I have long wanted to try making some equipment with my own hands. My first pathetic attempt is documented here :)
I went to the Epicenter hardware store (there are three of them in Kyiv) in search of interesting materials for work. I found there a number of lightweight moisture-proof materials that are used in the construction of houses. They may not be as durable as , but they'll probably last a couple of hikes. I bought 5 linear meters of Strotex insulating film from a 1.5 m wide roll. The material is shown on the right. One side is white, the other is covered with aluminum film, which should reflect heat well.
I cut the piece as follows and glued the two pieces together with tape.
I then brought the diagonal edges together and glued them together to form a three meter long tube. Weighs approx. 580 g, and there's enough room for two. Field tests will take place tomorrow night...
Balcony test
I put the sleeping bag into the tube and pulled it up to chin level. The fabric was just lying on the sleeping bag. I didn't lift it with a rope or anything else. As a result, condensation from my body soaked the top side of the sleeping bag, even though I was breathing above the tube. But inside the tube it was 3 degrees warmer than outside it.
Afterword
The idea of a pipe-shaped shelter is not new. The raised entrance, of course, makes the shelter more comfortable. However, materials like Strotex can get wet in heavy rain or snow. They are much inferior to ordinary polyethylene in this regard. The main disadvantage of this design is the accumulation of condensate. I will not use this shelter, since I have a better one, but for some this solution may be quite satisfactory, especially for short trips (1-2 nights), where the issue of condensation is not decisive.
Izomat 120 grams January 2008
Izomat was originally intended for insulation and soundproofing of floors. I cut it up and taped the pieces together so it folded up and fit in my backpack. Successfully used in . The material is quite fragile, but its thermal insulation properties are more effective than travel rugs (per unit weight).
Report, 2008
Subsequently, the isomat broke and came unglued. But the fact remains: the thermal insulation is excellent.
Case for cats February 2008
The simplest project. I cut out a piece and sewed the edges to make a cover. Then, when I purchased sewing machine, altered the seams. Weight - 8 grams. It is very puncture resistant, which is superior to silicone and other ultra-light fabrics.
Report, 2011
I still keep my cats in this case. Great use of Tyvek. The fabric becomes softer and softer, but does not pierce.
Snowshoes February 2008
My simplest and most naive project. Unfortunately, I didn’t get further than the first stage due to the inability to try these snowshoes on the snow! That way I would know what is needed to improve them. The basis for snowshoes is cheap aluminum dumplings weighing 260 grams each. I liked their shape and excellent grip. I was going to tie straight branches with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm and a length of 60-70 cm to the dumplings at the site of the hike. The fastening system shown here is too flimsy to withstand large and multidirectional loads. We should have come up with something more complicated.
Conclusion, 2009
Snowshoes should not be shaped like a circle...
Silicone vapor barrier socks March 2008
Quite a complex project. I took the pattern from polar socks, “by eye.” Each sock contains three pieces of fabric. They work well, but they slip. You need to add a tie or elastic band. The weight of a pair is 16 grams.
Report, 2009
Sewing socks turned out to be quite difficult. These socks are suitable for sleeping, but not for walking.
Duffel bag 110 grams March 2008
Explain, What is this, very difficult 🙂 You have to see and feel it for yourself. Fabric - volume - about 40-45 liters, weight - only 110 grams. There are drawstrings at the ends of the duffel bag, and things can be easily reached along the entire length of the bag. There are several perpendicular seams.
Report, 2010
I haven't gone camping with him yet. I doubt that I will like it, but it would still be worth trying to go with him at least once.
Failed windpants March 2008
I ordered a kit for sewing these ultra-light pants from thru-hiker.com. Fabric (“momentum” - ultra-light breathable polyamide with water-repellent impregnation), accessories and pattern are included in the set. Due to my inexperience, I did not check the resulting pants size for early stages and sewed too tight pants with wide waist. By the time I realized that my pants didn’t fit well, it was already too late. I decided to contact the studio to have pants made for me from another piece of Momentum I ordered (and also in a less disgusting color). The pants turned out great and weigh less than 80 grams. By the way, I abandoned the side zippers. The lightning can be seen in the second photo.
Report, 2010
Momentum is definitely a very advanced fabric. For most windproof products, as well as bivouac bags, Momentum is ideal. But for trousers, I advise you to use heavier fabrics, because... When hiking, you often catch branches and thorns, sit on rocks, fall on snow, etc. Momentum can tear, and sewing up a tear or hole in such a light fabric can be difficult. I still wear trousers (this is my second pair) from Momentum, but I decided that my next pair will no longer weigh 70 grams, but 100 or more.
Bag for map and camera No. 1 April 2008
For the next ultra-light hike in Crimea, I decided to get rid of many of the covers that I was used to hanging on the straps of my backpack (see), and carry only the most necessary things in front: a map and a camera. For them, I came up with a special silicone bag measuring 30 x 25 x 8 cm with two compartments (so that the card can always be put inside, even if the second compartment is filled with things). Product weight - 30 grams.
The bag was supposed to work like this. While you are looking at a map or using a camera, the bag hangs in front of your stomach. When the map and camera are no longer needed, you tighten the hole and dashingly throw the bag over your head back so that it hangs behind you. When you need the bag again, you take the rope from behind your shoulders with your hands and use it to pull the bag over the top of the backpack.
No matter how much I tried, I could not find a place to tie the rope to the backpack so that the bag would hang at the desired height both in front and behind, and so that it could be easily reached from behind. If you wear it only in front, it dangles and hits your stomach with every step. Over time it gets boring. And so, the design is not bad.
Conclusion, 2009
Is the design good? I don't agree. I wonder how many hits my camera would have withstood on the backpack when the bag was thrown? :)
Bag for map and camera No. 2 April 2008
Continuation of the previous topic. This bag corrects the shortcomings of the former. Now the bag with the map and camera hangs under the arm in a place where the map (for example, “Atlas of the Crimean Mountains”) is still easy to take out and put in without removing the backpack, and at the same time the bag does not interfere with the use of a trekking stick. In addition, it does not hit the body at all, since the line of attachment of the bag is parallel to the trajectory of movement.
The design is now flat, with two compartments, a drawstring and four loops to allow for different ways to hang the bag (only the side two are used in the photo). Attaches with ultra-light carabiners to the loop on the backpack and to the shoulder strap. I'm very pleased with the result. During this time, this handbag was my constant assistant and did not interfere with the movement of my hand at all and did not hit my body. Weight including carbines - 23 grams.
Report, 2010
Over time I cut out a divider inside the bag. She was clearly superfluous. In fact, now the bag is practically no different from a regular case for hiking items. Only by the presence of loops and the stupidity of the seams :) As a rule, I attach the front part lower than shown in these photographs. An improved model is presented. Nevertheless, the bag remains one of my most successful inventions and has accompanied me on numerous hikes, incl. and by . Thanks to it, the map is always at hand, and looking at it on the go is not difficult.
Mosquito net April 2008
Many means have been invented to protect against insects without using a traditional tent. It's worth searching on Google, for example, "bug bivy". At one time I bought a simple, lightweight and relatively cheap mosquito net from Gossamer Gear (70 grams). In anticipation of summer hikes, I decided to make a mosquito net that would weigh less and more reliably protect not only from mosquitoes, but also from ticks and ants that can crawl up to you from below.
The mesh I developed can be used with equal success both on the ground and in a hammock. It can also be used as a mosquito net for the head. The shape of the mesh is an envelope tube, tightened at hip level. Made of ultra-fine mesh (“no-see-um”), through which midges and ticks cannot crawl. Weight - 50 grams. Suspended from an awning, branch or rope. In the photo below, the net is raised 20 cm above the head of the imaginary sleeper. This option is ideal for lightweight athletes who walk like this: they came in the evening, set up camp, immediately went to bed, then got up in the morning and walked.
Report, 2008
I used the net while hiking on. The idea may be a good one, but it turned out to be very difficult to climb inside the mesh while sitting in a sleeping bag. From such muscle tension, at the end of a 12-hour day's march, you become completely exhausted.
Super-ultra-light backpack June 2008
How light can a backpack be? I think it’s not much lighter than my latest brainchild, which weighs 45 grams and holds 22-24 liters. The body of the backpack is made of a single piece of silicone (75 x 75 cm and 24 grams of weight). The backpack is designed for summer hikes in the Crimea with a base backpack weight of up to 1-2 kg and a maximum load of 6-7 kg.
Report, 2010
Subsequently, this pathetic backpack visited the top of Elbrus behind the shoulders of my friend. My next ultra-light silicone backpack will have a double bottom, external pockets and thicker foam in the straps. A full-fledged backpack for summer PVD can weigh about 100 grams.
Mosquito net for two November 2008
Now I gravitate towards the most simple and functional equipment. I wanted to make a mosquito net for two, which could be easily used at rest stops as well as at night. The size should be large enough for two people to sit and dine under the net. In Colorado, we already realized how inconvenient it can be without such protection from insects, and decided that we would have to come up with something for our next trip. I had been eyeing a mesh tent from Ray Jardine's site for a long time, but gradually I abandoned this design. Firstly, the tent requires pegs and trekking poles or branches to set up, which makes it useless for short rest stops. Secondly, it is too low to sit in. It was necessary to come up with something simpler and more convenient.
In the end I came up with this design. Essentially it is a pyramid with the top shifted forward and the bottom open. The length of the structure is 2.6 m, width - 1.8 m in front - 1.5 m in back. Top height - 1.2 m. Weight - 200 grams. Pieces of nylon are sewn to the bottom corners, and the bottom edges of the mesh can be held either with something heavy (say, sneakers) resting on the pieces of nylon inside the corners of the tent, or with pegs. To the corners and the middle long sides loops for pegs are sewn on. You don’t have to stretch the edges, but simply hang the mesh at the top, on which there is a special tensioner, so that the mesh can be easily raised or lowered without tying knots. It is enough to find a branch to hang a tent in half a minute and protect yourself from mosquitoes. If the awning has a loop at the bottom, then you will attach the mesh to it. We will try this design at the end of December.
Report, 2010
Subsequently, this grid underwent a number of changes. First I added a vertical zipper at the entrance. Then I cut off pieces of mesh at the sides and back and sewed loops around the perimeter of the mesh. But I went too far with reducing the size: I no longer fit under the mesh. I added new pieces of mesh and sewed the entire structure to the rescue blanket for complete protection from insects (particularly ticks). However, we didn’t like how the walls of the “interior” sagged and touched our faces. We leave experiments with mesh and move on to using a two-person bivouac with mesh or shelters with integrated mesh (like the “Hexamid Twin" from Zpacks), that is, essentially, ultra-light single-layer tents.
Rain skirts December 2008
How to protect yourself from such rain, which falls from morning to night at temperatures of 10 degrees or lower? The umbrella protects the torso well, but the pants (shorts are cold) invariably get wet. Gore-Tex rain pants don't breathe enough and get hot under heavy loads. A poncho is good if you are alone, but if you are alone, you will want a large awning instead of two poncho awnings. The simplest and, it seems to me, effective solution is a “rain skirt” or a kilt made of silicone. The design is a partial cone (imagine a glass without a bottom, with a wide end at the bottom). Fixed with Velcro. As easy as pie. It can also be used as a cover for a backpack or a small bedding for rest stops. It is not hot in such a skirt due to good ventilation. I made one for myself and one for a girl. Weight is 70 grams for me and 55 for the girl. The main difficulties when sewing are to determine the most convenient length, make the bottom wide enough, draw the bend correctly (see photo on the left) and choose the optimal places for the Velcro (and so that they match at both ends of the skirt!).
Vapor barrier gloves December 2008
There was a need for vapor barrier gloves for girls, because... her hands often get cold. The mittens were sewn from pieces of silicone left over from rain skirts. We were lucky with the size of the mittens: they fit both her and me. They are loose enough to be worn as tops over thin gloves. This way they protect from rain or snow. True, in this case the hand does not breathe, but in certain conditions this can even be a plus (if the hands are cold). Having outlined the hand and 5-10 cm of the wrist on paper, you need to add about 2 cm around the perimeter and a little more in the wrist area so that the hand can fit through the hole formed. Then we cut out the resulting pattern and apply it to silicone or other fabric and outline it with chalk or a marker. Cut out four “handles” to make two mittens. Well, then everything is clear, I hope. The mittens work. Now I want to add elastic at the wrist area to prevent the mittens from slipping. The weight of the pair is 8 grams.
Report, 2010
You don’t need to add 2 cm, but 3-4, depending on whether you wear mittens over gloves. The elastic is a necessary thing, but you need to sew it on before sewing two pieces of silicone. Sew on an elastic band - it’s not a field to cross :)
Waterproof pants August 2010
Numerous moves and the inconvenience of using strangers sewing machines over the past two years they have prevented me from developing self-tailoring projects. But now these issues have largely been resolved. In addition, I feel that the accumulated experience and understanding allows me to sew more intelligently than before. I'm starting to develop new equipment... Waterproof pants are designed to correct the shortcomings of the rain skirt. They protect the entire length of the legs from precipitation and do not interfere with stepping over obstacles. You can wear Gore-Tex socks underneath without the risk of water running down your feet and getting inside the socks from above. The trouser legs weigh 66 grams (from 50 for smaller people).
Report, 2010
Preliminary result after testing in: I like it. When combined with Gore-Tex socks, they protect the entire foot from external moisture. Pants should be worn in conjunction with a poncho or raincoat, the lower edge of which is below the groin. Otherwise, moisture will get under the legs from above, and the legs will gradually get wet from the inside. Putting on pants legs in the wind can be difficult. I partially solved this problem by sewing a thin jumper between the legs (see photo on the right).
Card bag No. 3 October 2010
It seems perfection has been achieved! The bag weighs only 11 grams without carabiners and has easier entry and tightening than the old one. Now the fabric does not get into the lock, and the “Atlas of the Crimean Mountains” slides in easily. In addition, the bag can also be used as a cover for things.
Windproof mittens October 2010
Why windproof mittens, even 15 gram ones? And then to a) protect your hands from cold and wind on summer hikes, b) protect your hands from mosquitoes and c) wear over warm, breathable gloves in cold weather. This combination now weighs only 57 grams. When sewing the mittens, the hardest part was sewing on the elastic. As it turned out, this must be done before sewing the two handles. I only succeeded in doing this the third time. Not counting the first failure of the gauntlet, the project took two hours. By the way, the fabric for the mittens was taken from my wife’s worn-out windpants.
With our post today we want to prove that if you wish, you can create the most functional and necessary things out of nothing. All you need is a little improvisation and common sense. We invite you to find out how you can assemble a lightweight tourist backpack with your own hands from scrap items in a few minutes. This method will be useful to you on a hike or on a picnic, when an ordinary bag is not enough. 
1. Find three branches. They should be thick enough so that they don't bend too easily. Place them in a triangle on the ground as shown in the photo. The triangle must be large enough. 
2. Make cuts in the places where the branches should connect. 
3. Use twine or plastic bags to join the edges of the triangle. The result should be a strong triangular frame. 
4. Take one long and wide ribbon that will act as straps and tie it along the edges of the triangle as shown in the photographs. 
5. As a result, our backpack is almost ready. You need to try it on, and if necessary, tighten the straps so that they do not put pressure on your shoulders, but also do not hang down. 
6. Wrap in a poncho, tarp or friend durable fabric your things and wrap them so that you get a rectangular tight package. 
7. If the load is small, then use a rope to braid the frame of our backpack so that it holds the load. 
8. Then place the bag in the center and repeat the tying process, only from the outside. The strength of the fastening is important here. 
We recommend attaching the bag with things so that there is an opening at the top. In this case, you can quickly get the necessary things without untying the entire load.
Hiking is unthinkable without backpacks. Everyone who puts on a backpack wants it to be comfortable, first and foremost. Maybe that's why there are so many opinions about their design, shapes and sizes. However, when making backpacks, first of all, as a rule, the general requirements developed by many years of practice are taken into account. Backpacks must: meet the specifics of the type of tourism and the goals of the trip; be capacious enough to accommodate the entire travel cargo, and if the volume is smaller, have devices for tying the cargo outside; be made of durable and preferably waterproof, but not heavy material that retains elasticity even in the cold; ensure quick retrieval of the most necessary things without unpacking the entire backpack, as well as even distribution of the load (the design of the backpack should allow removing excess load from the shoulders). The last requirement is met by the use of machines, hip belts and widened shoulder straps (with elastic pads) and the anatomical characteristics of backpacks. The benefit from this is undoubted - tourists can carry hiking equipment of significant weight with less effort, while observing safety measures.
Easel backpacks differ from each other mainly in the shape of the frame, size and methods of attaching the container to it. The frames are made of duralumin (titanium) tubes with a diameter of 10-12 mm, welded or bolted together. Best material for bags - durable nylon.
A distinctive feature of the universal easel backpack is the ability to use the machine and the backpack together or each separately.
The dimensions of the backpack allow you to carry the most voluminous items of tourist equipment. In its manufacture, only four metal rings were used to attach the shoulder straps to the bottom of the backpack. The tightening straps, or ties (2), can be tied in the loops (8) without even taking off the mittens, which is important in winter hikes.
The backpack is made in the following sequence: cut out all the parts; sew the top flap and shoulder straps (shoulder straps are easiest to sew from nylon tape folded in two layers, making a T-shaped end in the wide part: this ensures they are permanently sewn to the backpack); sew on the inside of the bag at the place where the shoulder straps are attached, a second layer of nylon, loops for the straps that tighten the backpack, shoulder straps and the flap; sew the bag's container along the length and sew on the outer pocket; sew on the bottom, ties, rings and loops.
At the bottom of the shoulder straps it is necessary to sew elastic pads made of felt, felt or polyethylene foam, lined with nylon.
The backpack machine is made in the form of a cone with a support platform. To attach the shoulder straps, brackets are used, which are secured to the top crossbar with nuts. There are four brackets on the support platform: loops with metal rings are threaded into two, and loops for backpack ties are threaded into the other two. A support belt with lacing is attached to the bottom of the machine to regulate its tension.
In order to use the machine without a backpack, you must have two separate shoulder straps.
A positive feature of the best examples of modern backpacks is considered to be their adaptation to the anatomical characteristics of a person, which makes it possible to bring the centers of gravity of a person and the backpack he is carrying closer together, evenly distributing the load, which allows travelers to carry heavy loads over long distances with the least physical effort (while maintaining the usual upright posture ).
Such backpacks are divided into three groups: soft (frameless), with rigidities (a kind of internal frame made of tubes, plywood plates, etc.) and those whose load-bearing element is a frame - a box.
Among the frameless foreign samples, the backpack “Yak-pek” (“pack for a yak”) was originally designed. Its shape is an example of anatomy: a backpack with a load fits as tightly as possible to the back, the weight is distributed not only on the shoulders, but also on the lower back, which is also facilitated to a certain extent by the straps crossing on the chest (cruciform support).
Transitional between soft and classic frame backpacks are backpacks in which the side adjacent to the back is partially reinforced with metal or synthetic plates that form an internal frame. The so-called anatomical backpack has become widespread.
Duralumin plates are used as the internal frame, which are curved to the shape of the back. At the same time, there remains a gap between the back and the backpack. The successful combination of a back saddle with a pad and a waist belt with reinforced hip wings allows you to transfer the weight of the backpack mainly to the hip part of the body, relieving the shoulders. The design of the backpack allows you to adjust the carrying system to the individual characteristics of a person’s figure, different shapes and the volume of carried cargo by changing the distance between the shoulder and waist belts (by shortening or lengthening the back suspension). Two straps connecting the shoulder straps to the top of the backpack eliminate the unwanted tilt of the backpack back and the distance of its center of gravity from the back.
An anatomical modified backpack that differs from other backpacks of the same type in the lack of frame rigidity. Its anatomy is achieved by the shaped form of a soft container, providing a fit over almost the entire surface of the back, in combination with a supporting hip belt and fastening of shoulder straps, taking into account individual characteristics tourist figures.
It is advisable to sew the main container of the backpack from calendered lavsan, for example, “Yacht” fabric, or from technical nylon weighing 150-220 g/m2, pockets and tube - from thick parachute nylon, and the bottom - from waterproof fabric or thick nylon.
The height of the backpack should not exceed 90-100, the width – 45 (approximately the width of the shoulders), and the thickness – 25 cm. A backpack of this size fits into the curve of the back and rests firmly on it. For the convenience of packing things, especially in winter conditions, it is advisable to make the upper part of the backpack wider than the lower part by increasing the size of the side walls. The dimensions of the container in height can be reduced by tightening the tube, and along the perimeter - with ties, which can be placed on the sides or on the front wall.
The straps and waistband should fit comfortably around your shoulders and hips and not wrinkle under the weight of the backpack. The crescent-shaped, rather than straight, shape of the shoulder straps is most convenient. The most important detail of the anatomical modified backpack is the supporting hip belt, expanded from the sides (the hips are loaded more and the load on the abdominals is reduced). The side parts of the belt (flaps) should be made more dense, using, for example, polyethylene foam plates covered with nylon. The belt ends with a buckle, which should quickly unfasten and easily adjust the length of the belt.
The valve is sewn in a trapezoidal shape, with an elastic band threaded around the perimeter. You can make a pocket on the flap that can be closed with a zipper. Instead of pockets on the sides, you can make two pockets on the front wall.
Individual fit of the suspension system is achieved correct definition places for sewing shoulder straps (distance from the bottom) and waistband.
Deserves special attention various options shoulder strap attachments. The straps are attached: to the bottom edge of the backpack through the rings on the belt; directly to the belt near the vertical line of the hip; also to the belt, but with a shift of 12-15 cm forward.
The advantages of the second and third methods lie mainly in the fact that when the belt is unfastened, the length of the shoulder straps increases: getting dressed and especially throwing off the backpack in an emergency are easier. However, the third method is not without its drawback: such fastening tightens the belt and loads the abdominal muscles. Each tourist must choose the method that suits him best. The length of the shoulder straps is adjustable using buckles when the backpack is on and the belt is fastened.
A wide variety of buckles are used for backpacks. The frame buckle consists of a rectangular wire frame (1) welded at the junction and an aluminum movable bridge (2). To make it easier to work in cold weather, it is recommended to sew a 5 cm long strap to the free end of the frame. This buckle is usually used for thick belts.
For thin and medium-thick belts, buckles with a movable frame and three-slit buckles are preferred.
Most willingly, tourists use buckles used to fasten scuba gear (Fig. 17, d) and consisting of a plate (1) and a double-slit tail (2), with which the length of the belt is adjusted. For ease of use, the belt is passed through in the same way as in a three-slot buckle.
Quick release and adjustment of the belt length is ensured by a buckle consisting of two plates (Fig. 17, d), the slots of which are located so that the belt is easily tightened and firmly held in the desired position.
For the backpack valve, it is recommended to combine any buckle with a carabiner (Fig. 17, e). Several rings can be sewn to the front wall of the backpack at certain intervals, to which carabiners are fastened, thus adjusting the belt tension.
You can tighten the neck of the backpack using the buckle shown in Fig. 17, f. It consists of a frame and a wedge (wooden, metal or plastic).
For the manufacture of buckles, duralumin or titanium with a thickness of 1-2 mm and steel spring and soft wire with a diameter of 2-3 mm.
IN Soviet times Almost every tourist sewed a hiking backpack with his own hands, because the shops were filled with soft Abalakov or easel “Ermaks”; we saw new models only in photographs in the magazine “Tourist”. Although, of course, sewing tourist backpacks was not an easy task, because everything was in short supply: from fabric to accessories.
But if you have the desire and free leisure, and have suitable fabric and accessories hidden in the bins, then my step-by-step instruction on how to sew a 90-liter (frame) hiking backpack will help you make a truly useful product.
Useful articles:
DIY hiking backpack: materials and accessories
In order to sew a tourist backpack with your own hands you will need:
Thick nylon such as avisent or cordura - 3 sq. m or cut 1.5*2 m
Thin nylon like parachute silk or bologna - 1 sq. m or cut 1.5*0.70 m
Izolon (tourist foam mat) - 1 sq. m, thickness 1 cm
Narrow sling, 25 mm – 7 m
Wide sling 45 mm – 2 m
Tightening buckle – 14 pcs.
Snap buckle – 2 pcs.
Snap buckle, wide for a belt – 1 pc.
Zipper – 20 cm, 1-3 pcs. depending on the number of pockets
Zipper – 30 cm, 1 pc.
Tape for strengthening seams – 2 m, width 1-1.5 cm
Rope for tube – 1.30 m, diameter 3 mm
Aluminum tube – 2 pcs., length 70 cm, diameter 4 mm
or plate – 2 pcs., length 70 cm, width 2 cm
The dimensions on the hiking backpack pattern are indicated in centimeters, excluding seam allowances. If you want to sew not a 90 liter backpack, but a 75 liter backpack, then reduce all dimensions of the “body” of the backpack by 10 cm, the height of the back of the backpack by 10 cm, and the circumference of the tube by 20 cm.
How to sew a backpack: cutting out the main elements
Sewing a tourist backpack begins with cutting out its main elements. After cutting, do not forget to melt the edges of the fabric with a lighter so that they do not fray. It is better to stitch the seams with nylon or lavsan threads, using a zigzag. If the machine does not sew with a zigzag, make two parallel lines.
Rice. 1. The “body” of the backpack is 75*80-85 with designated places for pockets if you need them (I recommend only one - the central one). At the bottom in the corners you can immediately sew slings, 40 cm long and 25 mm wide, reinforcing them with fabric scarves.
Rice. a, b. Pattern of pockets, you need to sew a zipper into them (we leave the place of sewing it at your discretion, we advise you to decide on this in advance before you start sewing a tourist backpack with your own hands).
Rice. 2. The back of the backpack is 75*30 with a bottom 26*33 made of thick nylon. The bottom can be sewn separately, but it is better to cut them in one piece, which reduces the number of seams.
Rice. 3. Shoulder straps: two of thick nylon, two of thin. You need to cut two blanks from isolon (foam) of the same shape. The second strap needs to be cut out in a mirror image.
Sew the thick and thin parts together, stitching them to each other along the contour. Turn it inside out and insert a strip of isolon inside. Sew a 25 mm wide sling on top of the thick side of the strap, stitching it crosswise in 3-4 places. The sling should end where the strap ends and end with a tightening buckle.
Rice. 4. Valve 32*26. Cut and sew, sewing on thin fabric (Fig. c), as if making a box. Sew a 30 cm zipper, either along the seam or in the center of the wide wall, making a slit. Sew 4 tightening buckles at the corners.
Sewing a hiking backpack: making the back
Now let's get down to the most difficult thing in such a matter as sewing a hiking backpack - making the back.
Rice. 5. Take the previously cut back of the backpack (Fig. 2). Sew 2 strips 2.5-4 cm wide to it (tunnels for the future frame - tubes or plates).
A 25 mm wide sling is suitable for the tubes, and a strip of thick nylon for the plates. Sew 6 tightening buckles as indicated on Rice. 5, 4 slings of 25 mm - 2 each at the top and bottom. In the center of the back, sew a loop-handle from a 25 mm sling at a distance of 25 cm from the top edge.
Rice. 6. Sew the finished shoulder straps over the handle loop. If your height is 170-180 cm - at a distance of 50 cm from the bottom edge. If higher - 55 cm. If lower - 45 cm. If you are not trying for yourself, then check this parameter before sewing a backpack.
Rice. 8. Cut out the part from isolon and soft nylon. Stitch them together.
Rice. 7. Sew the part from Fig. 8 on the back of the backpack over the straps. Sew the lower part of the part (trapezoid) with two lines across the back, so that a belt can be inserted between them.
Rice. 9. The belt is made in the same way as shoulder straps (Fig. 3): dense fabric, isolon, are sewn together, thin cloth. Sew a wide sling on top (you can use a car seat belt), and sew a wide snap buckle on one side. Sew 2 additional slings, 25 mm wide and 40 cm long, to the edges of the belt (they will attach the belt to the “body” of the backpack), and sew tightening buckles where they “join” the backpack.
Rice. 10. Take the “body” of the backpack (Fig.1) and sew 25 mm wide slings onto it as shown in the figure.
Details Rice. 10 And Rice. 7 Sew together inside out - pockets and straps inward, and seams outward.
Reinforce the main seams by sewing tape to them.
Rice. eleven. Cut out a tube in the form of a pipe from soft fabric 30*110. Fold the fabric on its wide side to form a drawstring and stitch. The width of the drawstring is 1-2 cm, depending on the thickness of the rope for tightening the tube that you are going to thread into it.
Sew the tube to the top of the backpack. Turn the backpack inside out. Insert into pre-sewn strips (Fig.5) aluminum plates or tubes, cut to size before sewing the backpack. Fasten the flap, insert the belt and tuck the second part of the fastening buckle into one of its lines. Fasten the belt with thin straps to the backpack.
Inspect the backpack, if you think something is missing, add it. Ready! You managed to successfully sew a hiking backpack with your own hands!
Perhaps, by improving our patterns, you will sew a more advanced hiking backpack with your own hands.
Dmitry Ryumkin especially for
It happens when a backpack breaks during a hike or you simply may need another one, which could not be foreseen in advance. To prevent this from happening, buy high-quality backpacks on the website gulogulo.ru. But you can make a backpack yourself. 
In this case, it is useful to remember one simple scheme for making a tourist backpack from materials that can be found in the forest and among your things.
To begin, find three branches with a diameter of 1-2 cm. Place them on the ground in the shape of a triangle. The longer the branches, the larger the triangle. 
It's clear that it's too small backpack, i.e. we don’t need a triangle, although it depends on the situation. Then make cuts at the joints of the branches for better fastening, and tie them together with ropes, laces, or the like. Use twine or plastic bags to tie the triangular frame together. 
Instead of straps, you can use belts, belts, or, in extreme cases, soft pants. Tie the “straps” at the top of the triangle to one of its corners, and at the bottom to different corners. Now you can try on the almost finished backpack. Tighten the straps or loosen them as necessary. 
Fold all your items compactly onto a blanket, tarpaulin or poncho and wrap them around your items to create a tight rectangular package. You can leave a flap at the top of it in case you need to get something out of your backpack. Wrap the rope around the triangular backpack as tightly as possible, turning it in different directions. Then turn the backpack over, put the bundle of things on a mesh of rope and sticks and wrap it on the other side, 
thus, tying the package to the backpack. Focus on the strength of the fastening. Your DIY hiking backpack is ready!
In total, we needed: three branches, laces with bags, two belts, a blanket, a long rope, and, in fact, the things themselves.
