DIY / MYOG Supplier Master List
Interested in making your own gear? You’re gonna need some supplies and materials. What follows is a comprehensive list of the best DIY suppliers around. With these links, you can get your hands on anything you’ll need to make your own gear: silnylon, ripstop nylon, x-pac, cuben fiber (now dyneema), thread, buckles, webbing, cord, cord-locks, and so much more. **Cue Jurassic Park intro music** Welcome to the world of DIY.
I’ve separated the data into two tables below. The first shows detailed breakdowns of what I believe to be the top 5 DIY suppliers around currently. The second table features all other DIY suppliers that I know of with a brief description. If you don’t see a certain DIY supplier that you think should be featured, let me know in the comments! Both tables are searchable, though I don’t list out every fabric these places carry. That would make for far too long a list. I did try to mention the specialty materials these sites carry though, so you may be able to find what you are looking for.
The Top 5 DIY suppliers in detail:
| DIY Supplier | Link | Fabrics? | Waterproof fabrics? | Insulation? | Cordage/Webbing? | Components/Accessories/Buckles | Specialties | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripstop By The Roll | https://ripstopbytheroll.com | Perhaps one of the best offerings around. An appropriately large selection, that is easy to navigate. | Silnylon and Cuben, among others | Down & Synthetic. | Amsteel, zing it, shock cord, and more. | All the things | Custom printed outdoor fabrics and webbing. Some of the lightest materials available. | My all time favorite supplier. Unlike most others, Kyle has pretty much anything you need, and a modern/functional website to boot. A++ |
| Dutchware Gear | https://dutchwaregear.com | Many awesome exclusive fabrics among others. The Argon 67 makes a great lightweight quilt. Also Tyvek. | Some really cool silnylons, cuben, and some hybrids. | Down, Synthetic, Reflectix. | More cool exclusive stuff and the usual supplies too. | Everything plus some really unique components. Dutch himself makes some great hardware too. | Custom hardware and many things that just can’t be found anywhere else. Plus stuff like: carbon felt, carbon fiber poles, Kydex, and other specialty materials. | I have always loved Dutchware. It’s one of those sites that is fun to browse and it’s interesting just to see what boundaries Dutch is pushing. Check out their gear and FOOD! |
| Rockywoods | http://www.rockywoods.com | The largest selection of fabrics by far. Unique offerings like: wool, grid-fleece, heat bonded fabric, canvas, and too many more to even think about. | The usual suspects, waterproof breathables, and many more. | Sort of: Thinsulate and Polartec Fleece. | Most anything you’ll need, but it’s frustratingly difficult to navigate the site and find what you need. | The usual, but again, very hard to navigate. | Having everything you need plus some really out there fabrics with uses far beyond backpacking and hiking. This is the best place for X-pac material that I know of. | I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Rockywoods could really use an update. They have such great supplies, but the website feels so difficult use. |
| Quest Outfitters | http://www.questoutfitters.com/index.html | A wide array of all outdoor fabrics, mesh, fleece neoprene and much more. | Most anything you’d ever need, many WPB’s, X-Pac, and silnylon. | Goose down and multiple synthetic options. | Everything you need and more. Great selection. | All the classic hardware and some new components too. | Their gigantic collection of outdoors materials. Tent poles. Great Remnants. | Great supplier overall. They can be a one-stop shop for many projects. The site is a little dated and could use more fabric pictures. |
| DIY Gear Supply | http://diygearsupply.com | Plenty of ripstop options, gore-tex, and others. | Silnylon, Gore-tex, and others. (Sometimes X-Pac) | Synthetic and sometimes down. | Amsteel, Glowire, shock cord and more. | All of the above. | Sometimes they have foam for pack straps and hip belts in stock. Their 2nds offer a great cheap option for silnylon. And they always seem to have the one thing you need. | The (Modern) Classic DIY supply site. Scott has always shipped fast and accurate. Lately, it seems some materials don't get restocked as often as they once did. |
More DIY suppliers and honorable mentions:
| DIY Supplier | Link | Specialties | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down Linens | https://www.downlinens.com/products/premium-washed-down | Anything and everythinging down. Many fill powers and waterproof treatment available. | This has been my go to source for down. Subscribe to their site to get a 10% off coupon! |
| DIY Pack Raft | http://www.diypackraft.com/shop/ | DIY Pack Rafts!!! And pack raft material and parts. | Take your explorations onto the water! I Can’t wait to try one of these kits. |
| Zpacks | http://zpacks.com/materials.shtml | Anything Cuben and some hardware too. | Everyones favorite place to get cuben/dyneema from. |
| Wilderness Logics | http://www.wildernesslogics.com/DIY-MATERIALS_c28.htm | A little bit of everything. Hammocks. | N/A |
| Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics | http://www.owfinc.com | Another massive fabric and hardware stocker. | Large selections, I’ve just never ordered from them. |
| The Rain Shed | http://www.therainshed.com | Many different outdoor fabrics. Some unique offerings too. | N/A |
| Make Your Gear | http://www.makeyourgear.com | Everything Dutchware has. | This is just another face for Dutchware Gear. Not sure if there’s a transition going on here or not. |
| Seattle Fabrics | http://www.seattlefabrics.com | Outdoor and marine fabrics. | N/A |
| Arrowhead Equipment | http://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/store/c1/Storefront.html | Some outdoor parts, cords, and foam. | Has always been a reliable source for me. |
| Minibull Design | https://www.minibulldesign.com/productcart/pc/home.asp | DIY stove parts and accessories | He’s got some pretty sweet stoves too! |
| Thru-Hiker | http://thru-hiker.com/materials/index.php | Quilt kits, puffy kits, materials and a lot more. | A classic site with some great kits and materials. It feels a bit dated now though. |
| Ray Way | http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/OrderForm.php | The pioneering DIYer, Ray Jardine sells kits of his designs. | These designs have been around for a while now, but they have many miles of hiking behind them too! Classics. |
| Country Brook Design | https://www.countrybrookdesign.com | Webbing, Buckles, D-rings, Velcro. | N/A |
| Strapworks | http://www.strapworks.com/default.asp | Tons of webbing and hardware / components. | N/A |
| Hudson | http://www.hudson4supplies.com | Tons of plastic and metal hardware, webbing, velcro, and shock cord. | Canada based! |
| Mil-Spec Monkey | http://milspecmonkey.com/store/15-hardware-diy | Some really beefy and unique hardware and some cordage. Perfect for tactical builds. | N/A |
| Para Gear | http://www.paragear.com/parachutes/10000040/PARACHUTE-RAW-MATERIALS | All the materials, hardware, and cordage associated with parachuting and paragliding can be found here. | N/A |
| Lowy | http://www.lowyusa.com | Webbing, plastic components, metal components, zippers, and cordage. | Has a larger quantity approach for closer to wholesale prices. You'll have to get a quote on pricing and orders have a $50 minimum. |
| Paracord Galaxy | https://paracordgalaxy.com | Everything related to paracord and paracord projects. | N/A |
Don’t see your favorite supplier listed? Let me know in the comments!