
Ultralight IKEA-Bag Backpack - drusklo
http://sandiegomitch.com/backpacking.html
======
carlesfe
What an amount of negativity!

This was clearly done as a DIY project, I love it! It's definitely not worth
the time/money, but isn't that the definition of a hobby?

I'm very happy for OP, I always enjoy checking out projects like this: the
computer made of marbles, the big CPU made from logic gates, esoteric
programming languages... More content like this, please!

~~~
CmdrSprinkles
DIY stuff is cool and this project definitely is. Just understand the
limitations of it and use it in situations where it is safe and logical to do
so.

~~~
awesomerobot
I feel like that's inherit to the term "Do it yourself" and I'm not sure why
people feel like they need to explain it every time someone has a DIY project.

~~~
CmdrSprinkles
Because it is worth discussing what is and isn't good about something? Just
blindly saying "cool beans" isn't really a fun discussion at all. And if a
topic wasn't meant to be discussed, it shouldn't have been posted to a message
board.

~~~
2muchcoffeeman
There is definitely some unnecessary negativity though.

Some comments often miss the problem the inventor was trying to solve when
they pick holes.

The most useful criticisms was the comment about the material degrading in
sunlight because of uv. Useful thing to know.

------
SanDiegoMitch
Whats up everyone. I am the maker of the website and the backpack.

This was my first sewing project, but it turned out much better than I
expected.

I loaded the pack with 30 lbs to test it out before I take it on a multi day
trip, and it had no problems.

I'm currently working on moving my images to a remote site so wish me luck on
keeping the site up.

~~~
pmlnr
I love this project. Post it to
[http://www.ikeahackers.net/](http://www.ikeahackers.net/).

~~~
SanDiegoMitch
Done! Sent them my info.

Feel free to share my website anywhere

------
kalleboo
There seems to be quite an IKEA hacking community.

For anyone who has managed to miss it until now, the classic LACK Rack:
[https://wiki.eth0.nl/index.php/LackRack](https://wiki.eth0.nl/index.php/LackRack)

~~~
digi_owl
What a coincidence that the space between the table legs exactly match that of
a server rack.

~~~
kalleboo
I wonder if IKEA designs the stuff to 50 cm and it just happens to be in
tolerance to 19 inches (48.3cm)

------
filleokus
Site slow for me, here is an imgur mirror
[http://imgur.com/a/J2957](http://imgur.com/a/J2957)

~~~
daveallthebits
Going on 7.5 minutes and still not downloaded. In 2016? He would be wise to
compress his images. Can't wait until it's done so I can look at the Network
trace in DevTools and see what is going on ;)

~~~
frankblizzard
top notch perf shaming right there

~~~
daveallthebits
Maybe said with a bit of snark, but I mean well! What I should have said was,
"If the images were compressed, he'd save 14 meg and the page would load
quickly." I work in performance so much I lose sight when I'm being an ass,
sorry. :)

~~~
ibotty
Thank you for being great and apologizing!

------
beilabs
Don't leave those ikea bags out in the sun, they fall apart
rather...quickly....

~~~
riskable
I came here to say this... Those FRAKTA bags
([http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/17228340/](http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/17228340/))
are 100% polypropylene (thin strands, even). Polypropylene breaks down under
ultraviolet light. The fact that the weave of the cloth is made from fine
strands of polypropylene means that it will break down _very_ quickly in the
sun.

There's a "fix" though that should be good enough for a camping trip or two!
Coat the bag with a powerful sunscreen. I'm not talking about those "SPF 50"
spray bottles--those will wear off pretty fast. No, use Butt Paste:

[http://www.buttpaste.com/](http://www.buttpaste.com/)

Yes, it's diaper rash cream but it's 16% _zinc oxide_ which is the primary
ingredient in many sunscreen lotions/sprays. Even better, because it's a
_thick_ cream it will _actually stick_ to that slippery blue Ikea
polypropylene fabric and do a decent job at protecting it from the sun.

~~~
dpark
Making a cheap bag into a greasy, sticky cheap bag doesn't seem like a net
gain.

~~~
slackstation
Cheap? You can buy one from this guy for only $230 (!)

~~~
chronolitus
I found that very high at first, but then realized it's probably a pretty fair
valuation of his time.

In the sense that you'd be silly to pay that price for that bag, but he'd be
silly to sell it to you for any less if it takes him 10 hours to make it.

------
maxerickson
It's probably more interesting that it is self made than it is interesting
that it is made out of IKEA bags.

I find making it from the bags an odd choice, fabric with particular chosen
qualities would probably be $10-$20 a yard.

~~~
chrisseaton
Cordura, which is what most robust backpacks are made of, is surprisingly
expensive.

~~~
pacaro
Tyvek would probably make more sense for a project like this. $30 will get you
10 yards on Amazon

~~~
jws
Tyvek is _loud_. I used it to sew furniture covers for a cabin that is left
unoccupied in winter. Shaking out the bed covers to put them on is deafening.
Walking with a Tyvek pack might drive you mad.

~~~
dawnerd
Those IKEA bags are pretty freakin loud too. Both are materials I wouldn't
want near me.

------
Luc
Some 20 years ago a homeless friend showed me how to make a backpack out of
the fabric of a discarded umbrella.

I wasn't going to rummage through bins for broken brollies, so I bought a new
one to break up, which he found immensely amusing.

I wouldn't recommend it, it worked but only if your standards are low enough.

------
eitally
If any backpackers are intrigued by the idea but not keen on spending hours
and hours hand stitching something, Ikea bags work great as waterproof pack
covers if you don't have an actual pack cover. We used them on a two week trek
around Patagonia with great results.

------
Dowwie
You can get a 6x5 ripstop nylon tarp for free with purchases at harbor
freight. Cut your patterns from that rather than a bunch of Ikea bags.

~~~
morganvachon
I was thinking that too after I saw the material the original bags were made
from. It almost looks like IKEA has been shopping at HF too.

------
bikamonki
Awesome job. Here's an idea for v2: keep the IKEA bag intact and find a way to
wrap/fold it in such manner that you are able to _mount_ it on some sort of
shoulders/waist strap. You then use the same bag handles to hold/transfer the
weight to the shoulders/waist. This assembly seems easier and the bag can
still be used as such. Bonus: if the bag breaks you can replace it and have a
new backpack for $1 :)

~~~
keithpeter
I'm thinking around messenger bags from Morrison's plastic/cloth shopping
bags. Just need to work out how to stitch the stuff without a machine (sailing
type needles or something and really strong cotton) and what to use for a
strap.

Nice.

------
yoavm
Looking at other stuff on this guy's website, he seems to be one of the most
creative persons I've ever heard of. Amazing stuff there.

~~~
SanDiegoMitch
Now if only I could get a job in a similar line of work haha. Thanks

------
i336_
I'd like to ask a related question I've been meaning to get to doing some
research on for a while but have been a little stumped on where to start with.
Thought I'd borrow this thread to get the chance to ask HN.

Public transport in my area is really awesome so it's how I get about the
most, and I occasionally carry a couple of reasonably heavy items (20kg+ /
44lb+) on short trips. I'm currently using a medium-size Macpac bag for almost
everything, but it has no spinal support and I tend to hunch when it's full,
and on the occasions all my items go beyond 10kg I have to split everything
into an extra bag.

I'm currently wondering if there are unicorn backpacks out there that are
reasonably light (not ultralight), reinforced to handle 20kg+ loads, and built
to last for years.

I know the military use industrial carrying frames to handle their crazy 50kg+
(110lb+) loads, and I think I'm looking for something similar to that, since
that's a situation where you _have_ to provide good support or you risk
serious spinal damage, and the thing _has_ to last for a while while it's out
in the field where it can't be easily replaced. That said, I don't want to be
stick out like a sore thumb carrying a massive camo-fabric sack around.

------
petecooper
Site slow here.

[http://web.archive.org/web/20161122133120/http://sandiegomit...](http://web.archive.org/web/20161122133120/http://sandiegomitch.com/backpacking.html)

[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?sclient=psy-
ab&...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?sclient=psy-
ab&site=&source=hp&q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fsandiegomitch.com%2Fbackpacking.html&oq=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fsandiegomitch.com%2Fbackpacking.html&gs_l=hp.3..0i131k1j0l3.955.14647.0.15060.15.11.4.0.0.0.187.836.7j2.9.0....2...1c.1j2.64.psy-
ab..2.13.822...0i10k1.Q75Ov3PJF_M&pbx=1)

------
jordache
isn't the ikea bag same material as those blue tarps? Why not just use those
plastic tarps which are already in tailor-friendly parallelograms

~~~
wccrawford
I can't be sure without touching both at the same time, but my memory of each
says that the tarps are a lot thicker and heavier.

------
blubb-fish
that's pretty cool. reminds me of me wanting to learn sewing, stitching and
that stuff. knowing how to do that allows to alter suboptimally fitting
clothes or repairing them. not to mention ... what this text is about ...
designing yo I'mur own clothes, bags etc!

~~~
kqr
More generally, skills that make you good at reliably sticking things to other
things are very useful. When you have mastered tape, glue, nails and screws,
sewing is definitely a good next step.

------
jstoja
I'm so impressed by this guy, it's well done and the initial problematic very
interesting. It would be awesome if you could made a real website for it (and
training your web-skills as you mentioned you are wishing)!

------
mxuribe
This is pretty awesome looking!

------
jacamat
Honestly I'd buy this from you depending on the price. I don't want to make
one myself, but I love the idea of a lightweight pack and (personally) don't
mind the look. Actually quite like it. :)

Nice work.

------
carlob
Seems like something that would make you suuuupersweaty on the back

------
jamisteven
Is that Pacific Beach drive? I use to live right down the street from where
that pic with frankenstein was taken, over on Riviera Drive.

~~~
SanDiegoMitch
Yep!

------
circa
"Roughly 25 hours of work" wow!

still, the bag looks pretty great. nice job!

------
CmdrSprinkles
Interesting as a DIY project, but I would strongly advise not using this for
anything where functionality matters (camping, hiking, travel, etc). For just
going to work/school it is a great fashion statement, but there are serious
concerns

1\. no chest strap to help distribute the load. I see a waist strap which is
nice, but chest is generally the bare minimum

2\. Those seals (stiches) aren't waterproof

3\. It is only as durable as the stitching

4\. The reason you pay for a "real" bag is for durability. That doesn't look
like it would survive narrow trails that well. I am also sceptical as to how
it would hold up on flights where you are forced to gate check all your
luggage.

And before someone cites the ikea rope bag: Rope bags are generally what you
use when you are climbing an hour or two away from the car/camp, at most, over
fairly simple terrain. Farther or more strenuous than that and you are going
to want a better more hands-free way of carrying that in addition to your
gear.

Like I said, this backpack is cool and a nice fashion statement. But don't
rely on it.

And if cost is the issue: Keep an eye out for sites like ebags. Can usually
find great discounts and coupons throughout the year to get a solid Osprey (or
whatever brand you prefer. I like Osprey) for on the order of 100 bucks. And
while that is expensive (it actually isn't), understand that it should be
lasting you at least 2-3 years, if not more.

~~~
jdietrich
For anyone interested in a serious DIY ultralight backpack, I'd suggest taking
a look at Ray Jardine's "Ray-Way Backpack Kit". Jardine was a pivotal figure
in the modern ultralight backpacking movement; his designs have been used
successfully by countless AT and PCT through-hikers.

[http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Backpack-
Kit/index.htm](http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Backpack-Kit/index.htm)

~~~
chrisseaton
Do all those backpacks have umbrellas on them? Do people hike with umbrellas?
Why does every single bag have them? Are they part of some kind of system for
something specific?

~~~
ClifReeder
Indeed - I've hiked almost 3k miles carrying an umbrella. Worn rain gear is a
compromise between breathability and waterproofness - even if you keep the
rain out, you'll sweat and it's trapped inside. Umbrellas keep rain off you,
are very breathable, and double as sun protection when it's really hot. Only
downside is when it's windy and rainy, so it's nice to have a poncho too.

------
thro32
REI has good ultralight backpacks for like $50 on sale.

~~~
tjpaudio
when places like REI use the term ultralight, it means an entirely different
thing than how an experienced backpacker thinks of the word. To an experienced
backpacker, rei (or any chain) does not carry ultralight gear. There is an
entire market of specialty gear makers making true ultralight gear and none of
it is in retail brick and mortar.

~~~
relaytheurgency
I use this as an ultralight pack: [https://www.rei.com/product/892074/rei-
flash-18-pack](https://www.rei.com/product/892074/rei-flash-18-pack)

~~~
tjpaudio
Too small for backpacking, unless you are one of those bivy sack people with a
matching $500 ul sleeping bag.

~~~
relaytheurgency
Yes I agree, sorry I thought people were just talking about a light pack. By
that measurement, the Ikea bag is in a similar situation. It doesn't look much
larger, maybe 22L?

~~~
tjpaudio
I think its more like 30; look at the picture with the full stuff sacks. those
are at least 7L stuff sacks, there are two of them, and theres room for 2 more
of the same size. I backpack with a 32 liter and the interior volume looks
comparable.

------
alvil
Yellow IKEA Backpack would be more valuable and unusual :) OK. Very
interesting.

~~~
Freak_NL
That would imply stealing those yellow 'only-for-in-store-use' bags.

------
callesgg
I feel that the article ignores erginomics.

------
hatsunearu
I don't know what to feel about this. It looks janky as heck.

------
olegkikin
Other than the satisfaction from the DIY process, this is a massive waste of
time (and thus, money). Instead you can get something waterproof and ultra
light.

~~~
pja
That’s a rucksack cover, not a rucksack.

~~~
JorgeGT
It appears to be the correct order of magnitude for a cheap backpack:
[https://www.amazon.com/Mozone-Lightweight-Resistant-
Backpack...](https://www.amazon.com/Mozone-Lightweight-Resistant-Backpack-
foldable/dp/B00XCNO83M/ref=pd_sbs_468_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K6A8KVMQ4S6NT6FBE2NA)

