I love making things myself. I've always dreamed of having my own outdoor brand- not a very feasible business idea that I would probably end up hating in the long run. With all the technical fabrics available online, we are no longer bound to the products made by big outdoor brands. You'll find fabric, patterns and tutorials online for everything from backpacks to tents to sleeping bags and rain jackets. I've put together the resources I go to when I have a project. If you know of any that I haven't listed, please mention them in the comments.
Forums
WhiteBlaze.net This is a community of Appalachian Trail enthusiasts with TONS of info on the AT- you can get answers to all your AT questions. There is also a forum on here for DIY gear.
BackpackingLight has forums dedicated to a variety of topics including a MYOG Forum (make your own gear) To post to the forum you must have a basic membership to the site which costs $5 a year
Backpacking.net has a little corner of their website dedicated to a MYOG forum.
Backpacking.net has a little corner of their website dedicated to a MYOG forum.
MYOG on Reddit - A fantastic forum full of resources, projects and advice
Tutorials
Backpacking Light has awesome tutorials for MYOG (make your own gear) but most of them require a premium membership to the site to view. A yearly premium membership is $25
Instructables This is a great website where you'll find tutorials for all kinds of projects- not just outdoor gear. Membership is free and you can view all the 'instructables' for free with or without a membership. They also have themed contests for the best instructable with fantastic prizes.
Backpacking.net- Has a special MYOG page with links to the tutorials on the left side of the page- everything from backpacks and shelters to stoves and sleeping systems
Stitchback Gear - Really awesome tutorials and patterns for more complicated components like frame sheets and cool stuff like boiled wool beanies and folding aluminum trowels.
Material, Components, Patterns
DIY Gear Supply
- Wide variety of coated and uncoated nylon in lots of weights and colors
- Insulation: Climashield, down and Insultex
- Hanging supplies: rings, webbing
- Odds + ends: buckles, rings, zippers, velcro, mesh
- DIY guides: sewing tips, hammock, backpack, bivy, insulation, tarps
Ripstop By The Roll
- Fabrics: nylon ripstop, polyester ripstop, cuben, Tyvek, silpoly, taffeta, camo
- Mesh
- Nylon webbing and grossgrain ribbon
- Insulation: Climashield, down, Primaloft
- Components: metal hardware, plastic hardware, seam sealant, thread, cordage, zippers
- Patterns: tarps + hammocks
Dutchware Gear
Seattle Fabrics
- Fabrics- Argon, Hexon, Xenon, Silpoly, silnylon, tyvek, cuben, no-seeum mesh, multicam
- Hardware- titanium tensioners, biners, hooks, plastic buckles, hooks, rings
- Rolled Goods- zippers, cordage, webbing
- All the fabric you need to make baselayers, insulating layers and yoga wear
- Polartech fleeces including powerwool, powerstretch, powerdry, fire resistant and more
- Gore tex
- Bamboo fleeces and jerseys
- Malden Mills (Polartec) fleece
- Technical outdoor knits and spandex
- Neoprene
- Equestrian fabrics
- Outdoor Sunshade and Sunbrella fabrics
- Marine canvas
- Webbing and cordage
- Buckles, sliders, cord locks
- Grommets, snaps, rings
- Zippers
- Fabrics: Durable stretch wovens, Gore-Tex, wicking baselayer, fleece, mesh, polyester coated, generic waterproof breathable, canvas, camo, microfiber, neoprene, vinyl, pack cloth, Cordura, Lycra, ripstop
- Insulations: Climashield, Thinsulate
- Metal hardware: cam buckles, grommets, eyelets, zippers, buckles, D rings, snaps
- Plastic Hardware: cam buckles, center release buckles, side release buckles, cord locks, snap hooks
- Patterns: pants, jackets, bags, packs, tarps, tents, totes, sleeping bags, gaitors, dog packs, hats, mittens, long underwear, bivy
- Fabrics- waterproof breathable, fleece, coated, uncoated, wicking, stretch, mesh, insulation, down, foam, neoprene, camo
- Fasteners- plastic + metal
- Roll Goods- cordage, webbing, zippers, elastic, drawcord, velcro, shock cord, thread
- DIY tent poles in aluminum and fiberglass
- Patterns: jackets, rain gear, pants, mittens, gloves, cycling shorts + jerseys, dog packs, backpacks, tents, bivy, tarp, stuff sack, compression bag, ski bag
- Fabrics: Gore-Tex, stretch woven, wicking baselayer, fleece, mesh, polyester coated, generic waterproof breathable, canvas, camo, microfiber, neoprene, vinyl, pack cloth, Cordura, Lycra, ripstop
- Insulations: Climashield, Thinsulate
- Metal hardware: cam buckles, grommets, eyelets, zippers, buckles, D rings, snaps
- Plastic Hardware: cam buckles, center release buckles, side release buckles, cord locks, snap hooks
- Patterns: pants, jackets, bags, packs, tarps, tents, totes, sleeping bags, gaitors, dog packs, hats, mittens, long underwear, bivy
- Fabrics: uncoated including the famous MomentumD, coated, waterproof breathable
- Rolled goods: Lycra binding, grosgrain ribbon, webbing, shock cord
- Zippers
- Insulation: Climashield, down, Primaloft
Kits
Ray-Way - Quilts, tarps, tents, backpacks
Ripstop By The Roll- hammocks, tarps, underquilts and top quilts
Ripstop By The Roll- hammocks, tarps, underquilts and top quilts
Thru-Hiker Kits - Down jackets, vests, Primaloft jackets and vests, rain gear, down quilt, Climashield quilt
