Rucksacks
Hi chaps,that was a quote from a post of mine. Lol.
Well, call me picky, but basically I want a rucksack that suits what I carry.Not what the manufacturer wants me to carry. E.g, more of their products to match the sac.
1st.... I want to be able to fit a chair, I like the chair to be between me and the bag, " a la" Korum Ruckbag. So I have to adapt the straps to be able to support the chair and bag via the shoulder straps, holding the bag and chair securely without flapping about like the Korum one does, so this takes a bit of ingenuity, but can be done with any bag really.I had this design fitted and working on my rucksack at the time, about 10 years before Korum marketed it
2nd...I want the bag to hold the tackle boxes etc that I use a the time, and not have to buy more to suit the bag, so the pockets sometimes get altered.
3rd... I like a wide chest strap to go from about just below armpit level, don't like the waist straps that so many have, so waist straps get lopped off, and I make chest straps to suit.
4th.. I want a waterproof bag, that means not have to mess about with covers that have to be pulled out and wrapped over the bag,when there is a downpour, so the cover gets cut off and the bag sprayed with suitable waterproofing agent.The zipped pocket that the cover was in now gets used as an additional space to carry items that may be needed in a hurry, in my case, that means Epipens as I suffer from Anaphylactic shock if stung, and a spare wind up torch and small first aid kit.. Always ready to hand !
5 .. I want to carry an unhooking mat on the outside so that the wet mat does not come into contact with inside items, so top straps are fitted if they are not already there.
6.. I use a Large oval net, so that effectively can be carried slipped over the unhooking mat, but I needs a carabiner type clip fitted to the top carrying handle to stop it coming adrift.
7.. Most rucksacks have an extended inner waterproof nylon top with a drawstring sewn in around the mouth of the bag, bloody irritating, IMO if the bag was designed right in the first place it would not be needed, so that is cut out, makes access so much easier.
8.. **** poor quality zips are a no no, so any bag I look at has to pass the zip test before it goes any further, too many bags have cheap zips that won't last.An irritating feature is that some sacs have a rubber "tag" that is moulded around the zip to assist gripping the Zip to open/ close the bag, these tags usually end up breaking , leaving a small metal tag to open and and close the zip. I usually cut the tags off, remove them entirely from the zip, and replace with a large split ring, easy to grip, and won't snap.
9.. I like to have quick release buckles on both shoulder straps,so that when I reach my destination I can just nip the buckle together, and slip the sac from my shoulders without having to shimmy around like somebody on Strictly come Dancing.
10..All the above and more can be made to suit any rucksack, but manufactures make the sacks to their own spec , which is understandable, they don't know what I want, and I am supposed to adapt my needs to their products, well, not me. My requirements also may not be yours, so again no one sac fits all.
Dave.
