DIY Bag Straps

[Viper124]

Hey guys! This is my first post on the forum. I just got my Fade Tourney today and I immediately went out and started buying stuff for mods. I went to Home Depot and bought some Plasti Dip and it got me to thinking: "I bet I could make my own bag straps for cheap."

I went next door to JoAnn's and started shopping around.

I just started this today so it's not done, but I'll start with what I have so far.

Here's what you'll need:
http://i55.tinypic.com/6sqclh.jpg
- 3 yards of 2inch black nylon webbing $7.47 (more if you're taller or like to hang your bag low)
- One-quarter yard of black nylon cloth $1.75
- 2 two-packs of 2inch d-rings $2.49 each
- 1inch thick High Density foam $6.99
- 2 two-packs of 6mm carabiners $2.99 each
- Heavy duty thread and needle
- Lighter
- Pins
- A marker
- Tape or chalk

So this whole project can be done for under $25 assuming you have everything from the thread to the tape/chalk already.

[bcr123psu]

There are options out there for around $25 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WEMFK2/ref=oss_product), but to have the straps custom fit and custom-modded is a big win in my book. I hate the way my straps seem to adjust themselves. But if you make your own straps to your own specs, score!

Let us know how things shape up...post pics!

[AJ_86]

So... I use the dog as padding?

[Viper124]

That's an automatic heater for when it gets cold out.

[Viper124]

Step 1:
http://i55.tinypic.com/2rcc0p0.jpg
Cut the nylon webbing in half.
After it's cut, the webbing it going to fray like crazy. To keep it from fraying, take the lighter and singe the tips until it looks something like this:

http://i56.tinypic.com/4vhh90.jpg

Step 2:
http://i51.tinypic.com/qrfclh.jpg
Attach the first d-ring. Pull the webbing through and pin it down to the desired length. Then take your needle and thread and stitch it down. I went over board and did a pattern that resembles a box with an "x" through it.

[Viper124]

Step 3:
http://i56.tinypic.com/70x5rt.jpg
Scavenge these adjustment buckles from the old strap. The nice thing about this is that the webbing from the old strap is thinner than the new webbing. So now the webbing has to squeeze through and it locks up better.

Step 4:
http://i53.tinypic.com/6ofnkm.jpg
Put the new strap through one of the buckles.

http://i52.tinypic.com/4lkh7a.jpg
After the buckle, slide another d-ring after it. Then create some slack in the buckle so you can loop the strap through again. Pin the end of strap down and then sew it.

You'll end up with something like this:
http://i51.tinypic.com/wb3qj4.jpg

[Viper124]

Step 5:
Repeat steps 2 through 4 to create another strap.

Step 6:
http://i52.tinypic.com/oigg2a.jpg
Attach the carabiners to the d-rings and then attach the straps to your bag. The carabiners should cross each other. Add some weight to the bag and slip on the straps. Have someone mark off where they cross. Make sure that it feels comfortable. Once it's marked off, sew the straps together. Don't go lazy on the stitching here. This is where the most stress is going to occur.

Now, at this point, if you feel like you don't need any padding, you can stop. These straps will function properly, but I don't know how comfortable they'll be after a day of lugging around a full bag of discs.

It took me about two hours to get to this point.

[Viper124]

Step 7:
Ok, so now for the padding.
http://i54.tinypic.com/2v1uo11.jpg
Slip the straps back on and mark off where the straps touch your shoulders. From here, you'll figure out where you'll want the padding.

Then, take the foam and mark off what you plan on using. I marked off the foam as the width of the nylon webbing. The length of the entire square ended up being the perfect size. Adjust according to your needs.
http://i53.tinypic.com/hsjr69.jpg

[Viper124]

Step 8:
So once you've cut out your foam, pin it to the straps. Make sure the foam is on the side of the strap that is going to be making contact with your shoulders.
http://i56.tinypic.com/2mf0ok2.jpg

Step 9:
Measure out your fabric. Measure about an inch to an inch and a half past the foam and make sure it can wrap around the strap and foam one and a half times.
http://i55.tinypic.com/2cps67d.jpg

[Viper124]

Step 10:
Pin down your fabric on to the webbing side (that's the strap thingy side, not the foam thingy). It'll be easier to only work on one strap at a time so only pin down one of the fabric pieces so the other doesn't get in the way.
http://i56.tinypic.com/21cf78l.jpg

Step 11:
Sew the fabric down. Push the needle all the way through the other side and bring it back. Make sure that it's nice and tight and the foam gets compressed. It should create a little groove all the way down the strap. Kinda like a backpack.
http://i55.tinypic.com/sp8ww5.jpg

[Viper124]

Step 12:
Now flip over the strap. Fold UNDER the excess material and pin down the two sides. Sew the two sides together. If you want, you can go through the foam again if you want to compress it some more.
http://i51.tinypic.com/zugugw.jpg

Step 13:
Now go the the end of the material that is on the side with the adjustment buckle. Make a small cut on both sides, like so:
http://i54.tinypic.com/n38zt0.jpg

Now, assuming you are holding the strap with that side's carabiner in the air, fold over the edges. The top will be folded over normally, but the left and right side should be folded at an angle. Sew down the edges and do the same for the back side.

You should end up with something like this:
http://i56.tinypic.com/27y5nop.jpg

[Viper124]

That's it for now. I'll post more the further I get along in this project.

[EL-KABONG]

it is the most ironic thing on earth that your hosting site is http://i56.tinypic.com

I'da never seen that coming.

Thanks for the detailed pix and instructions and good onya.

For another 15 skins tho, I'll take the DGA gelz

[RHINESEL]

First of all, God Bless You to anyone who does DIY. It's cool, it's fun, it kills the time.

But there is a point when it's a lot simpler and time efficient to just pony up some cash.

$25 for some Innova Backsavers and spend the time it took you to make them out on the course. I'm past the stage where I try to do every little thing myself. I've determined that my time and sanity is worth money too.

[Viper124]

it is the most ironic thing on earth that your hosting site is http://i56.tinypic.com

I'da never seen that coming.

Thanks for the detailed pix and instructions and good onya.

For another 15 skins tho, I'll take the DGA gelz

How's it ironic? I didn't feel like logging into webshots. :confused:

[Viper124]

Well, I had lots of time to kill yesterday. There was a high wind advisory with wind gusts of up to 50 mph. So, yeah, one of those days where disc golf meant losing a disc or five. It's funny, I was going to buy the Phenix Quads, but I think boredom got the best of me.

[bcr123psu]

Nice job. Thanks for the pics. I think what EL-KABONG was trying to say is that the irony was that the hosting site is Tinypics, but the images you posted were anything but.

As for the classic trade-off of make vs. buy, sure you could buy something for a similar price and no work, but there is something to be said for the pride of doing a good job. I built a basket last winter and by the time I was done, it cost $85...which is $10 more than the DISCatcher Sport that I bought and $65 more than the InStep basket I bought...but it's a solid basket and I have no regrets.

So like EL-KABONG said, good on you.

[Viper124]

Haha! Ok. I see the tinypic reference now. My cell phone automatically saves images to the largest resolution. I had no idea it was set on that.

I'm gonna start working on the straps again in a little bit. I'll try to post pics later tonight.

[agent_peebody]

jesus, those pics are HUGE and plentiful

[DeadEye]

Damn dude you sure went all out. I'm going to make some padding for my bags shoulder strap sometime.

[Viper124]

Step 14:
Do steps 10 through 13 for the other strap.

Step 15:
This is the final step. On the side of the straps close to where they cross, you'll need to sew down the excess material. Cut the sides of the nylon and roll up the excess material. Sew down the material. Below you will see where to cut the material on the right and the end result on the left.

http://i51.tinypic.com/dwavlz.jpg

After this step, you can customize the straps to however you see fit. I was thinking of buying a cell phone pouch and a pocket for an MP3 player and sewing it to the straps.

The end results:
http://i52.tinypic.com/2h8bsyp.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/2rrnonq.jpg
Front View

http://i54.tinypic.com/1zxuvmc.jpg
Back View

Conclusion:
First of all, I wish I had access to a sewing machine and knew how to use it. I'm pretty sure I would have been able to knock out this project in a matter of a few hours.

Another thing, I wish I would have purchased a better material. I was thinking suede or a pleather material would have been nicer and more durable, but then again, I was looking for value.

All in all, the straps seem pretty decent. They feel comfortable and they seem to hold the weight of my bag well. It feels balanced and my bag doesn't feel like it weighs as much as it did with the default single strap. All I need to do now is test them.

[SmoothSailor]

Kudos to you my DIY friend. I too was thinking about making my own straps custom fit to how I like my bag. I have a set of Innova Quads, but they always seem to let the bag slip down farther than I want it to go sometimes. Plus, I don't want to add an ipod or cell phone pouch to them in case I ever get rid of them.

on a side note. you should see if your ipod headphones are long enough to run through the strap with the pocket and have each ear piece run up the corresponding shoulder strap and hang out far enough for you to have them in your ears while walking and looking in all directions.

[EL-KABONG]

http://imageshack.us/

just sayin 2x

[agent_peebody]

you guys know you can get Innova Backsaver straps for $25 shipped on DGC

[bcr123psu]

Viper124 - thanks for posting. That looks like a lot of work, especially if you didn't have a sewing machine. Keep us posted on how they work out over time.

[LoPan12]

Run of the mill sewing machines may not like the webbing. throw the foam on over that, and it'll have trouble. It would likely have given you more headaches than not. I need to sneak a few projects into work during night shift...they've got a pair of industrial sewing machines, that handles fire-lagging (flame-retardant cloth, sandwiching more material inside). And it uses high tensile thread; that's cotton jacketed steel thread...
That's what I'd call a man's sewing machine.