Although you can find loads of stuff in the regular outdoor shop, I have found that many products do not fit to my needs. First of all, many outdoor products are made with many features such as zippers, clips, straps and heavyweight fabric, aimed at a large group of different users. The result is a heavy weight product with more features than an individual needs. Second, many products are made to look and feel good in a shop, not to be used intensively for a long stretch of time. One of the reasons I believe, why the sturdy framed backpack is hardly sold anymore.
A the 'outdoor gear, food and tips' section you will find a great deal of home made equipment. A selection is showed at the page below, together with building plans or more detailed pictures. All the gear has been tested to the extreme and works. If you want to inform me about improvements or if you have questions, please send an email or post a message on the blog.
Note: measurements do not include sleeves or seams. And do check the sizes yourself, in order to make the gear fit to your requirements.
Cooking equipment
Stuff sack for the pans and plates
- nylon fabric 20 cm high, 20 cm wide (2 x)
- nylon cord 50 cm
- stopper
Box for cutlery
- shampoo bottle cut to 15 cm
- smaller shampoo bottle cut to 5 cm to serve as a lid
Water carrier
- nylon fabric, a circle with a diameter of 65 cm
- nylon fabric 10 cm high, 35 cm wide
Stuff sack for cooking equipment
- nylon fabric 45 cm high, 40 cm wide (2 x)
- nylon cord 90 cm
- stopper
Hardware
Rack for storing hardware items
- plastic strip (cut from a bucket) 7 cm high, 27 cm wide
- elastic cord 2 x 70 cm
Note: measurements do not include sleeves or seams. And do check the sizes yourself, in order to make the gear fit to your requirements.
Cooking equipment
Stuff sack for the pans and plates
- nylon fabric 20 cm high, 20 cm wide (2 x)
- nylon cord 50 cm
- stopper
Box for cutlery
- shampoo bottle cut to 15 cm
- smaller shampoo bottle cut to 5 cm to serve as a lid
Water carrier
- nylon fabric, a circle with a diameter of 65 cm
- nylon fabric 10 cm high, 35 cm wide
Stuff sack for cooking equipment
- nylon fabric 45 cm high, 40 cm wide (2 x)
- nylon cord 90 cm
- stopper
Hardware
Rack for storing hardware items
- plastic strip (cut from a bucket) 7 cm high, 27 cm wide
- elastic cord 2 x 70 cm
Quick - grabs
'Belly bag' for equipment close at hand, such as a camera.
- nylon fabric 22 cm high, 36 cm wide (2 x)
- zipper 36 cm wide
- nylon band 4 cm (2 x)
- plastic strip (cut from a bucket) 17 high, 38 wide
- velcro 34 wide
- broad nylon band 135 cm
- fastener
- elastic cord 100 cm
- stopper
Waterproof camera housing for Sony cybershot
- transparant Ortlieb bag 0,3 liters
- nylon cord 50 cm
- plastic case (I used the Coghlan's first aid kit)
- plumber tube with screwthread
- lid with rubber O ring
- plexiglass circle
- aluminium corner strip 7,5 cm
- attachment for tripod
- elastic cord 50 cm
Protective case for sunglasses
- plastic edge (cut from a bucket) 20 cm
- elastic cord 15 cm
Survival gear
Bag for the neck with two zippers
- more information will follow
Clothes and boots
Stuffsack with zipper and pull - opening
- nylon fabric 45 high, 38 wide
- inner fabric 45 high, 38 wide (can do without)
- zipper 80 cm
- nylon cord 90 cm
- stopper
Waterproof stuffsack as (sidebags for backpack)
- waterproof nylon fabric 55 high, 28 wide
- plastic strip (cut from a bucket) 2 cm high, 35 cm wide
- nylon band 15 cm
- fastener
- broad textile tape to seam the straight edges
- textile glue to seam the curve beneath
Tent
Stuffsack with zipper and pull - opening
- nylon fabric 45 high, 38 wide
- inner fabric 45 high, 38 wide (can do without)
- zipper 80 cm
- nylon cord 90 cm
- stopper
Waterproof stuffsack as (sidebags for backpack)
- waterproof nylon fabric 55 high, 28 wide
- plastic strip (cut from a bucket) 2 cm high, 35 cm wide
- nylon band 15 cm
- fastener
- broad textile tape to seam the straight edges
- textile glue to seam the curve beneath
In 2001 I made my first tent (the 'YK1') because I found the existing tents on the market way too heavy for their height and length. I took the classic ‘A’ shape and came with a modernized design. The straight outline of the tent provides a lot of space where you need it, even if you are 2 meters tall. It has an inner - and outher tent and weighs only 800 grams.
Here is the building plan for the YK3. If you are interested in making this tent, you can get a readable version by sending me an email, and donate 20 euro's with the button at the front page. For another 50 euro's I will send you the real size template by post, so you can draw the outlines of the tent quickly, saving you lots of time.
In 2009 I made the 'YK2' ..
.. and in 2011 the 'YK3'. It is slightly different from the YK 2 in height and length, and has a strip to prevent wind coming from under the tent. The tent
- is large enough for one or two persons who are 2 meters tall
- has two zippers at the front for 2 persons,
- has been tested in winds of 40 knots,
- weights 1500 grams without poles, ski poles or other straight subjects can be used for pitching the tent,
- has been tested in winds of 40 knots,
- weights 1500 grams without poles, ski poles or other straight subjects can be used for pitching the tent,
- has a roof for ventilation and view, and can be closed by a cover,
- uses little hooks to attach the inner to the outher tent. Now the inner tent is kept dry when pitching the tent in heavy rain. It also enables to make a large vestibule,
- can be hung to the branch of a tree
- uses two carbon sticks at the rear to provide room for the feet
- uses ice - proof zippers for the outher tent.
Here is the building plan for the YK3. If you are interested in making this tent, you can get a readable version by sending me an email, and donate 20 euro's with the button at the front page. For another 50 euro's I will send you the real size template by post, so you can draw the outlines of the tent quickly, saving you lots of time.
Sleeping bag
Vapour barrier liner
- nylon fabric, see the building plan below for measurements
Lightweight waterproof stuffsack
- nylon fabric x cm high, x cm wide
- nylon fabric circle shape x cm
- plastic strip 2 cm high, x cm wide
- nylon fabric, see the building plan below for measurements
Lightweight waterproof stuffsack
- nylon fabric x cm high, x cm wide
- nylon fabric circle shape x cm
- plastic strip 2 cm high, x cm wide
Mattress
Waterproof sack for the matress
- nylon fabric 80 cm high, 50 cm wide
- nylon band 60 cm
- fasteners
- nylon fabric 80 cm high, 50 cm wide
- nylon band 60 cm
- fasteners
Backpack
Backpack frame with adjustable traps
- aluminium frame
- shoulder bands
- hip bands
- nylon band 5 meters
- broad nylon band 2 meters
- fasteners 3 x
- large fastener
- straps 15 x
- nylon cord 2 meters
- aluminium frame
- shoulder bands
- hip bands
- nylon band 5 meters
- broad nylon band 2 meters
- fasteners 3 x
- large fastener
- straps 15 x
- nylon cord 2 meters
Electrical gear
Waterproof connection between electrical gear and solar panel.
- transparant Ortlieb bag, make a round hole in it, smaller than the sigarettelighter plug
- rubber sleeve 5 cm (cut from the inner tire of a bicycle), to put over the plug
- velcro 10 cm cut in half (over the lenght), to wrap around both ends of the plug to serve as a stopper
