shoulder strap pannier

I have finished this pannier's Beta version.
My daughter Phoebe said she wanted a bag like the Arkel Bug, but in a larger size.  The Bug is a 7x18x12 bike pannier that has hide-away shoulder straps for carrying off the bike.  The small grab loop at the top of most pannier systems doesn't function well for carrying around campus if it holds a few textbooks, a laptop computer, lunch and a drink bottle.

Inspired by the $170 price of the Arkel Bug and my having sewn a backpack from Ray Jardine, I said, "no way is that worth $170!  I can make a better one!"  It was going to be so simple.  Then Phoebe sent me a drawing of the bag she wanted.  The Bug only has four pockets.  Ours has pockets inside for laptop, pencils, pump & what-not as well as 5 pockets outside.  I pretty much jerry rigged the bag's bike rack attachment hardware as I didn't see any value in purchasing the hanger hardware for $25 plus shipping from Arkel.

WATERPROOFING. I applied seam sealer to the interior seams that I could expose by turning the bag out, but total waterproofing is really the domain of the unstitched and largely pocket-less bags such as the Ortlieb tribe, otherwise the 500 denier Cordura will endure.  Verson 2 is already in its creative phase with waterproofing as a special priority.  Until then one must bag the contents in plastic because of the needle holes from all the seams and pockets.  I said if the plastic doesn't get wet after having the pack in the rain, it's waterproof and you can leave it out.  A rain cover would be easy enough to make from coated nylon and a drawstring, though they do invariably tear & develop leaks.

Volume of the main bag (12" w x 18" H x 9" Deep) is 1944 cubic inches (cubes)--30% more than the Bug.  The exterior pockets add at least another 450 cubes.  Metric volume is about 40 liters.

While at Olympia Supply for parts to finish out the bag, I met R.C., YetAnotherGroupOfWellAdjustedPersons, who showed interest in the bag.

Below a few more pictures:

This particular rack has an extension loop to the rear which keeps the spokes away from the bag.  As such the bag did not require anything stiffer than a foam pad in the stiffener pocket.  I don't recall if Planet Bike made this rack, but most other brands don't make that leap.  

The bag attaches to the opposite side of the rack and therefore may attach to more racks than any other.  The carabiners (not for climbers) were a ready-made device which are probably strong for the application.  We found out how simple it was to shape 1/4" aluminum rod (see 2nd photo below) and will do so in the next bag.

At left:  the bag's back showing the shoulder straps with the cover flaps opened.  The hook was heated and bent from 1/4" aluminum rod.  The free end of both shoulder straps is tucked out of harms way in one of the tunnels on the shoulder strap.

At right, the cover flaps secure the shoulder straps.

Left:  Without a load the bag's structure stems from the fabric (tough 500 denier Cordura).  The front lower pocket is intended for Phoebe's lunch.  The reflective band is sewn across a slash pocket.

Left: a 32 ounce Gatorade bottle in a side pocket.

Above, the main compartment with an Apple MacBook in the laptop pocket and a bear proof canister (made by Garcia, 12" H x 8.8" diameter) in the main section.  You never know when a campus bear or chipmunk might want your lunch. This bag is big.  Barely visible to the lower right of the bear can is the end of the pump sleeve.   Version 2 may have the pump sleeve on the outside of the bag, maybe in the large side pocket.  Wait for it.

Enchantment Lakes

On the Enchantment Lakes area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness:  getting a wilderness camping permit meant entering a lottery in January or February or taking our chances at getting one on the day we wanted to hike in.   If no one else showed up at 0700, the Forest Service would just give us the permit we wanted.  Phoebe & I arrived August 19 and stayed at Der Ritterhof Inn in Leavenworth so we could do that.  I arrived at 0635 to find that it opened at 0745.  I returned with Phoebe at 0735 to find ten people on the front stoop. The ranger came out at 0745 and ran the lottery.  She would grant one permit for each of five different permit areas:  Colchuck Lake, Stuart Lake, Snow Lakes, Caroline Lake and the Core Enchantments.  Two other parties vied with us for the Core Enchantments pass, which enables the party to camp anywhere.  We won the pass, which cost $5 per person per night.

Phoebe had read the trail descriptions from both the Stuart Lake and the Snow Lake trail heads.  The former, short and treacherous and the latter, long but eminently doable.  Descriptions abound on the web--no need to go into the bloody details of our trek from the latter.  The 10 mile/5500' elevation gain from the latter to lower Enchantment Lakes took a while.

Advice to photo bugs, charge your camera batteries or your camera and tripod will be just ballast.  More importantly, make sure your camera doesn't turn on accidentally if a button can be pushed through its soft case. Pictures taken almost entirely by Phoebe:

Ascent from Lake Viviane, construction rebar cemented into the rock assist with foot holds.

Touching the cairn at Upper Enchantment Lakes.

Pink/red snow glacier

Two of us at Little Annapurna

Warming to the sun after a brief dip

Under the umbrella and a mild drizzle at Snow Lake.

Lake Viviane rest stop.

Leprechaun Lake Tarp Camp

We carried our gear in 12 oz backpacks, a weight I had never considered capable of carrying 28 lb. (thanks, Rayjardine.com)    3000 cubic inches of main sack and 3 large mesh pockets were key features.  Hip belts, hydration ports--you add 'em if you want 'em.  No useless straps, buckles, and pockets

How we protected our food:  I carried a Garcia bear can--2 lb, 12 oz.  I wish I'd spent a little more time practicing with a bear bag, hanging between trees, using the PCT method or just even tossing a rock filled bag over a branch, as any of these methods would have chopped another 2 lb off our pack weight.  We could also have hung our food from the side of a cliff, though rodents could get at the food bag if bears couldn't.  Tip for bear can users:  the portion of the food consumed the first day need not fit into the can.  Breakfast:  Curried quinoa with tomato leather (dried tomato paste).  Snacks:  Beef Jerky (Costco), Trail mix (Trader Joes ABC & Trek mix), dried pears (a hit!).  Dinners:

1. Curried Lentils (Marketplace) with Kraft instant rice and tomato leather, Excellent
2. Veggie Chili (Marketplace) with barley,  Excellent
3. AlpineAire Pasta Roma, terrible, maybe b/c it was too old? or ?
4. Backpacker's Pantry Louisana Red Beans & Rice, Pretty good, but spendy

The raisins I'd unintentionally left on my kitchen counter, I know we would have enjoyed with any of our meals.

The sharp horned goats mostly minded their own business, but for situations where they wandered too close for comfort or where they were right in the middle of the trail, here's how we drove them away.  We:

1. Tossed rocks in their direction--no need to actually hit them as they'll willingly move away.
2. Yelled at them, though this didn't work that well.  Maybe simulating a dog barking might, as the prohibition of dogs from the Enchantment Lakes did precede a goat glut.
3. Beat a saucepan with a spoon.  This seemed to work very reliably.  Even a single beat made them move away.  Double or more beats made them run.  Combine with tossing rocks for really effective work.

RayWay long two person tarp with long net tent.  A palatial treasure marred only by a low 15" entrance--great for raccoons, terrible for people.  Modification to a 30" high entrance is in the cards.

Jeff's Gear list
RAIN Rain skirt 1, also for mosquito protection in camp
RAIN rain legs worked against mosquitoes, though they slid down for lack of rubber on the elastic at the tops.
t neck LL Bean Powerdry, black, mmm--warm
leg warmers-nylon, eh
sweat wrap for forehead
REI silk one socks for sleeping
PACK Ray Way 3000
SLEEPING RayWay alpine quilt
KNIFE Gerber light weight
paper, pencil
Firestarter: waxed paper
Beano
allergy Benadryl, Zyrtec, oxymetazoline
Camera Sony RX100
Pyrethrum soak for debugging apparel
Slik 500 tripod w/ball head
water: 1 liters
bug dope stick
insulated RayWay hat
neck warmer-windproof
iodine, vit C
modified first aid kit
toilet paper: 12 squares of double ply/day
lip balm (SPF 15+)
long bottoms Patagonia capilene
Jacket Cordillera 800 fill down jacket
tent stakes MSR
Sleeping Pad/Pacific Outdoor Equipment Peak Elite AC 72"x20"
Water container Powerade 32 oz
fuel, Snow Peak 110 gm can, empty weight: 87 gm
fuel, Snow Peak 220 gm can
Ti saucepan/lid EverNew .9L rubberbanded shut
bear canister Garcia
FOOD for trip
arm warmers-nylon
pack towel 9x25
Umbrella GoLite reflective
sunscreen cream or stick (SPF 30+)
Compass
toothbrush/paste, floss
soap & cleaning pad
stove Snow Peak Giga power
spoon plastic Kenyon
bowl, margarine tub
Phoebe's bowl & spoon
two trekking poles BlackDiamond CF (um, were used only as tarp poles, not for trek)
whistle
Food carried in Bear can: 10 lb.  Starting pack weight 28 lb. ending pack weight maybe 18 lb.

Below, Phoebe's gear list roughly estimated as I carried almost all food and she had some things like an eyeglass case, Canon compact camera/case, contact len solution and underarm deodorant.  Starting AND ending pack weight was about 19 lb.
PACK Ray Way 3000
Ray Way 2P XL net tent w/zipper
Ray Way long 2P tarp
Sleeping Bag Campmor 15 deg mummy
SLEEPING PAD Z-REST
KNIFE Leatherman Style
Pyrethrum soak for debugging apparel
water: liters
bug juice
headlamp
map
toilet paper: 12 squares of double ply/day
Long underwear top
long bottoms
EMS down jacket
Water container Powerade 32 oz
FOOD for trip MUST HAVE
pack towel 9x25
toothbrush/paste, floss

Ray Way backpack redux

I misjudged the 3000 cube RayWay backpack with the test load, which was towels and non camping weights.  When reloaded it with my RayWay Alpine quilt and everything else I used for the High Divide hike in the Olympic Nat'l Park, the pack carried well, though just a touch of the bottom wanted to ride on my derriere.  The load of about 22 lb behaved borne by shoulder straps alone or shoulder straps with hip belt.  I walked thus for six miles on mostly level terrain two days ago, and today up and down hills. The backpack and my back were both wet with sweat.  It's going to stink sometime.

Load order:  quilt on the bottom, Six Mood Designs Lunar Solo tent, tent footprint, Hyalite inflatable pad, down jacket, warm shirt and long johns, bag with stove/fuel/spoon/matches/cup/saucepan and bear can with food on the top.

Front pocket:

gloves, rain wear (skirt, pant legs, maybe a simple jacket?), insulated hat, arm warmers and leg warmers.

Side mesh pockets:

1. umbrella, water bottle, sunscreen, bug dope, ID.  
2. first aid pack with fire starter, head lamp, TP, compass knife, tent stakes,Pack Towel, emergency reflective blanket.

Trekking pole handle tied to shoulder strap, tip placed into loop of cord somewhere low like the Osprey Aether packs but for a much better price.

Sept 4, 2013
Revisions for JW 3000 version of the Ray Way 3000:  Use Cordura as part of the side pocket, as branches will catch and tear the mesh.  Bottom will be square not round.  Overall pack length will be longer but without the full length of the silnylon tunnel/collar above the pack.  Whole pack fabric options beyond coated ripstop nylon, which wears poorly.:

1. 400 Denier cordura (Seattle Fabrics)  or  
2. 400 x 300 Denier Nylon/Polyester Mini Diamond Ripstop (Seattle Fab) 
3. 400 D Cordura (Rockywoods $6.40) 
4. x-pac (DIY gear supply)

Hiking the High Divide, things experienced & learned

John came to the house at 9 a.m. Monday August 5, before going to hike the High Divide, a massive "wall" between the Hoh River Valley watershed and the lakes in Seven Lakes Basin/the Sole Duck River Valley.  I looked at his food and said that 5 lb would suffice for 2.5 days on the trail.  We took some food and his stove out of his pack. A second stove might have been a good idea in event of a malfunction.  It was still too much for one bear can, so we rented another at the ranger station when we got our permit.

Bears in the park:  none seen on this trip.

We could believe no maps nor trail signs re: mileage.  We just trusted that they pointed in the right direction.  John brought the trail description as well as a b/w trail map of the area.  I wasn't responsible enough to print out a map from my National Geographic Washington map software.

Packing.  John removed an 8 oz sunscreen bottle out of his pack, I had 2 oz, enough for both of us.

Gear.
Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo tent.  I like it well.  Set up tip: ensure the 120 cm pole is plumb.
Hiking poles.  ONE IS ENOUGH for use with my Lunar solo.  2nd pole not needed.
John's Tarp with Ray Jardine Net Tent looked palatial with its acreage and airy long ceiling.  It worked well for him.
The Ray Jardine Alpine quilt worked well for me in combination with the insulated hat, vs. a traditional mummy sleeping bag with hood, which I roll with rather than within, exposing compressed insulation and leading to a cold backside. That cold persists if the bag has less insulation on the bottom than on top.   With the quilt, I'd roll under the quilt, which would remain atop me.  Potential IMPROVEMENT? maybe a hat with thicker insulation.

I slept with socks on my hands for the times when they'd wander out from under the quilt.

My REI Flash 62 backpack.  very well conceived.  Tall items in the mesh pockets still wanted to fall toward the front of the pack.  The number of pockets was right.  Hipbelt pockets were great for compass, chapstick and water treatment bottles.  Water storage in the side mesh pockets worked.  It swallowed a bear can and a RayWay alpine quilt.  I used the hip belt for the first 4 miles of the trip but shoulder straps only for the last 15 or so miles.  Bare skin contact with the mesh shoulder strap was a bit abrasive.  Jardine's pack, when I've used it with shoulder straps only seemed harsh and use with the hip belt was terrible--foam maybe too stiff?

Go Lite Umbrella.  very good coverage and deflection of heat.  It has too much arc in the canopy for a full pack--I often had to lift the umbrella higher for the tips to clear the pack.  How do I make my own?

Camera.  Sony Rx100.  I don't know how to make it focus at infinity.  Goats. Mt Olympus. People with blue tongue after eating huckleberries.

Goats:  ever present at Heart Lake.  pretty docile.  two more goats at Sole duck Park.

Swimming:  Cleansing, refreshing and brief at Heart Lake.  While a shallow lake with plenty of all-day sun, the inflow was still glacier fed and I exited after 5 strokes.  I went in again after a short day hike back to the High Divide.

Bugs.  Biting flies and piercing mosquitoes besieged us at Deer Lake (our first night out) and while ascending to the High divide.  The mosquitoes penetrated my layer of long underwear and nylon leg warmers and my thin wool shirt.  Mosquitoes have a crazy flight plan that often looks like a World War I biplane spinning in spirals and oscillating at the same time.  The flies bite a few moments after they land (often on my skin right above the top of my socks), but you don't feel them land--if you're paying attention and see one land, you can easily squash it before it bites, otherwise they'll painfully take a chunk of you as their dinner.  Mosquitoes seem to pay a little more attention to their intended victims' attempts to thwart them and would fly off.   Neither can penetrate urethane coated nylon, nor can they pierce REI's Sahara convertible nylon pants.  Also effective against the mosquitoes:  my LL Bean fleece shirt, a neck gaiter .  On my long hike last year, I'd sprayed bug killer on my clothes and pack, but a heavy frost on my first three nights out killed most of the bugs so I had no notion of the efficacy of this strategy--I forgot to repeat the treatment this year.  Potential IMPROVEMENTS:  maybe simple light nylon pants and jacket (no pockets).

bug repellent.  Cutter DEET stick (30%) deterred mosquitoes, but only briefly repelled the flies, large and small.  The large ones were bigger than a Buick.  The mosquitoes would try to fly into your mouth nose and ears--they'd land on my glasses and try to wiggle their way onto my eyelids, departing only after sensing DEET on my eyelids. I wish I'd brought my head net to justify its purchase long ago.
Ibuprofen went a long way to preventing itch and scratching bites.

Water management:  No hydration systems, just my 32 oz Gatorade bottle, John's liter poly Nalgene & a 20 oz. disposable water bottle.  Purification by iodine with neutralization tablets (mine) and SteriPen Adventurer (John)--both worked great, & it was reassuring to have both.  The Steripen did work with the Gatorade bottle, but not the small mouthed 20 oz drink bottle.

Cooking & Meals: Vegetarian chili from the Marketplace and instant rice (two meals).  Green pea soup (John) and instant rice.  Coffee, trail mix by John & Trader Joes "Simply Almonds, Cashews and Cranberries," dried apples and apricots (John) dried pear (mine), Costco Sunrise Energy Bars & Sunrise Clusters w/ greek yogurt chips.  The energy Bars crumbled easily--the clusters mostly stayed intact.  We boiled water using a Snow Peak canister stove, added the food, turned off the stove and waited.  Oatmeal with sun dried tomato brown sugar (John)  Potential IMPROVEMENT:  pot cozy.

Leftover food ~4 lb.   Total food consumed: ~6 lb for 48 hours.  Next trip, budget 1.5 lb per person per 24 hours.

Footwear that works:  LL Bean Mountain Treads Low top 2# 14 oz. shields my feet from rocks.  LL Bean Trail Model Hikers do not.