seam. There are 3 looplocs on each side to take the compression straps, similar to the way Kifaru used to connect to the old Duplex frame.

The lumbar pad is dual density foam and 3d spacer mesh. The hipbelt slides behind the pad and then velcro holds it in place.

The frame is 1/16"th HDPE frame sheet and two 1/2" x 3/16" 2024 aluminum stays. The whole frame is 23" tall with the stays being 22 1/2".

I'll post pics of the bag when I get that done.

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[TagEater]

Wow that looks great!

 

[Mt Al]

That is some first class work right there! You, sir, have raised the DIY sewn pack bar!

 

[feanor]

Awesome job! Really nice finish on everything.

 

[Dos Perros]

Hi @doncarpenter, that looks great!

With the 1/16" HDPE, do you think you'll get much flex on the edges when you cinch a bag down?

Also, did you consider using round tubing instead of flat bar? I'd expect the round to have much higher stiffness per weight than the bar, although obviously tougher to shape.

 

[doncarpenter]

Hi @doncarpenter, that looks great!

With the 1/16" HDPE, do you think you'll get much flex on the edges when you cinch a bag down?

Also, did you consider using round tubing instead of flat bar? I'd expect the round to have much higher stiffness per weight than the bar, although obviously tougher to shape.

Honestly the frame will barrel pretty easily. I'm a fan of 1/8" thick for a frame sheet, but my Uncle, who I'm building the pack for isn't going to be packing any meat with the pack. He is just looking for a comfortable daypack to use for whitetail hunting, mule deer, and some 3D shoots. The frame will handle 50lbs pretty comfortably.

I have Honestly never thought about using round tubing, but it's not a bad idea. Are you talking about round stock or tubing with a hole in the center?

I am actually really happy with the 2024-t4 aluminum. It's a lot more resilient than 6061 without that much more weight. 7075-T6 would be ideal but it's nearly impossible to find any stock.

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[Dos Perros]

I hear you on the 1/16". FWIW, I was looking for something stiffer than the 1/16" but less weight than the 1/8" and didn't find anything when I looked, but actually did just come across some 0.093" thick.

I am talking about hollow tubing. For the weight the I / inertia is substantially higher than bar. But you need a tubing bender, $150.

I tried some bar one time and thought it was too flexy, but I think I need to go back and see what grade of aluminum/temper it was. I know Kifaru sandwiches some other materials between aluminum for their stays. I need to learn about that some more.

 

[doncarpenter]

I hear you on the 1/16". FWIW, I was looking for something stiffer than the 1/16" but less weight than the 1/8" and didn't find anything when I looked, but actually did just come across some 0.093" thick.

I am talking about hollow tubing. For the weight the I / inertia is substantially higher than bar. But you need a tubing bender, $150.

I tried some bar one time and thought it was too flexy, but I think I need to go back and see what grade of aluminum/temper it was. I know Kifaru sandwiches some other materials between aluminum for their stays. I need to learn about that some more.

.093 would probably be a great balance of rigidity and weight. Let me know where/if you find any.

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[BDRam16]

Excellent craftsmanship.

 

[Dos Perros]

Did you sew through the HDPE, or sleeve it into the frame cover?

If sleeve, how did you do that? Sew together three sides, flip inside out, sleeve…and then?

If you can’t tell I’m salivating over your project.

 

[doncarpenter]

Did you sew through the HDPE, or sleeve it into the frame cover?

If sleeve, how did you do that? Sew together three sides, flip inside out, sleeve…and then?

If you can’t tell I’m salivating over your project.

These pics might help.

I did not sew through the HDPE. I don't have a machine that will punch through. So, I had to make the two panels and then sew them inside out. In order to accomplish this I had to put a zipper on one side, so that I could turn the whole thing inside out when finished. The zipper will be covered by the bag anyway. Normally in an internal frame pack where to slide the frame sheet in, the zipper is on the inside but I wanted the stays to be on the back side because the shoulder straps and hipbelt wouldn't articulate to the frame correctly with the stays running behind them.

I could have finished the edge seam with grosgrain ribbon webbing which would have saved me from having to turn everything inside out, but I would have had to come up with a different way to sew the compression straps in the seam since it would be covered.

I think sewing through the HDPE would be ideal, and it makes the stays and frame sheet one unit, I just don't have the capability to do that with the machine I have.

I have used a sewing awl to accomplish the same task on a different frame I made, but the end product looked like garbage, even though it was functional, and I broke so many needles in the process.

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[doncarpenter]

The bag isn't 100% finished but here is how it turned out. It has a horseshoe/clamshell style zipper into the main compartment. The are two zipper pockets on the main flap, one accessible from the outside and one from the inside when the flap is flipped open. There is a bladder sleeve and two slot pockets on the inside of each side. It about 2000 ci. Right now it weighs 4 lbs, with everything on it. Three compression straps but you can run them independently or not at all. It can be used without the hipbelt as well.

I still need to put grosgrain edge binding on the rear seam and change out the zipper pulls for paracord.

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[doncarpenter]

The two long straps on the bottom of the frame get run through two 3-bar sliders sewn to the bottom of the bag. The straps then feed through the two G-hooks to compress the bottom of the bag.


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[boomah21]

Great job!

 

[doncarpenter]

I forgot to mention that there are four zipper sliders on the main zipper. Main access is from the two on the top. The other zippers are hidden in a little cubby that I made and can be used to access the bag from the side.

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[doncarpenter]

I designed the bag to be used with a compression panel. I wanted something that could be used as a buckle in panel and be used as a pulley type compression similar to the HPG system. I sewed looplocs on each side of the panel at each compression strap. I also included a 3-bar slider on each strap to thread the excess webbing through when used as a buckle in panel.

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[razorbak66]

That looks awesome well done!

 

[AKSandman]

Pack looks great! CPP (co polymer polyethylene) willgive you a bit more rigidity and durability for frame sheet. And yes, 7075 t6 is the bomb!
Excellent design and patterning work!

 

[dingle]

Thanks for demonstrating that this is the best subforum on Rokslide. Inspiring work.

 

[asmxxiv]

Very impressive!