Messenger / Courier Bags List

ou only love it because you are getting lots of (well deserved) praise!
good work tho Snoops, im gonna have to step my game up on my next attempt!

haha yeh but i want more people to post there stuff, DIY 4 EVA

snoops, how much you will say as been the cost of that bag? just materials

hard to say, i was very kindly given the vinyl, and i couldn't find it for sale anywhere else so i'm not sure how much the whole bag should have cost me in materials.

the straps and buckles cost between 7 and £14 per bag i think, depending on what you go for (and what quantity you buy in, as if you buy hundreds of buckles they work out at say 10p each instead of 50p each if you buy 10). cordura is around 10-15 quid a meter i think. i used around 3 metres. as i said not sure about the cost of vinyl as i found it unobtainable.

those prices are shop prices, you can find it all cheaper.

(scott correct me if any of this is wrong, i'm no expert)

certainly sounds similar to what I have paid/spent

recon about £40min for a medium sized bag - thats with "some" but not a lot of fabric/webbing etc left over.

heres the (really crappy) pics,

pretty satisfied with it (for the mo) though give it a couple of months and the bug will bite again and I will be wanting to make another...

There is some PALS webbing on the bottom for attaching extra straps/lights etc - think on the next one I will include some on the inside and the outside of the flap - just so time consuming bartacking every inch....

nice one danb, are those side compression straps? and what did you use for the back padding and shoulder strap?

(i can't see your flickr photos, i don't have permission)

also what thread did you use? what machine did you use? and is it a one piece pattern, i can't quite tell?

thanks, yeah - 6 compression straps - 2 at the bottom 4 on the sides.
Used an old camping rollmat for back and shoulder padding
Thread is v69 dabond polyester sail thread - it is a one piece pattern, although more complicated than it need be really...

Oh and the machine I used was a 60's Husqvarna - pretty much all metal construction - must weigh like at least 20kg... its certainly a lot heavier than the old singer i had

Wow, Dan, Snoops, such good work for a first bag. Keep it up!

Cheers,

First proper test run in with the bag this morning - has held up nicely, very comfortable and great being able to really cinch down all the compression straps to get it to the best shape.
Just a shame it didnt rain (!!??)

Good job Dan...looks a lot like a project tortoise.
I'm liking seeing people making bags for themselves...you get a great sense of achievment when you finally finish them.
Either of you planning on making them to sell?

This is all so cool guys, but one thing I am really intrigued about is the main strap positioning, is there any reason why you are going across the top two corners as opposed to diagonally? (e.g. for a left shoulder bag it would typically go from top left corner to bottom right corner).

Thanks guys - havent seen the tortoise ones so I will take that as a compliment :)
You are so right about the sense of acheivement - and a certain pride in wearing something you have made yourself.
No plans to sell them yet - maybe in a while I might make 1 or 2 for friends - oh and i have been TOLD that I am making a small bag for my other half...

Wrt the straps - I wear them pretty tight, so the bag sits pretty high, if I had offset them I think I would lose visibility over my right shoulder when looking back. Certainly something to consider however. Any ideas which makers do that? - most I have seen have the staps across the top....

danb where did you source that buckle for your strap? looks like the ones on a Chrome bag?

yeah - the one peice im not that happy about - ridiculously heavy and needs an extra ladderlock for adjustment.

Its from a belt btw - off ebay - like this one but a uk seller and was about £3 or £4: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Official-FORD-MUSTANG-SEAT-BELT-Belt-Buckle_W0QQitemZ270447040997QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef7e659e5&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

This is all so cool guys, but one thing I am really intrigued about is the main strap positioning, is there any reason why you are going across the top two corners as opposed to diagonally? (e.g. for a left shoulder bag it would typically go from top left corner to bottom right corner).

I do not think there is anyone doing what you describe (from a top corner to the opposite bottom corner). I don't know whether that's because the bag would be unstable or whether it's never been tried. In practice I suspect you could not tighten the strap and keep the bag stable at the same time, but I haven't made a bag yet ;)

There are no messenger bags that have the strap going from top corner to bottom corner, because if it did then the bag would simply flip over on your back as the weight would all be above the strap that goes under your arm, and as a bag works by tightening until it reaches your neck and your armpit you'd end up with a bag against the back of your head.

haha - yeah good point Scott, hadn't thought about the twisting, just thought that it would end up too high like you say.

yeh i found strap positioning quite hard to decide on. on the practice bag i made i ttried a few positions, too low and it feels like it wants to flip over as scott says, and too high and the weight of the load is felt much more on your lower back. when you get it right the load seems to sit perched around your shoulder blades making it much more comfortable. i think the compression strap system helps a lot too.

not really thinking about selling them at the moment, i'm giving one to a mate who's a courier to keep and test, and make sure they don't fail. i just wanted to be able to make them really. I'll make a few for friends and family, then if people want one, i wont say no. but i really need to clean up my stitching, i wouldn't feel comfortable selling someone this bag with the stray threads and wavy stitching in places.

I just looked at my bag, and the strap formation, I am a fucking retard, somebody please slap me.

heres the (really crappy) pics,

pretty satisfied with it (for the mo) though give it a couple of months and the bug will bite again and I will be wanting to make another...

There is some PALS webbing on the bottom for attaching extra straps/lights etc - think on the next one I will include some on the inside and the outside of the flap - just so time consuming bartacking every inch....

very impressed.

Cheers,

Incase anyone else fancies a go here are a few useful links to get you started.

Good guide to bag making here: http://leiflabs.blogspot.com/

Parachute riggers handbook - lots of good info on sewing strong seams etc: http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/media/FAA-H-8083-17.pdf

Macho sewing site (need to sign up to see content - watch out, lots of guns and overweight men with silly holsters) : http://www.diytactical.com/forums/index.php?board=40.0

Supplies:
http://www.profabrics.co.uk/snap_product_search.php?search=true&category=Fabrics
http://www.acesupplies.co.uk/
http://www.sailcloth.co.uk/index.htm

awesome danb, parachute riggers handbook is just the kind of thing i was looking for.

yeah - its total overkill for most applications but still a very useful book