New Daypack

I made a new daypack and it has been on two hikes now.  This is my best one yet.  My sewing machine is better and my sewing skills are improving.  It took me about 28 hours to sew this.  Sewing went fast then last time since I repeated most of my old design.  All I bought for this was thread, velcro and elastic cord.

I'll need to buy material for my next pack, this tent rainfly is all used up.  The material is 75 Denier Coated Ripstop.  I'm having trouble finding anything other than 70 Denier ripstop online, not sure if that is strong enough.

Update:  This pack lasted 1 year and 5 months before the fabric started to weaken and tear.  I used rather old fabric to make this pack.  The fabric was from a rain fly from a tent that wore out.

Now I have finally splurged and bought new fabric for a pack: http://mosswalks.blogspot.com/2018/12/two-dog-day-on-kamilchee-ridge.html

Add caption

All ready to sew up the 4 sides

Summer day hiking list

My Sumer Dayhiking packing list

Here is what I will be packing tomorrow for a day hike:
all this goes into my home made pack

Clothes

extra socks for wet feet after river/ swamp crosssings

1  pair of gloves for emergency warmth

1  pair of gloves for brush crashing through the devils club 

1 down vest

rain coat

insulating hat (in case of an emergency)

Crocks for a planned river crossing

First Aid / Emergency / Health kit in silnylon bag

Head Lamp
Spare batteries for headlamp
A few assorted band aides
Ibuprofen
Xanax to keep calm in case of an emergency overnight
Migraine medicine
Diarrhea  medicine (for backpacking)
Thick mole skin for blisters 
Pocket knife with scissors and tweezers
Ultra light reading glasses
Sewing kit , duct tape

Other fun stuff
P-style

More TP than I think I will need

Water

Sawyer Squeeze filter on a smartwater bottle

empty 2 liter platypus if it will be a dry hike.

Cooking

I always have a cup of hot coffee or tea at lunch time

Mug /stove/ wind screen / lighter / ground reflector

Vinacafe instant coffeeHeet brand fuel or denatured alcohol from the hardware store

Trekking poles 

Only if the hike is steep and without a lot of brush crashing.  Poles

are pretty useless for brush crashing.

Electronics

Ricoh GRII camera 

If I expect outstanding scenery then I bring a

Nikon D7200 with 18-55 lens instead

Delorme inreach or cell phone if there is cell service

GPS Garmen 60CSX with topo map

Extra batteries for camera and gps

 Extras

Hand lens

Moss collection packets
There might be some things in my pack that I forgot to list..

My gear this winter

Here is what I packed for my most recent hike.  This is my set up for an all day hike in the rain in the winter.

For warmth,I included rain coat and pants, hat, glove and extra socks.  For extra insulation I also pack a fleece vest and a fleece jacket.   On my feet I wore gortex boots to keep them warm and dry.  I wore two layers of socks, very thin sock with a warmer sock over it.  The thin sock keeps me from getting blisters.

   I also packed two snap type reusable hand warmers and a USB handwarmer / flashlight / battery.

For navigation and safety I packed my Garmen GPSmap 60csx with several maps loaded and some way points to mark my intended route.  I also packed my Delorme inReach satellite messenger.  I included extra batteries for my gps and my headlamp and USB cords that I can use to charge my inreach or power my GPS with my USB handwarmer.

I also packed a first aid kit, and evernew water bag and a sawer squeeze full sized filter.

Also in my kit is a titanium mug, alcohol stove, widescreen, BIC lighter and a coffee mix.  The bottle with an orange "X" on the top holds my fuel.  I love to have a hot drink during a cold and rainy lunch break, so I always have my little kitchen kit with me.

New this year is my 8.5 ounce cuben fiber tarp.  The tarp is 7X9 and the weight includes, two stakes and string to pitch it with.

For lunch I just grabbed a bunch of stuff off the shelves of the local expired food store in Shelton.    It was all expired but it all tasted okay.  I only wish the jerky had not been so sweet.  I needed more savory and salty stuff.

I pack my botany hand lens everywhere, it has a blue lanyard in the picture.  Also in my pack is some flagging in case I go off trail.  I carry a small swiss army classic knife for tweezers and scissors.  If it's mushroom season then I pack a bigger knife.  If I think there will be any trouble with people on my hike I also carry a weapon.  My weapon is not a firearm.

All of this stuff goes into my homemade pack pack the Mossy Mom 2.0

My new backpack is ready for the trail

You can just barely see the ice axe loop at the bottom. I also
added a velcro loop to hold my trekking poles.

I finished up my new daypack last night.  Now I have to wait for the storms to pass before I can test it on the trail.  This pack has a nice tall left outside pocket to hold a water bottle firmly. and the right pocket is high enough to completely swallow my GPS.  I also sewed in a extra pocket inside of the left pocket to hold my pstyle.  I was hoping to be able to access it with my pack on but the pocket is just a bit to tall for that.

This pack cost me about $8.00 to make as the only materials I bought for it were elastic, thread and sewing machine needles.  I still have lots of elastic and thread and two needles left that did not get used.

I don't think I have enough material to make a third pack from my old tent rain fly, so I may have to buy fabric the next time I make a new pack.

I'm sure the first few trails tests will show any seams that were not formed properly.  I found the first bad seam before it even left the house and it is fixed now.

I have not weighed my new pack yet.  I'm guessing it weighs about 10.8 ounces.

I am Making a New Backpack

I'm really happy with the backpack that I made for myself a year and a  half ago. But there are a few things about it that I would like to change, so I'm making a new pack.  The main problem with my old pack was actually a problem with my sewing machine.  My machine was a pile of junk and it was not heavy duty enough for the job.  Because my machine was such a broken down hunk of junk I was not able to sew my pockets into the main seams of my pack.  I had to sew all the pockets onto the outside.

That made weak spots at the top corners of every pocket.  The I had  a lot of other problems with pockets too but after many trips back to the sewing machine I have figured out a good design.  You see I did not simply sew my own backpack. I DESIGNED MY OWN BACKPACK.  I did not have a pattern to go off of, or any directions to follow and I'm not much of a seamstress   I got a "D" in home economics because I failed the sewing project.  Add to that the my sewing machine was broken and I did not even know it, it was amazing that I managed to make anything I could take hiking.

The feed dogs on my old machine were broken and I did not know that a machine was supposed to feed the fabric.  I thought it was my job to pull the fabric through the machine and this was with a machine that only had two speeds; fast and insanely fast.  When I realized that my machine was broken I took it to a shop that could not fix it.  They offered to sell me a new used machine instead.  Okay, I know what you're thinking, they were just trying to up-sell me.  But no, this shop was an honest shop.  The found and old sturdy Kenmore machine and sold it to me for what they would have charged me to repair my machine.

I think I paid them $50 for it and it was tuned up and perfect for my needs.  I'm so happy with my new sewing machine.  Sewing is actually kind of fun now.  Since then I have inherited my Mother's sewing machine but it is not as good as my old Kenmore other than the fact that it has a free arm.  So I'll keep the free arm machine for sewing clothes and the Kenmore for making backpacks.

My new backpack sewing project is going very smoothly so far.  It's going suspiciously well.  My machine is behaving and I've only had to use the ripper a couple of times.

I have cut out all the pieces and I have sewed the pockets into place.  All I have left to do is sew it all together and add a couple of finishing touches to the shoulder straps.  I anticipate that I will be able to sew it all together without too much trouble.  The parts seem to fit well, and there is lots of room for error with a backpack and a one inch seam allowance.

Here is what I have done so far.  The rest will have to wait until I get back from Kirkland.

I started by cutting out the side panels.  I used the grid mat to help me make them square

4 panels and 3 outside pockets cut out

decorative trim and loops to hold bungee cord on side panels

Two pockets that my sit pad will fit into. This part of the pack will go against my back

Pockets have been tacked into place.  Velcro loop to hold trekking poles
and green loop to hole ice axe have been added

All pockets and panels done, including loops to hold in internal pocket
I'm going to use the internal pocket from my ULA pack.
Shoulder straps are on the far right.  I need to cut the foam to go in them and
then sew them to the top of the pack and sew cord to the bottom of the pack.
I don't have the little plastic parts I need to hook the to parts of the shoulder straps
together, so I will have to buy that.

All of the material for this pack has been upcycled. Once again I am using the old rainfly from my 4 season tent for the pack body.  I'm using an old shirt to hold the sit pad and to line the back of the shoulder straps.
The black pockets are made from a huge bag that I paid $1.00 for and have already used for pockets on my current pack.  All I have bought for this project is new sewing machine needles, thread and elastic.

Gear list for my final PCT section hike

This is what I carried from Timberline to Cascade Locks.  I paid the weight price for carrying my 3 person tarp tent and my DSLR camera.  I have a Duomid tarp tent on the way.  With a Duomid and no heavy camera my base pack weight would be 13.8 pounds.  I could lighten my load with a quilt instead of a sleeping bag but a warm quilt is very expensive and I sleep cold. I don't need such a large cook pot but I'm not yet willing to spend $70 to save just a few ounces. ULA Circuit backpack purple 32 ounces
Clothes, not always worn, full rain gear, base layer etc..	60
Original Shires Rain shadow 3 person tarp tent with 6 stakes	43
REI Magma 7 degree 800 fill down Sleeping Bag in sack	41
Camera Nikon D40 w 18-55 lens, case, wp bag,  lens cloth, 1 sd cards	30
Evernew Ti pot,  cat stove, 2 lighters,  wind screen, pot stand, bag	8
First aid, meds, toiletries, tooth brush.. Etc	10
Delorme inReach SE		7
Garmin GPS  map 60csx with batteries	7
Sansa fuze mp3 player	2
Black Diamond Storm headlamp and 3 extra aaa battery	5.1
Sawyer Point One filter, Evernew water carry (900ml), small towel	5
Sunglasses, Deet, Sun screen carried in hip belt pocket	3
Food Sack	2.5
P-Style and P Rag	2.2
2 empty 1 liter  bottles	2
TP in bag	2
Soap 1/5 bar	1
Polycro Plastic ground cloth	0.7
Empty plastic bottle for fuel	0.5
Sea to summit Alpha light spoon with biner	0.5
Z-lite Sol sleeping pad small	10
Ounces	274.5
Pounds	17.15
Minus camera and with a duomid indstead of a Rainshadow	13.84

Also carried: Black Diamond Women's Ultra Mountain FL Trekking Pole, 110cm

Repacked!

Chris at ULA overnight shipped us a new pack even though I only paid for second day shipping. Thanks Chri!

Ahhhhhhh A much nicer load

Okay my daughter is feeling perky again and I have made new plans and repacked for a two night trip in dry weather.  We were going to spend 4 nights going to the Enchanted Valley, but the weather looked awful and we were warned that it would be a bad idea to ford Pyrites Creek with a ten year old.

We will be sticking closer to the rain shadow and doing about half the mileage now.  I ditched the tarp tent (3 pounds and crazy bulk), we can just tarp it at our new destination where much less rain is expected on the days we will be out.  I also got rid of  almost 7 pounds of food and one pair of socks.  I could have gotten rid of a bit more food weight if I had a smaller containers to store Olive oil and vodka in. 

Also when we were doing a 4 day trip I was expecting my monthly visitor to arrive on the last day.  Well, that is not very likely to happen on a two day trip, so I was able to off load most of  what I had packed for that.  Yay!

 I'll be PMSin'g on the trail, so maybe it's good that I could not find a smaller container to store my Vodka in.  I'll be packing 4 days worth of Vodka on a 2 day trip.   Hmmmmmm  How is that going to work?

I guess my pack is about seven pounds lighter now, and her pack is about 3 pounds lighter.  She no longer has to carry the tarp and she has less food to carry.

All packed up with no place to go?

All packed

We are all packed for 4 nights and three days in the cold, cold rain.  I've spent the week packing and planning and I even paid for expedited shipping on my daughter's pack.  I think it's the first time in my life I have paid extra for rush shipping.  But now I think my daughter is ill.  She says she is just tired from staying up to late last night.  It's almost noon and she is sleeping on a chair in the living room and she won't budge.

On the right is my daughter's new pack, (purchased with savings because she's only going to be young and sweet once)  it is a ULA kid's circuit.  ULA is the only light equipment company I know of that makes their packs in a kids sized, so getting the circuit for her was a no brainer.  But I accidentally ordered a small instead of a child size for her and the clock was ticking for this trip.

I sent an email to ULA and within 1/2 hour Chris at ULA called me on the phone to help me set up rush shipping. Now that's good service!  I opted to pay for Fed ex second day.  But the pack came in just one day and said Fed Ex Overnight on it!  Wow, nice!  I don't know if I should thank Chris for helping with the shipping or if Fed ex made a mistake.  Either way, I'll take it. So far I am quite pleased with the responsive customer support at ULA.

I'm almost wondering if I should have gotten the Catalyst for myself.  My Circuit is so stuffed with just 4 days worth of food and my daughter is carrying almost half of the food.   How will I ever be able to carry 6 days worth of food in it?  It does not help that I am carrying a three person tarp tent.  If I could just pack my equinox tarp that would give me a lot more room for food.  My base pack weight is good, but bulk is an issue and I'm not quit sure what to do about it if I am hiking with my daughter.

If I was backpacking alone I could get by with a much smaller cook pot and a smaller shelter.  I see now that the woman who did the PCT with her nine year old daughter had the Catalyst pack, I thought she had a Circuit.  Hmmm.. I'll keep working with my circuit for now.. I really don't want a heavier pack.  I'll just have to plan on resupplying every 4 days if we thru-hike Oregon this summer.

Perhaps I will only carry my Equinox tarp and just not use it unless it is raining.. but then there is the issue of bugs..

What do I pack for a dayhike in the rainforest in the winter?

This is everything that would be in my pack for a typical rainy day hike in the winter time.

If the rain is expected to be heavy then I bring the purple camera in this picture.

If the rain is expected to be light then I bring my big 4 pound camera and lens

That means I carry almost 15 pounds on a day hike when I bring my big camera!

 

On a hike like this in the winter I would normally be wearing thermal bottoms with nylon pants over them and a thermal top with a tee shirt over it.  If I'm sure it's going to rain all day I wear my rain pants over my thermal bottoms and don't bother with the nylon pants.   I also might pack my tarp if it's really expected to pour.  I like to have lunch under my tarp when it is raining very hard.

 

For a backpacking trip all that I would need to add to this set up is my3 pound sleeping bag, my tarp, a sleeping pad and a bunch of food.

 

If I through hike Oregon this summer I will ditch the GPS and I will pack much lighter rain gear.  I will probably also find a lighter camera lens to carry. I might ditch the SPOT messenger too.   I will probably also ditch one of the hats.   I want to keep my backpacking base weight at or below 15 pounds.

Here is a break down of my gear list by weight.

 

When I go backpacking,  I go for a base weight of 15 pounds or less and the only way I can do that is to do something about my heavy camera.  Base pack weight is weight of all the gear minus food, fuel and water.

To go backpacking I would have to add a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag.  My sleeping bag is is 39 ounces and my sleeping pad is 14 ounces.  Bottom line, if I want a base pack weight of 15 ounces or less I have to carry a smaller camera and or lens.  Maybe the Nikon D40 with the kit lens.  But I have a hard time with the idea of shelling out so much money just to save some weight on my camera.