I have never built or designed my own gear, though I have often improvised solutions to immediate problems. I used to date a girl who was hellbent on building her own couch though. I'm not sure she ever finished it. It seems like a fun idea, but I think it could be tough to pull off to your satisfaction unless you already have some idea of how to go about accomplishing it. Have you made any prototypes just to get a feel for how you'd like to approach the final product?
I found This and plan on mostly doing that, with minor modifications. I'm going to cut the panels myself, arrange them in the appropriate context with pins, and then consult my mother about the sewing. My big problem right now is the fact that I'm great at visualization but I can't draw worth a damn to get my ideas down on paper.
Well, that's why I asked about prototyping. It's great to be able to plan physical objects on paper, but for something that you're making custom for yourself, it might be worth making a prototype to get an idea for fit, weight, etc. That is a nice looking backpack though.
Should I make it out of construction paper or something to get a better idea of dimensions? Also if you feel like dropping the cash this is the website of the guy who makes them.
I think construction paper might be a good idea, as you can figure out how much stuff you'll typically carry and how to distribute it. Since you have that website (thanks for the link by the way) you might even ask the guy if he could give you some tips, or if you can bounce ideas off of him. Incidentally, last night I spoke to a good friend interested in opening up a food truck or a lunch counter. He met a guy involved in that stuff, whose kid happened to go to the same preschool as my friend's kid. They ended up hanging out and through talking about my friend's ideas, the guy ended up hiring him to manage a cafe. Your situation is a bit different, but there may just be some interesting opportunities for your interests to work to your advantage. Just my 2 cents.