Backpacks, like everything else, aren’t invincible. They can be torn, ripped or even shredded with the proper force and equipment. When this happens, repairing it is easy (unless it was shredded, in which case you might want to think about buying a new leather backpack). Backpacks tend to get damaged in the same places: the zipper, the straps, or the corners of the backpack due to pressure from internal contents, such as books. Repairing damage like this is pretty easy. All it takes it suitable thread and a sturdy needle, since backpack fabric is thicker and tougher than other kinds of fabric. Backpacks can even be made from the ground up using old fabric such as old jeans, for example. But that is the subject of another post.

To sew up a tear or rip in a backpack it’s considered best to go with heavy duty nylon or polyester thread as this will support the thick fabric better. Another type of thread to use is thick string or even very thin rope if the damage is serious. Make sure your needle is built to handle both the thread and the fabric. A light needle with likely break under the strain (in which case you have another problem on your hands) and a too strong needle will not work due to the fact that the needle will not sew properly because of the thickness of the needle. Think about it, you do not need to use the equivalent of a miniature sword to repair a hole the size of a quarter.

The basic protocol to follow is not that different from regular sewing, except you probably should not use a machine to do it. Instead, do it by hand. You will get a better sense of repairing it that way and also learn some minor repair skills so you can repair other backpacks in the future. If you are fond of backpacking, this is a very valuable skill, especially if your backpack breaks when you are out on a trail and there is no chance of easily returning to your base camp. In mountainous terrain, your backpack is your best friend, and it’s ridiculous to presume that it will not break so it’s safe to leave your repair tools at home.

Safety cannot be ignored when you are a hiker or backpacker. Following proper safety constraints may alleviate you from the pain of ever having to repair a backpack in the first place. If not, simply sew the rip, tear, or hole using a piece of material similar to the material the backpack was made from. It’s the easiest and simplest way to repair a backpack.

Backpacking as a recreational activity actually dates back to the 1900s. The basic design of a backpack is a canvas bag with shoulder straps attached; a pack that is worn on the back. Simple and elegant, with one downside: if not properly packed, there is no way to prevent the contents from digging into the wearer’s back. Evidently there was a change from that design into what we now know as the modern backpack, but what was it, and who changed it?

The change was simply attaching the bag to a flat board that rested on the back of the wearer, thus separating the contents of the pack from the back. This flat board is called a pack board for obvious reasons. With this ingenious invention, the modern backpack was born. The inventor? Lloyd F. Nelson, an explorer who first came up with the idea for the pack board during a trip to Alaska in the spring of 1920.

The pack board also made it easier to carry the contents of the pack because it distributed weight more evenly, allowing for a more relaxed hiking experience. The design remains basically the same today, with a few variations introduced by users in different professions, such as the military.

Aside from this short little history, the truth is no really knows who first came up with the idea for the first backpack. Now, packs have been carried around on backs for thousands of years all over the world, but what got the backpack started? Obviously the modern backpack could not have been made with the invention of the zipper. Whitcomb Judson is credited with inventing the zipper in 1893. The only hitch is it was not called a zipper! The official name was the “Clasp Locker”, and it was a complicated hook-and-eye assembly.

A Swede designed the modern zipper named Gideon Sundback, who became head of the company founded by Judson to manufacturer Clasp Lockers. The zipper made its first appearance in 1913. So, we know the backpack could not have been put together before 1913 because the zipper had not been officially invented yet. But that doesn’t answer the question of when did the backpack first appear?

The answer is the backpack as we know it today started appearing in the 1920s, complete with zipper and all. Nelson’s invention of the pack board combined with Sundback’s invention with the zipper made an irresistible combination. Backpacks have been a staple of our society ever since, and they have gone on to enjoy wide popularity around the world.

Dyeing leather isn’t just for the craftsman or professional leatherworker. There are many different reasons to dye leather yourself, but the most common is that the leather is dirty or faded and you want to touch it up. An admirable sentiment, but don’t let it carry you away from the reality of dyeing leather. If your leather is vegetable-tanned (meaning it was tanned using plant extract) this will make it easier to dye, for many types of dyes only work with vegetable-tanned leather. Leather that is dyed correctly makes it much more professional looking and desirable to wear. It’s easy to tell when leather is dyed because of the color sometimes used. Also, use common sense: have you ever seen a yellow cow? Or a green or blue one? That should tell you the leather has been dyed.

Before getting into the process of dyeing leather, let’s establish some basic principles. The majority of leather is the by-product of the meat industry, since the skins and hides have less value compared to the meat inside them. The tanning process used to make the leather will determine what kind of dye will work best with it. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, certain dyes only work with vegetable-tanned leather. Different tanning processes result in different colors, which is how you can tell by what process the leather was tanned. The color of vegetable-tanned leather is a light tan, chromium-tanned leather is a pale blue-grey, and aldehyde-tanned leather produces a very light cream or even white color. There are other tanning methods and other colors produced by those methods, of course, but these three are the most common.

You may ask how is leather able to be dyed with all the chemicals it is treated with to make it leather? Simple. Leather is still skin, albeit chemically-altered and chemically-preserved skin. Like human skin, leather is still susceptible to discoloration and staining. Ink blotches can affect leather just as they can affect human skin, except with leather the blotch is more than likely to become permenant. This is why it is possible for leather to be dyed. Unfortunately, because of the tanning process, even water can permenantly damage and discolor leather. Suede is especially vulnerable to this type of damage, which is why you never wear suede leather in the rain. Of course, to some discolored suede leather is still desirable, but for most water discoloration ruins the leather for good.

To dye leather, gently brush the dye into the leather and rub it in thoroughly. You must allow the coat to dry completely before proceeding. Don’t forget to wipe any excess dye off, and go ahead and apply additional coats as needed. Be sure to wear protective gloves when doing this, because the dye will color your skin just as it will the leather, for the reasons outlined above.

That’s really all there is to it. Don’t forget to let the leather dry overnight before using it again.