up-cycled
Water Repellent
hiking/travel Bag
SEP 2022
When preparing for a hiking trip to a rainy destination, I wanted to find a small backpack or fanny pack that would be lightweight and waterproof. After several weeks of searching, I could not find one on the market that fit my needs and price range. I eventually brought a small fanny pack that I wore cross-body underneath my rain jacket for the trip. However, that disappointment led me to design (during my hikes) a bag in my head that was sustainably up-cycled from waterproof materials.
TOOLS USED
SKETCH & DESIGN: Illustrator, Procreate, Pencil/pen on paper, Marvelous Designer
DEVELOPMENT: Nylon Rain jackets (REI, L.L.Bean - Gortex), Sewing Machine, plastic buckles, metal rings, metal snaps, Nylon strap, waterproof seam tape, metal clips, zippers.
VIDEO: TikTok, Premiere Rush, Instagram
Design concept sketches
When conceptualizing my design, I narrowed down what I wanted my bag to have and accomplish.
I wanted the bag to be waterproof or water-repellant against heavy rains. I considered what used materials I could up-cycle from: rain jackets, umbrellas, tent fabric, etc. As my bag was meant for both hiking and travel, it needed a lot of pockets - some that could be anti-pick pocket. Finally, my bag needed to be multifunctional for the many occasions it would be used. I designed multiple ways the bag could become a backpack, cross body, and fanny pack.
3D Model - Marvelous designer
finding materials
I found rain jacket fabric to have the best durability for what I was looking for (durable and lightweight for long hikes, day trips, and a lot of travel) and began searching thrift stores for the right jackets. I came across two excellent jackets for a total of $8. The first was a semi-stained child's REI waterproof jacket. The second jacket was an adult vintage L.L.Bean Gortex jacket.
I then ordered a pack of plastic buckles, nylon straps, snap hooks, and metal rings for the bag's straps, as seen below. The link for the supplies can be found here.
I also ordered a waterproof Iron-On Seam Sealing tape that can be found here.
Making the pattern
When laying out the sewing pattern, some redesigns were quickly drawn out.
Instead of the largest pocket on the back, there was now a smaller 7" inch pocket at the back of the bag and a larger 11" inch pocket running along the top of the bag. The addition meant that the buckles had to be sewn only along the seam between the back and top of the bag instead of all the way across as it was on every other side.
The front pockets were also altered. The left buckle pocket was no longer an accordion pocket but now a pouch pocket. The triangle pocket was flipped, making it easier to unzip.
construction
The following video shows the construction process.
The video was made for sharing on social media.
I wanted voice-overs on the written descriptions, so I used TikTok to make the video. Due to music rights, this video may not have audio. You can also view the video on TikTok at:
Final Product Video
The final product video shows features and descriptions of the bag.
The video was made for sharing on social media; however, I used Adobe Premiere Rush this time. Like the previous video, this video has no audio due to music rights. If you would like to view the actual video with audio, you can visit my Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiYUsKkgn62/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Final bag
the bag in action!
