I've finally finished my Stitchbackdiy Metamorph Pack after wrestling and struggling mightily to build the hip belt. Overall building this was a really great experience. The pattern directions were pretty straightforward and everything went together fairly easily. The accessory pockets are well thought out and their design makes sense. I would recommend this design to anyone who is new to pack building.

Installed Accessories 1) front daypack pocket 2) water bottle (could be taller) 3) side pocket (w/ stretch panels added)

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/1iq8BET

I do have a couple of critiques of the design though. - I think there could be a little more wiggle room built in for slightly off seam allowances, specifically when dealing with the foam and spacer mesh on the hip/shoulder straps. It just wasn't quite enough in a few spots. - the accessory attachment system doesn't always work well with multiple pockets. They rely heavily on slik clips and g-hook compression straps. With both the side pocket and a front pocket installed you really can only have a compression strap on one side. At least that's what I've found. This makes securing the load a bit of a challenge. - All of the hardware makes the pack kind of heavy. This is a minor issue.

Overall I am very very happy with it!

I am admittedly new to making my own gear, but the whole process of making shoulder and hip straps, especially hip belts, is not fun. Stuffing the foam into the fabric and making sure it is fully stuffed and fits correctly is just miserable. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, or using the wrong foam, but for right now it's a pain in the butt.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for assembling these components? Better yet, does anyone know of a source for good hip belts?