DIY dry bag and load panel

rexahayes

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Oct 28, 2015
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118
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Dallas, TX
Wasn't really liking my setup last year. Wanted something a little easier to load up when moving locations. It took me about 3 afternoons and some "ingenuity" after I screwed up some measurements.

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WoodBow

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Jul 21, 2015
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1,866
A couple of horizontal compression straps would help a lot. Could be independent of the panel or incorporated into it. I have run a very similar setup.
 
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rexahayes

rexahayes

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Joined
Oct 28, 2015
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118
Location
Dallas, TX
A couple of horizontal compression straps would help a lot. Could be independent of the panel or incorporated into it. I have run a very similar setup.
I'm in the process of sketching out a small batwing type attachment for horizontal straps. Just still visualizing. I think it takes me longer to do that then cut, clip together and sew lol

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406

WKR
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Nov 28, 2016
Messages
445
Planning an almost identical build for my frame. Looks great!

Planning planning planning, when I should be sleep sleep sleeping..... I gotta start just so I can sleep

I'm thinking of a center vertical zipper, digging to the bottom of a roll top while it fills with rain/snow can make for a crappy night.

Now that it's built and you've stated at it for a couple hundred hours, what would you do different?

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Pierrebuiltknives

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Feb 16, 2017
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122
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Wisconsin
Nice i have 3 yards of multicam Xpac coming to do the same thing. Ordered a tactical frame and the stuff to make a cargo net in multicam.
 
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rexahayes

rexahayes

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Joined
Oct 28, 2015
Messages
118
Location
Dallas, TX
Planning an almost identical build for my frame. Looks great!

Planning planning planning, when I should be sleep sleep sleeping..... I gotta start just so I can sleep

I'm thinking of a center vertical zipper, digging to the bottom of a roll top while it fills with rain/snow can make for a crappy night.

Now that it's built and you've stated at it for a couple hundred hours, what would you do different?

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I normally pack shelter and rain jacket in the lid, so if it gets rainy I'm not opening that dry bag until I'm under it lol. I'm pretty happy about the way it has turned out. I'm sure I'll develop some different preferences once I backpack hunt more.

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bigbaddad71

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Feb 21, 2017
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195
Planning is absolutely the biggest time consumer for me.
I hear that. 25 years in the metal trades has instilled an absolute horror in wasting material in me... Drives the wife buggy when she's waiting on one of my projects... Haha
 

gudspelr

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Nov 16, 2016
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266
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SW Idaho
Dumb question-what material did you use for the top of the dry bag? Specifically between the buckles going horizontally at the very top? I was looking at a friend's commercial dry bag and it was stiff along the top opening that gets folded down but whatever the material is, it's sewn into the top rolled hem. Was trying to figure out what folks use when making their own... Thanks for posting up your project-it looks great.

Jeremy
 
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rexahayes

rexahayes

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Oct 28, 2015
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118
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Dallas, TX
Dumb question-what material did you use for the top of the dry bag? Specifically between the buckles going horizontally at the very top? I was looking at a friend's commercial dry bag and it was stiff along the top opening that gets folded down but whatever the material is, it's sewn into the top rolled hem. Was trying to figure out what folks use when making their own... Thanks for posting up your project-it looks great.

Jeremy
I used 500d non-coated cordura for the load panel and the top of the bag. I used 500d coated for the bulk of the bag and the lid I'm making. I visualized what length I wanted and didn't even consider how much was needed just to roll it closed. That's why the material is different at the top the webbing is the milspec stuff for molle/pals.
What fabric did you use?


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oenanthe

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Aug 21, 2014
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417
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Fbks, AK
You can use different materials depending on how stiff the closure needs to be. I've used stiff 5/8" webbing (one layer each side); that works OK but it has softened up over time. On another bag I used some plastic plumber's strap on one side only; this worked pretty well.
 

gudspelr

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Nov 16, 2016
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266
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SW Idaho
Ahhhh, plumbers strap. That could work well. My friend's felt stiff like some kind of thin, flexible plastic inside the hem. Thanks for the info.

Jeremy
 

Upcountry

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Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
182
Location
Lassen County
Dumb question-what material did you use for the top of the dry bag? Specifically between the buckles going horizontally at the very top? I was looking at a friend's commercial dry bag and it was stiff along the top opening that gets folded down but whatever the material is, it's sewn into the top rolled hem. Was trying to figure out what folks use when making their own... Thanks for posting up your project-it looks great.

Jeremy

On my roll top bag I just completed I sewed 1" webbing around the entire perimeter of the bag, making sure to keep the stitch close to the edge of the webbing. I then slid in a doubled layer of tow pieces(cut 3/4" x 12") of those cheap roll up cutting boards you can often find at Marshalls/Ross/TJ Maxx. I threw a few stitches at each end of it to keep it in place, but it would be pretty easy to remove it and re-insert a new piece if it ever were to weaken or fail. It works great at keeping the bag open when you're loading or unloading, and also allows you to really tweak it when rolling or buckling it.
 
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