On DIY not only being a cheap-seats hobby...

Some recent historical perspective, a story worth reading, and in the "pictures & video of kids in dog cages might give the wrong impression" department...

I've gone on record about my feeling for what passes for foul weather gear in these modern times and, while not exactly a Luddite, I do find myself an unhappy camper when it comes time to purchase new gear.

The thing is what I want is something like this...

Pretty much just a cagoule and this one is available as a pattern from Rain Shed. As it happens, Green Pepper also does a nice pattern for an anorak/cagoule that looks like it would do the job...

So, most of the hard work is already done for me except for bringing the whole cagoule-as-boat-foul-weather-gear into the current century. Now, as someone who once-upon-a-time used to design mountaineering and backpacking gear for a paycheck, all I have to do is what everybody else does in the design world which is to look around and steal other people's ideas and, hopefully, improve on them in the process.

The first place to look, for me at least, is the folks at Stormr who seem to be making the best foul weather gear around. If you don't know who they are check this out...



Seriously, they had me at the word n-e-o-p-r-e-n-e. Not just the smarts of using neoprene either they really seem to have done an excellent job on the details. Chief of which is using wetsuit zippers and as Stormr's parent company is in the business of making wetsuits they actually seem to understand the concept of making foul weather gear that is designed to get wet (unlike these guys). Really, if Stormr made a cagoule style I'd be all over it but, as they don't, I'll have to get creative and get the sewing machine out.

The thing to keep in mind about DIY is that it is not just about saving money but a whole lot more about getting something that suits your needs more precisely than what's available on the market and doing it yourself is very much a satisfying pursuit in its own right. In this case, I know exactly what I want and have a few extra ideas that may improve it as well so I'll enjoy the process and what's not to love about that?

Anyway, hopefully sooner rather than later, I'll let you know how the new cagoule works out...

Listening to some covers from 1978

So it goes