Travelling through the Bushes with style...

All sea kayakers know and value the IKEA-bag as a high-volume carrying device for all dry bags, bits and pieces on a trip, but a s a low volume folding-down bag to store on top of the hatch in the loaded boat (no, I didn't bother with getting sponsored by those guys... :-))) )

I used the blue bag for years - every now and then affording to BUY a new one for an Euro (some guys who do carry *yellow* Ikea bags around haven't *bought* them!!! :-)) )

Unfortunately they proved not to be stable enough carrying loads and tons of gear on our Iceland trip up and down long beaches, day by day...the sewing of the handles broke several times, and the fabric didn't really look better after each day. Well we fixed the handles, but...

After our Iceland trip an old kayaking friend, Matthias Panknin, gave me those *red* bags on a stop-by visit from a different German company - Möbel Kraft - but although I prefer *red* much more to the common *blue* (who cares??) the problem seems to be the same on the long run...

So I decided to start sewing my own bags - *black* for sure - with solidly sewn on handles which will last for years in salt, sun and sand.

I used Texamid 5.5 outdoor fabric, available at Globetrotter Germany, and normal belt fabric for the handles. I sewed everything with a normal household sewing machine first, but then gave it to an upholstery to re-sew the seems with a solid, durable thread. Any "normal" thread wouldn't last long on our kind of trips.

And, oh well, to made this piece of gear "unique" I embroided my name in silver :-))) (with my household machine!)

Actually, I use to carry three of those bags on a trip. They take all my dry bags and stuff I carry in my boat.

You want one, too? Get the pattern from a blue bag and get going on your own! :-))