sewing patches on packs?

[Dingus Khan]

so i feel like a moron.

ever since being a boyscout i have collected patches (and shot-glasses) of places i've visited. recently i collected some of my fav's (olympics/wonderland trail etc) and sewed them only my pack.
- i don't care about the water issue - that won't be a problem.
Just like carving peak names into wooden poles (did that too), it was more of a personal achievement pat-on-the-back, reminding me of great memories, but later i realized that others might take it differently.

i guess i might compare it to those cars with 35 location bumper stickers - some may say "so you vacation on OBX, who cares?"

guys/gals - what are you opinions regarding sewing patches on packs?

[Dingus Khan]

um yeah, this coming from a guy tagged "dingus khan" lol

[Bearpaw]

We all have our own sense of style. If you decide you don't like them, you can always take them off.

Wear those patches because you like them. Don't remove them just because some others don't.

[Summit]

I too have acquired a pretty good patch collection over the years (including the Wonderland Trail one!). I had them on my Jansport D3, but that was two backpacks ago. One day my wife volunteered (labor of love ) to take them off and, along with some newer ones I had thrown in a drawer, arrange them in a frame with felt background. It's hanging to the left of me right now in my home office. I like them much better like that than on my pack.

You'll probably get the whole gamut of reactions/responses to having them displayed on your pack. I never got a negative verbal response but I'm sure some people considered it 'show boating.' They were the object of quite a few reminiscent conversations however, like "hey is that a Pike's Peak patch? I've been there too!"

[fiddlehead]

About the same as my opinion of the Nascar or Formula one racers (or whoever it is that dresses up in those outfits that are basically walking billboards)

Like i said on another thread, it's not that big of a deal, but i certainly wouldn't do it.

I think the boy scouts probably promoted it to give people incentive to be as good as the guy who had the most. (not sure about that though)

(I guess i'm just a product of PA with Joe Paterno's philosophy of what goes on a football jersey) (of course he let them add the Nike symbol when the money was right though)

[jrnj5k]

Personally I dont want them on my pack because they add weight and absorb water. Also in order to attach them to my pack I would have to put holes in it which could effect its waterproofness slightly.

[Phoenixdadeadhead]

Don't laugh but I throw my bowling patches on my pack as well as my hiking patches, and railroad patches. I know I am a dork, but I have thought of doing like summit and adding them all in a picture frame.

[Ox97GaMe]

I had patches on my pack. Someone stole the pack. Unless they go to the effort to remove all the patches, it will be easy for me (or any of my friends) to recognize and recover.

I also have a duffle sack I sewed patches on that I use to put my pack in when I travel by plane or bus. It makes it easy to identify when being loaded in/out of the cargo bay and retrieval at baggage claim.

It also makes for a great conversation starter if you are on long hikes. A lot of folks have never heard of some of the trails that you may have hiked. Sitting around a campfire sharing experiences about different trails is a nice way to spend an evening.

[Dingus Khan]

summit, great idea. i though about sewing them as part of a quilt too - more of a wallhanger than a functional one.
jrnj5k - i did think about the water issue but use a pack cover with garbage bag stuff sack so that shouldn't be an issue. i seam sealed the insides just in case...
as far as weight; i've whittled down my pack weight to a comfort level that suits me; 20-24 lbs (5 days food with 3 litres h20; 4 lbs are luxury items) and have (temporarily) given up the UL chase. I think the technology has somewhat plateau'd anyways and personal sacrifice is where people are shaving ounces.
fiddlehead - i guess i never thought about the billboard effect - i'm happy to advertise beautiful places - i'd rather have it be an add for a place than a show-boat for a person

[Kanati]

When I decided to thru-hike I joined the ATC so that I could support the organization that did so much for the trail and her hikers. After receiving my patch I carefully sewed it onto my first backpack which was a 5.5 pound external frame kelty. I was really proud of how it looked. Two weeks into my hike I became acutely and painfully aware of excess weight because I had developed a serious case of shin splints. I came off the trail for two weeks to recover and during that time changed several things which lightened my load about 8-10 pounds. One of them was to get rid of my pack and get a new one 2 pounds lighter. I cut the stitches and removed my patch, fully intending to sew it on my new pack but have never gotten around to it. I still feel obgilated to support the ATC but cannot get the needle and thread back out. I guess displaying my patch is no longer a priority.

Happy hiking.

[prain4u]

Personally I dont want them on my pack because they add weight and absorb water. Also in order to attach them to my pack I would have to put holes in it which could effect its waterproofness slightly.

I agree.

Furthermore....It is a big pain to sew them on a pack and then take them off of a pack when you change to a new pack. Also, what if the pack gets lost damaged or stolen? There go your patches.

I think Summit's idea of having the patches framed and displayed on your wall as a collection is probably a better idea.

[Mags]

I sewed them on my day pack. A great conversation starter on trails.

They are not on my backpack, however.

[TJ aka Teej]

You don't have to sew 'em on, craft stores sell several different kinds of iron on patch 'glue'. My 20 year old day pack is covered with them, but my hiking packs only have a few.

[Homer&Marje]

I don't do it. Don't care if you do. Another one of those things that if anyone that doesn't know you.....tells you that you shouldn't do it....well their just an ass.

Only one thing to do with people like that. Rochambeu

[Marta]

I sewed them on my day pack. A great conversation starter on trails.

They are not on my backpack, however.

Ditto.

I'm fond of my daypack, but I don't do all that much dayhiking, so I don't use it as often as my other packs. When I do, the patches lead me down memory lane.

[CowHead]

I used that fabric glue work great on my pack

[Mrs Baggins]

I put them all on a day pack I only use for travel - not hiking. It's my "carry on" luggage on flights because it's larger than many day packs. When I ran out of room for my travel patches I started buying the pins and putting them on the pack. It's great fun when some little kid at an airport sees my pack and says "Wow, have you really been to all of those places?" I hope I'm planting the seeds of a desire to travel in their minds. I couldn't care less about what other adults think. I figure some day my day pack will be a family heirloom, a little piece of history about me for the grandkids.

[ryan207]

It's nobody elses business what you do with your pack. I think its sad that someone would have the nerve to actually make a negative comment about patches for God's sake. If I want someones opinion, I will ask for it. If not, then I just ignore and move on. Besides, I currently have 2 patches on my pack: the 2000 miler and zealand falls hut. One for my thru-hike and one for caretaking at Zealand for a spring. I am at Lonesome Lake hut right now and plan to add that when I am done. When this pack has finally had enough, it will serve as memories for everywhere that I used it. I think it's kind of cool. The picture frame thing sounds cool too though.

[Ridge Rat]

I figure some day my day pack will be a family heirloom, a little piece of history about me for the grandkids.

I have one of those packs from my grandfather when he passed away. It's an old jansport daypack full of old patches of his treks. I have since added to the pack with my own patches and hope to pass it along someday (at least the patches) to a family member in my family. I think it's a great idea and I still cherish it as he was the one that originally got me on the trail at a young age dayhiking.

[Lemni Skate]

I sewed two on my day pack and then I decided it just took too long. So I have a PATC patch and a SNP patch on my pack and about 15 patches in a cabinet. I have no plans to sew them on now.

I love seeing patches on people's packs, however, because I can ask them about those places. I get to hear great, enthusiastic stories.