DIY Hydration Pack

RL suggested making a hydration pack as my next project. I thought it would be cool to make one so I did.

Materials used were: nylon cloth (cammo pattern and black), Green tarp like material, ¼�? felt, 1�? nylon tape, 1�? quick release snaps.

Measure everything out and cut the materials as needed. I used 8â€�? x 15â€�? for the pack size. 8â€�? x 8â€�? x 3″ for the bottom pocket and 8â€�? x 6â€�? x 3″ for the top pocket. 1 ½â€�? gap for the water bladder.

Once everything was cut to size, I started sewing the pieces together. I used an 8�? x 15�? piece of felt for padding on my back and sewed the green tarp like and black nylon pieces together. You could even make your own sewing design or pattern on this piece.

Make sure you sew the pockets inside out so that you don’t have the excess material on the outside of the pack.

Pocket completed.

Once the pockets were completed, I began working on the shoulder straps. First you need to cut some felt for padding. I cut two pieces that I thought would fit around my shoulders best.

I used some black and cammo nylon to wrap around the felt pieces. Once completed simply add on the female portion of the quick release.

Sew 1�? binding tape around all the excess materials to make it look neat.

You would need to sew the entire bag inside out once the pockets, shoulder straps, and binding tape are in place. (This is where the water bladder would go.) Cut a 1�? slit for the water hose sew around the hole. I would also suggest you burn the frayed material around the cut to prevent the nylon from running.

While you are sewing and the pack is inside out, be careful you do not sew anything that you are not supposed to. For example the shoulder strap or pockets. Place the bottom half of the shoulder strap to the side towards the bottom of the pack.

Once you’ve sewn the three sides, pull out the shoulder straps to flip it back the right way. Then sew the bottom portion of the pack together. The only thing you need now is to add a water bladder and your done.