Restoring/reinforcing shape of soft luggage

Mailman

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I bought my tail bag a couple years ago and I use it constantly. It is held on with four bungee cords which have tended to pucker and draw the bottom together. On top of that, the sides were starting to collapse in on the bag. I was just starting to look kinda sad. I started thinking about ways to reinforce the original shape of the bag and this is what I came up with.
I measured the inside bottom of the bag and then laid out those dimensions on thick cardboard box I had lying around,
F78514A2-9D4A-45D9-9D4C-1BC6D292F036.jpeg
I cut out two panels of cardboard that fit the shape of the bottom and then I taped the two pieces together, completely wrapping the two with tape. Taping them together greatly strengthened the rigidity of the panel. Now I could fit the panel in the bottom of the bag and when I tied the bag down , the bottom held it’s shape.

54FD45DB-9C91-457F-9030-88F38558C24C.jpeg

Now for the floppy sides, I traced a pattern from the outside on a piece of newspaper then transferred it to the cardboard , times two, and cut them out. The side pockets are not that deep, so only a single thickness panel for them. However by wrapping them with tape, they gain a lot of rigidity. I didn’t even try to make them pretty, they are purely functional.
31147755-8609-46A6-947C-E30C67286E2C.jpeg 9E9CAAA8-1533-4EB2-B273-7F981A342B2B.jpeg BBF76563-9A69-45AF-95DA-8639B979780F.jpeg

I’m pretty happy with the results too, almost good as new! :geek:
D90D728C-899E-44EF-8F6F-06FB02EF3065.jpeg
D6E09A92-662C-4368-B3DC-7E0C8193FBA0.jpeg


The cardboard is thin and surprisingly stiff, The bottom panel is less than a half inch thick and weighs next to nothing, the side panels are less than a 1/4” thick, and it cost me nothing but about 30 minutes of my time.
My kind of project! :thumbsup:
 
I bought my tail bag a couple years ago and I use it constantly. It is held on with four bungee cords which have tended to pucker and draw the bottom together. On top of that, the sides were starting to collapse in on the bag. I was just starting to look kinda sad. I started thinking about ways to reinforce the original shape of the bag and this is what I came up with.
I measured the inside bottom of the bag and then laid out those dimensions on thick cardboard box I had lying around,
View attachment 172319
I cut out two panels of cardboard that fit the shape of the bottom and then I taped the two pieces together, completely wrapping the two with tape. Taping them together greatly strengthened the rigidity of the panel. Now I could fit the panel in the bottom of the bag and when I tied the bag down , the bottom held it’s shape.

View attachment 172327

Now for the floppy sides, I traced a pattern from the outside on a piece of newspaper then transferred it to the cardboard , times two, and cut them out. The side pockets are not that deep, so only a single thickness panel for them. However by wrapping them with tape, they gain a lot of rigidity. I didn’t even try to make them pretty, they are purely functional.
View attachment 172320 View attachment 172322 View attachment 172323

I’m pretty happy with the results too, almost good as new! :geek:
View attachment 172325 View attachment 172326

The cardboard is thin and surprisingly stiff, The bottom panel is less than a half inch thick and weighs next to nothing, the side panels are less than a 1/4” thick, and it cost me nothing but about 30 minutes of my time.
My kind of project! :thumbsup:
I bought my tail bag a couple years ago and I use it constantly. It is held on with four bungee cords which have tended to pucker and draw the bottom together. On top of that, the sides were starting to collapse in on the bag. I was just starting to look kinda sad. I started thinking about ways to reinforce the original shape of the bag and this is what I came up with.
I measured the inside bottom of the bag and then laid out those dimensions on thick cardboard box I had lying around,
View attachment 172319
I cut out two panels of cardboard that fit the shape of the bottom and then I taped the two pieces together, completely wrapping the two with tape. Taping them together greatly strengthened the rigidity of the panel. Now I could fit the panel in the bottom of the bag and when I tied the bag down , the bottom held it’s shape.

View attachment 172327

Now for the floppy sides, I traced a pattern from the outside on a piece of newspaper then transferred it to the cardboard , times two, and cut them out. The side pockets are not that deep, so only a single thickness panel for them. However by wrapping them with tape, they gain a lot of rigidity. I didn’t even try to make them pretty, they are purely functional.
View attachment 172320 View attachment 172322 View attachment 172323

I’m pretty happy with the results too, almost good as new! :geek:
View attachment 172325 View attachment 172326

The cardboard is thin and surprisingly stiff, The bottom panel is less than a half inch thick and weighs next to nothing, the side panels are less than a 1/4” thick, and it cost me nothing but about 30 minutes of my time.
My kind of project! :thumbsup:

Hi Mailman,
my floppy bags are kept in shape by being stuffed full all the time.
Your nice fix will work just fine until the cardboard gets wet and although you are in arid Arizona the bike can still get caught in the rain.
I'd advise that you slap a coupla coats of varnish on those stiffeners.
 
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