Club Obi Wan

I've got a MKVI w/ the same two vents in the bottom as the MKVII. The bag is in great shape, except for ONE thing - the bottom vents appear to be coming away from the fabric. In time, at least one of them will come out.

Now, the fabric isn't frayed...the edge has a nice round cut to it. So I think the sharp metal of the vent is cleaving nicely through the 60-year-old fabric. (It's almost like the fabric slipped out, but I still see some stamped in between the face and backing of the vent.)

I'm assuming there is little to nothing that can be done to stop this, other than handling it GENTLY...yeah, right. It was for a buddy, he's got it in Japan now, we'll see if he's still got the vents when he gets back. I told him not to put pens or marbles in the main pocket until we see if they're gonna hold...

Keep in mind, he isn't an Indy-phile, so the bottom of the bag does not need to be screen accurate. He's amped up about the MKVI (not MKVII) to begin with!

So, assuming they will come out at some point - two questions:

1) Anybody found any vents like these, to perhaps use as replacements?

> Both layers of the bottom are still in strong condition outside the round cut. A slightly larger vent could probably be clamped into the now slightly larger hole.

2) Anybody know the best/wisest patching method if vents (probably) aren't available?

>The same fabric would be ideal, and the idea of scavenging part of the divider is the best route in that regard, but I'm thinking this would require four squares of at least a square inch each, so that would be the entire divider, and he kind of likes the divider. (Holds the water bottle upright.) The nearest other fabric I've got is the old web strap off my MKVII...it would make NICE squares of near-enough shade for patching. I figure a square on the inside stitched through a square on the outside, completely covering the round holes inside and out ought to do it, right? No more fraying, no lost dimes in between the layers...

Any and all advice welcome. (Silliness, too.)

Thanks,
J

P.S. I just went through the exhaustive set of pics I took of this bag to show you what I mean, and guess what? I never took a picture of the bottom. Grrr...

I think you've pretty much answered your own question, there , Jerry. The patching would probably be your best bet. The vents are available but I'm not sure where (They are used as vents in various things, excersize mats, etc.). Personally, I would just seal 'em up nice and pretty and not worry about it any more. It would be difficult to get new vents to fit nice and strong like the originals, anyway. You could get a donor bag for the material because the strap is actually a different webbing than the bag, not as densely sewn. Just my two sense worth.


have a nice day.

I have also seen these vents on the sides of old matresses.Check with a bedding store to see if the have any laying around.
Hope this helps.

Durn, I forgot all about that, Sheffield, thanks! I had searched for several other combinations of words, but I forgot to try 'mattress' and 'vents'. Good call, thanks!

Here's your original thread: viewtopic.php?t=7084&highlight=mattress+vents

Sell the old one to a newbie for cheap and get yo' self a new one.

ya?

Ja! Where'd you find that???

Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen a source for replacement vents listed...so if you can share, you'll be the first!

(There, a dare like that usually gets all the search engines going to see what else I've missed...)

J

Thats where I found it...on google...I did an image search and that is what came up. I think it's some supplier of matteress addons or some jive.

I thought this might come in handy at some point....

http://indexfasteners.com/product/aec/vent/dvent.htm

Here you are!

Cheers
I J

Okay, clm, thanks for the hint...I got MANY hits, but only this one looks like the right item.... I guess the word I *should* have been using was 'ventilator', not 'vent'.

http://www.machteck.com.tw/wheel_caster/casters.htm - scroll down to mattress ventilators

Unfortunately, that's a bulk supplier in...um...China? Okay, I'll keep looking...

That company you found is at least US-based:
http://www.handykenlin.com/handy/h_mattress.html

...but it looks like they just do mail-order replacement of busted parts...hmm...think if I sent them the old vents from the MKVI they wouldn't know the difference? "Man...these things look like they've been through a war! What did you do to that mattress???"

I may give them a call and see if they just have a kit...let you know if I get a hit.

And THANKS!
J

The HT-V0.875 one on that page looks a lot like the one seen on the WPG replica I think...





Depending on size, the HT-V1 might be better?

Regards,
Swindiana

That company you found is at least US-based:
http://www.handykenlin.com/handy/h_mattress.html

That is the company that my pic is from. I would honestly just e-mail them and explain that you have a vintage WWII army bag and it has vents very similar to the vents they are selling. Explain that you are wondering if they would be willing to sell you a few to replace yours.

They may be open to just "giving" you some if you just pay the shipping. Most big companies like this in my experiance are more than willing to help out people with small problems like this if you approach them real nice like.

The other option, is...if they are not willing to supply you with a few, see what the minimum order is that you would have to make, and then come on here and put out some feelers to see who would be willing to take some off your hands for you. You may find there are a few people that have bags that could use better vents, or people (Like me) who would like to try and make a MKVII from scratch.

Good suggestions, guys, thanks. I agree, the HT-V1 looks closer...boy, I never get tired of your quality comparison pics.

J

As long as there is two of anything, I'll do it.
And if there is only one, there is always two sides of it...

Regards,
Swindiana

Update...believe it or not, after a month of hard use every day in Japan, the vents didn't rip out of his bag, despite my concern that they both looked like they were in jeopardy.

Another happy customer...so I'm not going to both following up on the vents right now...but at least the groundwork is here if someone else wants it, right?

Tough bags. I don't have a replica myself, but some of the posts I've seen make me wonder if the replicas are really as tough or not.

J

You were in Japan? Work or Vacation? I'm glad you made it back and that the bag held up.

Nope, wish I could have gone - put together a MKVI in a hurry for a buddy of mine - went to visit his in-laws.

I remain a US-bound gaijin.

J

Yeah, Jerry just couldn't be away from good ol' American donoughts that long.

bink

Come for the gear, stay for the...hey, donuts!