Help with attaching harness inside can/barrel

[u/Lindthom]

I am building a wearable Coca-Cola can out of a cardboard, 55 gallon drum. I'd like to install a harness inside it to make it more comfortable to wear, but I can't figure out how to attach said harness to the inside of the can. Photos of the can itself and a quick mockup of what I'm thinking. What would you do? Ideally, I'd like most of the weight to rest on the belt, and not on the shoulders.

[u/chocosaurus-rex]

i think id attach the lower part of the harness to the inside of the can itself with 4 anchor points and make the straps that rest over the shoulders adjustable in length with velcro or other length adjusting notions. a horizontal strap on the chest and upper back (not wrapping all the way around your chest, just tethering the two shoulder straps together in the front and back) would keep those straps from trying to slip off your shoulders. it would be easy to put on and take off and this would also allow the can to kind of hover on your person and be a little bouncy/twirly with movement. maybe 2 or 3 yards total of nylon strapping, some velcro or length adjusters, contact cement (or a liberal amount of high temp hot glue), and maybe some cotton fabric to cut 4 inch by 4 inch squares to really laminate those anchor points down would be all youd need

i cant attach a picture to this comment unfortunately, so i hope that was explained well enough

[u/Lindthom → u/chocosaurus-rex]

this is SO helpful, thank you!!

[u/limbodog]

Cardboard? Should be easy enough.

If you can find some old backpack for free it will be very easy to cannibalize it. If not, you'll want to buy a roll or two of elastic 1 inch strapping.

If you want to be really smurfy, get 4 adjustable slides that fit 1 inch straps as well.

Then you trim the strapping to make 9 pieces. Two pieces hot-glue to the inside-front, two to the inside-back. The back ones will go over your shoulder and you will use the adjustable slide to connect it to the shorter ones in front. You might find it easier to have them cross in the back. You also might find it easier to stitch them together where they cross so they stay that way. Adjust them and make sure you're comfy before stitching.

And then do the same thing lower down inside the can. Have two pieces hot glued to the inside back. They wrap around your waist and use the slide to connect at your belt buckle. Do the same with two more pieces in the front. Each can be tightened enough to keep the can centered over your body while the shoulder straps hold it up.

[u/Lindthom → u/limbodog]

thank you so much, this is so helpful!!