Make a Protective Camelbak Case From Household Materials

If you do a lot of hiking and backpacking you know that a Camelbak has become an essential piece of equipment. If you are like me, however, you feel that the backpack that you bought with the Camelbak is great for day hikes, but is really more of a nuisance if you want to go on a longer hike. Some people try and attach the Camelbak pack to the big pack, or they just put the bladder inside their main pack. Doing the former is cumbersome and annoying (and constantly needs to be readjusted), and doing the latter is dangerous because of potential puncture. In this Instructable you will learn how to create a protective casing for the Camelback that is safe to use both inside and outside your large pack.

Step 1: What You Need

Materials:
1x Old Large T-Shirt
1x Foam Camping Mat
1x Zipper
1x Spool of thread and needle
1x Pair of Scissors
1x Xacto knife or Razor blade

All of these materials can be found around the house for free. I am living in a remote location this year for school (on top of a mountain in Israel), so my resources are limited. I found the large T shirt and the foam, and the Zipper I tore off of a bag that my Comforter and pillow came in. If you want to buy all of this stuff new, you could also probably get it for under $5.

Step 2: The Padding

In this step, you will prepare the padding that will protect your Camelbak.

(View Pictures to See what to do)

Step 3: T-Shirt Alterations

In this step you will transform your T-shirt into the sack that will house the padding and your Camelbak resivoir.

Step 4: Putting It All Together (Part One)

Now its time to Put it all together, so get your sewing kit out!
If your are no good at sewing, dont worry--neither am I. You dont need your stitching to look perfect, you just need ot hold the thing together. Although I used a thin thread (becuase that is all I had) I would suggest using something on the thicker side. Remember--If you think that you can improve on what I have done, do it (and share your improvement with everyone)! Take chances!

Step 5: Finished Product

So now your bag is finished. You can use it inside or outside your pack. This is how it should look on the outside. Note how it is inside a side mesh pocket and has two straps supporting it. If you have any questions you can post them as a comment or PM me.

P.S. Also, how can I rotate the last picture?

ENJOY!!!!