Looks awesome, nicely done!
Reminds me a bit of my X-ray with Shape Charge side pockets. Is it about that size?
Slightly smaller I think than both those, on purpose.
Do you mind sharing some of your design choices, based on all those packs?
I like the top opening design I made, the lid is designed to be very simple on purpose. The lid can either be flipped completely back so that it lays between the back of the pack and the tree without pushing the pack further away from the tree. It can also just be pushed inside the bag so that its flat against the back of the inside and doesn't hinger getting in the bag at all. I like a couple quick stuff outside pockets that are not zippered. The molle panel on the front gives me the ability to add pouches, which I like for organizing and small gear. I don't like internal organization, it gets hard to access if you have layers in the main body. I won't all the small stuff and organization on the outside of the pack so I don't have to dig, pull out, our disassemble, unzip, or anything else to get something (ie, headlamp, release, range finder, battery pack, gloves, beanie, snack, etc.) I have tab loops on the side, top, bottom front, and bottom back for attaching lashing straps in any fashion I deem necessary at that time.
I just started my pack journey this year, and I'm hoping to own/play with less than 10 before I know what I really like.
I realize that my build has some obvious design features from some bags already available for purchase, rightfully so, I've seen some great features in current offerings but not one has them all, for me. I threw aesthetics out the window from the beginning. I wanted function to be the one and only driver.
Looking at what you've got, so far its evident:
- Top opening design preferred
- Panel structure found to be helpful
Any other tips on what works or doesn't?
I started to do something slightly more involved with the side stretch pockets and wish I had, not that they aren't good. The other way would have made them slightly better. Think solely about function and efficiency, that seems to win out every time. I've had a lot of cool looking backpacks over the last 2-3 years that weren't very good from a functional and/or efficiency stance.