Hey Everyone-
I'm working on a new project and need your help. What would your idea of the perfect homemade gear website be? What kinds of articles, features, themes, or motifs would you like to see? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

Check the workshop section at thru-hiker (http://www.thru-hiker.com/workshop.asp), and add some instructions like the makegear page (http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html). Then add some hammock stuff!

Basic sewing, seams and what they're good for, materials descriptions and what they're good for, hardware (buckles and such) with new ultralight uses, where to buy stuff, which off-the-shelf plans are good for clothing, etc. And of course lots of pics.

I saw the sites Jeff stated. I will add that they are good, but the directions could be a lot better. Something step by step with more pics and diagrams. That way it would be easier for people to make.

and a format simmilar to your current site:D

Check the workshop section at thru-hiker (http://www.thru-hiker.com/workshop.asp), and add some instructions like the makegear page (http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html). Then add some hammock stuff!

Basic sewing, seams and what they're good for, materials descriptions and what they're good for, hardware (buckles and such) with new ultralight uses, where to buy stuff, which off-the-shelf plans are good for clothing, etc. And of course lots of pics.

Definitely! But my problem is I'm not the best sewer. I can make a pretty mean ditty bad though! For a sewing section, I'd need someone to help me who really knows their stuff, or I could just rely on crontibuters. But I agrees, there would have to be a detailled seweing section with lots of good pictures. Thanks!

Contributors are fine, IMO. Or just provide what you can and link to the rest...for the reader, consolidating all the research into one place is just as useful as making it all on your own. The reader won't really care if you give him the info, or if you track it all down, organize it, make sure all the relevant topics are covered, and give him a quick place to find it. If it's already out there, why reinvent the wheel?

At least that's the philosophy I use for my hammock section - make it clear what's mine and give credit for where I got the rest. No need to pretend like I learned it all on my own! And the end result is more usefulness for the reader because it covers more topics. Kinda like a research paper.

For my homemade gear section, I don't try to cover all the topics of making gear...it's more like a log of what I have personally made. Both kinds of pages have utility - just different purposes.