Wayfinder Ali: DIY Outdoor Gear Resources to MYOG

I love making things myself. I've always dreamed of having my own outdoor brand- not a very feasible business idea that I would probably end up hating in the long run. With all the technical fabrics available online, we are no longer bound to the products made by big outdoor brands. You'll find fabric, patterns and tutorials online for everything from backpacks to tents to sleeping bags and rain jackets. I've put together the resources I go to when I have a project. If you know of any that I haven't listed, please mention them in the comments.

Forums

HammockForums.net This forum is the go-to spot for hammock camping tricks. There is a forum for all things DIY, just don't post with tent making questions as it is a hammock camping only forum.

WhiteBlaze.net This is a community of Appalachian Trail enthusiasts with TONS of info on the AT- you can get answers to all your AT questions. There is also a forum on here for DIY gear.

BackpackingLight has forums dedicated to a variety of topics including a MYOG Forum (make your own gear) To post to the forum you must have a basic membership to the site which costs $5 a year

Backpacking.net has a little corner of their website dedicated to a MYOG forum.

Thru-Hiker Gear Maker Forum

Tutorials

Backpacking Light has awesome tutorials for MYOG (make your own gear) but most of them require a premium membership to the site to view. A yearly premium membership is $25

Instructables This is a great website where you'll find tutorials for all kinds of projects- not just outdoor gear. Membership is free and you can view all the 'instructables' for free with or without a membership. They also have themed contests for the best instructable with fantastic prizes.

Backpacking.net- Has a special MYOG page with links to the tutorials on the left side of the page- everything from backpacks and shelters to stoves and sleeping systems

Material, Components, Patterns

DIY Gear Supply

Wide variety of coated and uncoated nylon in lots of weights and colors
Insulation: Climashield, down and Insultex
Hanging supplies: rings, webbing
Odds + ends: buckles, rings, zippers, velcro, mesh
DIY guides: sewing tips, hammock, backpack, bivy, insulation, tarps

Ripstop By The Roll

Fabrics: nylon ripstop, polyester ripstop, cuben, Tyvek, silpoly, taffeta, camo
Mesh
Nylon webbing and grossgrain ribbon
Insulation: Climashield, down, Primaloft
Components: metal hardware, plastic hardware, seam sealant, thread, cordage, zippers
Patterns: tarps + hammocks

Dutchware Gear

Fabrics- Argon, Hexon, Xenon, Silpoly, silnylon, tyvek, cuben, no-seeum mesh, multicam
Hardware- titanium tensioners, biners, hooks, plastic buckles, hooks, rings
Rolled Goods- zippers, cordage, webbing

Seattle Fabrics

Malden Mills (Polartec) fleece
Technical outdoor knits and spandex
Neoprene
Equestrian fabrics
Outdoor Sunshade and Sunbrella fabrics
Marine canvas
Webbing and cordage
Buckles, sliders, cord locks
Grommets, snaps, rings
Zippers

Quest Fabrics

Fabrics- waterproof breathable, fleece, coated, uncoated, wicking, stretch, mesh, insulation, down, foam, neoprene, camo
Fasteners- plastic + metal
Roll Goods- cordage, webbing, zippers, elastic, drawcord, velcro, shock cord, thread
DIY tent poles in aluminum and fiberglass
Patterns: jackets, rain gear, pants, mittens, gloves, cycling shorts + jerseys, dog packs, backpacks, tents, bivy, tarp, stuff sack, compression bag, ski bag

Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics

Fabrics: Gore-Tex, stretch woven, wicking baselayer, fleece, mesh, polyester coated, generic waterproof breathable, canvas, camo, microfiber, neoprene, vinyl, pack cloth, Cordura, Lycra, ripstop
Insulations: Climashield, Thinsulate
Metal hardware: cam buckles, grommets, eyelets, zippers, buckles, D rings, snaps
Plastic Hardware: cam buckles, center release buckles, side release buckles, cord locks, snap hooks
Patterns: pants, jackets, bags, packs, tarps, tents, totes, sleeping bags, gaitors, dog packs, hats, mittens, long underwear, bivy

Thru-Hiker