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.