If you could design your own travel gear?

[Matt Derrick]

Hey I've been tossing around a few ideas with @KinowaGear about different kinds of travel gear we could make that would be useful to the StP community, and I figured i'd just throw the question out there to ya'll and get your opinion on it.

So, if you could design a custom piece of travel gear, weather it was a hip pouch, backpack, or anything else, what would you make? Don't forget to include what you would use it for! Also, the more specific you can be, the better!

 

[Hobo Mud]

I have been waiting for someone to ask a question like this for years. Were do I begin? Two of my most favorite train hopping bags I have ever owned have been an outdoor Military – Style Alice field pack and a 2- Strap Military Duffle Bag. Both bags are made of a very strong and durable canvas material.

I have often wished and wondered if I could pay someone to somehow combine the two. Would want the room and ability to carry a lot of gear if needed as to which the 2 – strap duffel bag provides, and I like the shape and size of the two strap system, however, there is no back support with military 2 -strap double bags nor is there chest or belly straps as to which makes it a nightmare to hike a long distance.

I love the Alice backpack because of the pockets and the biggest bonus with that bag is the lack of zippers, I hate bags with zippers and when I am in need of a bag I try to find bags that have as little zippers as possible. I love the big deep pockets the Alice backpacks provide.

I much prefer the straps that enter lock like a belt would around your waste, having straps on the bottom of a army style 2-strap duffle bag to carry a sleeping bag and roll up mat would be nice as well and having loops around the outside of the bag to be able to have the ability to tie and attach things would be nice.

Suspect the responses will be very interesting.

 

[Deleted member 125]

I have been waiting for someone to ask a question like this for years. Were do I begin? Two of my most favorite train hopping bags I have ever owned have been an outdoor Military – Style Alice field pack and a 2- Strap Military Duffle Bag. Both bags are made of a very strong and durable canvas material.

I have often wished and wondered if I could pay someone to somehow combine the two. Would want the room and ability to carry a lot of gear if needed as to which the 2 – strap duffel bag provides, and I like the shape and size of the two strap system, however, there is no back support with military 2 -strap double bags nor is there chest or belly straps as to which makes it a nightmare to hike a long distance.

I love the Alice backpack because of the pockets and the biggest bonus with that bag is the lack of zippers, I hate bags with zippers and when I am in need of a bag I try to find bags that have as little zippers as possible. I love the big deep pockets the Alice backpacks provide.

I much prefer the straps that enter lock like a belt would around your waste, having straps on the bottom of a army style 2-strap duffle bag to carry a sleeping bag and roll up mat would be nice as well and having loops around the outside of the bag to be able to have the ability to tie and attach things would be nice.

Suspect the responses will be very interesting.

im gonna kinda piggy back off you here. i like alice packs because they are damn near bullet proof and thats real important to me, without a pack that can handle the shit yer travelling is gonna be shit ya know. its a bummer hauling around a crummy pack, but my gripe with alice packs is you either gotta go with the external frame (which is a big negative for me since you cant make em fit where you need them to fit sometimes) or you go without a frame which just kills my back. so ideally ide want something with a solid internal frame and outside pockets like alice packs have because i like to keep my gear in a particular way which is a problem with alot of the hiking backpacks that are being made now by rei and other places. its just a big empty hole that if yer not filling it to full capacity you really feel that yer hauling a half empty pack around and i dont like that and im sure it leads alot of people to over packing because they bought a pack with 1 large main compartment and no smaller side pockets and what not. so outside pockets are ideal for me. gotta have a solid waist strap the chest strap not so much a big deal since i rarely use mine but its a nice option when yer load is heavy.

like @Hobo Mud i gotta give love for the external outside straps for a stuff sacked sleeping bag/mat. but overall i think durability is the most important thing for a good pack. ide much rather have a less comfortable pack that handled abuse over a really comfortable pack that the zipper busts out after a month. but ya know ideally ide love something that was at least somewhat water proof too. the most recent pack i got came with a rain cover that pulls out from the bottom and covers the entire pack, i havnt had a chance to test it yet but its a pretty neat feature. theres not much worse then bedding down for the night only to find half yer shit is soaking wet when you were only getting rained on for 15 minutes.

 

[Tony Pro]

I've always wished there was a one-piece multitool, like the examples below, but designed specifically for hobos. There are a million different iterations of these, but none that suit my needs exactly. I'd design one that includes things like a can opener, wire stripper/seatbelt cutter, screwdriver, cutting edge, sawblade, crowbar tip, hex sockets, and file. And if it were possible to tack all that onto a spork, so much the better!

 

[creature]

I've wondered about a pack with a roll up cover from the bottom, similar to a rain shield, but intended to cover external pockets, clips & cords so that when you jump are are scrambling through bracken there's less exterior stuff to get hung up.

 

[KinowaGear]

I have been waiting for someone to ask a question like this for years. Were do I begin? Two of my most favorite train hopping bags I have ever owned have been an outdoor Military – Style Alice field pack and a 2- Strap Military Duffle Bag. Both bags are made of a very strong and durable canvas material.

I have often wished and wondered if I could pay someone to somehow combine the two. Would want the room and ability to carry a lot of gear if needed as to which the 2 – strap duffel bag provides, and I like the shape and size of the two strap system, however, there is no back support with military 2 -strap double bags nor is there chest or belly straps as to which makes it a nightmare to hike a long distance.

I love the Alice backpack because of the pockets and the biggest bonus with that bag is the lack of zippers, I hate bags with zippers and when I am in need of a bag I try to find bags that have as little zippers as possible. I love the big deep pockets the Alice backpacks provide.

I much prefer the straps that enter lock like a belt would around your waste, having straps on the bottom of a army style 2-strap duffle bag to carry a sleeping bag and roll up mat would be nice as well and having loops around the outside of the bag to be able to have the ability to tie and attach things would be nice.

Suspect the responses will be very interesting.

Hey man! Sounds like my rolltop or flaptop backpacks could be a great backpack for ya.

I make handmade bike courier backpacks, which are designed for cargo transportation, no zippers - only Velcro and quick release buckles, and are made with 1000D Cordura or 1680D Ballistic nylon and waterproof truck tarp liner. They are real sturdy and weater repellant. Made to last - in the harsest condition.

I was thinking of designing a travel series of backpacks, keeping the bike courier backpack design in mind. They are very versatile, I use mine for dumpster diving and travelling, plus they look cool!

I make them with sternum strap but I can add belly strap with no problem. There is carabiner loops on the outside and there is possibility to add MOLLE webbing for extra attachment.

The rolltop and flaptop bag consist of a huge main compartment, big 3D front pocket with a flap, a smaller 3D pocket on one side and 2 pocket on the other side. All pockets are waterproof. Back panel EVA foam padding. Compression straps on the bottom - webbing is long enough for a roll up mat or sleeping bag. Double layer bottom reinforcement with Cordura or Ballistic nylon. The rolltop bag is available in different size, going up to 130L!

If interested in learning more, hit me up!

I'll post some pictures of them pretty soon. Stay tuned.

Cheers
Martin

 

[KinowaGear]

im gonna kinda piggy back off you here. i like alice packs because they are damn near bullet proof and thats real important to me, without a pack that can handle the shit yer travelling is gonna be shit ya know. its a bummer hauling around a crummy pack, but my gripe with alice packs is you either gotta go with the external frame (which is a big negative for me since you cant make em fit where you need them to fit sometimes) or you go without a frame which just kills my back. so ideally ide want something with a solid internal frame and outside pockets like alice packs have because i like to keep my gear in a particular way which is a problem with alot of the hiking backpacks that are being made now by rei and other places. its just a big empty hole that if yer not filling it to full capacity you really feel that yer hauling a half empty pack around and i dont like that and im sure it leads alot of people to over packing because they bought a pack with 1 large main compartment and no smaller side pockets and what not. so outside pockets are ideal for me. gotta have a solid waist strap the chest strap not so much a big deal since i rarely use mine but its a nice option when yer load is heavy.

like @Hobo Mud i gotta give love for the external outside straps for a stuff sacked sleeping bag/mat. but overall i think durability is the most important thing for a good pack. ide much rather have a less comfortable pack that handled abuse over a really comfortable pack that the zipper busts out after a month. but ya know ideally ide love something that was at least somewhat water proof too. the most recent pack i got came with a rain cover that pulls out from the bottom and covers the entire pack, i havnt had a chance to test it yet but its a pretty neat feature. theres not much worse then bedding down for the night only to find half yer shit is soaking wet when you were only getting rained on for 15 minutes.

The thing is, most of the hiking backpacks people are using with a raincover, it does a good job but the actual bag is not enough waterproof without the raincover (when the cover still waterproof - if not too old). All the bags I make, even the hip pouches are lined with 18oz truck tarp vinyl and are mainly constructed with a floating liner – this means that the waterproof interior liner is constructed as a separate bag-within-a-bag, and is only sewn to the outer shell along the edge. There is no stitching along the seams that can wick water from the outside to the inside. These bags are made for bike messenger, whatever what is the weather outside, the bikers will be there from 8 to 5 non-stop delivering paper enveloppes and stuff, they need a bag that will not let rain or snow or mud come from the outside to the inside. So I am planning on changing a few things on my design to build backpacks mainly made for travelling - with the Cordura or Ballistic nylon outside layer and truck tarp liner, they are already made for daily abuse usage.

 

[MolotovMocktail]

I've wondered about a pack with a roll up cover from the bottom, similar to a rain shield, but intended to cover external pockets, clips & cords so that when you jump are are scrambling through bracken there's less exterior stuff to get hung up.

If I'm properly imagining what you're describing, then my yuppie pack already has this. It's basically a plastic cover that unrolls from a pocket in the bottom of the pack with elastic around the edges so you can stretch it over your gear. I was able to use it even with a sleeping bag and sleeping mat strapped to the outside of my pack. It's not the strongest material though so I'm not sure if it would hold up to bushwhacking or throwing it off a train or whatever.

Here's a photo of it in use when I got caught in the rain hitching after the 2016 Jambo. It'd be nice if it wasn't bright yellow though....

 

[creature]

Fucking exactly, @MolotovMocktail ..

But def cordura or such..

Thanks : )

 

[creature]

Who the heck was it..?
They said too many attachments could hang when jumping a train.. don't recall who.. & also that that was a reason to avoid external frame packs for hopping, too..

I have a North Face, with no external pockets at all, & it sucks.. a good pack, otherwise, but pretty well much a single pouch & opening.

More or less useless, really, but something good for heavy bracken, perhaps, but all I can actually use it for is to stow hard tack.

Just got me to thinking..

 

[Whereamiwhatdoido]

Awesome initiative!
Agreeing with sturdy/waterproof material I guess there's a lot of details in the design that makes a perfect pack.
For me it'd need pockets.
1. a pocket where I can store my pot/groceries, some tinder, spices and all I need for cooking - preferably easy access. Maybe a side pocket with a vertical all down zipper, made perfext with a two way zipper!
2. pockets for litter, art supplies, notebook/diary, toiletries - something like a schoolbag front pocket where there's plenty of organizational straps and belts with zippers and what not.
3. easy access for stowing my jacket, bottom access for sleeping gear without interferring with my stashed clothes - whether this should be a designated two compartments or a resizeable main compartment with a flap to make two compartments depends on the amount of gear I'd bring. But probably I'd prefer two seperate compartments, one for bulk in the bottom to stash all my sleeping gear and a main compartment with top access for clothing.
4. Heavily polstered shoulder straps and hip belt for hiking and comfort. - What I often find missing is small elastic bands where you stow the adjustable lengths of straps, so nothing flutters about and gets caught.
5. An interior pocket with access while strapped on my back. Say for your wallet/passport or anything where easy access could be neat.
6. Mesh pockets for water bottles. Accessible on the go.
7. Interior alu-frame

Well, that sounds like a lot of features that might be hard to size into one pack, but it's mainly things I've found missing on my standard packs. Or it's something only available on high-end packs that seems very fragile.

 

[Deleted member 125]

If I'm properly imagining what you're describing, then my yuppie pack already has this. It's basically a plastic cover that unrolls from a pocket in the bottom of the pack with elastic around the edges so you can stretch it over your gear. I was able to use it even with a sleeping bag and sleeping mat strapped to the outside of my pack. It's not the strongest material though so I'm not sure if it would hold up to bushwhacking or throwing it off a train or whatever.

Here's a photo of it in use when I got caught in the rain hitching after the 2016 Jambo. It'd be nice if it wasn't bright yellow though....
View attachment 40883

yea thats pretty much the same as my new pack except mines bright orange...ide take yer yellow over orange haha.

 

[KinowaGear]

Hi y'all,

Here is a picture of the rolltop backpacks I do. They are pretty basic but fully functional, very resistant and weather proof. This one is a 88 liters capacity (unrolled). They are fully customizable, from colors to size of pockets. 1000D Cordura, double layer reinforcment 1680D ballistic nylon, 18oz truck tarp waterproof liner, EVA foam and UVR bonded polyester thread. Will post a picture of a flaptop backpack later on.

 

[Deleted member 125]

Hi y'all,

Here is a picture of the rolltop backpacks I do. They are pretty basic but fully functional, very resistant and weather proof. This one is a 88 liters capacity (unrolled). They are fully customizable, from colors to size of pockets. 1000D Cordura, double layer reinforcment 1680D ballistic nylon, 18oz truck tarp waterproof liner, EVA foam and UVR bonded polyester thread. Will post a picture of a flaptop backpack later on.
View attachment 40919 View attachment 40920

that looks like a really decent pack my only problem with it would be the lack of a waist strap. a fully loaded pack of that size would be pretty uncomfortable (for me at least) without a waist strap especially if there was no frame. its hard to tell from the photos but is there a internal frame?

 

[KinowaGear]

that looks like a really decent pack my only problem with it would be the lack of a waist strap. a fully loaded pack of that size would be pretty uncomfortable (for me at least) without a waist strap especially if there was no frame. its hard to tell from the photos but is there a internal frame?

I make them with sternum starp only because the majority of people using them are bike courier - waist belt is not comfortable while riding a bike. But adding a waist belt to it is not a big deal. When I say fully customizable, that can be something to add in the design. I did backpacks before with waist belt and can add one with no problem.

For the internal frame, same kinda thing, these backpacks are made for bike courier, internal frame is not necessary. But, I am looking forward to design backpacks mainly for light to medium-heavy travels while keeping the messenger bags designs. So if you have any recommendation about internal frame materiel that would be good and not to expensive to use, feel free to let me know so I can give it a try!

Like I said before, I make gear for bike messengers and I thought some of these items are pretty useful too in travels/train hop ... So right now I'm gathering ideas to modify some of my design, such as the backpacks to accommodate it.

For example, I always loved to carry a CB radio and a portative scanner when travelling bike hitch hiking or freight, lots of bike courier still use CB radios for dispatching - I make Radios holsters (attached to your 2" strap belt loop) - so that's an example of one item that work well for both bike courier and some of travelers/train hoppers. Another example is, my backpacks are really abrasion resistant (cordura + ballistic + truck tarp vinyl), and weather proof, this is for the bike messenger out there working in the rain all day and not worrying with cheap fabric materials - so that goes the same for the guy going out west in that grainer. lol

Anyways, hmu with an internal frame idea if you know something. Cheers

 

[jaws]

I have been waiting for someone to ask a question like this for years. Were do I begin? Two of my most favorite train hopping bags I have ever owned have been an outdoor Military – Style Alice field pack and a 2- Strap Military Duffle Bag. Both bags are made of a very strong and durable canvas material.

I have often wished and wondered if I could pay someone to somehow combine the two. Would want the room and ability to carry a lot of gear if needed as to which the 2 – strap duffel bag provides, and I like the shape and size of the two strap system, however, there is no back support with military 2 -strap double bags nor is there chest or belly straps as to which makes it a nightmare to hike a long distance.

I love the Alice backpack because of the pockets and the biggest bonus with that bag is the lack of zippers, I hate bags with zippers and when I am in need of a bag I try to find bags that have as little zippers as possible. I love the big deep pockets the Alice backpacks provide.

I much prefer the straps that enter lock like a belt would around your waste, having straps on the bottom of a army style 2-strap duffle bag to carry a sleeping bag and roll up mat would be nice as well and having loops around the outside of the bag to be able to have the ability to tie and attach things would be nice.

Suspect the responses will be very interesting.

@Hobo Mud nailed it!
For the longest I have been imagining a backpack that is a mix between a military duffle bag and alice bag. Essentially it would be a duffle bag with back support, that's it!
I have traveled with both and combing the two would be perhaps the dream bag of this moment. If you decide to make this Matt, remember @hobomud and I.

 

[KinowaGear]

@Hobo Mud nailed it!
For the longest I have been imagining a backpack that is a mix between a military duffle bag and alice bag. Essentially it would be a duffle bag with back support, that's it!
I have traveled with both and combing the two would be perhaps the dream bag of this moment. If you decide to make this Matt, remember @hobomud and I.

@Hobo Mud @jaws

Hey guys, I'm down with that project. Let me know what I can do and keep in touch with ideas, would love to help make your dream bag - we can talk about a design and I can let you know the process for making it your own or I can make it for you guys

 

[ironman]

Hi y'all,

Here is a picture of the rolltop backpacks I do. They are pretty basic but fully functional, very resistant and weather proof. This one is a 88 liters capacity (unrolled). They are fully customizable, from colors to size of pockets. 1000D Cordura, double layer reinforcment 1680D ballistic nylon, 18oz truck tarp waterproof liner, EVA foam and UVR bonded polyester thread. Will post a picture of a flaptop backpack later on.
View attachment 40919 View attachment 40920

How much for the pack

 

[Jamie charlton]

I find a lot of fun in making my own gear. It may not always look amazing but almost always durable and gets the job done, I just finished stiching two bags for my bike and still need to adjust one and make a 3rd. One is a frame bag made out of a dumpster shower curtain that is rather durable and semi water resistant and a clothing drawstring bag for my front handlebars made of the hood I removed from my vest. Honestly its a perfect fit and holds the few cloths I carry well. The third bag is going to be a seat post bag for carrying rice, oatmeal and pasta. Im traveling on a mountain bike so none of the standard touring stuff fits so I make my own. I could have mad the frame bag bigger... But I'm going to add a flip top to it and in the next iteration it will be bigger.

 

[Antlered]

I'd love to buy one someday. 85 liters is plenty to get lost with for a good long time. I support the pack having a radio pouch on the shoulder strap. Definitely useful. I'm not sure how useful it would be to have a small, glows-in-the-dark locator light on a zipper-pull that contains your toiletries for that midnight call of nature. I've put one on the zipper of my bag, because I don't want to use my really bright headlamp when I go to answer that call. Maybe zipper-pulls of different shapes or textures? Dunno, just spitballing ideas.