Ultimate Outdoor DIY

We know times are pretty tough but in a recent poll you guys still confessed you would never give up backpacking despite a tanking economy. Seattle Fabrics is helping die-hards like us–they sell outdoor materials perfect for making cheap outdoor gear.

That’s right, you can build your own tent, folding kayak, backpack or sleeping bag without the steep manufacturer prices. You may need to borrow your grandma’s sewing machine but this isn’t your grandma’s fabric store; the material that hangs from wooden dowels is made of Neoprene, Gore-Tex, ripstop nylon, fleece, wicking Lycra and Primaloft.

Sales are through the roof thanks to the downward Dow and many people are buying the fabric to repair old gear rather than buying new. Company President Ken Christianson told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, “We stay away from mainstream cotton prints.”

We sure hope so. Next time we’re in Seattle, you’ll find us standing among the tall rows of outdoor fabrics dreaming about where we’ll be pitching our very own self-made tent and breathing in the synthetic air. We love the smell of fresh-cut Gore-Tex in the morning.

Are you making your own outdoor gear? Let us know what you’re creating in the comments section below.

–Morgan Keys

Small-business Scene: Store has fabrics for the great outdoors (Seattle PI)

Image credit: manuel | MC