A spare tyre bag is essential when camping. During transit you can store some lightweight bulky items in it and once at camp you have an easy access rubbish bin. This can mean the difference between leaving no trace behind or being an absolute knob head and leaving a mess!
The aim of the game when camping is to leave with more trash than you generated. It’s a small gesture that anyone with a passion for nature and camping can practice.
Anyhow, here’s a simple mod you can do to most backpacks to easily mount them on your spare tyre. I’ll demo with the Unigear waterproof 35L backpack that they kindly sent me. For transparency, I’m not being paid to say good things about this backpack, but it’s worked out great for the small Jimny tyres and ticks all the boxes for what I need. It’s a cracking quality backpack all things being equal.
Shape and size
The backpack is a 35L capacity roll top waterproof bag. It measures approximately 56cm tall by 40cm wide when the roll top is packed to it’s smallest size (see picture above). With the roll top fully open it extends to76cm tall. Incidentally it’s the size of the pedal bin liners we use… result!
This backpack is only 20cm deep meaning it doesn’t stick out too far when reversing. Helping retain the Jimny’s the ability to squeeze into almost any space. 35L capacity should be more than enough for a few days of camping.
The simple modification
All you need is some 25mm webbing and buckles.
Notice how these buckles can be tensioned from both sides meaning there’s no sewing involved.
Step 1
All we’re trying to achieve is extending the length of the shoulder straps so they fit over the spare wheel.
Remove the webbing from the shoulder straps on your backpack and loop one side of the new webbing through the original buckle attached to the backpack. Your backpack may vary in it’s attachments but most will have the style seen below at the top of the picture.
The length of the shoulder strap webbing extensions I needed for my backpack was 50cm each.
Then attach one end of a buckle to the lose end of the extended webbing. Finally attach the other end of the buckle to the bottom strap of the back pack enabling you to create a longer shoulder strap as shown below.
You’re simply adding an adjustable section to bridge the two ends together.
Step 2
Cut approximately 130cm of webbing and attach a buckle to each end to creating an adjustable loop. This will be used to tension the bottom of the shoulder straps to the tyre.
That’s it, you’re done. Hopefully no need to cut or damage your backpack so you can always convert it back to it’s original state.
Fitting
Loop the shoulder straps around the sides of the tyre and tension each of the sides to sit tightly.
If your backpack has a chest strap use this to tension the top of the shoulder straps around the top portion of the tyre. If not, make a second adjustable loop like you made for the bottom and loop it across the top of the tyre tensioning the should straps together.
Next feed the adjustable loop you made in step 2 along the bottom of the shoulder straps and cinch it down tight. This will avoid any unwanted flying of said bag into the face of cars behind you, not ideal 🙂
If your backpack has a waist belt strap you can also feed this through the spokes of the wheel for extra security. As shown below.
That’s essentially it. It couldn’t be easier!
Any questions just let me know, this won’t be anything new or a radical mods for off-roaders but if you’re new to all this malarky hopefully it helps you and saves you spending hundreds on a posh spare tyre bag.
Very neat modification! Looks a perfect size for the Jimny compared to the Trasharoo.
Trashawho???
Sorry it’s a crap joke mate, I’ll get my coat 🙂
You’re right though, much better size and it’s a lot better quality than the last one I had.