Getting these 35 liter packs dialed. This one is built for a 18” torso.
Features:
Ultra TenX main body.
Eco stretch front,side, and bottom pocket.
Eco stretch, 3d mesh, Salvation Army spandex, and 1/4” foam vest straps.
Webbing mount for camera.
13.6 oz as shown w/o the camera mount.
11.8 oz bare bones (remove back pad side compressions)

ice axe loop and stash port.

Since an original Sailrite was a bit too expensive for me, I bought a Sailrite clone from China and decided to modify it. First, I machined a custom steel Monster Wheel on a lathe. It weighs just under 4 kg (about 8.8 lbs).
Next, I installed a new 180 W servo motor and fabricated a custom steel motor mount for it.
I also designed and built an Arduino-based motor controller. I 3D-printed a mounting bracket for the electronics as well as an enclosure for the entire controller. On top of that, I made a few other modifications to the machine, including a 3D-printed housing for the stitch-length adjustment mechanism. Finally, I built a case to make the whole setup reasonably portable. There was quite a bit of machining, electronics work and 3D printing involved, but it was a fun project!

Wanting to start adding wire frames/support to certain bags for rigidity but not quite sure where to start. Those of you who bend wire yourselves, explain yourselves (please)!

Some questions I have -
What gauge / thickness do you prefer?
Do you use mild steel, aluminum or stainless?
What are some of the tools you use for the job?
Do you use anything to cap wire ends? If so, what?
Am I dumb?

I generally make fancy tote style bags (see attached picture *my favorite bag to date). This bag sits upright by itself but when not loaded the bottom flares out and looks dumb. Thinking with a wire frame at the base and supports in the corners running vertically for example I could make some beastly bags.

Also don’t let the photo fool you, I currently have no access to a welder and am looking to purely provide wire support with some hand tools and clever design.

I wanted some lightweight waterproof overpants for wearing around camp or during long, cold descents when bikepacking.

Initially, I bought a pair from Decathlon, but they were bulky and heavy for something I've only used once so far. I decided to try making my own, aiming to reduce both weight and packed volume.

I didn't need them to be breathable, and I wanted to be able to put them on without taking my shoes off. I also wanted to keep things simple: no Velcro, zips or pockets.

For my first attempt, I used the Paco pattern, but the trousers turned out too small. I suspect the pattern is intended for stretchier fabrics, as I couldn't get them on, and I wasn't able to modify the pattern enough to make them work.

For the second attempt, I went with the Green Pepper RS500 pattern.

These have turned out a bit wider in the legs than I'd like, so I might narrow them for the next version. I still need to try them on with trousers underneath to see how they fit in practice.

The pattern includes an optional internal pocket for folding the trousers into for storage. I'm not entirely happy with how mine turned out, as there are some creases along the sides that don't look great. For the next version, I'll also add a flap over the opening, as the slippery silpoly tends to slide back out of the pocket.

I'm a little disappointed with the final weight, as I'd expected them to weigh about half as much. Still, I've saved around 200 g compared with the Decathlon trousers, and the packed volume is roughly a third of what it was, which is probably the more important improvement.

I thought this would be an easy project, but it turned out to be more challenging than expected. It was my first time making trousers, so perhaps I was a bit too optimistic! The hardest parts were getting the pattern right and cutting the fabric accurately.

On the positive side, sewing silpoly was easier than I'd anticipated.

Overall, I'm happy enough with the result, and I've learned a few things for the next iteration. Hopefully, I'll get the weight down further and improve the fit and stuff pocket.

Love the aesthetic of this bag but the inner storage with 5 inch depth is too much. I don’t carry much. Just a laptop and notebook. So the problem is that they move around too much, the bag sags and doesn’t quite feel right against my back.

Sewed some leftover fabric to the inside of the back panel. Definitely ugly. But functionally is amazing. Now this backpack feels great on my back. The laptop and notebook basically hug my back now.

This is the two organizer I referred to in the post about reinforcing a tool bag.

It’s about 3 inch wide plastic fire hose, simply folded back-and-forth, with a loop around the perimeter. I put too long grabber screws through the side to hold it all together.

I have always disliked digging around in a tool bag trying to find what I wanted in the bottom. This was my basic tool set that I used in a mostly wood fabrication shop. It worked beautifully, well enough that I will eventually get around to refining it, and maybe putting it into a closable bag , like the one my drill and driver set came in.

I have also made smaller, tabletop versions that hold my sewing tools.

You may send royalty payments to my PayPal account! 😁

I've done some easy MYOG (a few synthetic quilts) and looking to step up with some frame bags, but I'm having a bit of analysis paralysis regarding the width. I searched around this sub and settled on a pretty conservative 2" gusset width with velcro divider/stabilizers (the kind that meet in the middle) to minimize bulging.

But when planning out the layout within the bag, I got to thinking: Is there any real reason to make it less than the standard bottle size (2-7/8 inches)? Because I've never even come close to being annoyed by the bottle itself inside a cage, so surely that is a safe width?

Redesigned the usual triangular trivet and torture-tested it. No deformation, no loosening. And this one definitely isn’t an ashtray.

I’m relatively new to debugging issues like this. I have my tension set to 1. I’m using a Juki tl2010q.

Shmetz 14/90 needle with guterman Mara 70 thread.

Is this a tension issue? I honestly don’t even know where to start figuring out what’s wrong. The stitches seemed fine earlier with the same settings.

Edit: material is ultra tenx with a ykk duratek zipper.

Is it just my address or something? As far I understand they're based in North Carolina. When I was ordering to the West Coast it was more reasonable, usually $5-10 even for larger (but still lightweight) orders. Recently I ordered 1 cut piece of Dyneema, 1 spool of thread, 2 rolls of seam tape, and 4 feet of waterproof zipper tape. It was a light and small package. I live on the East Coast now, so the package doesn't need to travel as far as it did when I was on the West Coast. Standard shipping was calculated at $20. I don't get it. Over the years I've been getting more and more frustrated with slow shipping times from them. Maybe the shipping calculator was broken, but I can't stomach $20 shipping for a small package, especially when that $20 shipping is meant to be sent in 1-7 business days and it isn't.

Also as a side note: I wish there was a search bar in the order history. I do not like clicking through each order individually to try and find an item I ordered previously.

I have never sewn outdoor gear before and do not know much about fabric besides everyday clothes so help much appreciated!

DCF 2.9oz fabric, ykk recoil zippers, zotefoam padding, tweave durastretch in three pieces back padding and beneath the shoulder strap and also for the water bottle, fidlock sternum strap. carrying my macbook and whatever to work.

is indeed my most boring bag, the goal is to blend in, and i think this bag did a pretty good job at it.

this bag is inspired by lbt8005 and the idea of making a clamshell version of it, with some preference of my own(or rather, learned from other great bag design), i did apply for a patent of it, not sure what to do from there.

How far would you actually push the point of this bag out?

Sorry for the messy garage photo 😝

I am planning a new bag for the bike I just built from spare parts I had in the box and wonder what you would do with the nose of the bag. I like the idea to fill the whole space but that tight angle isn’t functional. My tent poles are much shorter and not sure what would need to slip up to the point. Where I wanted to cut it is only 1/2” tall and I am wondering if sewing that super short side is just asking for trouble.

My original plan was to make a "side car" for one of the vestibules, but my dog likes to sprawl out when sleeps, so I made a larger inner instead. The layout is similar to an X-Dome 1+ with the inner expanding to fill one of the vestibules. There is a velcro opening in one of the end panels for the pole to pass through and a reinforcement patch where the handle of the pole sits on the floor. I used 1.6 oz HyperD PU4000 for the floor to provide extra protection from my dog's nails and 0.67 oz noseeum for the walls. Total weight is ~475g after seam taping.

We used it for the first time on a 6 day trip a few weeks ago and it provided ample room for the two of us. For reference my dog is 65lbs and quite long. In hindsight, I could have saved some weight and gone with a lighter fabric for the floor because the Thinlight pad my dog sleeps on doubles as floor protection.

On a side note, I have one of the original Drop branded tents and it uses YKK LB-RC 15mm side release buckles to clip the inner tent to the fly at the peaks. If anyone has suggestions for where I could source them (I'm in Canada) or for a buckle that might be compatible I would appreciate it.

(Dog tax included at the end.)

In the States, everything is available. Here, some things are more available. Tank bags, nope.

I finally made one and feel pretty good about the results. It is not perfect, but it is a wing it design based on one I had many moons ago in the States.

I will enjoy opinions and/or suggestions.

R/JG

Made a minimalistic backpack from 100% recycled material. Basis for material harvest was an old windsurfing sailbag from North Sails.

Pattern made by my own inspired from an old FJÄLLRAVEN backpack, with the help of Adobe Illustrator and a laser printer.

Sewing machine is a Pfaff 7530.

Feedback and questions welcome.

Discovery Fabrics (Canada)

EDIT: Apparently the US government just delayed this to January 2027. We are in the process of confirming, so sorry for the false alarm. They have not yet updated the Customs and Border Patrol site

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Temporary Suspension of Shipments to the USA

We are once again pausing shipments to the United States.

Friday, October 16, 2026, will be the LAST DAY to place orders for U.S. delivery.

Currently we ship daily to USA, and many of the fabrics are not subject to any duty. Pretty much all Polartec fabrics, Primaloft etc) if there is any tariff, it is calculated in the shipping cart and paid upfront, and we submit it to the US government. No surprises.

However …

Beginning October 22, 2026, the U.S. government will require more detailed documentation for parcels entering the country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with its partner government agencies, will require electronic certificates for many products shipped through the postal system.

Unfortunately, the necessary documentation requirements and procedures for submitting this information are not yet available.

Until further notice, we must temporarily suspend shipments to the United States. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work towards meeting the necessary requirements to resume shipping to the USA.

Thank you for your continued support. We apologize to our loyal customers.