Homemade Lightweight Portage Pack

After I posted my idea for my dream lightweight portage pack, Steve commented about a lightweight portage pack that he had designed and made himself. In the comment section, he wrote:

Along similar lines & similar frustrations, I made my own portage pack and used it on three trips last year. One thing I did differently was to rely on straps for a running vest and substantial hip-belt pockets. This way I could access about 8 pockets for small items with the pack sitting behind me in the solo canoe. My size was a bit bigger than yours, and there are some things I’d do differently…but it was really functional. v2 will be a little smaller…probably about 3200 cu in. Pack weight for one week with food is about 26 pounds.

Get the sewing machine going and make your dream a reality!

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I emailed with him a bit and found out that he wrote a thread about building the pack over on the Boundary Waters’ DIY forum. The final weight for the pack came in at 13.7 ounces, which is really light! The pack has multiple pockets for easy access to snacks and gear you might need during the day. The top is a zipper and reminds me of a food pack. It’s simple, and if you have the skills to sew, the design looks like it would be a fun one to make.

He’s currently working on a version two of the pack. Here’s what he wrote me.

I have been meaning to post a follow-up on one issue, and that is simply that I went too light on the fabric.  It does not have enough abrasion resistance, even for someone who is really careful.  I am researching other UL fabrics and I might do v2 from HyperD 300…though the EcoPak line also looks very interesting.  Best guess is a slightly smaller v2 with beefier fabric will come in 3-6 oz heavier.

It will be really fun to see what he comes up with next. I can’t wait.