Leatherwork: Carrying strap for bedroll

 

Many years ago, I did a lot of leatherwork in connection with live-action roleplaying, but that feels like a distant past now. It’s only relatively recently that I’ve started working with leather again. For a long time now, I’ve been going to the beach with the dogs at least once a week.

It’s a fantastic beach, very private, and there’s an oak forest right next to it. The dogs have a blast, and I get to sit and watch the sea. But it’s pretty much always windy, so it was time to bring a bit of warmth along.

Below are words on how I made it. 

Using some scraps from an old piece of leather, a couple of newly bought buckles, and some simple tools, I made a strap system for a bedroll.

Pretty simple work. I cut some straps from 3mm vegetable-tanned leather. Some of the pieces weren’t quite long enough, so I just added a belt buckle—and it looks good too.

Only the most basic tools were used: an awl for the holes, a needle and thread, and a utility knife. The straps have a few rivets, though they could have worked just fine without them.

Most of my leather stitching is done with saddle stitch. That double stitching really adds strength—and it looks great too.

The bottom part here is all one piece. It’s two straps that go around the bedroll and a section between them that acts as a handle. I added a couple of D-rings too, so I can clip on a shoulder strap.

I made the straps from an old piece of leather I had lying around for years. It was just long enough to cut nice, clean straps. The shoulder strap is made from two pieces with a belt buckle in between—this allows the bedroll to be adjusted more easily depending on other gear, total weight, and whether I’m wearing a jacket.

Most of my leather pieces are dyed with brown leather dye, then treated with leather oil, and finally finished with a layer of fat.

It fits a classic civil defense wool blanket perfectly (those things are worth their weight in gold!), with a reindeer hide rolled into the center. Rolls up neatly and straps in tight.

It’s turned out to be a great bedroll—easy to throw in the back of the car and bring to the beach, together with a small shoulder bag. It’s been especially nice in autumn when the dogs are running around playing on the beach. I’ve been able to sit on a hide, wrapped in a blanket, enjoying the view.

The design is fairly simple and can easily be strapped underneath my backpack or clipped onto the D-rings.