Where do I start...necessity is the mother of invention.
I made a suspension for an extra large backpack I got off the dump. I made it out of a piece of 1/4" thick HDPE (high density polyethylene) and cut 115 holes in it (it was 32" tall) to save on weight but not compromise the ridigity. Works great.
I added a stabilizing brim to my OR boonie hat I use for the summer rains. It would flop down constantly, so I removed some of the stitches and added a piece of 1/8" plastic rod bent around inside the brim and then plastic welded it to itself with a soldiering iron. Re-stitching was easy.
I made my crampon pouch out of a fabric cassette tape holder. I plastic welded (with the soldiering iron, I've gotten quite good at using it) a piece of thick plastic (about the thickness of a milk jug) that was an advertisement into a box and attached it to the inside to prevent the crampons from punching through. I added a daisy chain to the outside with aluminum post and screw fasteners and it works great, I use it all the time.
I've added daisy chains to packs with a soldiering iron, the aluminum post and screw fasteners (10 weigh 0.3 ounces), and 3/4" nylon webbing. Melt holes in the pack with a soldiering iron so they don't fray or tear.
On my MSR Bug Hut 1, I added a foot frame to keep the netting off the whole sleeping bag instead of just the head portion. I used a piece of 1/4" black plastic tubing connected at the center with a piece from a pegboard garage tool hook, so it's the same length as the main frame pieces. I attach it with a small metal paper clamp at the top and bottoms. The top also serves as a place to guy it out or hang it directly from the back of a lean-to, where I use a screw style cup hook I bring with me just for that purpose. The bottoms act as a place to put tent stakes if I'm in the open.
I made a spork tine protector from a piece of 3/8" plastic tubing I cut lenthways and then plastic welded into a "V". It prevents the tines from ripping anything in my pack.
I've added velcro to places where the zippers have blown out on packs. This way I can still use the pouch/pocket. Everything is sewn with 20 lb test braided kevlar fishing twine.
I added a set of
military anyboot bindings to a set of kids 110 cm X-C skis for use on the backcountry trails. The whole setup cost me $18 and seems to work great although I don't have a ton of time on them other than the testing phase, which they passed with flying colors, but they are a tad slow compared to the larger skis.
I made my own stove base, like the MSR trillium, for my Dragon. I made mine from 3 lightweight aluminum metal sheets, affixed them in the center so they fold out into 3 sections, and drilled holes in them to 1) lessen the weight, 2) act as a hand collander for pasta, and 3) use as a cribbage board (I drilled the right number of holes in it). Works awesome and I use it all the time.
I made my own hiking umbrella that attached to the upper frame on my external pack, but it was too tall and kept getting snagged on branches on the AT, so I bought the Boonie hat.
I replaced the broken cinch buckle on the top of my OR Croc gaiters with 2 keyring split rings. To use them I just weave the other end of the strap through like a motorcycle helmet strap.
On my pot lid I drilled a hole and used two of the keyring split rings, one on top and one on bottom of the lid, joined together, which enables me to use my pot lid as a mouse protector when hanging my food bag. I can still lift it with the key rings and it also still folds flat.
I use small plastic containers from work that usually have chemicals in them for other uses. My carmex is in a 1/2" tubing plug with a screw on cap from another container on the top (they were exactly the right size), and my Cat-Crap is in a 5 ml plastic mini container with a screw cap. Each weighs 0.2 ounces and is more than enough for a week.
I use a rainfly from a Lightstuff 2 tent (24 ounces, got it off the dump) as a tarp, use my hiking poles as prop rods, and the 50' of paracord I carry as guy lines.
I'm in the process of making my own Wet Rib (like the Dana Design) for summer hiking. I still have some balance issues to engineer through, but it'll be fine. It'll also attach onto the waist belt, unlike the Dana, so there won't be a 3rd strap across my front.
I'm also making a pulk harness from an upper suspension yoke/harness from a backpack and a fanny pack. It'll pull from the center rear but all I have to do is put it together and then make a pulk.
I'm sure there is more, but I just can't think of it right now as I'm trying to pack for the weekend in the Whites.
Before anyone asks about the skis, 110 cm on the left, 208 cm in the middle, and 240 cm on the right.
