My Latest Pack (Pic Heavy)

I know I'm no the only gear-do on here so I thought I's show you my latest pack. I finished it about 2 weeks ago, and the very next day took it on a 12 mile hike though the Haleakala National Park crater. The pack is made to fit a Rigg-Itt pack frame from Blacks Creek Guide Gear. The pack is made from 1000d mil-spec cordura with a 600d liner. All webbing is also mil-spec. It has about 2300 cubic inches total volume.



Due to a shortage of 1" Coyote brown webbing, I used quite a bit of OD. I guess it looks okay, but I'd prefer to have had coyote. It matches the digital woodland better. The D-Rings are for a beavertail I plan to build soon for bulky cargo, meat quarters, etc.



Inside the main pocket (approx. 1650 cu. in.) you have 4 pockets, 2 grimlock key clips, and on the front panel is a zipper mesh document/map pocket.



On the top are 2 zippered openings. The first opens a microfiber lined pocket for eyewear, large enough to fit a pair of goggles if needed. The second zipper, behind the carry strap opens the hydro pocket.



Inside the Hydro Pocket, you have room for two 100oz bladders. Loops are provided to hang the bladders. Not pictured are two covered hose ports which exit from either side. The pocket is lined with 600d neoprene. The tan/black SRB on the left is part of the mounting to the Rigg-Itt frame. The frame has 4 female SRB's in the corners as well as compression straps for attaching packs. More on the frame later.



Below the hydro pocket is another compartment accessed from zips on either side. Between this compartment and the hydro pocket, another 700 in³ are added to the volume.



On the rear of the pack I matched the Rigg-Itt's webbing and added 6 annex clips to further secure the pack.



Action Shot. 8 miles into the hike, the pack is still comfy. Oh yeah---I made that boonie hat too. A mesh vent around the crown keeps the head cool and lets sweat evaporate.

Nice work! I like it. You must have a heavy duty sewing machine.

nice work what u sellin it?

Great work man, lookin good. I hope to own some of your products in the future.

I hadn't planned to sell that one. Made that for my own use. But if you want a custom pack, I can do one for you. Figure out what features you need and want, and let me know. Making gear is a hobby I've been doing for a while now, when I'm not hunting and mountain biking. Just remember that making something custom like that takes time, and I'm not gonna be able to whip it up overnight. On the other hand, you get exactly the pack you want, hand-made by another hunter, and not by some underpaid kid slaving away in a sweatshop in China........Now if I could get my son to sew........

And yes, Kauai808, I do have a heavy duty industrial machine. With a little work, you could do something like that on an older, all metal home machine like your grandma used to use, but not that plastic crap they sell nowadays. Right now, I'm building a bag for my friend's paddle board.

Here is the Rigg-Itt frame from Blacks Creek Guide Gear. I think this frame is great as you can use your own favorite frameless pack for it with a little improvising, use a large selection of Blacks Creek accessories, or make your own pack like I did. The frame is VERY comfortable and adjustable. I've used quite a few packs over the years, and the quality of this frame is quite high. I've used it for every hunting trip I've done for the last two years now. I've carried 50+ pound loads of meat out on it, as well as used it every day for 2 weeks on Lanai, and never felt it drag on my shoulders. And it still looks like new.



Visible along the bottom edge of the frame is half of a coil zipper that some accessory pouches can attach to, as well as a metal D-Ring for attaching a drag rope when dragging out a deer.



The well-made, curved shoulder straps are adjustable by means of a ladder system to fit different torso sizes. Here I have it on XL for my 6'2" fat-ass. A sternum strap with built in survival whistle is also included.



The padded waist belt is very comfortable and has 1 1/2" webbing on the sides to attach pouches to.



Here is one of Black Creeks accessory pockets, a removeable pocket that can serve double duty as a fanny pack.



The fanny pack attaches to the bottom zip I mentioned earlier, as well as having a top strap that threads through the webbing columns on the frame. This turned out to be a nice feature as it allowed me to run the pocket loose, and use it like a mini-beaver tail. I could easily stuff a bottle of gatorade, or light jacket behind the pouch when I was running a smaller pack on the frame.



With the pocket detached, the waist belt can be pulled out the storage slot and worn like a fanny pack. Here I've pulled out one side to show how it works.

Like I mentioned earlier, I really like this frame because it brings a lot to the table. High quality, comfort, adjustability, durability, and versatility are important to everyone in the back country, so I thought I'd share my experience with this pack frame. And just for the records, I have no connection with Blacks Creek Guide Gear. I'm just a very satisfied user.

aloha,been eyeing up the canadian pack for long time

Sweet rig MauiRhino! You Definately got skills! I just sewed my own cut collar last week and was proud of myself! lol

Thanks for the comments. Jusacruzah, I'd be interested to hear how you made your cut collars. I had a guy a while back who was thinking about my making him some. Did you use kevalar or something else for cut resistance?

niiiiiiiice maui real nice im gonna have to pm you some details and you let me know the cost and if its feasable.....once again nice work ..like the fact someone local is making it for hawaiis type of mountains

Killer pack. That frame looks awesome. Does it sit well below your shoulders when unloaded and on your back? Easy to bushwhack with? Or does it get hung up a lot?

That is just plain AWESOME!

Impressive Maui rhino!- I really dig all the customizations. Your sewing jobs are top notch. I thought I was the only one who tricked out his backpacks with lots of extra straps and stuff, but you put way more on there than I do and the job looks professional.
I've hand sewed many extra straps, clips, and buckles to the three main packs I use. Some places I've added sure loc clips where I can attach or remove waterbottle holsters, and zippered pocket compartments of various sizes for glasses, or other gear. I put them onto the belts, shoulder straps, and the sides of the pack. I also sew a knife sheath onto the left shoulder strap of all my packs where I keep a small serrated Victorinox knife handy.
In AK we carry moose quarters and entire deer, caribou, and other big game quarters, so we need bigger framed packs for that specific use, and I use the big pack for when going in for 2 weeks. My biggest pack is a custom Chugiak, AK. made exterior framed pack in predator camo. arrow compartment, and also a removable rifle butt holder, also a spotting scope pocket, and a map pocket. But that's too big for when I hunt HI style. On Kauai for a trip of a few days, I use an early model Badlands (I think it's the first run of their 4500) interior frame, I have that one tricked out with straps and clips, knife sheath, and sure-loc plastic attachment points where I attach put various things- rangefinder holder, gps, binocs holder, etc. I have had to reinforce the shoulder straps and the belt attachment points with heavy carpet thread and a sewing awl, because I carry super heavy loads with deer, goats, and camping gear and they start to get shredded from the weight. I sent it back to Badlands once and they replaced the shoulder straps and belt and reinforced the interior frame. I think they were surprised to see their product kind of used so hard it started to fall apart, but they stand by their product. But then I had to sew lots of my stuff back onto it again. They did all the replacement work for free and had it back to me in 3 weeks. My day pack is a Cabela's interior frame that I added many straps and stuff to. And this year the pack I will use for dog and knife hunts is a tiny little badlands hydration pack, (came with the 4500) it's perfect for my 5 year old on a day hike, but I am thinking just big enough for water, some snacks, knives, bags, cell phone, and strap line. I am hoping it is small enough to let me climb through the howbush easily when pushing the bush with the dogs. I thought all my packs were the Bomb until I saw your rig. My hats off to you brah! I remember you used to make custom camo arrow fletching covers. I wished I had took you up on that. I sent the cash straight to Theresa instead. Here's an idea for you. I made one custom bow holder pocket that fits my bow perfectly with an elastic entry and two adjustable side straps with clips. I use that one bow holder interchangeably between all my packs as it hangs off the back side low. It is handy when I am not hunting immediately for when I am covering or climbing through the thick, that way my bow rides on my back, my leg quiver fits right in there with it, and then when I get to the hunting are I take my pack off and grab my bow and quiver and get down to business. That pocket also makes a handy spot to tuck my jacket into when I get hot, and the elastic entry keeps the jacket from falling out. Before I made that bow pocket carrier, my bottom pulley and string on my bow was always getting too much wear, but now the big camo pocket protects the bottom edge of my bow from the abbrasion it used to get when I would sit down and take a rest. I bet you could make a killer bow carrying pocket for your pack. Anyhow,.......you gave me some real good ideas. Your rig looks really heavy duty. I bet it will last a lifetime. That's a really great lookin pack man.
Way to go,
Aloha,
Andy

I forgot to add that I like the OD webbing better than the coyote brown- it looks really nice mixed up like that.
makes me want to sew webbing attachment points all over my packs too.

Ev, to answer your question, I guess it depends on your torso length. I am 6'2" and have it set on the highest ladder, XL, and it fits me like a dream. I would guess that if you have it set lower, then the frame will stick up in the back that much highter. Overall, the frame is 24" tall, and from the middle of the waist belt to the top is about 20 inches. I did notice that when I wore a boonie hat with a wide brim and was looking way up, or on my belly crawling on a stalk, I could feel the back brim brush the frame. That boonie hat had a brim about 3.75 inches wide. Partly why I made myself a boonie hat was for a norrower brim, besides the vent.

As for bushwacking, one thing I like about the frame is that it has an hourglass shape to it that lets you really move your arms. I made my pack to match that shape. I can draw and shoot my bow no problem wearing it because of the shape. It doesn't feel like you are wearing a straightjacket. Another thing to think about is the depth of your pack. This pack I made sits 10 inches deep, and that means you need more room crawling under stuff. The first pack I used with it was about 600 cu. in. and was 5 inches deep. Crawling under brush wasn't too big a deal, but there was no room if I needed to throw in a rain jacket or extra gear besides my basic load of lunch, game care kit, survival kit, and first aid kit. The cool thing about this frame is you can easily mount different packs to meet your need for that hunt.

AK Andy, thanks for the comments. Blacks Creek Guide Gear makes a bow pocket that zips to that Rigg-Itt frame too. The two bottom D-rings on my pack are for attaching a bow pocket (that I have yet to make) or a beavertail--basically a large flap that attaches at the bottom and side D-rings to wrap around a meat quarter or bulky stuff, and is adjustable with webbing to compress things down. I also looked that sure-loc's or buddy-loc system. Instead I went with what the military is using now, a PALS/MOLLE system. This means that any accessory pouch, pocket, or whatever, that is made for the military will work on my pack----and there is tons of that stuff out there for cheap!!! PALS stands for Pouch Attachment Ladder System and MOLLE is Modular Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment. It replaces the ALICE gear used from Vietnam up to my days in the Gulf War. Basically it is rows of 1" webbing spaced 1" apart and sewed down every 1.5". Easy to make yourself. I use something called Malice Clips to attach pouches. You can get them online from a great company called Tactical Tailor. They aren't very expensive, and TT makes some shiznit stuff.

As for Badlands packs, yes, they make some sweet gear too. I lusted after them pretty bad for a while. I finally decided I couldn't afford one each one I wanted for me, and one for my boy too, so I decided to make my own. That was partly what inspired me to start making my own gear. I did hear from several people, and read a thread about it on the Bowcast forum, that the buckles on the Badlands packs tend to break, so carry some spares. As someone pointed out on Bowcast, a great warranty is fine---but it does you no good when you are 3 days into a 2 week backcountry trip. That's something I try to keep that in mind when I build my gear. Oh, yeah....I still make those fletching covers. If you want, I can send you an info sheet with your choices, and what measurements I need to make it exactly for you. I'd love to see pics of your packs too. I think it's cool when people modify their gear to fit their needs.

I used 1000 Denier Cordura on the outside and 3 layers of ripstop but ran into problems finding buckles except for buying them online but then they would have come out to almost $2 a buckle shipped so it took me awhile to decide what to do and ended up using couple old belt buckles. It works!

If you are looking for metal buckles locally, and aren't particular if they don't all match, you might find some cheap belts at a thrift shop like da Salvation Army. They may even have old dog collars. If you gotta go online, check out a company called Strapworks. They get a pretty good selection. For dog collars though, you want welded metal D-rings and solid buckles, and that ain't cheap. But neither will the lawsuit be if your dog breaks his leash and bites some little chihuahua that thought it was badass. For what I'm making, I end up having to order most of my stuff online. I'm to the point where I'm buying webbing by the 100 yard roll. The local fabric stores cater to the ladies and their quilts, and aren't gonna stock the heavy duty stuff I want. At first I scrounged a lot of materials to save $$$, but I soon realized that I needed quality materials if I was gonna make quality gear. Unforunately, living in da Islands, that usually means mail order.....

Yup! I also had a hard time finding the Cordura but hooked up with Cody Weiser (used to own WBUSA/UDR) who gave me some random scraps he had left over. Of course a few guys saw my collars and now want me to make them some but I haven't decide if I am willing to go down that route just yet. I also made a few without buckles and just used Zipties that I have been using while I decide what I am gonna do about the buckles.

Hey Maui Rhino,
I will try to post some pics of my packs"- it seems the PALS system is way more versatile then the buddy loc, but I only use 3 different sized zippered pouches that have buddy lock tabs sewed on em, one is a water bottle holder, one for sunglasses/glasses, one that can hold my cell phone/gps, and one a little larger for some archery stuffs.
first pic I will try is of the shoulder straps on my Badlands 4500, knife sheath and a buddy lock sewed on them (I love this pack, it is large enough for a week long trip and carrys a lot of meat confortably, it fits me like a glove- this is the one that I sent back to badlands and they installed a new belt and new internal frame and straps. a couple spots on this one I sewed in extra webbing straps with adjustable buckles so I can attach a bed roll, or jacket, externally, it also lets me attach mybow when it is in the removeble bow pocket:

this is of my mid sized cabela's pack, more of a couple day pack, or a large day pack, I carry entire deer in this one (deboned)- the chest strap that hold the shoulder straps together kept blowing out, so I had to sew in a heavier piece of webbing and a larger buckle that would hold for when I carry heavy loads, I added a thermometer and compass to one strap and a small sheath that hold my knife or a minimag flashlight on the other.

This one is of my bow carrier pocket that is detachable, the mouth of the pocket shrinks down because of elastic in it, real handy to stuff a shirt or golves or jacket in there too.
I use custom straps attached toward to top of the pack to secure the top edge of the bow and the quiver, I sewed in some buddy locks on the back of the pack, but they get covered up when the bow is attached, I should have put them on the sides.
anyhow, just some ideas for ya:
Aloha.
Andy

Looks like you did a real nice job making that bow pocket. Did you just use some ripstop material or did you use something like cordura for abraison resistance?

the woodland camo fabric came from an old dog bed that got shredded and stuffing coming out, so I ran it through the wash and cut it up, I reinforces the spots where he webbing straps are sewn on, and down inside where the bow rubs, with plain old cotton denim from an old pair of jeans, cordura or ripstop would be much nicer and lightweight... but this is rural Alaska style homemade, low tech and , basically cost nothing, I am kind of a gear head though and usually by nice stuff since hunting is my passion, then i trick out what I buy to suit my needs, just like you do brah.
Man, I can hardly to come hunt next month, the anticipation is killin me.
Aloha,
Andy