Category: MYOG
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Pack materials redux
This is an update of and the evolution from this post 18 months ago. A good pack fabric, like the well patina’d 1000 denier Cordura above, can do a lot of great work, simply. There is a subtle elegance to something which is easily sewn into a finished product which continues as a reliable, innocuous…
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A dual stay light pack
As good as the Unaweep is, and every time I use any other pack I’m reminded at just how good and how versatile it is, there are inherent limits to the design. Namely, the size and external presence of the frame. There are rather few instances in which this is an issue, but problems exist…
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Bob Open gear talk
For the most part, the gear I used to cross the Bob this year worked well. This is the sixth trip in as many years I’ve done through similar terrain around this time of year, so if I haven’t yet found a good system yet I’m just not paying attention. The same basic complement of…
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Packing for the 2015 Bob Open
The weather forecast is good, even a little excessively warm. The rivers aren’t high. The snow will be minimal. Attendance at the start promises to be the highest ever, possibly by a lot. The Bob Open should be a good time. I’m taking a more relaxed approach this year, with a bit of extra time…
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My rifle, the Kimber Montana
Back on my first real elk hunt in Montana Dick and I got to talking about a lighter rifle for the backcountry. Many ideas were thrown around, but after some consideration it was decided that a new Kimber Montana in .308 would be the best, most versatile option. Shortly after he headed back to Ohio…
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Just ramblin’
The last two times I’ve driven west out of Augusta, the sky has looked like this. Saturday was supposed to be fairly warm, but instead it rained, snowed a tiny bit, and howled east at 30 mph all day long. The ground looked well into spring, with no snow and the first hints of green…
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Best using the Gunbearer
In the last two years I’ve tried a number of ways to carry a rifle while hunting with a sizeable pack, and my copy of the Kifaru Gunbearer has been by far the best. It’s not a very complex piece of gear, but building and using one does have a bit of nuance to it,…
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The full suspension spectrum
Today, it’s safe to say that there are more backpack options available for the outdoorsperson than at any other time. Most of this is due to the ugly inevitability of population growth and the capitalist hegemony, but some of it has to do with a unique diversity of influences on pack design. As I’ve detailed…
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Silicone seam sealing
Silicone-impregnated (read: coated on both sides) nylon is one the of most significant outdoor gear innovations of the last 15 years. Previously polyurethene (PU) coated fabrics were the only game in town. PU tends to be heavier, and degrades significantly when exposed to UV light and abrasion. Floor delamination was a common cause of tent…
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Always one more thing
I’m sure there are folks out there who build something and nail it the first time, but I am not among them. I design from past experience and towards future use, but there’s always something which doesn’t work out as I anticipated, or something new I learn and can use to make things work better.…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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