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:

- 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, 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:

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:



Step 2:

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:

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:

Put the new strap through one of the buckles.


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:

[Viper124]

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

Step 6:

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.

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.

[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.


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.

[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.


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.