Kifaru EMR 2 daypack zipper mod

[bpctcb]

I've learned a ton of useful information from Rokslide so I thought I would share something that someone might find useful. I recently made a small modification to my EMR 2. I love my EMR 2 as its big enough to haul anything easily with its main bag center zipper, yet it still compresses down for daypack mode. But in daypack mode it can be a bit "strappy" and those straps compress the wing pockets as some have complained about. I have always thought that the EMR 2 just needed a way to connect the wing pockets without those straps. Maybe some connectors or a zipper in the wing pocket seams where they meet in the middle? I played with the idea and ordered a zipper online. I ordered a 16" Molded, Separating One-Way YKK® #10 Molded Tooth Zipper in Coyote brown from rockywoods.com for $4.25 plus shipping. I then took a needle (a size 14 yarn darner I believe) and some heavy duty thread (actually 0.018 #62 braided serving) and started sewing.

Before is my strappy EMR 2 in daypack mode.


Or with the strap keepers that I will never actually use in the mountains.


Now with the straps removed and the wing zipper added.


Closeup:


When I run it with the wing zipper I will still carry the straps with me for packing meat/antlers/spike camp.

I think this mod will work just the same on the wing pockets of a Kifaru Nomad, too.

BP

 

[mrbillbrown]

Looks great and way better for a day pack set up without those crazy straps everywhere. You can't even tell there's a cavernous center zip bag hidden behind there. Job well done!

Can you drop a pic with it "half zipped"? Id like to see where the zipper attaches to the wings.


molon labe

 

[bpctcb]

Here are a few more pictures that hopefully show more detail about the zipper attachment.

Half-zipped:


Picture showing the seam between the wing pocket and the sleeve pocket (that is sewn on the back of the wing pocket).


All the sewing was done on/inside the sleeve pocket. Closeup:


I know the stitches aren't even/symmetrical, but it was my first ever attempt.

BP

 

[mrbillbrown]

That's just damned sweet. Thanks for sharing


molon labe

 

[bpctcb]

A different half-zipped picture showing how it covers the main bag zipper.


BP

 

[Kotaman]

Great mod...My "beef" with the EMR 2 is the straps. This is perfect...

 

[Grumman]

Great idea, thanks for posting. I had been thinking about making the wings zip-off and just use the center compartment for a day pack. I like this solution a lot, keeps everything there to expand it out at any time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Peter K]

Very interesting idea.

 

[luke moffat]

Cool stuff man!! Sweet mod for sure! Nice work!

 

[Kotaman]

I keep coming back to these pictures and the mods really are perfect. I think Kifaru should set up stores in Malls like "Build a Bear Workshops" where we can just go in and pick our bags and do our mods while our wives shop. That would be the PERFECT "man store"...

 

[bpctcb]

Thanks for the compliments on the zipper mod. I don't think it could have turned out any better for me. I think Kifaru could easily add this to the bags when they sew them up as there is already a seam right there; just a matter of adding the zipper into the seam before stitching it up. I had contemplated separating the seam to add the zipper, but it appears that this is the first seam sewn on the bag. I was not going to disassemble the entire bag just to get at the seam.

BP

 

[kodiakfly]

That's pretty awesome. I may give this a shot.

 

[Yakstone]

Props for taking the initiative to put your idea into action. Nice work.

 

[huntaholic123]

Really digging this mod! Going to have to get a zipper ordered. Might look into having the wings zip off/on as well. I'm excited just thinking about this. Really eliminates the only minor issue I have had with this pack.

 

[HookUp]

Nearly turned the EMR2 into a Eblerstock Just One. Which I think is the greatest pack design ever. I run my EMR2 in day pack mode with just the straps like you have in your first 2 pictures and never really thought a zipper was needed. But now you have me thinking!!

 

[COlineman78]

Really digging this mod! Going to have to get a zipper ordered. Might look into having the wings zip off/on as well. I'm excited just thinking about this. Really eliminates the only minor issue I have had with this pack.

This is what I was originally thinking, but this has me thinking a new approach of adding slots to feed the compression straps through to compress the main bag under the wings and adding this zipper as well as some loops to bring the wings in when the main bag is partially full while the compression straps are underneath.

 

[Peter K]

Has anyone else tried this, or does the original poster have any updates on how this worked out?

 

[bpctcb]

Has anyone else tried this, or does the original poster have any updates on how this worked out?

It worked out great. I used it for 2 week long trips into the mountains last fall. Both times I packed in a spike camp about 4 miles while using the EMR fully expanded. After setting up spike camp I zipped the wings together for dayhunts out of spike camp. I would do this mod again in a heartbeat.

BP

 

[bpctcb]

This is what I was originally thinking, but this has me thinking a new approach of adding slots to feed the compression straps through to compress the main bag under the wings and adding this zipper as well as some loops to bring the wings in when the main bag is partially full while the compression straps are underneath.

I'm currently in the process of adding slots in the wings. I'm hand sewing so progress is slow.

BP

 

[bpctcb]

I had someone ask me how I would hold the wings closed together if I've got the straps running under the wings. This is a good question and here is my solution.




I ordered another zipper identical to the one that I sewed onto the wings. I sewed 3 loops on each side of the zipper to attach K-clips & straps to. I simply zip these to the zippers already sewn onto the wings and snug them up to keep the wings secure. I obviously wouldn't compress a heavy main load with these. These just hold the wings closed together while the main load is held & compressed by the straps running through the wing slots.

BP