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Thread: Why do you DIY?

  1. #11
    Senior Member ripstopbytheroll's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jellyfish View Post
    I feel like I am close to my grandma when I am at the machine, which makes me feel very nice.
    That's really awesome. Having a connection like that is pretty powerful I bet. My little brother actually got me into sewing. After being relegated to cut duty only for a couple dozen hammocks and stuff sacks, I got bored and said what the heck.... can't be that hard. Three hours and a yard of fabric later, I had my first stuff sack
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  2. #12
    Senior Member boulderv7's Avatar
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    I DIY because it's fun and challenging. And the pride of using my handmade gear in the wilderness. And the cool factor. And because it keeps me sane. And designing things on paper all the way to finished product is so satisfying.

    And now I DIY to feed my friends gear wants/needs. 😀



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  3. #13
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    I like to look and see what other people on the forum have done, learn from them, and then try to innovate something a little different. Sometimes it turns out great, sometimes not so much. Either way I have fun creating.

  4. #14
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    I think there will be many different reasons given here and it will be an interesting thread.
    For me, it's mostly for the fun of it. As a retired engineer, the design is my favorite part. But then, there is the satisfaction creating the things that will keep me safe & comfortable in the wilderness.
    DIY has not saved me money as I have sought out premium, ultralight materials long before there were "vendors" making that type of top quality gear.
    I see a parallel in another hobby of mine, fly fishing. I enjoy making flies as much as fishing. There's a special satisfaction in fooling a fish into biting a fly you made; just as your DIY quilts give a warm satisfaction, while you sleep confidently above the rocks & roots in your DIY hammock.

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  5. #15
    TxAggie's Avatar
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    I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and building things. My wife crochets when we’re relaxing, and I can’t do hard work when it’s dark. I just started a few simple DIY projects and so far I love taking out and using Gear I’ve made myself. Most importantly, if something is off I have a basic idea of where to make changes.

    I haven’t tried sewing yet, but that’s my next endeavor.

  6. #16
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    I decided to try my hand at a DIY hammock after watching a video from RSBTR. I wanted a longer 11' hammock so I decided to give it a try with the 1.7 ROBIC XL. Since then I made 2 more for other leaders in my Scout Troop, then decided that I would make a hammock for each Scout that achieved Eagle. So far, since then I have made 2, one for the newest Eagle in our Troop and one for a Scout who is just about to get his Eagle rank. Our Troop did a trip to Colorado so I gave them out early for the trip. I figure making them is not bribery, but more like an incentive.

  7. #17
    Senior Member old4hats's Avatar
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    Don't laugh. Every time I think out loud about trying my hand at the sewing machine, my wife, owner of several hi-tech machines, tells me to leave her machines alone. Just tell her what I need/want and she will make it. So far her diy has fixed me up pretty well. I suppose I could buy my own machine, but hers sews so good.
    If you prepare for failure you will probably succeed.

  8. #18
    Senior Member hutzelbein's Avatar
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    The quest for perfection. I'm not really keen on sewing, but it's difficult and also expensive to get what you really want. I like to try different fabrics and fabric combinations, and I often ask myself "what if I change this little detail". I could pay somebody to sew for me, but that would cost a lot more, and in most cases you get something different than what you asked for. So I started sewing myself. And probably will continue to, because perfection is unattainable

  9. #19
    Senior Member Cruiser51's Avatar
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    I guess a common theme for DIY, seems to be people not happy with other peoples interpretation of what they "need" to do a particular job .... it is certainly true for me.

    Starting a few years ago,
    - I wasn't happy with my purchased camp meals (after a few days the salt was taking it toll) ... I read and learned enough about dehydrating food and now 7 years later, making up meals is just part of getting ready to go.
    - about the same time I got the bug to make my own canoe ... 4 canoes later I have mods to correct what always bugged me about production canoes
    - last year (after 3 commercial products) I decided to learn to sew and try my hand at making camp gear, after a GE hammock, Tarp, UQx2 and a TQ , I am making gear the way I want it, even experimenting with bridge hammocks as well

    Don't get me wrong about production units, companies have to make decisions to try and please the customer base, but there is only one person to please when you make it yourself ... hence the product can fit better than something off the shelf. When you develop the skill sets to DIY, you also add the capability to mod ... so if something isn't quite the way you thought (or want) .... presto, you just change it ... or if you get that brilliant idea, you can now just try it out.

    The big plus (aside from costs) for me, is something some one else mentioned in an earlier post .... paddling up to a campsite in something you built, putting up gear you made, crawling under the quilts you made ... it dramatically changes the experience in a good way ... there is a lot more smiling involved.

    This forum is a good hatching ground for people who like to "figure stuff out" and share ideas, this in turn gets other people trying to improve that idea and others simply run with the idea because it works (as is) for them .... and in truth, isn't that what we all want in the end, something that we made, that works well and is tailored to our vision(s) .... something that scratches that itch to design, create and tailor a design to our ideas/needs.

  10. #20
    Senior Member rais'n hammock's Avatar
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    I enjoy the process of researching, planning, designing, creating and using my own gear. The creation process is amazing and fun. Making something from a pile of what is seemingly nothing is very satisfying. I get what I want, the way I want it, and at a better price than I can find available for purchase. The pursuit of the deal on materials is also exciting. My projects are not always perfect cosmetically but that is what I refer to as a signature. I "sign" my work with each little imperfection but that is OK. Because, in the end it is something I made and am excited to use it with that in mind.
    BTW, no one is an ex-engineer or retired engineer. Once an engineer always an engineer. I suspect even born an engineer. At least that is how I am wired. We just have the title for others to reference.
    Outdoors > Indoors
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    “An optimist is a man who plants two acorns and buys a hammock.” ― Jean de Lattre de Tassigny

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