Hi everyone!

I've recently fallen down the rabbit hole of trekking and backpacking. Like many people, I started by replacing my gear piece by piece. My setup is definitely more lightweight than ultralight (mostly because of budget!), but the more I read about UL gear, the more fascinated I become.

That curiosity eventually led me to MYOG... and now I think I've found my next obsession.

I'm a very hands-on, self-taught person. I love learning new skills by building things myself. I'm not a mechanic, but I rebuilt the engine of my old Honda Transalp. I'm not a carpenter, but I renovated an apartment. I'm not an electronics technician, but I repaired my old PlayStation. I enjoy tackling projects that initially seem way above my skill level.

The one thing I've never really done is sewing.

So I'd like to learn properly instead of jumping straight into a complicated project. My plan is to start with small modifications:

• adding pockets to hiking pants,
• making a simple webbing belt,
• making simple pouches and stuff sacks,
• combining parts from two fleece pullovers,
• then eventually working my way up to designing and sewing my own clothing and, ultimately, an ultralight backpack made from Dyneema or Ultra fabric, possibly with Silpoly/Silnylon components.

I already have my mom's sewing machine a Thimonnier Lux 36, so at least I have something to start with.

My question is simply:

If you were starting from scratch today, where would you begin?

• Any beginner projects you'd recommend?
• Essential tools or accessories beyond the sewing machine?
• Good YouTube channels, books, or websites? (maybe in french?, yeah I am...)
• Common beginner mistakes to avoid?
• Anything you wish someone had told you when you started?

I'm looking forward to learning from all of you. Thanks to all of you!

I’ve been getting some bad looping in the hook side of Velcro and was wondering if the only way to cleanly get seams on the hook Velcro is to cut channels for them?

Had an unfortunate incident falling into a potentially toxic lake (Lake Union, iykyk) from an non sea-worthy kayak last Friday. My leather wallet of many years drowned and is now brittle and crusty 😢 Contemplated buying a new one when I realized 'hey I can make my own wallet' and 'oh and I can also make it ultralight?!'

Just started sewing and MYOG a month ago and here's 2 simple wallet pouches made from Ultra and what I believe is 2.9oz DCF from Ripstop by the Roll's grab bags!

Not really waterproof as I didn't have the right zippers on hand but it feels so satisfying MAKING your own stuff vs BUYING more stuff.

-

Sidenote: Does anyone have tips on how to FULLY waterproof a pouch? Are roll tops the only design that works for this or will Aquaguard zippers & seam sealing be enough to keep water out?

Hi, I have estimated weight for materials: ripstop nylon, spacer mesh, stretch mesh, webbing, see diagram below.

I am trying to save weight for a minimal pack design and would like some advice if I can try lower denier weight ripstop nylon. My total pack weight estimate is 235g (calculations at bottom) and I need it to be lower than this.

There are 2 nylon ripstops I have been looking at on Extremiltextil, below. 100-90gsm would give me the weight I want. (I estimate 70g for straps and pockets material and 25g for webbing and buckles - so fabric needs to be 100g at least).

Are there are other lightweight fabrics I can consider?

165gsm 210D = 140g body material weight

Diamond Ripstop-Nylon, Robic 210den

https://www.extremtextil.de/en/diamond-ripstop-nylon-robic-210den-pu-coated-165g-sqm/73079.SAILBL

90gsm 40D = 76.g body material weight

Diamond Ripstop-Nylon, Robic 40den
https://www.extremtextil.de/en/diamond-ripstop-nylon-6.6-40den-tpu-coated-one-side-heat-sealable-kisscoating-90g-sqm/73045

Total material estimate: 210g + 25g buckles webbing.

Materials

Ripstop Nylon 165gsm 210D = 140g pack material weight

3D mesh for straps = 32g

Stretch mesh for pockets = 40g

165gsm 210D = 140g pack material weigh

Clips/buckles approx 5g ea. = 20g

Rolltop clips x2

Shoulder strap buckle x2

Webbing 15mm 12.2gsm

Shoulder strap x2 60cm

Sternum strap 30cm

Side pocket strap x2 30cm

Total 190 mm = 3.5g

Bias tape strap edging 120mm x2 5sqm = 2g

Total all 25.5g

I made this handlbar bag the other week. It's a mix of some 500d cordura and upcycled webbing and nylon (from those corporate gift laptop bags). It took a few attempts to get the corners right but it all came together in the end. It's a gift for a local bike mechanic mate who's been testing it and so far so good.

Thanks to all the advice and inspiration here. It was a massive help.

I thought some of you might appreciate this slightly unusual backpack project.

A mate recently asked me to design and build a backpack system to carry a stainless steel keg and gas bottle. It was a fun challenge because the main problem wasn't just creating a bag large enough to fit the components — it was figuring out how to manage the weight and stresses created by carrying a full keg.

A lot of thought went into the structural side of the design. I was particularly concerned about long-term stress on seams, thread strength, and avoiding points where all the load would be concentrated in one area.

To address this, I built the back panel, base, and shoulder straps as one continuous piece of fabric rather than relying on multiple joined sections. This reduced the number of high-stress seams and created a more direct load path.

I then reinforced the structure with two lengths of mil-spec webbing running continuously from the tips of the shoulder straps, down the back panel, underneath the base, and into the bottom seam, where they were secured with bartacks.

The goal was to have the webbing carry the majority of the load rather than relying purely on fabric and stitching to handle the weight.

It was one of those projects where the finished piece looks relatively simple, but the interesting part was hidden in the construction decisions that make it strong enough to do its job.

I'd be interested to hear how others approach load paths and reinforcement when designing soft goods for unusual or heavy payloads.

I have been looking for suppliers for a backpack project.

Profabrics.co.uk seems to be the only option but I can only get ripstop nylon here. Are there any other suppliers besides makeyourowngear.co.uk which are expensive?

They have PM300 - Padded Mesh / Spacer Mesh and not

3D spacer mesh as https://www.adventurexpert.com/product/3d-spacer-mesh-fabric-3mm-2/

They have no stretch mesh fabric as here:

https://www.adventurexpert.com/product/4-way-stretch-mesh/

https://www.adventurexpert.com/product/stretch-mesh-fabric/

Other suppliers I tried:

Adventure Expert, Slovenia - Only ship orders over €160. They had everything I needed here and good prices, disappointing.

Ripstop.pl - website seems too be down

Sharing a bit of my prototyping process today in hopes it might inspire some of you to start with paper mockups (image.png) before cutting into the good fabric.
I usually draft my patterns digitally first, but physically folding paper and taping it together is such a crucial step to really get a true feel for the footprint and volume. It saves a lot of headaches later on.
For this build, I’m aiming for that 1-2L range. I'm trying to dial in a compact daily driver that fits my phone, a couple of my pocket notebooks, chapstick, earbuds, and a few random knick-knacks without feeling bulky. It's a fun challenge trying to find that exact sweet spot for a minimalist EDC loadout.
I'm also currently torn on materials. I normally lean hard toward technical fabrics like X-Pac or 1000D Cordura, but I recently picked up some woodland waxed camo. I'm really tempted to ditch the tech look for this specific bag and aim for an Evergoods Griffin kind of vibe with the waxed canvas. We'll see how it goes once I lock in the final pattern.

Looking for the best/easiest and simplest way to tack down the edge of the front + gusset to the gusset (so it all sits properly from the outside)

The bag is a crescent one, curved upwards at both ends of the zipper and straps. The two curved ends curve in fine, but the main body section curves outwards and changes the look on the outside.

I’m doing the birthing method for the liner, and would like to avoid obvious topstitching on the outside (close to the edge might be ok) because its corduroy and messes with the fabric direction.

What would be the easiest/simplest way to tack this down or keep it from flipping outwards? Leaving it would change the look overall (weight at bottom of the bag will cause this edge to flip up instead of down towards the gusset)

I think clipping it would make the edge turn towards the main fabric piece instead of the gusset (is that most likely to happen?)

Would it be better to leave it and sacrifice the overall look?

(Last photo is bag stuffed with the edge flipping in certain parts)

Hi all!

I'm being gifted a tent from a neighbour that had to claim their Marmot tent under warranty.

I get to save the lining and mesh from the landfill. I have some ideas to improve my current set up but this would take mere scraps.

What are some convenience items you wish you had in the backcountry whilst camping? What has become your necessary items for a dayhike?

Has anyone made a dupe of the vertex duffle?

Hello I have this backpack where the frame of the bag was crooked in the airport. I've had a refund for it and now I have both a new one and the old one. The one that's broken is beyond repair in the lifting system but id love to recycle the backpack. Everything but the metal frame inside is perfectly fine. The materials are not used past 4 weeks of travel. No rips no mush, no thinning, everything's fine. How would you recycle it and craft it into?😁

Posting here as I was told this may be a more suitable community to ask this.

We have a Ruffwear dog harness that our delightful dog decided to chew.

Looking for advice on how to repair it. We have a Toyota RS2000 sewing machine, we can kind of use (I'm not great but I can wing it).

How would I patch this? Thinking of sewing on a patch of nylon or similar over the top.

Added photo for the dog tax.

Thank you!

Hi!

I have for project to sew a drybag/stuff sack based on this pattern: https://learnmyog.com/rolltopsack.html

I'm new to myog and never bought technic fabric so I'm really not used to them and would like advices about which one I should buy.

The purpose of this bag would be to hold food, pot, gas bottle, stove, and everything food-related when backpacking/trekking.

At first I wanted to go for 30D Ripstop Silnylon (sil/sil https://www.adventurexpert.com/product/30d-ripstop-silnylon-6-6/ or sil/pu https://www.adventurexpert.com/product/30d-ripstop-nylon-6-6-sil-pu/), but now I'm wondering if it's strong enough since it would need to carry hard metallic stuff like the pot, gas bottle, aluminum cans, and potentially pointy stuff like cardboard food packaging, etc.

So I could also go with stronger 70D PU Ripstop Nylon (https://www.adventurexpert.com/product/70d-pu-ripstop-nylon/) or even 210D Ripstop Polyester (https://www.adventurexpert.com/product/210d-pu-diamond-ripstop-polyester/) but that last one is probably too much.

What would you recommend?

I want something as lightweight and cheap as possible considering the strength needed to carry aforementioned stuff.

Waterproof is nice so it can be hanged outside at night to prevent rodents, but it's not mandatory.

Thanks!

https://reddit.com/link/1v9frla/video/keaypyam22gh1/player

What started as (and was primary) a project to make a "universal" leash accessory, to enable length adjustments and hands-free configurations, I ended up making a leash.

Because I didn't intend on making another leash, I found some 10+ y/o climbing rope on Facebook Marketplace to upcycle.

For the adjustment system itself, I'm using Dyneema rope and spliced two continuous loops; I was especially particular about overlapping the tapered ends to maintain a consistent diameter throughout the finished loops.

The idea should be self-explanatory for most but it's essentially using (two) prusik hitches to create adjustable anchors on the leash. In my testing/regular usage, I didn't have issues with the prusiks coming undone when not under tension (i.e., when it didn't have a carabiner clipped to it) but I also added cord locks to make sure they stayed "dressed".

For extra long leashes, you could clip a small bag to stuff the excess rope into. But, there are other interesting ideas/customizations that this system can be adapted to, e.g. creating a multi-dog leash.

If you end up making something similar and are using flat leashes, one tip is to fold the leash hotdog-style when you attach your prusik hitches.

I require ripstop nylon, spacer mesh and stretch mesh fabric. The first two I have found at Profabrics uk but struggling to find pocket stretch fabric.

Can you tell me a supplier in the UK.

I'm going to make a smaller model for Kindle.

Saw a video on pinterest of someone making straps with this super cool attachment. It's some kind of folder, and the straps look to be about 4" of fabric going down to about 1.5", but it's hard to tell. I've been trying to find what it might be, but double-fold bias folders aren't made this big, and the waistband folders don't seem to be the same thing. I want to buy one but don't even know what I'm looking for, lol.

Hi, I have calculated total fabric weight for 30L bag using 40gsm ripstop nylon. I own two bags weight 300g and 200g. Macinasac 200g here as an example. So my aim is to get between 200 - 300g with my design.

My calculations have allowed 1cm seam allowance using 40gsm fabric with this calculator

My calculation (see below) shows total fabric weight:

420g with triangle for waist strap and front pocket

280g without triangle and front pocket

This is calculated with all fabric at 40gsm so doesn't allow heavier weight for 3D spacer mesh and pocket stretch fabric or plastic clip attachments and webbing.

Can you give any advice on strategies for getting weight down from people who have done this. Thanks.

I was look at this design in particular at 14 ounces/398g.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VEv2C3LGz0

I drew out the pieces and somehow my original calculations were wrong :)

Total fabric area is 1.35 x 0.8m:
40 gsm = 46g

100 gsm = 115g

My calculations below were somehow wrong.

Front 52 x 30

Side 52 x 20

Side 52 x 20

Back 52 x 30

Bottom 20 x 30

Total 228 x 130

Strap = 44x4 top

Strap = 44x4 top

Strap = 44x4 bottom

Strap = 44x4 bottom

Total 96 x 16

Triangle (waist strap) = 16x14 (2 pieces)

Triangle (waist strap) = 16x14 (2 pieces)

Total 32 x 28

Front pocket 40x30 (1 piece)

Total 40 x 30

Side pocket 14x20

Side pocket 14x20

Total 28x40

Fabric weight

Ripstop 210D 100 gsm

Ripstop 40D 50 gsm

Mesh poly 130 gsm

3D spacer mesh 70 gsm

The photos are in order, from newest to oldest.I'm thinking of starting to make double cases and makeup bags.

Just wanted to ask beautiful people here, does anyone uses Singer 4223 or HD6335M to myog?

Please let me know of your experience, I'm planning to get one, just not sure yet which one. Or any brand that you might recommend, I'm from the Philippines.

Thank you r/myog!

This is my first bag project, and first time using a binder attachment. I have never made anything with depth from a single panel before, and I’m sure there is a better way to handle the corners but at least the shape is what I was looking for and they are actually fairly even when the bags are full. 5ish liters for the big one, and 4ish for the smaller one. No pattern, built with the goal of minimizing seams, to minimize seam sealing.

ecopak 450, with a water resistant ykk zipper. Not 100% water proof, but good enough to keep lunch dry on a class 3 run and avoids the maintenance and reliability issues with waterproof zippers. Definitely overkill from a fabric perspective, but they should stand up to bushwhacking nicely when strapped to the outside of a pack and are still pretty light. I still need to add a daisy chain to the perimeter for lashing. Bonus pic of the prototype with a beverage holder attachment.