I’ve been searching for new luggage and have seen several travel backpacks that fold into their own carrying pouches when not in use. That’s an amazing idea so I decided to sew one for myself. This is a ProperFit Clothing 40L Hiking Pack project review.

The link to purchase the PDF pattern download for the ProperFit Clothing 40L Hiking Pack is:

PFC 40L Hiking Pack

All ProperFit Clothing patterns and instructions are copyright ProperFit Clothing.

For the purposes of my review, I’m going to summarize the basic steps, tell you what I did differently (if anything) and share my general thoughts about sewing the project.

Introduction

Travel specific backpacks and sling bags are available for purchase in a variety of sizes and styles. Those that are designed to be folded into their own storage pouch differ from other packs and bags because they are made from thinner, easier to compress fabrics. The ProperFit Clothing 40L Hiking Pack is ~21” x 12” x 8.5” when in use and ~8” x 10” x 2” when stuffed into it’s pouch.

Step 0 Gather Materials

You can use a variety of materials for this project and some suggestions are included in the instructional video. I used 210D water resistant polyurethane backed nylon. I selected 3/4” webbing and buckles to reduce weight and bulk. Instead of thin foam and two layers of fabrics, I used 2mm thick eva foam, 1 layer of fabric and 1 layer of Air Knit padded mesh for my shoulder straps.

Step 1 Front Pocket

I followed the instructions for the front pocket. Grosgrain ribbon replaced the leather straps and I omitted ½” D-rings. The larger ½” D-rings that I have on hand seemed too bulky for this project. I used my narrow zipper foot to sew the #5 coil zipper tape and added two zipper pulls to the zipper assembly. The five yards of navy blue ¾” grosgrain that I purchased for seam binding ran out quickly so I switched to black ¾” grosgrain. You may wish to purchase fifteen yards. I substituted an 11mm halo snap for the magnetic snap because my magnetic snaps have prongs to secure them to the fabric.

Step 2 Sides & Top

I followed the instructions. Pay close attention to the orientation of the curved pieces. It’s easy to mix up the right and left panels.

I like haul loops on my backpacks. I added one by sewing a 1.5” wide strip of grosgrain to the interior center of the top back panel. This will re-enforce the haul loop. Next I folded the ends of a strip of 1” wide webbing over and sewed them to the re-enforced section of the exterior top back panel using the x-box stitch. I sized my haul loop to comfortably fit my hand. If you own another backpack with a haul loop, you may want to refer to it for measurements.

If you choose to add a haul loop, sew it to the top back panel before you sew the top panels to the side panels.

Step 3 Bottom

I followed the instructions for sewing the front pocket to the sides and top and then sewing the bottom panel into place.

Step 4 Straps

I followed the instructions for creating the shoulder strap assembly. I created a hip belt from two pieces of 1” wide webbing and a 1″ wide dual-side adjust buckle. Customize the length of your hip belt based on your circumference around your hips. Add some additional webbing length for the seam allowances, folding over the ends to prevent fraying and, easy to hold tails for making adjustments.

Step 6 Storage Pocket

I followed the instructions for creating the storage pocket. I used a coil reversible slider and a double-tabbed slider could also be used.

Step 7 Back Panel

I sewed the storage pocket to the back panel then positioned the shoulder strap assembly and hip belt. Hip belts are typically sewn to the back panel under the shoulder strap bottom panels or below the shoulder strap bottom panels.

Here are some photos of my finished ProperFit Clothing 40L Hiking Pack.

Front view

Conclusion

Instructions for this intermediate to advanced pattern are in a video tutorial. Most of the steps are easy to follow, but sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the zippers are right side up or upside down in the video. Similarly, it may be difficult to identify the correct way up for some of the pieces. Make sure to double-check the pattern markings in case they’ve rubbed off your fabric. Less experienced sewers will appreciate that the zippers are sewn along straight edges. This backpack has more pieces than other backpacks I’ve sewn and the complexity of the design may be a challenge. Sewing along the curves without wrinkling the fabric has be tricky so go slowly.

My ProperFit Clothing 40L Hiking Pack is ~20” x 12” x 8.5” when in use and ~8” x 8” x 2” when stuffed into it’s pouch. This corresponds to a volume of ~2040 cubic inches (33.3 L). I was expecting a backpack that is ~21” x 12” x 8.5” when in use and ~8” x 10” x 2” when stuffed into it’s pouch. These dimensions correspond to a usable volume of ~2142 cubic inches (35.1L). I suspect that is the volume of the main section and that the front pockets will provide the additional ~5L. I’m not sure why my backpack is ~1” shorter than it should be or why my side compression straps are diagonal instead of horizontal.

My ProperFit Clothing 40L Hiking Pack weighs ~13.2 oz (375 g). In comparison my Stitchback Gear TH50 weighs 20.3 oz (575 g) at its lightest configuration and is made of 70D ripstop nylon and ¾” webbing and hardware. My 47L Rainshed Alpine Rucksack RS150 backpack weighs 31.7oz (900 g) and is made of 70D ripstop nylon with 1” webbing and hardware. I’m curious about whether or not my ProperFit Clothing 40L Hiking Pack would make a good pack for backpacking. Overall, I think it’s a great backpack for the urban traveller.

Do you take a backpack with you when travelling? Did you like this post? Comment below and/or Pin me for later!

Tanya

 

Help support Sewn By Tanya

If you love what I do, have learned from reading my blog, and/or want to support my work financially, consider becoming a Sewn By Tanya patron. Your monthly donation of $1 or more will help Sewn By Tanya grow and expand. A minimum $6 per month gives you access to Sewn By Tanya Patreon only content. There’s so much I’d love to do and you can help make it happen.