Mesh Kayaking/Water Sport Bag
The Idea:
Unfortunately, the idea for this bag was not original, and it was driven by need more than anything else. We had similar mesh bags for our kayaking adventures already, but they weren’t super sturdy, and eventually, my stepdad’s bag wore out and broke. At my mom’s suggestion, I decided to make him one (for either Father’s Day or his birthday) that would hopefully be a little sturdier.
For this first model, I used some black scuba fabric for the inner layer and put red mesh on the outer layer. It is very sturdy; however, it is heavy when it gets wet, and we later discovered that it doesn’t dry very well. Also, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever make another, so I didn’t make a pattern for it.
The Process:
When my own bag started to deteriorate, I decided to make more but to improve on the last design. I didn’t want to use the scuba fabric again, so I did research on some alternatives so that the bag would still be light and dry quickly. I found out that, even though some mesh fabrics may look the same, they can be made with different materials, some of which hold up better over time. So, I ordered utility-grade polyester mesh fabric that was both durable and flexible. Not wanting to purchase swimsuit fabric, especially when I would want more than one color, I decided to cut up a couple of old swimsuits that no longer fit anyway. (Yay upcycling!)
This time, I decided to create a pattern so that I could easily make more in the future. Also, I left my bag at my parents’ house, so I based the size instead on how much I wanted to fit in it. I made the body out of the mesh and put the swimsuit fabric around the edge to serve as the casing for the drawstring and add some color. I did not have a cord lock, so I made it where pulling the string at opposite ends would close the bag. It isn’t the easiest to get into, though, when it is clipped to a kayak, so in future I will use a cord lock.
