WoodBow
WKR
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2015
- Messages
- 1,767
DIY poor mans kifarwho UPDATE w cargo panel
I wanted to to upgrade my pack for this years elk trip and was pretty dead set on a kifaru. I researched them to death and had settled on a duplex frame. I am a DIY'er in as much as reasonably possible. I am also a tight wad. The plan was to spend the dough for the frame and then make a bag. I figured the frame was the important part. However, as time went on, I didn't really have the extra cash to throw around and it pains me to spend that kind of money anyways. So then I really went nuts and decided I would make the entire thing, in a heavily kifaru inspired configuration. I researched this and there just is not a lot of info out there about full blown pack builds. What I found was very homemade looking. Im not interested in something that looks like I made it. It should look as professional as possible. Building an entire pack from scratch would take a lot of time and planning. Hmmmm. Well I do have an ILBE main pack that I have used the last 2 years with no major complaints. And it does just happen to have a lot of useful quality components. I just really like the modularity and meat packing ability of the kifaru frame. Thus the planning began.
I removed all of the parts I could that are designed to be removable. Belt, shoulder straps, stays, etc. Spent a few days staring at the parts and thinking before crossing the point of no return and ruining a good pack. I do a fair amount of wood work and when I'm working on a project sometimes thinking just doesn't get it done. Sometimes I just have to start making saw dust and just let the build happen. Same thing here. I finally had to break is out the seam ripper and go to town.
We are firmly committed at this point. Cannibalized the crazy amount of buckles off the pack
A lot of the pieces like the lumbar pad and back pad were sewn into the seam of the bag. Therefore I had to add material to them to allow them to attach to an external frame.
I copied kifaru's design and added an aluminum crossbar to the stays to allow me to attach the lumbar pad. I drilled and taped the stays and countersunk the holes in the brace.
I wanted to to upgrade my pack for this years elk trip and was pretty dead set on a kifaru. I researched them to death and had settled on a duplex frame. I am a DIY'er in as much as reasonably possible. I am also a tight wad. The plan was to spend the dough for the frame and then make a bag. I figured the frame was the important part. However, as time went on, I didn't really have the extra cash to throw around and it pains me to spend that kind of money anyways. So then I really went nuts and decided I would make the entire thing, in a heavily kifaru inspired configuration. I researched this and there just is not a lot of info out there about full blown pack builds. What I found was very homemade looking. Im not interested in something that looks like I made it. It should look as professional as possible. Building an entire pack from scratch would take a lot of time and planning. Hmmmm. Well I do have an ILBE main pack that I have used the last 2 years with no major complaints. And it does just happen to have a lot of useful quality components. I just really like the modularity and meat packing ability of the kifaru frame. Thus the planning began.
I removed all of the parts I could that are designed to be removable. Belt, shoulder straps, stays, etc. Spent a few days staring at the parts and thinking before crossing the point of no return and ruining a good pack. I do a fair amount of wood work and when I'm working on a project sometimes thinking just doesn't get it done. Sometimes I just have to start making saw dust and just let the build happen. Same thing here. I finally had to break is out the seam ripper and go to town.
We are firmly committed at this point. Cannibalized the crazy amount of buckles off the pack
A lot of the pieces like the lumbar pad and back pad were sewn into the seam of the bag. Therefore I had to add material to them to allow them to attach to an external frame.
I copied kifaru's design and added an aluminum crossbar to the stays to allow me to attach the lumbar pad. I drilled and taped the stays and countersunk the holes in the brace.
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