Back in full service, sort of...

 Thursday after work I picked up my Kelty backpack from the tailor shop.  I could not wait to get home and put the pack back on the frame, load it full of gear, and head out for a weekend of backpacking.  Last time you saw my pack was at the tailor shop being stripped down for zipper repairs and some sewing work.

 The owner of the Tailor shop and I discussed how to fix the broken zippers.  She first ball parked that it would cost her at least one hundred dollars and about two months to get the right zippers in stock.  The idea of Velcro came up and that did not settle well with me.  I then came up with Velcro and also a toggle and loop system as a backup.  We both agreed that new zippers were not feasible and that she would look into something that may work.

 What she came up with was heavy duty buttons.  Now for all those non-backpackers out there, your side pouches are where you keep your needed items while on the trail.  Things that go into your exterior pockets would be first aid kit, water bottle, poncho, trail mix, sun glasses, sunscreen, and anything that you need to get at right away.  Being diabetic I need lots of glucose tablets, meters, needles, batteries, and insulin where I can get to them fast so lots of pockets on the side works better.

 The tailor just did a few buttons on each pocket so I could give them a test run before we went crazy with the snaps and find out that they don't work.  She also sewed a few inches of pocket at the bottom just as backup and to make me comfortable.

Above is probably the only button I found in the wrong spot.  It is really too close to the stitching to easily open and close.  Now that I have a feal for the buttons the pack goes back to the tailor to get fitted with more snap buttons.  I could not have been happier with the final result.  The total so far is just ove twenty dollars and that includes the snap buttons and the sewing work.

Look at that diabetic in the woods.  In this picture the right side is a cliff that the boys were climbing up and down during our lunch break until they almost stepped on a couple of rattle snakes sun bathing on a rock.  That really got them excited.  I know alot of people are saying to themselves that I should just buy a new pack.  First, this was my fathers pack and when I take it camping it just reminds me of him.  Second, did you not see how freaking big this sucker is?  I would easily put it at 6,500 cubic inches and then some.  Then the quality of canvas, belt, and straps (lets don't talk about the zipper quality) are not easy to come across or cheap.  They would be considered military grade in todays packs and ALICE packs of this size run a pretty penny.

Now I have used the pack with the broken zippers for the past 5 years without any issues.  With the world of diabetes changing to more computers and equipment I opt to cary more backup supplies for any emergency that may arise.  Also I am not a spring chicken any more and as a leader there is backup food and water for the entire group that needs a pack.  Then maybe I just like to take too much crap while out backpacking.  Who knows.