Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 27 minutes ago
Seems like it'd be simpler. Cheaper. Easier to make.
But your body had other plans.
Your shoulders slope. Your chest curves forward. Your arms need room to swing. A straight strap fights all of that, rubbing, slipping, and creating pressure points.
A contoured strap? It works with your body instead of against it.
And that gentle S-curve isn't just there to look premium. It's the result of decades of designers obsessing over the one part of a backpack that's always in contact with you.
Seems like it'd be simpler. Cheaper. Easier to make.
But your body had other plans.
Your shoulders slope. Your chest curves forward. Your arms need room to swing. A straight strap fights all of that, rubbing, slipping, and creating pressure points.
A contoured strap? It works with your body instead of against it.
And that gentle S-curve isn't just there to look premium. It's the result of decades of designers obsessing over the one part of a backpack that's always in contact with you.
![How to Design a Backpack in 24 Hours—With a Mystery Box Twist! [Ep 3]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p3200x1tLik/mqdefault.jpg "How to Design a Backpack in 24 Hours—With a Mystery Box Twist! [Ep 3]
One designer. One mystery box of Fidlock components. And just 24 hours to bring a brand-new backpack prototype to life!
In Episode 3 of Maker’s Mystery Box, we head inside the design studio at Matador Equipment, where product designer Sam Goodhue takes on the ultimate challenge: use a box of surprise Fidlock components and create a fully functional EDC backpack prototype from scratch—within a single day.
Armed with just his sketchbook, a sewing machine, and some top-tier materials from Ripstop by the Roll, Sam dives headfirst into the backpack design process. From brainstorming bag design ideas to rapid prototyping and fabric selection, this episode is packed with handmade bag making know-how, magnetic hardware tricks, and carryology-inspired decisions that every bag design DIY enthusiast will love.
Will Sam craft the best backpack in just 24 hours—or will the clock run out before his EDC backpack vision becomes reality?
Hit play to see the design process in action (and psst… stick around ‘til the end for a special surprise!).
Big thanks to Fidlock for supplying this episode’s mystery box! Check out their industry-leading magnetic buckles and components here: https://bit.ly/4iF8uc7.
And a shoutout to Ripstop by the Roll (https://ripstopbytheroll.com/) for providing the top-tier textiles that bring this prototype to life!
And, of course, lets not forget our friends at https://www.matadorequipment.com/ and Sam Goodhue for spearheading this episode (and getting very little sleep).
00:00 Introduction
01:15 The Mystery Box Reveal
02:08 Sketching & Process
04:16 Design Tip 1
05:07 Patterning, Paper and Concepts
08:28 Main Textile & Liner
09:32 Halfway! Hows he going?
09:49 How awesome are montages?
10:12 Backpanel
11:21 Suns coming up! (Day 2)
12:22 Fidlock clickety-click strap magic
13:40 Hes done! Backpack REVEAL
17:25 Special surprise announcement!
Previous MMB Episodes:
Makers Mystery Box Episode 1 with 1733: https://bit.ly/4iR5aL8
Makers Mystery Box Episode 2 with Bellroy: https://bit.ly/428j1pe
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