Originally Posted by
Nameless
Onto my next project for my thru that begins in barely more than a month and a half...
I really want to add hip pockets to my gearskin because I am always wishing durring the day that I had my camera or snacks easily assesable so I could use or eat them without dealing with removing the pack. Now that my base weight is 12 lbs alone and will be less than 10 lbs when I start my thru, I just don't feel like removing the pack all that often.
I have thought through several designs, but want something that will be light weight, easy to sew, simple to use, and hard to destroy with care. I thought about zippers, but they can be difficult to deal with, or velcro, but it always gets dirty after awhile.
I am thinking of perminantly attaching the pocket to my gearskin, because I dont see any reason why I should want to remove it. This would save weight, and make the project more simple. I was thinking of creating a small sack, about five inches wide (anything longer will not fit on my hip belt easily, I am extremely thin), four inches tall, and enough give to fit two or three inches of stuff. I thought about closures for quite awhile before I suddenly realized that a shock cord could be used. And, instead of adding a cordlock I could simply use a strait peice long enough to be just under tension when the pocket is closed. So, to add a camera or munchies to a pocket i would simply strech out the shock cord, add the item, then release and the pocket would close itself. I cannot think of anything simpler myself. If you are having trouble visualizing it, the shock cord would lay flat against the pack when it is not being stretched out, just barely under tension so it holds the pocket closed.
I am in the middle or ordering a bunch of material from thru-hiker.com for a two person quilt and stuff sacks I am trying to make. I figure that i will make the pockets from the extra material, probably the sil-nylon from the stuff sacks. I'm not too worried about it getting wet inside because I will have a packa so they well be guarded from rain, and i could always prop them open to dry.
Any input on my design would be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou
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