Sewing Patches on Your Gear

I have a couple of patches that I thought about sewing onto my backpack.

1) Is this juvenile and lame? Will other backpackers pick on me and call me names and give me wedgies?

2) Will it damage the performance of the pack? Cause it to leak? Cause rips?

If you sew enough patches on that it starts to look like one of those old trunks in the attic, yeah, people will smirk.

My buddy, who thru-hiked the AT, has that AT patch sewn on his pack. No one laughs. (Of course, he's also an ex-SEAL and looks the part.)

One patch, with some significance, is probably OK. Smaller patches don't look bad on a hat, though. (I've got a Scout Backpacking Merit Badge the aforementioned buddy gave me after I was his counseler for it. He told me, "You did everything I did; you earned it too." I wear it proudly on my hat, and have transferred it to a new hat a couple of times. That particular patch, I don't care if anyone does laugh. It means a lot to me.)

Seems like needless weight to me. One or two probably won't amount to much, but covering a pack with patches could add up. (Keep in mind you're talking to a group that cuts tags out of their clothing and other gear.)

Depending on the material your pack is made from, and what you choose for thread, sewing to it could compromise its ability to shed water. But most packs aren't that water tight anyway.

I knew someone would bring up the weight of the patches. I only have two and they can't weigh more than a gram each. And I'm not the type to be cutting the tags out of my clothes to shed weight... which, quite frankly, sounds a bit silly.

Well, I did add the disclaimer about the weight not being much for one or two.

I cut the tags out of my clothes because they annoy the pi$$ out of me.

If you like em - do it. Glue em on with seam grip - always use the catalyst to harden it sooner.
Jim

I always thought taking tags off sounded kind of silly, too. I wonder how they get the tags off that are embroidered (?) into the fabric nowadays?

You take off the embroidered patches with a lot of patience.

Anyways, you could take a few gear tags off to compensate for the weight of the patch you want to add. Then you are even.

1) If you are thru-hiking the AT, the chances are that a few other thrus will taunt you for any choice you make. These few will be dogmatic and insecure people. Pay them no nevermind, unless they try to give you a wedgie.

Because one of your patches identifies with the wobblies, there is a very small chance that a dittohead may remark acidly on your choice of affiliation, but I don't think many dittoheads backpack - or have even heard of the wobblies, so you should be relatively safe on that account, too.

2) If I were going to sew on a patch, I'd consider waxing the thread, just to minimize the chance that the thread would wick moisture into the pack. Needle holes are very small, so any compromise to the pack's integrity should be negligible.

Just HYOH and have fun.

I've decided, at least for now, not to sew any patches onto my pack. I just wanted to know if doing so would damage my gear.

Of course it's silly -- but we gram weenies are a silly bunch. Seriously, if you do sew any patches on to your gear, I would treat the stitching with seam sealer to prevent leaking. Otherwise, I don't see how it would damage your gear.

While you're cutting tags out to save on weight, you might want to get some pliers and snip off all the zippers from your clothing and pack. Replace them with plastic zip ties. All those little peices of metal add up!

(Of course I'm kidding)
(DO NOT actually do this)

I cut labels off of a lot of stuff mainly because I don't like labels. The weight savings are nil, but the satisfaction of not being a walking billboard for some corporation... priceless.

B4 you ever consider sewing that first embroidered patch on your gear, consider the consequences.

Twenty years ago in Grand Teton NP, we came upon an older couple as we headed back to Jenny Lake after a 3-night bp. They had some cool, hand-carved walking staffs in their hands and absolutely NO gear. I couldn't believe it, until we encountered their mule, either their grandson or their late-in-life son lagging behind, who had on his back the biggest pack I had ever seen. Every square inch of the fabric was covered in some park's patch. And I was instantly hooked.

I covered my old Coleman external pack -- the one with a black-plastic external frame -- with patches. I covered my next two backpacks with patches, both since given away. I started covering my monster Kelty Redcloud Classic with patches -- and then I learned of ultralight, found a support group (this forum) and got some help.

It had gotten so bad that the when we'd get to a place to go hiking, the first thing I'd do is look for a patch. That's crazy. Often I'd drive to the park or national forest Visitor Center, then to the nearest convenience stores, and then hit the gift shops until I'd seen them all so I could snag the BEST patch. My hike was not validated unless I came home with a patch. Absurd!

On a late season trip to Kootenay Nat'l Park in BC, Canada, we went into the town of Radium Hot Springs -- not for a logical soak, but to get a patch -- oh, and some food, too. There I found a small gift shop that was going out of business with a basket full of patches for half price for most Canadian Rockies national and provincial parks. I spent almost an hour gathering up patches for places that I might one day get to hike at.

How my wife has put up with this bizarre patch fetish of mine is beyond me; in fact, this saint has even humored me by having agreed to sew, glue or iron all those patches on for me. But what she really should've been doing is looking for a patch patch for me, like those nicotine ones, to control my addiction.

When I finally embraced the ultralight philosophy and found this support group, I was able to grapple with my compulsion. To the point that last year I was able to drive by the little coffee/gift shop in Olema outside Point Reyes Nat'l Seashore and not stop and get a patch (although I admit that it helped that they were closed.) Without the help, no telling what could have happened.

I'm thankful for the help. For almost 525 days now, since I got my new UL backpack, I have not put a single patch on that pack.

(Did I mention that my wife bought me a big, forest-green fleece blanket? And that she's very carefully sewing my patches on it instead? She's got them pinned to it for placement; I'm sure she'll sew that first one on any day now.)

I'm ending this post by revealing my favorite patch, much like Jay Leno did in that Classic Motorsports magazine interview when he spoke of his Lotus Elan. Most avid collectors have their particular preferred masterpiece.

I found mine in a "reduced-for-quick-sale" bucket at a little store on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. They had the patch for $1 (which is pretty good, since most patches are $3.95-$7.95.)

See if you can figure out why:

]

This is too hot even for Animal Planet.

It was the last patch I put on my Redcloud Classic and why I haven't gotten rid of the beheamoth. Speaking of Leno, I had even thought of sending it to him for the show, but didn't cause I figured they wouldn't send the pack back. All I know is, if I tried that with a goat, a ranger would definitely drag me in on some bestiality charge. And what's up with the voyeuristic moose? Is modern American society rubbing off on the animal world? Are these bears hybernating with the Internet AND cable?

Now THAT"S a patch worth buying!! If you ever decide to sell it, i'll offer you DOUBLE what you paid for it (plus shipping)

BF

Kev, that is too funny!!!

I too am a patch collector, but I have resisted the temptation to put them on my gear. I pick some up almost everywhere I go.
I even traded for a couple of Earthlings patches from the boxes.

My mom took all my Scout patches that I collected over the years (some quite rare) and sewed them onto a quilt. It now hangs on my son's bedroom wall. For me, these patches bring back fond memories.

I have my dad's Samsonite suitcase from his college days (48-52) and it has stickers from all the places he visited on his senior trip.

GT - if you want to display some of those patches, you could sew them onto a day pack or similar piece of gear. I have an old Jansport book bag that is my day pack that I toss in the truck when I go backpacking. It holds a change of clean, cotton clothes for when I get off the trail and a few other items. It always get comments about the patches and the places it's been.

Enjoy!

Tango:

If you can post a photo of the quilt I'd appreciate it. Might provide some inspiration to get my -- well, her -- sewing project going. Plus I think alot of people would love to see it.

OMG Kevon, that is just waaaaaaay too funny!

Kevon should donate the patch for the site auction. I would like the opportunity to bid on it.

And you didn't get us all one!

I agree.. I would like the opportunity to outbid you on it... repeatedly....

Get in line, guys

BF

Here's a patch for you, Phat:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Apple-Patch_...1742.m153.l1262

BF

I cann't breeth i'mm laughign so hard

Is that the new Apple-achian Trail patch? (Groan.)

Kev,

Send me a PM and I'll give you a link to some pic's.

Tango

Edit: I've uploaded these pic's to a new account on shutterfly.
Let me know if it works and if you have any questions about the patches, I'll be happy to answer them.

http://tango61.shutterfly.com/23