Makepost_003 - Making (and losing, and finding) a bag out of pants

This project started when I realized a major problem with my kayak setup: I had nowhere to keep my snacks!

It's kind of difficult to take off my backpack while I'm in the water without drifting away or feeling like I'm going to tip over, and anything inside the boat gets wet. I wanted a little waist bag that would stay put and hold my critical items for easy access.

I found a great pattern and accompanying tutorial for a small flat fanny pack, ideal for beginners because its zipper is straight rather than curved (which is much easier to sew). I also wanted to try to use existing materials when possible. I had some leftover forest green twill that I really like, from the legs of a vintage jumpsuit I cut off. I used some of that in another project. It wasn't quite sturdy enough for the outside, but it was perfect for the lining.

I wanted the outside to be durable and also water-resistant, so I decided to use denim, and apply wax to the finished bag. My existing denim cutoffs had just failed catastrophically (ripped straight across, right below my butt), and I didn't trust the integrity of the rest of the fabric to use for this project. So I went to Out of the Closet and bought someone's reject skinny jeans for $12. I would use the top half for shorts and the leg fabric for my bag.

I ended up having juuuuust enough denim!

This entire project was sewn by hand, since I keep resisting buying a sewing machine for no good reason. I ended up bringing pieces of it with me on long transit trips; it was really nice to reclaim some of that travel time, and this project was small enough that I could just stick it in my backpack while I went on my hike and/or paddle.

The pocket looks a little,,, rustic. I was using very thick thread and also thicker fabric than the tutorial called for. (The example used lightweight cotton prints). BUT, it was functional, and not bad for hand sewing.

This pattern used a window zipper, which involves cutting a hole the size of the exposed part of the zipper in the inner and outer front panels, and doing lots of turning things inside out. It came out way better than I expected!

I decided I was NOT going to put up with a zipper that eventually gives out or opens in the middle, so I chose a heavier-duty molded plastic one. I'm very happy with this choice; it will not get damaged by saltwater like the metal ones on my boat have, and it is very easy to operate and feels sturdy.

I used some webbing I already had from another project for the strap, and only really had to purchase the hardware. In addition to the zipper, I bought a tri-glide (the piece that lets you adjust the strap length) and a buckle. I decided to make the strap long enough to be able to let out slack and wear the bag as a cross-body, fuckboy style.

I bought some canvas wax online for $10. Not the cheapest, but I have other projects in mind that I want to use it on and this bag will also need periodic reapplications. The waxing process was relatively straightforward: you work the wax into the fabric in circles until it's completely coated, and then apply heat to set it into the fibers. I used a heat gun.

The final product turned out way better than I even envisioned. It's definitely visibly handmade, but only if you look closely in a couple of places.

It works great for its intended purpose (boat snacks) and I also carry it pretty much daily. It's the perfect size for bare essentials: cards, ID, keys, headphones, etc. It holds more than you'd even think (today I had a protein bar AND weed gummies in there!)

It has also been a great hiking companion. It's nice to have access to things without having to stop and take off my larger backpack.

The only problem is, I don't have the muscle memory yet for taking off two bags when I want to take off a layer on a hike. And I don't have the muscle memory for putting two bags back on.

A few weeks ago, I did the 3 hour transit odyssey to Stinson Beach for a Very Big Hike (post incoming). I was beyond exhausted by the end, and pretty out of it by the time I hobbled back down the hill into town. I stopped to take off my sweatshirt like half a mile from my endpoint, and even in the moment I was annoyed with myself for having to stop and take all my shit off so close to the end.

I finally made it back to town, and stopped by the market (including the maps link because it's really cute) to get a drink before I caught my bus. I reached down towards my chest to grab my card from my bag, and noticed it wasn't there. Shit.

I said to the Brayden Hayden Jayden looking kid at the counter something like "I left the bag that has all my money in it on a mountain." blank stare "Do you take uhhh phone thing?" Luckily they did take phone thing, and I grabbed my juice and walked to the bus with my tail between my legs.

I decided my best bet was to come back to Stinson as soon as possible, hopefully find my bag along the trail right where I'd left it, and if not, put up flyers around town. Stinson Beach is a close-knit community of 400 something people, and I thought if someone from town happened to grab my it, I might actually have a chance to get it back.

So a few days later (after the rain cleared up) I took off work and once again embarked on a 3 hour transit journey to Stinson Beach, flyers in hand. I was 99% sure I had set my bag down somewhere next to the road between the bottom of the ridge and town. So I walked this stretch twice, scouring each side of the road, turning over tall grass with my foot. No such luck.

It was now time to go on a scavenger hunt to find all the little public bulletin boards/community flyer zones around town. Luckily you can walk across the whole town in like 5 minutes. As I was going around taping up my flyers, I could see a massive storm cloud forming. It was supposed to rain 2" that night, and I had a sinking feeling that my flyers would just be piles of pulp on the ground by morning.

Just as I was about to head to the bus stop, I happened to spot a bulletin board outside the post office that I hadn't been to yet. As I was putting up my flyer, I saw this note. At first it didn't even register that this was for me, I was just excited to find out that people around here would put up a flyer to help someone get their lost stuff back. Then I saw my name!

I called the guy, an older-sounding gentleman, and he happened to be on his way home from San Francisco. He said he'd be there in an hour, and that he just had to drive up the hill to grab it off the hook by his front door.

I hung out in the park and waited, and finally he walked up with my bag. He was so happy to hear from me, and had been worried about me missing my ID and credit cards and house keys. He'd even apparently sent a letter to the address from my driver's license.

I had just enough time before my bus to go around town tearing down all my now-unneeded flyers.

I am excited to get the letter and hopefully send him a little thank you gift. I am going to hang this note on the wall where I keep my weird collection of found bay area pamphlets and business cards (my treasures). This experience made my week, faith in humanity restored etc etc. But really. Thanks guy! I could've replaced all my cards, but not the 2+ weeks of tricky sewing and the perfect little bag that goes with me everywhere.