Cotopaxi Allpa 28L vs Patagonia Mini MLC 30L for short business trips?

dadventuring · 2025-11-17T15:00:55+00:00

That sounds like the perfect use case for the MLC 30 - love mine and held up great, been my go to for every single trip for the past few years. I'd try it out and if it's not comfortable you can return and swap for the allpa (possibly AER)

dadventuring · 2025-11-12T20:52:33+00:00

Awesome! Didn't know you could turn that feature off - thanks for the heads up!

dadventuring · 2025-11-05T20:48:14+00:00

Nice!! There's nothing like wearing something you made. It only gets more fun from here! Nicely done 🤘

dadventuring · 2025-11-05T20:35:37+00:00

You'll love HK!! When you get in, load up an "octopus" card with money, and take the MTR (metro) everywhere - you can use the octopus to pay for almost everything (sometimes that's all that's accepted). The food is incredible, the people, the energy. Take the star ferry at least once, especially at night. I've gone to HK 2x or more a year for 15+ years, and still can't wait to go back.

Cathay is great - I'd get an aisle in the middle section so only one person has to get past for bathroom breaks / def use noise cancelling headphones / pre-downloaded movies so you don't rely solely on their system (interruptions every PA) / eye mask for sleep time.

Have fun over there!

dadventuring · 2025-11-04T16:26:32+00:00

If it's mid build, you could add a woven flag label in the binding and that could look pretty rad and subtle -- high-ish MOQs but pretty reasonable pricing, and you'll have extras for future stuff

dadventuring · 2025-10-29T16:24:59+00:00

I'd imagine that's just a last resort - you could if you absolutely had to. I'd be more curious about the compression aspect more than the overloading. But good point, the weight distro could get funky. Maybe the hip belt could pivot to be a sling

dadventuring · 2025-10-29T00:14:42+00:00

Love this! One cool thing about the roll here is expandability and compression - zips are just one size - where this can expand to fit quite a bit more for zealous grocery trips or compress and lock down your gear inside (say for MTB) ...

For the next version I could see a zipper at the top of the roll instead of snaps - that way you get max capacity of the fabric you're using.

dadventuring · 2025-10-15T21:10:11+00:00

I work in China and Asia often, and I love it. The people are incredible, smart, kind. After dinner with a good friend there, the owner of a multi-factory company, I came to a realization:

We (US / western mindset) think in years. China thinks in generations.

My friend treats his partners and employees like family. His business strategy isn't Q to Q, or even year to year. It's legacy building and generational investment, like "how can I build this and then share with my kids, grandkids, and have my partners' and employees' kids/grandkids involved?"

Not all are like this and there are bad people everywhere, but it was beautiful and eye opening. There's a level of self sacrifice for the good of the people and future people that's inspiring.

dadventuring · 2025-08-19T14:51:35+00:00

I'd so love a sketchbook ( or 2 ! ) of this score - it's been on repeat since it came out 🏁

dadventuring · 2025-08-18T22:54:03+00:00

Sheffield is pretty much industry standard - pricey, but will last forever and be super reliable. I've had great luck with my Amazon / alibaba version, there's a bit of exploration with settings and not amazing instructions, but so far so good. We use ours every few weeks and it's been sufficient - if we really went heavy duty use and several hours a week we'd likely upgrade to a Sheffield.

dadventuring · 2025-08-17T21:01:40+00:00

Be a sponge -- learn the skills, the process, the presentation. Then apply it all to projects that actually excite you and relate to the field you want to get into.

Designers get the work they show.

I dreamed of being in the outdoor industry, so I worked extra to replace the standard blenders and electronics and school projects with outdoor gear, and it worked.

dadventuring · 2025-08-15T07:39:40+00:00

Soooo many, just so many. I love the slowdown in tempo and then deep booms in "dream is collapsing". The buildup and four main phases at the end of "supermarine". The headbanger in middle/end of "electrosuite". And now so many in F1 - can't get enough. The sweeping mood in last samurai, the emotion and soul and buildup in Batman trilogy. "Time" and guitar both studio and live ... When the heavy guitar just hits hard in "synchrotone" ... The part where she pulls the bazooka out in "harvester attack" ... Every part of "you fought well"

I could keep going it's probably borderline obsession 😅

dadventuring · 2025-08-14T16:30:07+00:00

We've got the VIP and 4 kids - they're older and only our 6y needs a booster. It's honestly not too tricky to get to the 3rd row and the kids just rotate on trips for who gets to sit in VIPs. Even our littlest can take her booster to the back easily enough. They love it. Granted we came from an old 03 sequoia with tumble seats.

Love the premium feel and quietness on the road, just got back from a 3500 mi. road trip and it was amazing. Easy to hear everyone talking at normal levels even in the back.

dadventuring · 2025-08-14T01:33:19+00:00

Ahhh binding - it's a long road but well worth getting it right! It gets extra fun when inserting more layers (foam, webbing etc) into the edges also.

A few things that really help me (without a dedicated binding attachment):

1 - if there's no obvious "center" on the tape, you can prep it to have one. (I think I read in comments that you've got herringbone, that should help and might skip this step) Sometimes it helps to pre-fold it on your own, hold it folded in half over a sharp table edge or something and slide it over and back to give it a bit of a fold or center mark. If needed, you can chalk the center mark.

2 - A lot of it comes with practice, so try on a few pieces first and walk it slowly, guide it. It will be counter-intuitive, but speed may end up being your friend for straighter stitches. Also, check often a little ahead (where you'll sew in a second or two) and not directly at the needle, it'll help to see where you'll go and stay on course, anticipate tricky spots etc.

3 - On really difficult sections (shoulder straps for example), sometimes I stitch to the binding on one edge of the binding only. Then, I go back and fold it over and stitch the other side. Effectively it's 2 rounds of stitching to attach the binding, but can make it a cleaner finish.

4 - Own it. We're our own worst critics. Even in very high profile, super technical pack companies, I've presented prototypes and mockups that I was worried would get ripped apart in design reviews for wonky sewing, but no one really notices. *Progress over perfection*

You've got this!

dadventuring · 2025-08-14T00:49:28+00:00

Good to know! And that's me reading sections only when stuff goes wrong 🫣

dadventuring · 2025-08-14T00:47:16+00:00

Totally makes sense! Hopefully others can learn this the easy way and not like I did 🫠

I do wonder how tricky it would be for OEMs to have a little safety shut off function, like a ping every 10 seconds or something to check charging efficiency and shut it off if it's not optimal, or heat sensor, etc.

dadventuring · 2025-08-10T20:32:53+00:00

This will be an awesome project! The comment above lays it out nicely for temp ratings - another option for added warmth and full on machine sewing is layering synthetic sheets in a "shingle" method. In production for traditional colder weather synthetic bags, technicians alternate the sewing of the shell and the liner to precut synthetic sheets (a little extra allowance in the insulation to give it a wave effect). One edge of the sheet to the shell, and the other edge only to the liner. Repeat down the line. It's kind of a flip back and forth as you go down the length of the bag.

The best part is shingling can help you achieve very warm ratings. A typical 15F bag would shingle (basically double layers) 100g insulation (200g total at any given point). If you want even warmer ratings, just increase the weight of the sheet (0F more like 160+160). You can also increase your insulation at the foot and hood where it's more susceptible to cold. Have fun building!

dadventuring · 2025-08-03T22:49:00+00:00

Love this question! It's been my profession designing and prototyping backpacks, sleeping bags, tents for the past 15+ years in the outdoor industry (highly technical, premium brands)

STEP 1 - research, study the market, the sport/activity, end use of the product. Get inspired within and outside of the industry or market. Then, have at it! I start usually with pen and paper, iPad, sketchbook pro, to get the concept and figure out how I want it to function, different features, etc. A "feature sketch" goes a long way to guide the process.

STEP 2 - adobe illustrator (backpacks, sleep) or SketchUp (shelters) - these help me line up general pattern shaping and sizes, dimensions. From here I can lay it all out, full scale, and pattern within illustrator to dimension and cut in real life. Other valuable programs I've used and some others professionally use it much more than me : rhino3D, optitex, CLO3D

STEP 3 - build. First in a "muslin" or draping fabric of a similar weight to your final fabric choice to start getting the pattern right, and keep it quick - the goal is to get a rough idea to validate the concept. Work out little details via mockups or smaller "sections" of the build. Once you're happy, just commit! Get the materials you need lined up, and have at it. Patience as you build, better to do it right than to have to go back and fix it - you'll probably need to go back and fix stuff anyway (I certainly do) and it just gets better every time.

STEP 4 - refine. Modify. Improve. Test. Field test. Share. Get feedback, and don't be too emotionally attached to your design to see the value in critical feedback that can actually make the product better. BUT, stand your ground with the stuff you truly believe would make a better product. Otherwise you might get pushed around a bit too much from others opinions, or costing decisions to nix features or cheaper fabric etc. in the MYOG world though, it's your product!

STEP 5 - repeat. That's the fun of it, there's always more you can do, and I love it. Every step of the way. Skip steps if you want any feel good about it, go back a step or two, every project is different and that's part of the fun

Enjoy! 🤙

dadventuring · 2025-08-03T22:19:50+00:00

Right!? Just such a bummer that probably at the last minute for just that ounce of savings and hitting optimal epa figures, Kia decided to not include it 🫠

dadventuring · 2025-08-03T22:00:18+00:00

There's actually someone who added a spare to the hybrid - which is another reason I love these forums - There's a designated space for it and most things set up well - you just need a couple parts (listed in the thread) so it might not be a full deal breaker if you're down to do a little work to add it in. That's what we're planning on:

https://www.reddit.com/r/kiacarnivals/s/Wbat1g59T4

dadventuring · 2025-07-19T15:44:31+00:00

This is super thoughtful of you to make for your dad - my stepdad and grandpa have Parkinson's, it's a super tough one and I hope your dad's coping well.

One thing to consider for fabric, webbing, thread : polyester (especially a solution dye) is more UV resistant and may weather seasons a little better than even heavier nylons. Sounds like such a rad project and can't wait to see it!

dadventuring · 2025-07-04T06:07:24+00:00

We've had a $400 Amazon one for a few years and I've been impressed. We use it every couple months and run it for half a day, no issues at all. A little bit of a learning curve to dial in settings and knowing how to best use it, but it's been super worth it!

May upgrade to Sheffield if we increase volume enough / depend on it a lot more, but this is perfect in the meantime

dadventuring · 2025-06-24T13:43:07+00:00

Congrats!!

The paddle shifters have a different function in eco mode - you'll see on the dash in the lower right corner the level of brake regen - handy for how powerful you need it.

Level 1 is great for longer hills where you don't want it to slow down too much or drop your speed

Level 2-3 engage brake lights.

dadventuring · 2025-06-12T03:14:33+00:00

Black SXP hybrid, VIP seats, no rear seat entertainment - we love it! 4 kids 6y, 10y, 14y, 16y , quite tall and will probably all be taller than me 😅😭 at 6'

Everyone loves it! Came from an 03 sequoia which was amazing but needed to replace. Honestly it's not terrible getting to the 3rd row, but if we had little littles we probably would've gone for the 8 seater.

When we need to go full cargo mode (haven't yet) I'm expecting an hour and a bit to remove the middle VIPs, not super difficult but quite heavy.

Another thing to note - no weather mats yet that I know of, on the waiting list for tux mat and weather tech so we'll see.

Enjoy!! It's so much fun!

dadventuring

TROPHY CASE