Better Straps

I came up with a really sweet idea to make better straps on the new pack yesterday.  It was really a simple concept but I think that it will work.  It has the principle that I believe is going to significantly increase the comfort of carrying a pack.  It has it's design flaws that need some thoughtful engineering but this idea I have could be a complete different kind of pack than the market has seen.  I am excited to prototype it and see where the potential lies in this design and use it to further create a better product for myself.  I wish I had a test model tomorrow so I can could see the principle in action.  I want to understand how it all might work and where the next step in the creative process unfolds. Either way, I have an idea to continue basing my custom design on.

Next up is learning to use the sewing machine with skill and building a prototype.  I guess my initial thought is to get the sewing machine out and learning how to do some different sewing patterns and then segueing into finding a sewing pattern that works for today.  Definitely not the end result but something that can really be applied to what I am trying to built in this prototype.  It's not a endurance bag equipped for a thru-hike; it is there to see the feasibility and learn about the dimension, fit, strap placement, comfort, initial design to get some packets incorporated to.  Preliminary type stuff to keep the ball rolling.  I just need a prototype that is strong enough to get me through these tests.  My sewing techniques and design will improve with the more time I spend doing it.  It need not be perfect right now.  I also need to start roughing out some rough sketches and dimensions.  A 3-D model would be sweet but initially I need to start with some sketches and take some basic dimensions from my other packs.  That will give me a starting point for my design and will allow my creative juices to keep flowing as I understand the form and function of each of those "other" packs.  A lot of work is to be done and that doesn't even include the free body diagrams I have been working on that I would like to have completed at some point.  Sweet, I'm loving this project.

Free Body Diagrams

Today I have been working on the free body diagrams for the pack.  I am trying to understand what the forces are on the pack.and where they are applied.  I don't like the idea that what is out there currently is the best design.  Understanding what the forces are on the straps, and how effective the hip belt needs to be are the key to streamlining the design.  Less is more in this approach.  I am looking for a stable design that is going to fit the scaled down approach a thru-hiker needs with my point of view.  A simple, lightweight, quick access pack that will fit the load that I will be carrying in it.  I also have the ability here to fit pack design around the use of my bear canister which will certainly see heavy use in Montana.  It is all those little inconveniences that slow you down or annoy you on a daily basis that slow your day down.  The less time spent on daily life necessities is more time spent taking in the beautiful scenery.  It has to be fast.  The closure of the Six moon pack is slow and annoying.  I had to roll it up every time and then clip it together.  It was slow.  And annoying every time I wanted to get something quickly out of my pack that I had forgotten about.  Like that granola bar, a headlamp, or the occasional drink mix.

The free body diagrams are definitely good work.  They are giving some real good insight into what is going on with the pack.  One thing I wasn't really thinking about was how the straps wrap around the shoulder and create a moment on that shoulder due to friction.  I was only really thinking about the tension in the straps themselves and not that huge frictional force that plays a major role in pack design.  It's really good to be working on a project like this.  I like the problem solving that I have going on.  I like the school work theory that I am back to understanding.

Sea to Summit Backpack

The easter bunny brought me the best gift I have gotten since the Jet Boil for Christmas.  It is this small backpack made by Sea to Summit and it is incredible.  It is this thin, flexible cordura fabric but feels strong.  The shoulder straps are so thin yet the pack feels incredibly comfortable.  It is exactly the type of thing that I have had in mind.  It packs down into a little stuff sack about the overall size of a racquetball.  I love this little thing.  It is so lightweight and a perfect size for taking around town or as a nice day rucksack. 

This pack also gave me some great ideas for a backpack.  Ideas that are not on the market now.  I was blown away by this pack and I saw things in the way it was durable and simple at the same time.  I started to question a larger scale version because it is sort of how I have viewed my next back pack.  That's when I began to take a closer look at the functionality of the hip belt and shoulder straps.  They have typically been designed the way  you see them on most backpacks but why?  Where does their purpose really lie?  The hip belt as well.  These are many questions that need to be answered.  That thought process is the jump start I have been trying to achieve and now it is time to put my new ideas to good use.

Fueling the hike.

I started putting together the meal plan for the CDT and understanding what type of calories I should be ingesting.  During the hike, your body is a machine.  It is a power plant.  You ingest food and your body turns it into 30+ miles of rigorous hiking every day.  It's not a long walk on the beach with a young love interest.  It's a fast pace grind where you are pushing your body at all moving times of the day.  I need the right fuel for the fire.  The right amount of protein will keep my muscles strong and replenished.  Too much and I'm taxing my body's system.  Carbs are my fuel.  They supply my body with all the energy it needs.  It is the main source of fuel.  Fats are the vessel for receiving necessary vitamins.  Good fuel storage that my body will be burning constant stores of.  A good diet is necessary.  I need to find more information on high performance sports nutrition.  Everything I have found so far has no clue to how much protein my body really needs.