[YuriB]

i was thinking of trying my hand at making my own frame bag.
for those that have made/had them made/use them, what material(s) have you used? how did it fare?

I was thinking I could partition the inside of the bag but that may be more trouble than it is worth and I'm not even sure why I was originally thinking that.

 

[Pivvay]

i was thinking of trying my hand at making my own frame bag.
for those that have made/had them made/use them, what material(s) have you used? how did it fare?

I was thinking I could partition the inside of the bag but that may be more trouble than it is worth and I'm not even sure why I was originally thinking that.

A 210d Dynema would be plenty durable for a frame bag. About 4oz/sq yard. Thru hiker should have some I think.

 

[mikesee]

i was thinking of trying my hand at making my own frame bag.
for those that have made/had them made/use them, what material(s) have you used? how did it fare?

I was thinking I could partition the inside of the bag but that may be more trouble than it is worth and I'm not even sure why I was originally thinking that.

Light cordura works really well. Partitioning helps to keep things separate. If you have no partition, everything in the pack gets muddled up together after a mile or two on the trail. I can't speak for everyone, but I prefer to keep my twizzlers separate from my jerky, and both of them separate from my tools.

I've got a few older packs here (some used, some not) if anyone's interested in them.

MC

 

[YuriB]

I've got a few older packs here (some used, some not) if anyone's interested in them.

MC

considering i've made zero headway in this department....i think i'm interested.

 

[mikesee]

considering i've made zero headway in this department....i think i'm interested.

I've got one left. Send me an email at info at lacemine29.com and I'll snap a pic of it for you.

MC

 

[ionsmuse]

Just got a Jandd framepack on sale from their website, a very nice price for a simple, two compartmented pack.

 

[LyNx]

I just got hold of a Nasbar one and it's very simply constructed using some canvas type material w/ a mesh strap over piece. All I want it for is to hold pieces of fruit and maybe a few cookies to snack on on the long rides so I don't have to stop.

 

[mountainboat]

If you are still considering making your own frame bag, try Seattle Fabrics for supplies.

The Rain Shed, Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics, And Quest Outfitters also sell similar materials, but I've had the best service from Seattle Fabrics.

Here's a couple shots of one of mine:

The frame bag is made of 330D Cordura with ballistics nylon reinforcements and a Spandura stretch gusset. The zipper on this one is a YKK #5 water-resistant model.

I custom fit the bag to the frame. I also custom fit the full length attachments to the frame tubes. Both these design features create a bag that fits the frame perfectly and allows me to do away with any dividers.

I typically load my frame bag with tools, pump, tubes, windshell, waterbottle and snacks.

Without dividers, packing is key to keeping your stuff organized. I put the tools, tubes, and pump down low and stack my windshell, snacks and water bottle on top. Works good for me. A pack without dividers works best on a frame with a relatively small front triangle. Otherwise I would add dividers, either vertically or horizontally.

The stretch gusset allows me to pack the bag with items that are wider than the frame, such as water bottles, and not damage the zipper.

The strap on the top is for hike-a-bike carrying.

 

[LyNx]

What's it feel like to be haulin a$$ on that biek and have a nasty side gust hit you? Can't imagine it would feel to nice, especially if you were on a mountain on a very narrow trail - freakin disc brakes are bad enough for that farless that sail

...........Here's a couple shots of one of mine:

View attachment 229723
.

 

[mountainboat]

What's it feel like to be haulin a$$ on that biek and have a nasty side gust hit you? Can't imagine it would feel to nice, especially if you were on a mountain on a very narrow trail - freakin disc brakes are bad enough for that farless that sail

I've ridden quite a few exposed ridgelines with a frame bag and can't say that I have ever been blown off the trail. Generally, it is not a big deal. Certainly not enough of an inconvenience that I would give up the utility of the frame bag. If I was to do a tour in an area known for consistently high winds, I might use a partial frame bag to provide less wind resistance, but probably not. Folks doing races in extreme conditions, such as the Iditarod in Alaska, have been using frame bags like this for some time. Doesn't seem to be holding them back.

I'm not quite sure I get what you are saying about disc brakes. Are you saying that you can tell an appreciable difference in wind resistance using disc brakes?:skep:

 

[LyNx]

You betcha I can, especially if an area I've riden on the MTB Trance and also on the Rigid RockHopper that has canti's/V's.

I'm not quite sure I get what you are saying about disc brakes. Are you saying that you can tell an appreciable difference in wind resistance using disc brakes?:skep:

 

[Ranger Dean]

You betcha I can, especially if an area I've riden on the MTB Trance and also on the Rigid RockHopper that has canti's/V's.

I've noticed that effect too, and I thought I was imagining things,
the wind was blowing the rotor into the calipers, and it started making that noise disks make when they are out of true, When I got home and re checked alignment everything was OK.....

but that frame bag looks real bomb!
without compartments do you have to take top items out to get a bottom items?

 

[EnduroDoug]

Very, very nice bag. Any interest in doing custom bag building?

Probably not. But I really want to know about the logo/design in the lower left? Embroidery or puffy-paint?

 

[mountainboat]

Very, very nice bag. Any interest in doing custom bag building?

Probably not. But I really want to know about the logo/design in the lower left? Embroidery or puffy-paint?

Thanks for the compliments, y'all!

Lynx-

It is interesting to me that you can tell a difference in wind resistance with discs. I've had a couple bikes with disc brakes and never noticed that effect, myself. Not to say that it isn't there. You would figure that every aspect of a bicycle has some kind of quantitative effect on wind resistance.

In fact, it always seems like my rotors start rubbing against the brakes after a little while. I always just figured it was from crashing into rocks, but now I'm going to blame it on the wind.....or the wind making me crash into the rocks!

Ranger Dean-

Yup, I've got to pull out stuff on top, to get at items in the bottom of my frame bag. If you think about it though, you would probably have to do the same with a bag that had vertical compartments. I think it just depends on how big your front triangle is, and what you are actually packing there.

I like my frame bag without dividers because it allows me more versatility to carry a wider variety of stuff. Granted, the front triangle on my bike is pretty small. If I had a large front triangle, I would want compartments.

Using a frame bag without compartments is sorta like using an ultralight frameless backpack for hiking......It can work great, but you have to put more care into how you pack it.

If you pack well, you can use simpler equipment that is ultimately both lighter in weight and has less features to possibly fail. That is always a plus for me.

EnduroDoug-

Yeah, I am interested in doing custom bag building. In fact, it's starting to turn into a little business for me. I just started making this stuff because I couldn't find what I wanted anywhere, but there seems to be others who are interested too. I'm calling my little venture Carousel Design Works. You can send me a PM if you are interested. I don't want to spam up this thread.

about the logo:

I freehand the logo in chalk and then embroider over it with some heavy top-stitch thread. Since it is done by hand, every one is a little different.

The design is my psuedo-artistic representation of a spiral galaxy. A star in the middle, and the swirl around it. It's the carousel we are all riding on, and just a reminder to myself that life is a ride, and you shouldn't take yourself too seriously.

I like the notion that everything flows in circles....bike wheels, planets, and galaxies included.

.......yeah, I know, that is some deep, hippy sh#t, but pretty true.