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Custom Built Packs

HuntNorthEast

HuntNorthEast

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2020
Messages
1,027
Location
Southern Maine
Alright everyone, this is just a thought right now...

Everyone has the problem of finding that perfect pack. The one that holds all your gear, the RIGHT way. It seems there is no perfect setup out there.

Common issues are wasted space, not enough space, pockets too big/small, no bow, stick or platform holder, no vertical molle attachments, unneccessary straps/needs more straps, the list goes on and on.

Well here I am, sitting at home on baby leave (baby #2 was born 1-15-2021, names Boone) and I cannot stop thinking about hunting. I find myself scrolling through @DanO 's website, the new TX5 website, YT, you name it.

That's when it hit me. Now I don't have much spare time and I am not thinking about this from a full on business standpoint because I just can't swing 110% dedication at this time.

To the point, I am thinking about making custom packs, built from a list of equipment. Pockets located and sized per equipment. For example, I carry a muddy pro 1 stick, predator platform, bow hanger, camera gear, SD cards, bow rope, knife/saw, calls, etc. I would design my pack to securely hold my camera gear and have a minimalist pocket with sub pockets to hold everything in an organized manner and flat as possible. A drop away pouch like a predator pack sewn right into the front of the pack. A fully enclosed 1 stick side pouch to prevent the stick from snagging or becoming loose while walking. The list goes on.

Like I started with, this is currently just a thought. I would prototype and build my personal one and post it well in advance to building one for a customer. As well as time for field testing. This would be a plan for the 2022 season.

Closing questions would be, is it something that sounds attractive/interesting to anyone? What would people be willing to pay?

I am not looking to just pump out gear and make money, I am looking to help people get what they need to be efficient, but at the same time, my time isn't free. Packs are one of my pet peeves, and my frustration drove me to this thought.

Any input is appreciated!
 
Congrats on the kiddo, and I’d be interested in something like this. I would say base your prices off of similar sized packs like kuiu, mystery ranch etc. I’d say that’s fair if the quality is good and especially it being custom.
 
Congrats, and YES. I keep on thinking about getting a sewing machine and dismantling a few packs. This is a great idea!
 
You're reading my mind. I'm about to hopefully go pickup a good "thread injector" for doing something like this, among other stuff I would like to use it for. I bought a Stone Glacier X curve frame last year and love it because of comfort and versatility. Just used whatever bag I wanted and threw it on the load shelf and cinched straps down, but liked the idea of how their bags buckle to the frame and expand back for carrying a load. I plan on doing the same thing, only make it modular. One pack specific for my platform, one for sticks, one for SRT stuff, one for cold weather clothes, etc...
Then I can pick and choose whatever I need to take with me for that specific hunt and quickly buckle the different packs to frame or layered on top of others if carrying a few different ones.
 
Nutterbuster said:
A portfolio of work would be mandatory before I paid the money I'm sure a custom pack would cost.
Click to expand...
@Squirrels

Like I said, as of right now it's a thought. Of course I would build and test stuff prior to expecting anyone to pay for it. I would start by setting up my hunting buddies and myself and field testing. We all climb differently and carry different gear, so it is the perfect storm.

Next would be "cost : build difficulty" and figuring out if the end game would be at a fair price point or not worth the time and hassle.

My main focus would be to help the saddle hunting guys. Not focused around making money but to help the fellow man more than anything. We have a good community here and it would be my way of having a fun off season project and giving back a bit.

I will brainstorm and begin drawing, if feasible I will design and test. Any ideas, drop em here! I want to take everything into consideration. Just drop some personal notes on things that are essential and I will try to put the puzzle together! Thanks guys!

BTW, ice fishing video dropping on my YT channel tonight at 5 p.m. EST.
 
Congratulations on the kiddos. Enjoy your time with them man I'm telling you they grow up quick. As far as a custom pack option? Absolutely!! And please try to find a material that is tough but quiet. I would think a a lining of cordura with an exterior shell of a cowboy suede type of material. I like the good pack manufacturers out there but the best come from a military background where sound isn't as critical. I want something that's as quiet as a deer's hide in a bramble patch. You can't hear them things at all.... that's what the pack should be about IMHO.
 
woodsdog2 said:
Congratulations on the kiddos. Enjoy your time with them man I'm telling you they grow up quick. As far as a custom pack option? Absolutely!! And please try to find a material that is tough but quiet. I would think a a lining of cordura with an exterior shell of a cowboy suede type of material. I like the good pack manufacturers out there but the best come from a military background where sound isn't as critical. I want something that's as quiet as a deer's hide in a bramble patch. You can't hear them things at all.... that's what the pack should be about IMHO.
Click to expand...
Does a material like that exist? Can it be waterproof too?
 
HuntNorthEast said:
My main focus would be to help the saddle hunting guys. Not focused around making money but to help the fellow man more than anything
Click to expand...
If you wanna help your fellow man, make something valuable to him and charge for it. He gets the valuable thing, and you have incentive to keep doing it beyond philanthropy. I want people like dano, mark, John Reed, Jcline, etc to make lots of money and use that money to develop more things I want.

Don't be bashful. If you're good at sewing stuff up charge enough that you're happy. Stick it to us. Lol
 
CooterBrown said:
Does a material like that exist? Can it be waterproof too?
Click to expand...
Thanks! And to the water proof/quiet part, imagine sticking tanned deer hide with hair on it over a pack?! If it wasn't for idiots shooting people all the time that would be your answer! :tearsofjoy: I will look into materials for sure, no real answers as of yet!
 
CooterBrown said:
Does a material like that exist? Can it be waterproof too?
Click to expand...
Doubtful, but If I'm that worried about rain during a hunt, I'd put my most sensitive stuff in a dry bag first anyway. It would probably be cost prohibitive to make but would be great to have wouldn't it? I'm thinking the old Dwight Schuh pack system but with more durable cowboy suede or saddlecloth material with a cordura inside coating.
 
The "Day One Camo" pack comes to mind as well and what I like about their pack (I do not have one) is that the support web is all around the pack so the load is not on the sewn thread but on the webbing itself which to me seems like the most robust way to do it. Kind of like a strap skeleton with material sewn onto it. I'm just dreaming here now fellas.
 
HuntNorthEast said:
@Squirrels

Like I said, as of right now it's a thought. Of course I would build and test stuff prior to expecting anyone to pay for it. I would start by setting up my hunting buddies and myself and field testing. We all climb differently and carry different gear, so it is the perfect storm.

Next would be "cost : build difficulty" and figuring out if the end game would be at a fair price point or not worth the time and hassle.

My main focus would be to help the saddle hunting guys. Not focused around making money but to help the fellow man more than anything. We have a good community here and it would be my way of having a fun off season project and giving back a bit.

I will brainstorm and begin drawing, if feasible I will design and test. Any ideas, drop em here! I want to take everything into consideration. Just drop some personal notes on things that are essential and I will try to put the puzzle together! Thanks guys!

BTW, ice fishing video dropping on my YT channel tonight at 5 p.m. EST.
Click to expand...
Don't worry about fair price/worth your time. If you make something somebody wants you need to charge a price that is worth your time. If nobody wants to pay the price that makes it worth your time then simply don't do it. I too have a couple of young kiddos at home. I will do custom work for people if they are interested in paying the piper. Custom one off stuff is extremely time consuming, mostly in layout and design because you have no pattern and process to follow. My rates have gone up since the little ones have come along. Doing custom work takes time away from them (I have another job). If I am going to spend time making something for someone that takes time away from my girls and wife then I am most certainly gonna get paid for it. I have a number for my hourly labor rate that I don't budge on anymore. Some things I have a real good idea on what it will cost someone, others I simply tell them what the hourly rate is plus material cost. Hourly rate doesn't inlcude just time at the stitcher; it includes design and layout time. Just food for thought.

My question about the portfolio was more in terms of do you have some pictures of stuff you have already made, not just packs you are thinking about but really anything. Gives guys an idea of what sort of quality and crafstmanship your pontential customers might expect from you.
 
Squirrels said:
Don't worry about fair price/worth your time. If you make something somebody wants you need to charge a price that is worth your time. If nobody wants to pay the price that makes it worth your time then simply don't do it. I too have a couple of young kiddos at home. I will do custom work for people if they are interested in paying the piper. Custom one off stuff is extremely time consuming, mostly in layout and design because you have no pattern and process to follow. My rates have gone up since the little ones have come along. Doing custom work takes time away from them (I have another job). If I am going to spend time making something for someone that takes time away from my girls and wife then I am most certainly gonna get paid for it. I have a number for my hourly labor rate that I don't budge on anymore. Some things I have a real good idea on what it will cost someone, others I simply tell them what the hourly rate is plus material cost. Hourly rate doesn't inlcude just time at the stitcher; it includes design and layout time. Just food for thought.

My question about the portfolio was more in terms of do you have some pictures of stuff you have already made, not just packs you are thinking about but really anything. Gives guys an idea of what sort of quality and crafstmanship your pontential customers might expect from you.
Click to expand...
This 100%. I used to be a custom furniture maker...now I have 2 kids. When I had the first one I slowly tapered off what I was doing, not doing any now...but i built a custom boat bar for someone they REALLY wanted me to do, it was not cheap. I essentially restored a 1950s wooden boat and cut it in half. I mad more money hourly doing that than I do my full time professional job now in the digital world. My point is when you have kids tour time is wayyyyy more valuable!
 
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