Making the perfect daypack for kilted jaunts..

**Hipbilly** · 26th March 15, 08:15 AM

Not directly related to kilts, but oh well...
I was looking for a good vintage European style day pack for cheese & wine type picnics and what not, kilted or otherwise...
I was looking at Duluth packs, but had better things to blow $300 on, plus I needed to kill some time while waiting on my MacLaren Ancient tartan to arrive!

SO, I got this for $23 on amazon:

I cut off all the offending cotton web strap, and waxed the whole thing...
Then stitched and riveted some leather all over it:

I liked how it turn out, but what does the Rabble think?

You'll probably see more of it in some action/adventure shots in the future.

Oh, and by the way... the MacLaren showed up!

**Liam** · 26th March 15, 08:32 AM

Nice job on the rucksack...Looking forward to the finished kilt as well.
Slainte...

**Dughlas mor** · 26th March 15, 09:41 AM

Nice work. You really changed the character of the rucksack. Great shot of the tartan, too. If that is your choice of pleating, I like it a lot.

**Stitchwiz** · 26th March 15, 10:16 AM

Now that is thinking outside the box! Kilts tend to be timeless. With your 'aging' process and replacing the webbing with leather, your rucksack has character. Once the leather ages, this will look like it's been around for a long time.

Awesome job!

**sydnie7** · 26th March 15, 11:52 AM

Very imaginative transformation! And I love the tartan too.

**Tenmiles** · 26th March 15, 12:55 PM

Outstanding! I'm inspired to do the same thing.
I can't believe you picked up the base rucksack for under twenty five bucks. I must find that on Amazon for myself.

I'm curious about your method for waxing the canvas. Oil and wax mixture? What proportions? How well would you say it came out in the end? Would you change anything about your method or mixture, now that you're done?

**Hipbilly** · 26th March 15, 01:14 PM

It's not a bad pack as is... but the quality definitely screams "made quickly".... the duck canvas is a pretty loose weave, but the wax helped stiffen the feel.
Here's the pack:
http://Rothco Canvas Mini Alice Pack

For wax, I found good reviews on an offering from Otterwax... you really only have to smear it on like a bar of soap, but heating with a blow dryer and rubbing it in works better. I put a LOT on, and hand rubbed it. The consistency is about like butter from the refrigerator.

Otter Wax Fabric Wax

**Tenmiles** · 26th March 15, 01:22 PM

Interesting. My few (and not necessarily pride-worthy) attempts involved following recipes of mixing certain amounts of beeswax with linseed oil over heat, then applying with a cheap paint brush, to saturate the fabric, and letting dry, then thoroughly "Jocking it", so to speak, to work out any waxy flakiness that may be leftover.

Haven't hit on just the right method to make the end results as attractive as, say, a classic oilskin duster, but it's definitely rain-proof.

**MNlad** · 26th March 15, 01:54 PM

Impressive transformation. You took a serviceable, but inexpensive and very military-style, bag and made it a rucksack you can wear with pride. The wax treatment gives it as much character as the leather work. Nice!

**Tenmiles** · 26th March 15, 02:10 PM

One more question, having looked closer now at your finished pictures...

I see there are small fabric bands between the outer pockets, which your leather main straps slide under for holding.
Were these present in the original, or did you have to tear out a section of the pocket seam and add the strap and restitch the seams?

I can't tell for sure, but it looks like the outer pockets have a double row of stitching, while the original image of the unmodified pack makes it look like they have just one row of stitching.