idea MYOG - Gear mod's and personal creations.

[kmfoerster]

Alright I know I'm not the only one who tinkers with my clothes or gear for climbing....

Let's see what you've done to improve a particular piece or what you've made on your own! I'll start with some easy mods I've done and if this thread gains traction I'll add some more along with gear I've made myself.

 

Shock cord keeper on a pair of Raab pants that where lacking grommets or anything to attach the shock cord to.

 

Posted in a glove discussion thread but here they are again. Added cinch collars to a pair of Showa TEMRES. Soon we won't have to do this ourselves though.

 

Small detail that makes a HUGE difference. Bigger pull tabs on a pair of Patagonia Pant's zippers. Nothing worse than being at an anchor and struggling to get your fly unzipped with gloves on.

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by kmfoerster

[Alisse]

Love the thread! Tinkering with gear... something low-risk we can do at home! Let's see...

I won't take credit for coming up with this: when the foam grips on my ski poles started coming off, I tore them off completely and replaced them with rubber electrical tape -- and extended them further down the pole to give me more options for where to grip it.

 

I would love to hear what other people have done to create a secure water bottle holder on a backpack shoulder strap. 

[JasonG]

36 minutes ago, Alisse said:

I would love to hear what other people have done to create a secure water bottle holder on a backpack shoulder strap

Doesn't the mountain running community have this dialed?  I use a hydration bladder and hose so haven't looked into the options.

[Alisse]

12 minutes ago, JasonG said:

Doesn't the mountain running community have this dialed?  I use a hydration bladder and hose so haven't looked into the options.

Maybe, probably? I haven't seriously looked into it. Trying to keep a dying forum alive 

[kmfoerster]

On the topic of grip tape, I wrap the full length of my ice tools with Temflex. Keeps my hands a bit warmer while daggering and helps keep snow from building up on the shafts. Nothing new here, just my take on the idea.

 

@Alisse, as far a shoulder strap water bottle holder go, many companies make a removable shoulder strap pocket for such things. I can't personally think of a DIY solution short of just sewing something similar to what those companies make. Perhaps a bunch of elastic shock cord loops with cord-locks (around your shoulder strap webbing and bottle) would be a cheap but not as secure way of going about it. That could work well with a bottle with a bunch of ridges (Gatorade) on the side or a soft flask type bottle.

[DPS]

So, not a mod I made, but mods I requested. Randy Radcliff at Cold Cold World customized an Ozone to meet my specs, all to get a pack as simple and functional as my Serratus Genie worn thread bare by 48 seasons of hard use. Still cost less than similarly sized CiloGear or WildThings packs, the only other packs in contention. 

• Full 201D Dyneema Grid fabric
• Ice axe and crampon attachment system
• Side daisy chains for securing pickets, foam pad, trekking poles, or skis
• Weight: 1 lb., 8 oz. (Roughly, used a bathroom scale)

 

[kmfoerster]

Looks like you hit the nail on the head with what I would also consider a good climbing pack. Heres my most recent 30l climbing pack I made, blending what I like about Cilogear and Alpine Luddites:

 Very similar and just slightly smaller than a cilogear 30l. Used a different closure system because if the pack has a removable lid, I'm often not using it. Permanent lids tend to work better I think, less flop factor. The body of the pack is made from a newer woven dyneema hybrid (around 45% dyneema). The stuff is bomb proof (and expensive...), got bored trying to wear a hole in a test scrap with 80 grit sandpaper. So far It's been out for one climb and a few ski tours this winter.

[JasonG]

I'm always impressed by your creations @kmfoerster.  So cool!

Maybe a 50L version for people who carry too much camera gear?

[kmfoerster]

@JasonG Thank you! Currently I feel like 30L is my limit just because I cant fit too much more material under the presser foot of my machine and packs bigger than 30L should really have a beefier suspension system. Thicker shoulder straps etc. Give me time! Definitely on the horizon. Have you tried sneaking lenses in partners packs? Maybe disguise them as food or beer?

 

Speaking of camera gear...

Picked up this Sony RX0 used and I'm really quite impressed with it. Made a DIY neck leash for use while climbing. Before I had always just used my phone, but I'm always a bit scared I'm going to drop it.

[mthorman]

I rigged up an old phone cord for my nut tool tether.  It allows a long reach but retracts so it doesn't get in the way.  I can't claim it as original as I got it from John Godino's website.  He has quite a list of cool DIY mods.  https://www.alpinesavvy.com/diy-gear-making-and-modification

 

[Alisse]

11 minutes ago, mthorman said:

I rigged up an old phone cord for my nut tool tether.  It allows a long reach but retracts so it doesn't get in the way.  I can't claim it as original as I got it from John Godino's website.  He has quite a list of cool DIY mods.  https://www.alpinesavvy.com/diy-gear-making-and-modification

 

Old phone cord, haven't seen one of those in many years. That website you linked to reminded me to add rope rug making to my list!

Edited March 29, 2020 by Alisse

[JasonG]

On 3/28/2020 at 9:21 PM, kmfoerster said:

Have you tried sneaking lenses in partners packs? Maybe disguise them as food or beer?

Ha!  They have zero sympathy for my addiction and are always suspicious when I am around.  And totally understandable about the larger pack.  It certainly complicates things when they get that big!  Hard to compete with the likes of BD for the price/effort.

[JasonG]

On 3/28/2020 at 9:21 PM, kmfoerster said:

Picked up this Sony RX0 used and I'm really quite impressed with it

That is a pretty cool little camera, I hadn't even heard of those before.  I guess I would tend to gravitate towards something like a Canon S120 (which I have), G7X, or Sony RX100V and put it on my shoulder strap or gear sling when the going gets too technical for my dSLR in front.  But certainly something to keep in mind!

[DPS]

@kmfoerster, that looks like a well sewn pack. Did you take a class to learn to sew or are you self taught? 

[kmfoerster]

@DPS Thanks! I'm more or less self taught. Been at it for about 2 years now. Any prior sewing knowledge was pretty minuscule, just a faint idea from home-ec in middle school/highschool and what my mom has shown me a long time ago. It's pretty wild to think that it all started with "I want to make a goofy little bag for my bike and have something for repairs."  

[Rad]

Wow. Y'all are talented! 

[Atom]

That backpack looks awesome, @kmfoerster -Good work!

I really like the color combo. 

I dabble in making bags and always struggle with patterning my ideas. It's way too easy to get carried away trying something too complex too soon. How did you pattern the bottom panel? i.e panel below the pick pocket.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Atom

[kmfoerster]

Its trapezoid shaped, tapering from 11" (back panel) to 6" (just below pick pocket). The side measurements where your seam allowance is on the bottom panel has to match the distance of the seam allowance on the packs main side panel for the area you're trying to cover with the bottom panel. Hard to explain, maybe these pictures might help:

Hope that helps, it's about the best I can do over the internet. The key when dealing with curves is keeping the  length measurements the same at the seam allowance lines. Sorry for mixing fractions and decimals. I usually use a 3/8" seam allowance so a panel gets 3/4" ( 3/8" each side) added to its cut dimensions.

 

[Atom]

@kmfoerster This is awesome! Thank you for sharing. 

I think I need to adhere more closely to the KISS principle. I mocked up some cardboard and some card stock into the general shape I wanted, then traced the bottom panel portion from that. It yielded the cutout piece of paper. Definitely worked but a bit more of a process. 

I also made a little cord organizer for a quicker little project. 

Do you use a binding attachment?

Thanks again, 

Adam 

 

Edited April 6, 2020 by Atom

[kmfoerster]

@Atom yeah I use a 1" swing away binding attachment. I use the one made by Sailrite. I feel like the opening at the mouth of it is big enough to accommodate most of my layer stack ups that occur, and thicker I'll just bind that section by hand. Makes binding much quicker but I will say that it takes some time and practice to get good with it, i.e having the seam for the binding end up near your main seam and binding curves especially.

[kmfoerster]

Heres a new stuff sack I made for my cook kit/food bag. Its made of .8oz DCF (so lite, bro) or non-woven Dyneema or cuben fiber, sewn with seam grip applied after.

If anyones looking for a relatively easy but not so cheap introduction into MYOG, working with DCF and double sided Dyneema tape to make stuff sacks would be a pretty decent way to go about it. You wouldn't need a machine, just a bit of patience and precision.

 

 

Edited April 6, 2020 by kmfoerster

[kmfoerster]

A few no-sew dcf stuff sacks using instructions from the video above. I use the .5" double sided dcf tape from ripstopbytheroll.com. I make the reinforcement patches by applying the tape to the fabric and then cutting a patch out and then peeling the last paper strip off the adhesive tape. Then I just apply it like a piece of tenacious tape or whatever tape style patch material.

For those of you who don't want to pay for the dyneema stuff and maybe just would like to pick up some light nylon ripstop, 3M makes a double sided tape that bonds to fabrics with a PU (polyurethane) coating as well as dcf. It does not work with SIL coated fabrics. It's called "3M 9485PC".

https://www.rshughes.com/p/3M-9485PC-Clear-Transfer-Tape-1-In-Width-X-60-Yd-Length-5-Mil-Thick-Densified-Kraft-Paper-Liner-63477/021200_63477/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4-3P0O6g4gIVCMDICh1QwQhTEAYYAyABEgJs__D_BwE&utm_source=rshgs&utm_campaign=021200-63477&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI4-3P0O6g4gIVCMDICh1QwQhTEAYYAyABEgJs__D_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4414!3!207031288217!!!g!335067319566!

If you don' make want to make stuff with these tapes, they still could be used to make repair patches. They would end up being more permanent than tenacious tape or some of the other tapes people use. A bead of seam grip around the edges of any tape patch will prevent peeling and add another level of durability.

A few things to note would be that for maximum strength these taped seams need to rest a few days to bond fully. They also destabilize or loose strength in temperature extremes. As far as most stuff sack applications or  most repairs are concerned, it's not really an issue.

[Linnaeus]

Similar to MThorman's tether, I have these coil leashes for nut tools which were robbed from a set of radios. Many years ago I lost a nut tool into a talus field several hundred feet below and it convinced me to use a tether (and definitely have one on my loaner nut tool!). Its quite nice if you take a nut out at a difficult stance that you can just leave the nut on the draw and rope, drop the nut tool onto the tether and climb through to a better stance to rack them both.

Although I now use the 'fancy' Wild Country nut tool with a broad base to hit with your palm on stubborn nuts, I still think the basic BD nut tool is a great one. I added some 1/4" black fuel line held on with electrical tape to make the bottom softer when banging on it with your palm and it works quite well. The nut tool doesn't work as well for opening bottles with that side after but you can always lever a cap off with the tip of the tool

I also sewed some small (3mm?) accessory cord loops onto generic Well Lamont leather work gloves to make racking them easier between belays. I have been really impressed with how well these gloves for cold belays, long days, even ski touring for much less than the BD or Petzl gloves.

[mccallboater]

On 3/25/2020 at 1:40 PM, JasonG said:

Doesn't the mountain running community have this dialed?  I use a hydration bladder and hose so haven't looked into the options.

I use a plastic biner to clip the top of the water bottle, then a small bungee cord around the middle of the bottle with one or two zip ties around the bottle at the right height to keep everything snug. 

Edited January 6, 2021 by mccallboater
Added picture

[mccallboater]

Variations on a theme. Bladders don’t work well here in the cold, so I hang all these from my shoulder strap and leave them warm in the pack otherwise.