SEW A BACKPACK
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Based on Ray Jardine's design, this pack has no frame but your sleeping pad is rolled into a cylinder inside of the pack to provide a frame and padding. You load everything inside the rolled pad. The original design does not include a waist strap, it is in these instructions if you wish to use one. You can always cut it off later.

Required Material

4 ½ yds ¾ inch webbing
1 yd 1 ½ inch webbing
1 ½ yds elastic cord
¾ yds mesh
1 ¼ yds drawstring
12 inch length of ribbon
12 x 4 inch piece of closed cell (tall: 14 x 4)
1 cord lock
3, ¾ inch ladder lock buckles
1, ¾ inch side release buckle
collar material: ½ yd 1.1 oz coated rip stop
sides and front: ½ yd 1.9 oz coated rip stop
back and bottom: ¾ yd 59 inch wide 330 denier coated cordura
strap pieces: 4 x 14 inch foam padding, tapered at lower end

A - Cut all pack pieces (and label to make things easier)

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1 ½” webbing
212” 14 inch 
1 3 ½” 4 ½ inch 
¾” webbing
2 8”  shoulder straps
220”  shoulder straps
113”  top front
211 ½”  ice axe loop and shaft attachment
2 7 ½”  top side band
1 2 ½”  collar belt clasp
1 7 ½”  top handle
136”  collar belt
1/3” wide Elastic
110”   
114”   
foam pad
212 x 2 tapered at one end
Cordura
4 4 x 14 ½ 4 x 16 ½strap casing
2 8 x 4 ½  cut to the shape of a capital “D” (round off the 8 inch edge)
1 13 x 32 13 x 35main back piece
1 13 x 3  top back piece
1 13 x 7  reinforcement panel
1.9 oz ripstop
2 8 x 19 8 x 22side panel
2 2 ½ x 11 ½  topper of side pockets
1 2 ½ x 16  topper of front pocket
2 13 x 19 13 x 22front panel
1.1 oz ripstop
2 16 x 7 19 x 7rectangle side collar pieces
2 16 x 13 19 x 13rectangle front and back collar pieces
Mesh
2 12 x 12    
1 17 x 15 20 x 15 
Notions
1    draw string long enough to fit in top casing

B - Preparation

Sear all cut edges of webbing.

Group webbing shock cord and notions with their respective sections.

Straps and strap attachments

Side pieces and side pockets

Coated ripstop

Collar material

Mesh

Notions

Sides

  1. Stitch all 3 pieces collar, rip stop and cordura (collar piece at the top, rounded edge of “D” piece at the bottom), total length of side and front sections is about 37 inches.
  2. Attach side strap webbing to side pieces 1 ½  inches from top of side pieces.
  3. Sew draw string toppers to top of pockets.
  4. Thread elastic through topper, knot  or pin so as not to “lose” the draw string.
  5. Stitch side mesh pocket to side piece inserting ½ inch pleats in the mesh pocket about 2 inches from the bottom of the pocket.
  6. Baste shoulder strap triangle to the side edge that will attach to the back of  pack. The ladder buckle should be lying “face down” on the side mesh pocket, pointing to the top front corner of the side section.
  7. When pack is complete reinforce the seams at the points where the pocket toppers intersect with the “main” seams.

Front section and front pocket

  1. Thread 2 inch piece of lightweight webbing through female part of 1 clasp.
  2. Center 2 inch piece of webbing with clasp 2 inches from top of front section.
  3. Stitch reinforcing webbing 2 inches from the top of front piece stitching 13 inch piece webbing strip running from side to side over the “tail” of the clasp so the clasp points to the top of the front piece.
  4. Stitch pocket topper to large front mesh piece as for side pockets.
  5. Thread elastic through topper and stitch in place.
  6. Baste large front pocket inserting two 1 inch pleats in the bottom of the front piece (two inches in from the edges, or ¼ of the way in from the side edges).
  7. Stitch an 8 inch ice axe shaft holder strap and buckle on a 2 inch piece of webbing on the side edge three inches from the top of the front pocket piece.
  8. Stitch ice axe loop to the bottom edge of front pocket piece, centered around the pleat in the mesh pocket.

Back

Collar

Cordura

Webbing

  1. Stitch collar and small piece of cordura along 13 inch edge.
  2. Placement of shoulder straps should be about 3 inches in from side edges.
  3. Center collar belt in between the ends of the top handle.
  4. Stitch A and B together along 13” edge inserting the shoulder straps, top handle and collar belt into the seam.
  5. Top stitch to reinforce shoulder straps handle and collar belt.
  6. On wrong side of pack, attach reinforcement patch over strap attachment section.

Putting it together

  1. Stitch front and back sections joining at bottom of mesh pocket.
  2. Stitch side sections to front and back sections.
  3. Stitch buttonhole 2 ¼ inches down from top center front of the collar.
  4. Zig zag top edge of collar to form casing for drawstring.
  5. Insert drawstring and thread through cord lock.