Making the perfect daypack for kilted jaunts..

[Hipbilly]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[GMan]

Very nice!

[Elizabeth]

Love the conversion! Canvas bags with leather bits is a favorite look of mine!

[Mike in Dayton]

Wow! Outstanding work. Looking forward to more pictures with the pack and kilt in action.

Mike

[tpa]

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

Lovely job on the bag and great choice of tartan and pleating.

Thanks for the tips on waxing, I'm going to try using them to waterproof one of my canvas camera bags. I assume the wax does not subsequently rub off on clothing?

[Hipbilly]

......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.....

Yes, they were sewn on crooked too (vertically), and I used them as a location reference for the buckles, so my buckles are crooked, so I need to re-work one of them..... Oh well.

.....I'm going to try using them to waterproof one of my canvas camera bags. I assume the wax does not subsequently rub off on clothing?

Not so far as I can tell; but you have to get a lot of wax on cloth for it to show up, so it may a little bit; It should come off with laundry detergent and heat in the wash, but if it comes off on the fell of a kilt, its there to stay, I suppose.
I did, however, Leave the back panel un-waxed for breathability and absorption of... sweat...


KILT update: 11 of 21 pleats sewn down last night, both aprons basted... should finish pleats tonight, hope to wrap up the lion's share of it this weekend!

[Smallpipe]

The work you did to upgrade your rucksack is amazing! It must have taken a lot of time. Did you take the measurements of the leather bands from the existing canvas webbing or did you have to re-measure everything?