pimping out the old bags...

[TheHamsterizer]

I just finished putting an Arcteryx(backpack) waist pad on my bags, and I think it's going to work really well. It was easy to do, I just drilled two holes in the very back plastic part and used the original bolts from the bags. The pad has webbing that's spaced perfectly to feed through the other holes in the bags. The best thing about these backpack straps is that all of the weight rests on your hips, and since there's no padding on the back nothing is touching your spine or lower back muscles. I have lower back/hip pain so I'm always looking for ways to lessen the stress on that area. You can buy the pads seperately at MEC for 87$.

[fr88]

I just finished putting an Arcteryx(backpack) waist pad on my bags, and I think it's going to work really well. It was easy to do, I just drilled two holes in the very back plastic part and used the original bolts from the bags. The pad has webbing that's spaced perfectly to feed through the other holes in the bags. The best thing about these backpack straps is that all of the weight rests on your hips, and since there's no padding on the back nothing is touching your spine or lower back muscles. I have lower back/hip pain so I'm always looking for ways to lessen the stress on that area. You can buy the pads seperately at MEC for 87$.

Hamsterizer, that's great to know. I'm going to do that exactly.
Do they carry the hipbelts in store or do they have to order them in?
Maybe I'll use the one from my 12 year old Bora.

[TheHamsterizer]

They had a few belts in the back of the store, I also tried a MEC belt, but it wasnt' much sturdier than the bushpro pad so I didn't see the point of going to all the trouble of switching them. The arcteryx belt is beefy and rigid... You could probably use your old belt, as long as it has the hard plastic back you should be good to go. It's a shame that bushpro can't get with the times with their gear so we wouldn't have to go to all this trouble... They seem to be about 20 years behind most backpack companies. Good luck with the customization, and make sure you bring your original bushpro belt and straps when you go, I don't know how well the backpack thing will hold up...

[fr88]

They had a few belts in the back of the store, I also tried a MEC belt, but it wasnt' much sturdier than the bushpro pad so I didn't see the point of going to all the trouble of switching them. The arcteryx belt is beefy and rigid... You could probably use your old belt, as long as it has the hard plastic back you should be good to go. It's a shame that bushpro can't get with the times with their gear so we wouldn't have to go to all this trouble... They seem to be about 20 years behind most backpack companies. Good luck with the customization, and make sure you bring your original bushpro belt and straps when you go, I don't know how well the backpack thing will hold up...

Too bad Arcteryx don't make planting bags, they'll be like 300bucks but will last 10 years of comfy planting.
So I'm going to get new bags, Bushpro the way to go? Shovels too?

[TheHamsterizer]

Bushpro bags will be fine, since you'll be altering them anyways. I like workwizer shovels...

[Scooter]

Grab old seatbelt from a junkyard and put it on your bags if you don't like the plastic buckles that come on most bags. Far better.

[Gnarly]

Hamsterizer, I'm curious as to how your bag modification worked out for you. How did it hold up? Also, do you know what backpack the pad you used was meant for? I've been meaning to do the same thing for a number of years now, but just haven't gotten around to it. Thinking I will finally give it a shot. Has anyone else tried this?

[TheHamsterizer]

Hamsterizer, I'm curious as to how your bag modification worked out for you. How did it hold up? Also, do you know what backpack the pad you used was meant for? I've been meaning to do the same thing for a number of years now, but just haven't gotten around to it. Thinking I will finally give it a shot. Has anyone else tried this?

I really recommend doing it, it solved a ton of problems. My bags felt like they were welded on all year. I got them off of this pack:

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_deta ... 4442621141

I just bought the pack, removed the waistband and threw the rest away . Actually you can buy those pads at mec for about 100$ I think. I cut a couple of slits in the hard plastic backing lining up with the two bolts in the back bag and bolted it on. On each of the side pads there are two thin strips of webbing that (amazingly) line up perfectly with the two front bolts of each side bag. Now this is my super secret system- pass the front strip of webbing through the front hole of the side bags, put another smaller clip on each end, and buckle them up on top of the bigger buckle. The second strip goes through the second hole and you tie a knot but leave a bit of slack. This causes the side bags to point downwards very slightly when they're heavy, keeping the bottom of the bags further back from your legs, and the top easier to grab from(well, not much easier). Another cool thing was that I could shift the weight forward or further back by loosening or tightening the small clip webbing. If my back was sore I would tighten the webbing, moving the bags up and forward so my hips took more weight, and if my hips got sore shift the weight back again. I hope that made sense. I should patent that system. I guess it's too late now.

[Mr. Amazing]

This is very hard to follow... Could you make a video and post it on YouTube? I've got all the materials here, but I'm not sure if I should be using my main finger to turn the 2nd strap TOP WISE, or not...

[krahn]

if i plant again i'm finally doing this.

[TheHamsterizer]

This is very hard to follow... Could you make a video and post it on YouTube? I've got all the materials here, but I'm not sure if I should be using my main finger to turn the 2nd strap TOP WISE, or not...

Yeah sure, should I inject the video with played-out pop culture references from our childhoods too?

[Gnarly]

Thanks man, that's really helpful - I will be attempting this soon.

[dreamofcream]

Nothing in terms of equipment has influenced my planting more so than this one relatively simple modification. I would rather plant in wal mart hikers and have this bag set up then in zamberlans with a normal bag set up., at least with the way bushpro are designing their padding nowadays.

[bdbrown]

bag mod of the season - putting the belt from my old kuny's carenters apron on.. better than the seatbelt, tough as nails.. adjustable in a flash, no resizing evar...

never been able to find the replacement hip pads at mec, maybe i shouldn't live in winnipeg so much..

[dreamofcream]

bag mod of the season - putting the belt from my old kuny's carenters apron on.. better than the seatbelt, tough as nails.. adjustable in a flash, no resizing evar...

never been able to find the replacement hip pads at mec, maybe i shouldn't live in winnipeg so much..

I had to go to the "repairs" section of MEC and ask if they had any replacement belts for arcteryx tripping bags, it's not a product they would put on the floor for sale, at least in my experience

[bdbrown]

i always get the empty expression followed by a shrug.. all two times i've asked..
anyone figure out the best way to do ferts?

[jdtesluk]

I certainly was never the fastest planter on my crew, but I always did extremely well when fert was involved. I use a 4L plastic milk jug, and cut a hole near the top (opposite side from the handle) just big enough to get my gloved hand in and out. The hole is just slightly onto the side of the jug to allow easy entry, while limiting rain entering from directly above. I then line the edge of the cut hole with duct tape so that it doesn't fray my glove and doesn't catch my hand as I withdraw. I then hang the milk jug by the little handle near the front of my belt on the draw bag side- not off an actual bag as this causes the bag to pull down and spill trees.

I find I can get a lot of teabags in the jug (more than fit in the canvas fert bags for sure), it costs next to nothing to create, and it's very effective. I like being able to grab my teabage prior to my tree and holding it in my pinky and ring finger as I pluck a seedling with my thumb and pointing+middle finger. THis saves me a second drawing motion, and lets me do tree and teabag in the same trip down to the ground. I even have a picture from an info pamphlet I helped make.

B.JPG (827.44 KiB) Viewed 9678 times

[retrovertigo]

I used to have a proper fert pouch but I forgot it when I packed for the Coast this spring. So for the 2nd day of ferting, I grabbed the first thing I could find, which was a plastic juice jug in the motel room. It worked amazingly well, better than the fert pouch ever did. I just slid my bag buckle through the handle, the only thing was it would start to slide around a lot when it got below half-full, but not too much trouble to keep refilling it.

By the end of the contract I'd say about half the crew had emulated me. I still chuckle at what the motel people must have though after we moved out, all those crazy tree planters and their wild juice drinking parties.

edited to add - as an alternative to the water jug idea, I've seen a lot of people do the same thing but with maple syrup containers, which are thicker and more durable.

[McgeeMcgee]

Anyone try putting an arcteryx pad on planting bags with 4 pouches? From the sounds of the post it seems like people have only tried it with 3.

[backcountrysister]

Anyone try putting an arcteryx pad on planting bags with 4 pouches? From the sounds of the post it seems like people have only tried it with 3.

I have the 4 bag set up with the arc'terx waist band. I love it! have been rocking this set up for about 5 seasons.
I removed the bags completely off the old webbing- once I had sorted out the hole pattern to drill through the waist strap for the bolts. It was straight forward. The waist band is still killing it. the bags sit on my natural waist and kinda float above my hips. if I lose too much weight - I do have problems adjusting- my bad - should have gone a size smaller. but since I sling cord now - its not a huge deal if I can get a couple bags up a day.

[CampMeeting]

I've replaced the waistband on two sets of bags with the waistband from the MEC Ibex backpack (http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Packs/Acc ... t-belt.jsp). I can't really say whether it would be as good as the Arcteryx, but it only costs $23 and I believe it's available at all MECs.

On my second attempt I did it by cutting off the little side pockets, and then sewing the top of the planting buckets to the fabric of the waistband with fishing line. I then sewed the 2" nylon strap from the planting bags to the webbing from the waistband and looped them both through the buckle that came with the waistbands. A plus is that the buckle seems to be much better quality than the bushrpro, and has not popped open the way the bushpro buckle always does. I did this with 4 pouch bushpro bags and just used the back pad from the bags and discarded the side pads.

All said, it's a huge improvement over the stock bushpro setup. I find I'm able to get much more of the weight on my hips, and it doesn't loosen up on me. If anybody is interested, I can probably get some pictures up.