Zpacks - I almost stopped the whole machine!

[colorado_rob]

I do carry and use the 1.4oz Zpacks pack cover as a first line of water defense. It also actually saves weight in rainy conditions because a wet pack weighs many ounces more than a dry pack. The pack cover, being DCF (cuben) does not absorb water.

An inside pack liner does nothing to keep the actual pack dry.

BTW, the zpacks pack cover DOES include the drainage grommet OEM.

[Five Tango]

Five Tango - Thank you for the heads up.

In the past when I put grommets in thin material I doubled up on the material (cannot do in this case) or used a piece of duct tape and put the grommet through the material and the duct tape.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Yep,after my initial attempt I tried making tape dog ears with grommets.Worked some better but then the tape turned loose from the material so I just abandonded the idea and bot a DCT ground sheet that was factory made.

[AsoloBootsSuk]

I'll second or maybe third the grommet kit. I bought one in the 80s to make rope pads for caving. I've use it so many time since for all kinds of gear

[Starchild]

Five Tango - Thank you for the heads up.

In the past when I put grommets in thin material I doubled up on the material (cannot do in this case) or used a piece of duct tape and put the grommet through the material and the duct tape.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I would definitely reinforce that section with a piece of cuban fiber tape on both sides, that tape is permanent and some designs of CF gear are only taped, not sown . Also I would expect it to be hard to punch through, however if a mistake is made the tape will repare it.

[skiBee]

Starchild - Thank you.
I just ordered Cuban Fiber Tape from Mountain Laurel Designs.

[Dogwood]

Grommet kit

Takes about 2 minutes. Approximately 1/3 the time it takes to rant about it.

This^^This

[NerdyJohn]

I've been known to do things with my equipment that some people will not consider. But if it were my pack, in decreasing order of seriousness I would:
(1) Take the pack to a seamstress and have her treat it like a button hole. They do the stitching first, then cut the fabric. Many shapes are possible if you go this route.
(2) You could take a soldering iron and burn a round hole in the fabric. Then use an adhesive type air mattress repair kit to install a patch. If it is a round hole, use a round patch.
(3) Take Gorilla brand duct tape or one of similar quality and place a small patch on both sides of the fabric. Drill, punch or burn a hole through all three materials at once.
(4) Same as # 3, but use a brass grommet after the hole is created.
(5) Just poke a hole in the fabric (I prefer a soldering iron) and see what happens. Packs get holes in them from abrasion anyway, right? It won't be the end of the world. Think of it as the first scratch or dent on your fancy new car.

FYI: Practice installing brass grommets before installing them on the real thing. It is harder than it looks. The trick is to have a even crimp all the way around the grommet or abrasion will occur. If you've been around cheap plastic tarps any time at all, you have seen this type of failure. Plastic tarp material or Tyvek is a good material to practice with. Be aware that the material you use under the grommet when you strike it can make a huge difference on the outcome. Hardwood (oak), softwood (pine), aluminum, or steel will all require different strike forces to form the crimp evenly and without cutting the fabric in two during the process. Installing grommets a fun skill to play around with and has many uses around the house.