I've been spending a lot of time outdoors lately (climbing, hiking, etc.) and started fooling around with making my own gear. I've always been interested in the

I've been spending a lot of time outdoors lately (climbing, hiking, etc.) and started fooling around with making my own gear. I've always been interested in the engineering/design challenge of working with flexible materials. After buying a cheap sewing machine and making a simple pouch, I decided to start designing my own patterns as early as possible to maximize learning. i.e. learning to cook, not just following a recipe. I've made a couple of climbing packs specifically tailored to my size and requirements that have worked out great. (I've had multiple people ask me what brand it is and where could they could buy one!) What's been really cool is learning about all of the great materials available online now. If you were limited to your local fabric store you would be basically stuck as there is a horrible selection of technical fabrics. With places like Ripstop by the Roll you can have access to state-of-the-art fabrics, fittings, etc. that are as good at (or even better than) what you can find in high-end commercial gear. One example is UHMwPE fiber (aka Dyneema.) This fiber is dramatically stronger, lighter, and cut resistant than nylon. You can now get fabrics made from the stuff (Challenge Ultra) but the price means it's rarely seen in commercial designs. For me, if I'm going to spend several hours making a pack, the extra $30 in raw materials is irrelevant and you can get an awesome final result.