A few months back I decided I wanted to try a frameless bag for ultralight overnights and 3 day trips.
Normally I'm all about buying the right gear once, so after a fair bit of research I settled on the MLD Burn due to their amazing track record and being the exact size I wanted, with a hipbelt. Only down side was in early august they were having around 8 to 9 week lead times, which would mean I'd get the pack pretty much at the end of the warm weather hiking season.
So I started scouring Amazon to find something I could modify for my needs.
I found this pack and bought one knowing that it would take a bit of work to fit right.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HW12692/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My goal here was to create a frameless pack, with a roll top that could fit approx 30L total with about a 15lb max carry weight.
Here's how I made this work...
First I stripped off all unnecessary components. This included the top lid, internal stuff pouch, and cord from the drawstring closure. Next I added the roll top and load lifters at the same time (I like when a pack really hugs my body, and this played into the frame sheet research I was doing for the Anatomical Y pack I later made). Nothing too complicated here, just two rectangles of 1.6oz waterproof nylon ripstop from a local store sewn together and then sewn to the edge that was the previous cinch top of the pack.
In order to get a little extra storage, I added two cinch straps to the bottom of the pack to hold my tent. These were a pain to get to, but with a bit of work i was able to get everything into position and sew them in place without undoing any seams in the bag.
Last, I added a front mesh pocket. Again, this was a little tricky to do on a pack thats already made, but if you just take it slow and really pin it well (or use wondertape...wish i'd known about that when i made this haha) it will work fine. It wont look great, but it will hold weight just fine with a solid double stitch.
Being that this was the first sewing project I ever did, the first one took me a good 6 hours. Now I could probably do it in less than 2.
A note on sizing. The length from the bottom of the hip belt to the shoulder strap attachment point is 18" so if you are over 5'11" you'll probably need to do what I did and move the shoulder straps up a few inches to fit your height better.
Final specs and costs...
Dimensions:
Length: 24" + 6" roll top
Width: 10"
Depth: 6"
Volume:
Bag: 23L
Side pockets: stock...maybe 1.5L each
Front pocket: 3L here but can be made to any size
Bottom strap: As long as you want them
Weight: Depending on mods, around 13.5oz
Cost: Amazon bag is $24 + maybe $20 in materials (probably only used about $5 in materials but i had to by a half yard of each material used, plus buckles, webbing and ladderlocks)
I say the max carry weight is 15lbs, not becasue thats the only amount thats comfortable (thats all wearer preference) but that this isnt super strong fabric. Its cheap ripstop nylon, not Dyneema gridstop so i could see long term use over 20lbs cause seam failiure eventually. That being said the bag is actually quite well made. all internal seams are double stitched and capped with grosgrain.
Thats about it!
I've taken this out on a few trips and it works surprisingly well. I wouldn't do a thru hike with it, but for lightweight weekends it's fantastic.
I've actually had good experience with the Modase 40L pack on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/modase-Backpack-Lightweight-Resistant-Climbing/dp/B01HW12692
I've used it mainly as a day pack when traveling, but for weekender thru hikes, it can get the job done. Obviously, there's much to be desired in the support system, but it's held up through quite a lot for me. Not too shabby for $24.
I've used a pack like this for ultralight backpacking trips. Be warned, it's definitely not 40L, probably just a hair over 20 realistically. There are similar, larger bags on Amazon. The one I have packs down to about a 1 liter size.
If you are using a frameless pack, you have to pay extra attention to packing. You don't want an overly large bag. I use my sleeping pad as a "frame" by packing it closest to my back. Everything else needs to packed tightly. I would not use such a set up for much more than 15 pounds.
A few months back I decided I wanted to try a frameless bag for ultralight overnights and 3 day trips.
Normally I'm all about buying the right gear once, so after a fair bit of research I settled on the MLD Burn due to their amazing track record and being the exact size I wanted, with a hipbelt. Only down side was in early august they were having around 8 to 9 week lead times, which would mean I'd get the pack pretty much at the end of the warm weather hiking season.
So I started scouring Amazon to find something I could modify for my needs.
I found this pack and bought one knowing that it would take a bit of work to fit right. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HW12692/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My goal here was to create a frameless pack, with a roll top that could fit approx 30L total with about a 15lb max carry weight.
Here's how I made this work...
First I stripped off all unnecessary components. This included the top lid, internal stuff pouch, and cord from the drawstring closure.
Next I added the roll top and load lifters at the same time (I like when a pack really hugs my body, and this played into the frame sheet research I was doing for the Anatomical Y pack I later made). Nothing too complicated here, just two rectangles of 1.6oz waterproof nylon ripstop from a local store sewn together and then sewn to the edge that was the previous cinch top of the pack.
In order to get a little extra storage, I added two cinch straps to the bottom of the pack to hold my tent. These were a pain to get to, but with a bit of work i was able to get everything into position and sew them in place without undoing any seams in the bag.
Last, I added a front mesh pocket. Again, this was a little tricky to do on a pack thats already made, but if you just take it slow and really pin it well (or use wondertape...wish i'd known about that when i made this haha) it will work fine. It wont look great, but it will hold weight just fine with a solid double stitch.
Being that this was the first sewing project I ever did, the first one took me a good 6 hours. Now I could probably do it in less than 2.
A note on sizing. The length from the bottom of the hip belt to the shoulder strap attachment point is 18" so if you are over 5'11" you'll probably need to do what I did and move the shoulder straps up a few inches to fit your height better.
Final specs and costs...
Dimensions:
Length: 24" + 6" roll top
Width: 10"
Depth: 6"
Volume:
Bag: 23L
Side pockets: stock...maybe 1.5L each
Front pocket: 3L here but can be made to any size
Bottom strap: As long as you want them
Weight: Depending on mods, around 13.5oz
Cost: Amazon bag is $24 + maybe $20 in materials (probably only used about $5 in materials but i had to by a half yard of each material used, plus buckles, webbing and ladderlocks)
I say the max carry weight is 15lbs, not becasue thats the only amount thats comfortable (thats all wearer preference) but that this isnt super strong fabric. Its cheap ripstop nylon, not Dyneema gridstop so i could see long term use over 20lbs cause seam failiure eventually. That being said the bag is actually quite well made. all internal seams are double stitched and capped with grosgrain.
Thats about it!
I've taken this out on a few trips and it works surprisingly well. I wouldn't do a thru hike with it, but for lightweight weekends it's fantastic.