challenge ultra edc backpack / bag build

I finally got around to making v2 of a mini EDC rolltop backpack (essentially my backpack purse) that I first conceptualized around my birthday last year. I wanted something light, comfortable, and easy to access. I learned from v1 last year that I also wanted the back and bottom to be padded since I often carry a camera or a tablet, and that roll tops don't work that well without some structure to the fabric. The first version was made entirely from CORDURA® and Dyneema, which was incredibly light but way too floppy for daily use.

This one was made with Challenge Ultra 400 with a bit of scrap CORDURA®. the back panel and bottom were padded with 1/4 inch foam, and I used FIDLOCK SNAP and HOOK closures for quick access. The shoulder straps are just seatbelt webbing, which I find adequate for lighter loads. the inside is lined with neon yellow CHALLENGE ECOPAK™ EPLX200, and I included an HHH waterproof zipper for direct access into the main compartment. The inside also has a velcro strip to attach another mini waist-belt I made. I keep all of my essentials in the waist belt so I can quickly detach it from the main bag for shorter walks or where a backpack may not be appropriate.

It's a very simple bag overall but I'm quite happy with how it turned out. I've gained more confidence in being able to develop my own patterns to achieve the end result I want, and it's pretty satisfying to have a bag with high-quality materials and hardware that’s entirely homemade! I am also a big fan of the structure and aesthetic of the Ultra 400 fabric. It has a nice technical look to it, but the subtle texture and wrinkles make it more visually interesting than a flat black. I think it contrasts well against the CORDURA side panels, the webbing, and the waterproof zippers. I’ve been using this bag every day for about a week now, and have been pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and usable it is. I expected there to be more points of improvement given that it was only my second iteration, but I’m fairly confident that the size, structure, and access are appropriate for solving my intended use case. I’m more concerned about long-term durability of the shock cord and how the FIDLOCK magnets were attached to the fabric. For the next project, I want to create an aesthetically similar waist bag using the FIDLOCK closure, and a Brompton front bag for future bike touring.

ramen cat lumbar pack / bag build

A couple of weeks ago, I made the second iteration of the Stitchback lumbar pack. While I had a Mountainsmith Tour lumbar pack that I liked, I wanted something that was even more modular, so I could use the ULA waistbelt that I already had with the Mountainsmith shoulder straps. If I could make that work, I would be able to use the base lumbar pack as a sort of camera packing cube when traveling with my ULA backpack, and then reconfigure the straps after getting to a destination for shorter day hikes.

This was my first major project using the new-to-me Juki 1541, which came with its own set of issues. The needle bar collar was dented and chipped, which meant my thread kept getting caught and unraveling. For stitches longer than 6 inches, the thread would fray and break. I ended up having to replace that part of the machine, and eventually it started working as expected.

Attaching the various additional points to adapt for a removable waist belt and shoulder straps was less difficult than I anticipated. Everything came together pretty cleanly, and I was proud to avoid a lot of the “beginner” mistakes that frustrated me in previous projects (sewing wrong sides together, seam allowance issues, uneven seams, etc). I am still working on making cleaner corners, but overall, I’m quite happy with how it turned out. It was a pretty interesting choice of colors for me since I mixed X-PAC with CORDURA and a bunch of other scrap materials. I thought including the ramen cat patch would make it more fun and a stronger departure from my usual all-black motif. After testing it out in Death Valley paired with a MODL hydration bottle, I thought it was highly functional and comfortable. I may one day make a v3 that’s designed entirely around a hydration bladder to eliminate the need for large side pockets, but for now, ramen cat stays.

[california] / lots of projects

Happy December! As I’ve resettled back into life in good old Irvine, lots of time has been spent on projects and working on all the hobbies that took a backseat to summer travel.

the brown buffalo - sewing workshop

In November, I spent some time with The Brown Buffalo in Costa Mesa, taking a 4 day sewing workshop making on their signature 26L backpacks. It was my first time working with an industrial sewing machine and spending time with professional bag people! I learned a lot about bag construction and felt inspired by the expertise and vision from the people I met there. I wasn’t confident that I would be able to make something of good enough quality that I would be comfortable with someone using it on a daily basis, but it came out quite well and it’s now Max’s daily work bag! The shoulder strap system is particularly comfortable.

marker roll

After returning from my sewing workshop, I made a little pen/marker roll to hold a few COPIC markers and pens to accompany my notebook where I try to jot down on all of my random sewing (and other) project ideas.

polartec power air pullover

Continuing to ride out my inspiration from the sewing workshop, I spent an evening making a Polartec pullover from some Power Air fabric I got during the beginning of the pandemic. I used a Green Pepper pattern and modified it with an Everlane pullover silhouette that I quite like, and I’m pretty happy with how it came out! I really like the Patagonia style pullovers but find most to be a little too colorful for my liking. I like how this material is all black, but has a slight accent due to the subtle grid texture. I used 420D ROBIC nylon for the collar accent, which also provides some textural variation without getting colorful.

juki dnu-1541

After much contemplation, I decided to get an industrial sewing machine. When I started sewing again last year, I wasn’t sure how much I would actually sew beyond the few small projects I had lined up. It’s fair to say that I’ve gotten pretty addicted — I spend a lot of time thinking about new projects, sketching things out, and seeking inspiration from others. My main reservation with getting an industrial machine was weight. I bought it off Facebook Marketplace — we drove down to Escondido a few weekends ago to check it out. It came with a massive clutch motor that was probably 50 lbs on its own, plus the 60-ish lb machine. The v-belt attachment that connected the motor to the machine was way too tight, which made the handwheel difficult to turn, resulting in an ergonomic disaster. I was pretty sure I could put a new motor on it and fix the tension issues, so we hauled it home in the back of the Fit after some reasonable negotiation.

I got a new servo motor off of Amazon and replaced the clutch. It went relatively smoothly, even though I did drop the clutch motor on my hand in the process (not fun). The new motor is significantly lighter and smoother, and also allows for variable speed which makes sewing on the machine much easier. I’ve yet to do a major project with the new machine, but I’m looking forward to it and sparing my 1959 Singer from massive stacks of Cordura.

e-bike conversion

With me working from home and Max’s office just a few miles away, having two cars feels somewhat excessive, especially considering gas and maintenance costs for older cars nowadays. While researching electric commuter vehicles, we somehow decided that converting my Velo Orange Neutrino mini-velo into an e-bike would be the way to solve our transportation problems.

We used a Bafang BBS02 mid-drive kit, meaning the motor is mounted in the bottom bracket area of the bike, as opposed to other kits that might mount on the front or rear hub. The conversion went relatively smoothly. Removing the bottom bracket was adequately challenging. We ended up getting new handlebars (VO Klunker) to accommodate the various accessories we needed to add (display, throttle, bigger brake levers, phone mount, light), which meant the brake and derailleur cables became too short. I learned how to rewire derailleur and brake cables which was pretty fun, and we were pretty much off to the races. The video below shows our first ride at a 15mph top speed, but that’s now been modified to 30mph which is significantly more fun and scary. Since this was intended to be an errand bike, we added a front rando rack and a Wald basket to haul all the Sprouts groceries. We did our first successful bike grocery run this past weekend.

non-project things

That’s about it (honestly a lot, in retrospect…) for projects the last two months. I’ve been going to physical therapy for some minor knee pain. We spent some time in Idyllwild before Thanksgiving. I’m trying to include running in my exercise routine again. I’m also trying to get better at swimming. The Beats Fit Pro are way better (and cheaper) than AirPods Pros. I’m still obsessed with these sunflower seeds. That is all.

reflection question

What are your 2022 resolutions?

an unofficial guide to making a 40l backpack

First, ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” If the goal is to save money or have a beautiful end product, turn around now. If you’re thinking, “Ah yes, I love spending a hundred dollars on fabric and ten hours stitching only to realize I’ve made many horrible mistakes that will take even more hours to fix”, then go right ahead. This is the project for you.

step 1 - cutting out the pattern

You cut out the paper pattern first, contemplating how these various shapes will fit together to form a backpack. You try to cut exactly on the lines first, but as your hands begin to cramp, the lines get more jagged. You try to keep everything nicely folded and labeled, but the awkward shapes are difficult to store neatly, and they end up sitting on your desk for a couple of weeks.

step 2 - cutting out the fabric pieces from the paper pattern

This involves laying out the paper pieces on top of the various fabrics. If you’re legit, you might have a cutting table. Or else, this involves playing Twister on the floor and using your feet to hold the large pattern pieces as you maneuver a tiny cutting mat behind your rotary cutter. It might involve cutting your fingers a few times and needing several alcohol wipes and bandaids. It might also involve forgetting to mirror the shape you are cutting, and ending up with 4 left shoulder strap pieces and 0 right should strap pieces. It’s fine.

step 2.5 (optional) - making a plastic framesheet

If you’re naively ambitious, you go to Home Depot to buy an aluminum flat bar and a sheet of HDPE plastic, thinking that an aluminum stay and plastic frame sheet will make your bag so much more comfortable. Perhaps you realize you need to sew a piece of webbing onto the plastic to hold the flat bar in the right position, so you spend two hours hand-cranking a 1959 sewing machine through plastic to get the sleeve in place. Then, you hacksaw the aluminum stay to the right length and bend it into the precise shape of your spine. You realize the sharp edges of the aluminum bar catch on the webbing, so you sand all the corners before it finally slides in.

step 3 - making padded backpack straps

This is really just forcefully stuffing padding into a sleeve and hoping it comes out like a strap.

step 4 - putting the rest together

This part is fun. You read instructions with lines like:

SS BTM edges of ​BCK BTM PANEL INT​ to ​BCK BTM PANEL EXT ​WS to WS. TO, TS, SS in SA

…and wonder why the instructions were written as a text algorithm and not as a series of photos. You will sew things inside out, upside down, and misaligned. You spend so much time ripping out wrong seams that you develop a headache from eye strain, but the sweet thought of completing a project is so enticing that you’ll keep seam ripping and putting pieces together. Eventually, it’s done. On the last step, you realize that all of your buckles were sewn on backwards. Right as you near the finish line, you have to rip out six more seams and resew them properly. And then you have a backpack! You spend the rest of your day cleaning fabric scraps and thread out of every conceivable part of your house. The satisfaction of making your own backpack just barely outweighs the memory of cuts, eyestrain, and headaches.

And that’s it! You’ll have a decently functional backpack that cost probably cost 3 times as much as one made my an actual company when you take into account the damage to your eyesight, your dignity, and your time. However, when an imaginary person comes up to you and says “Yo, sweet bag!” you can say, “Thanks, I made it myself.”