Redoxx Aviator with "D" Rings

Robert sent these photos of his Redoxx Aviator with “D” rings attached. The photos with the Absolute Strap are of the Small Aviator Bag and the photos without the strap are of the Extra Small Aviator Bag.

Comments

[Cassie]

Thanks for posting these pictures. I have been wondering where the best place to add these would be. One question. Who would be the best person to sew these on? A tailor?

[Russ]

I would try an online search for luggage or purse repair. I found one close to me that is also a shoe repair shop, which you could also try.

[Robert]

I got the D rings at Mountain Equipment Coop for $ 0.25 each. They were also kind enough to cut strips of suitable nylon webbing and gave these to me free of charge. The D rings and webbing are both of high quality. REI or any similar store could provide the components.
A local shoemaker box-stiched the webbing and rings for $ 15 per bag. My D rings are intentionally diagonally offset on the ends of the bag to better balance the load.
This minor modification transforms the aviator bags and greatly increases their utility when a suitable shoulder strap is added. Interestingly, the user comments on the RedOxx website frequently express the wish for D rings to be added to these bags.
The D rings and the webbing are both 1 inch wide. I folded the webbing over so the 6 inch strips on the larger bag are now 3 inches long. I used 4 inch strips on the extra small aviator bag and again folded them double so they are now about 2 inches long. In both cases, the rings, webbing and stitching are more than strong enough to withstand any load I could possibly shoulder carry. The results are two no-frills, light weight bags of rugged build quality and sized perfectly for carry on travel.
Hope this info helps some readers.

[AndyW]

My perfect bag...

I've been using aviator bags as my carry-on for years.

I'm going to do the same thing. Maybe I'll just make one for everyone in my family.

[Ronjo]

I did virtually the identical modification on my aviator XS about a year and half ago. Got D-rings and webbing at my local Ace Hardware and a local cobbler did the box sticking for $10. Has worked like a charm. Added very little weight. Most of the time I don't need a shoulder strap for the XS but occasionally I use a Tom Bihn strap when I need to keep both hands free during jaunts through various airports.

[Russ]

I just had this done as well. I wanted to try Red Oxx out without spending too much, so I asked for an XS Aviator for my birthday. I found a pack of 4 metal D-rings and a pack of nylon webbing in Walmart's craft section for $2.95 out the door. I took them to a local bag repair shop and had them box-stitched for $10. Although I have yet to try it with the shoulder strap, I am happy with the modification.

What do I think of the bag? I like how simple and lightweight it is. The zipper is awesome and I think this is what puts Red Oxx on top for quality. I love the look of the monkey fist zipper pulls (this may be the real reason I purchased the bag). Regarding the red patch on the black bag, it is not nearly as obnoxious in real life as I think it is in pictures. Like the monkey fists and over-kill zipper, it's just part of the aesthetic.

[JohnEye]

Hello. I know I'm late to this post but I am about to do the same thing to my XS Aviator. Is necessary to put the D-rings on the ends of the bag as the OP did or would it work by sewing them onto the handle webbing near the top of the bag and diagonally opposite one another? My main concern is the material on the side might rip over time but the handles are already designed to bear the bag's load. Thoughts?

[Karoly Negyesi]

The material rip? Do you actually have the bag :) ? I don't think any short of a direct nuclear hit can rip that material :)