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Owner Review Ripstop by the Roll $10 DIY KIT
August 29 2020
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Tester
Information
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| Name:
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David
Wilkes |
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E-Mail:
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amatbrewer@yahoo.com
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Age:
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53 |
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Location:
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Yakima
Washington USA |
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Gender:
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M |
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Height:
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5'11"
(1.80 m) |
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Weight:
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220 lb (100 kg) |
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Biography:
I started
backpacking
in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have
backpacked in all seasons and conditions. I am currently getting into
condition to summit some of the
higher peaks in Washington, Oregon, and California. I prefer trips on
rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously
strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to
me. My current base weight (no consumables) is just over 15lbs
(7kg).
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer:
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Ripstop by the Roll |
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Year
of Manufacture:
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2020 |
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Manufacturer’s
Website:
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https://ripstopbytheroll.com/ |
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MSRP:
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US $10.00
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| Weight: |
Measured: 2.72 oz (77 g) [entire set of materials] |
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| Image
courtesy of manufacturer |
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Product
Description:The
"$10 DIY KIT" is a selection of materials intended as a way to
introduce and/or encourage people to try sewing their own outdoor
products. It includes three fabric blanks of different outdoor material
and some assorted items, to enable purchasers to build a couple of
drawstring stuff sacks. The web site also contains a video covering the
entire process presented to make it simple for even those with little
to no sewing experience. |
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Report
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The kit includes:
(1) Random section of scrap
(3) 18" (46cm) x 30" (76cm) grab bag fabric blanks
(1) 6 foot section of drawcord
(1) 1 foot section of 3/4" black grosgrain
(3) mini-cordlocks
The
fabric included with my kit was 1.6oz (45g) HyperD (Dark Olive), 1.1oz
(31g) SilPoly (Royal Purple), and 2.2oz (62g) HEX70 XL PU3000 (Burnt
Orange). I am not entirely clear what the "random scrap" is.
 The attached photo shows the stuff sacks I made as well as the remaining materials. The pencil is included to show scale.
I
recently purchased some gear made out of Dyneema (formally known as
Cuban Fiber), and during my research I stumbled across sites, blogs,
and videos of people making their own gear. Given the price of some of
the ultra light products on the market, saving some money by making my
own was very attractive. Not to mention I love doing that sort of
thing. Further research into where I might be able to purchase Dyneema
fabric brought me to Ripstop By The Roll.
I found the assortment
of material (from this supplier as well as others) was quite
overwhelming, as was the price of some of the materials. So I was
excited to find this DIY kit at such a reasonable price. As it is
obviously intended I found this a low risk way to 'dip my toe' so to
speak, into sewing some of my own gear. My order arrived promptly and
included everything as advertised.
I watched the supplier's video
on how to make a draw-cord stuff sack from the provided materials a
couple of times and got started. It took me maybe 20min to make my
first stuff sack. I have to admit I think I folded the material the
wrong way and ended up with a much more square sack than the video
shows, but I think this was advantageous. For the first sack I chose the
Olive HyperD material, which is thin and strong but breathable. After
completing the sack I tested it out by stuffing a down quilt into it
and discovered that it could double as a pillow! I found my lightweight
hammock, whoopie slings, tree straps, under-quilt all fit nicely into
this sack. By doubling as a pillow it will save me about 4oz (119g).
The
following day I chose to experiment a bit by cutting the purple
Silpoly in half and use it to make two smaller stuff sacks. I also
chose to sew the cord channel using a slightly different design, that I
think may be a little more durable and operate slightly better. These
also took me maybe about 20min each to make. The Silpoly is thinner
and much slicker than the HyperD, so it required a bit more care to
sew. I like the results and since Silpoly is waterproof, I intend to
experiment with seam-sealing them. The first two sacks used up all of
the cord included with the kit so I used a piece of lightweight tent
guy line for the third.
The third fabric blank is made from
material that is stronger and more waterproof that the others so I am
considering using it to make a roll-top dry bag once I can acquire the
necessary parts.
While awaiting the delivery of this kit, I
contacted the supplier with a question about another project I am
considering. I received a very prompt and helpful reply.
I am
very glad I purchased this kit. I found the process of making some of
my own gear fun and rewarding. I fully intend to make more purchases
from this supplier. I intend to purchase some of their other DIY kits
such as the "Zipper Pouch Kit with Dyneema Composite Fabric", and maybe even one of their tarp kits (my
current large tarp is about 15 years old, way too heavy, and no longer
fully waterproof).
As for Likes/Dislikes, I don't think I can
think of anything about this kit I dislike. It was all I expected it to
be and more, and has opened the door to making some of my own gear,
which is not only enjoyable, but has the potential of saving me
considerable money e.g. for about US $20, I can get the materials needed
to make what would likely cost me $100US or more.
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