DIY 30 L Blue Barrel Harness

[dougd]

I recently bought a blue barrel, 30 L, as I'm tired of my aging old Duluth Kitchen Pack getting wet during extended trips, it always seems to rain on my trips! I don't do a lot of portaging but if the occasion were to arise I decided I wanted the harness but at 55$ plus shipping I just didn't want to pay that much. I'm cheap, OK! I had a bunch of strapping left over and decided to sew up what I thought might work. Disclaimer: I suck at sewing and I hate doing it. I've been banned for life from the sewing machine due to past attempts which ended up with a new sewing machine!

It took a bit but I managed to hand sew all the bits and pieces together only puncturing my fingers a dozen times. I have no illusions that my stitches will hold even though I doubled up the thread, an upholstery waxed thread. I added some blue foam on the shoulder straps but I do know that won't last very long. I'll look for something else down the road to use but for now it should work.

Not pretty but it does work. A few pics.

dougd

 

[Iskweo]

It will work but you will find the same problem as with factory made harnesses. The contour of the barrel is mighty hard on the back for any but short portages. I stuff mine into a rucksack on a hard frame like an Alice pack. You can easily find the old French or Swiss army ( or Cdn) frames at surplus stores and adapt them. I use an 82 pattern Cdn ruck, the barrel fits right inside.
Alternatively, you can find an old World Famous of Campmor or such at a yard sale and it will work just as well for even cheaper. Plus you get pockets for extra storage.
For what its worth...I sew even worse than you do. Yours actually looks functional.

Christy

 

[dougd]

I've thought about the Alice Pack, there's an Army/Navy surplus a couple of towns over that I can get one for cheap. I knew that due to the shape of the barrel it would hard on the back and I have some pretty good back problems. This is going to be for short portages at best. Plus it was a winter project, bored outta my mind lately in between snow blowing! Thanks on the sewing, didn't think there was anyone out there who sewed worse then I do! ;-)

 

[Guest]

I recently bought a blue barrel, 30 L, as I'm tired of my aging old Duluth Kitchen Pack getting wet during extended trips, it always seems to rain on my trips! I don't do a lot of portaging but if the occasion were to arise I decided I wanted the harness but at 55$ plus shipping I just didn't want to pay that much. I'm cheap, OK! I had a bunch of strapping left over and decided to sew up what I thought might work. Disclaimer: I suck at sewing and I hate doing it. I've been banned for life from the sewing machine due to past attempts which ended up with a new sewing machine!

It took a bit but I managed to hand sew all the bits and pieces together only puncturing my fingers a dozen times. I have no illusions that my stitches will hold even though I doubled up the thread, an upholstery waxed thread.
I'll look for something else down the road to use but for now it should work.

That stitching looks like one of my hand sewing jobs, and I use the same kind of thread. You need a Speedy Stitcher for punching through webbing or other thick material (and then you can tell Karen she is forbidden to use it).

http://www.speedystitcher.com/speedy-stitcher-instructions/

The curvature of a 30 or 60 L barrel is spine uncomfortable without some serious paddling, even the padding on the Kondos Outdoors harness on our 60L is Marquis de Sade inadequate after any distance.

A full barrel, even a 30L, is dang heavy. Maybe an Alice pack, or even an old school pack frame with an L platform bottom. I’d like a waist belt to take the weight off my shoulders

I do think that once you go blue barrel you won’t go back.

 

[Boatman53]

Plus 1 on the speedy stitcher, I use one all the time. Webbing isn't too bad to sew but the speedy stitcher can do leather and many other materials too. The stitch is just like a sewing machine, no gaps as you go along.
Jim

 

[dougd]

Speedy stitcher is on my list things to purchase. Maybe it will make this chore so much easier. I do know the barrel will hurt some as is to carry but I'd rather put up with that pain for a short portage using the harness vs carrying it with my hands and of course tripping all over the cursed portage path. I am trying to avoid a pack of any kind as it is just another piece of equipment to deal with. I like to keep things simple for a trip where I'm breaking camp daily to move down river. For base camping, well that's another story.

 

[Odyssey]

That works Doug, cheap and cheerful you might say. Further alterations might come as you use the barrel more, but your DIY skills will sure get you started with this barrel and harness.
I wish barrels came in flat back designs; the rounded sides are unforgiving on the back with thin shoulder straps.
And speaking of alterations and unforgiving, I see through your little ruse Doug. Well played.
I too "accidentally" get on the wrong side of my better half.
I load the dishwasher totally wrong - "Don't load the dishwasher anymore Brad, you keep forgetting the soap."
I repeatedly run over the vacuum cleaner cord - "Please don't do the vacuuming. Just leave it!"
I forget to separate the colours and whites - "For God's sake, don't help me with the laundry ever again!"
You can't teach this old dog new tricks, but the sewing machine thing is a new one.

 

[sweeper]

I don't like the barrel digging into my spine either.

I took an old internal framed pack and cut the harness out of it and riveted it to the barrel thru the pack stave for my son. The other one is rigged with an old pack basket harness.



But I like mine attach to an old wooden pack frame, it's extra weight but it ride nicely.

 

[dougd]

I had an old army frame backpack when I was growing up that looked a lot like the one in your pic. Used that for some of my first hiking trips in the Daks as a kid. It was actually pretty dang comfortable.

 

[Odyssey]

Maybe a light- weight padded flat board fastened between the straps, rigid enough to take out the curve?